Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[farmerjan]

Sorry, @Bruce... I just realized that my math is wrong... I am using about 3 gallons of gas for that 70 miles.... not 1.5 gallons. But at our prices that is about 5.00 for gas.... (I was thinking 26 miles per 1/2 gal gas.... Brain is not working right)

 

[Ridgetop]

Exhausted again.

Doofus' truck has a bad oil leak so he took off work today to fix it. He asked if he could come over to our place since he can't do any work on cars at his apartment. DH said ok. At d11:00 am he showed up then waited an hour to get to work since "the engine had to cool down first". He said that he would have to order a part and needed to tear it apart to see what part needed to be ordered. At 1:00 pm he announced that he couldn't fix it. Since he needs a truck to work, alarm bells started going off in my head. Particularly since he and DD2 had just spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at our house DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. OK for her but he could have been working on his truck on those days he had off from work instead of taking an additional day off. They stayed for a big dinner each day that I cooked. DD2 then drove her own car over to spend the day with us as well. DS2 is home this weekend for his apprentice class, but I delayed cooking dinner hoping they would leave. Finally they left at 6pm since I had just put dinner into the oven (frozen lasagna which takes 2 hours to cook when it is frozen. So back to Doofus. DH suggested that he rent a truck from U-Haul so he would not lose his job since he has now taken off 2 days this week - Tuesday to take the daughter to the doctor for her checkup and today. He could have done what every working parent does, schedule the checkup on his day off but chose to take the day off instead. For while I was beginning to think he was growing up but now maybe not. Then DH suggested he take the truck to a shop and see how much it will cost to fix it. He checked and it will cost $200 to fix so they are going to take it to the shop tomorrow so another day off work. I cautioned DH not to give him any money to fix it since I feel like Doofus is getting too comfortable at our home.

I am getting really tired of having additional people around all day. And really really tired of having to cook for 6+ people. FDIL will do the dishes afterward but I am feeling really old. Just because DD2 is nauseous is not a reason we should have to entertain her. I was actually unkind to her today. She asked if I was not happy to have her over and I said NO. I then softened it by saying that she should stay home and rest. BUT . . . .

Finished making the lace cover for the Bible today for the wedding ceremony. Then got a revised list of guests from FDIL and redid some of the place cards. The count is at 60 (including the bride and groom) but when I checked with FDIL she said she had a few more people to contact to see if they were coming! I reminded her that we were only allowed 60 guests. Even though I have a lovely new dress to wear, I am almost at the point of deciding to stay home with my feet up! LOL At least I have the table seatings arranged for our family and friends so that is ok. She will have to do theirs.

My ewes are still holding onto their lambs. Or the lambs are still refusing to come out. DD2 came in and asked if they were supposed to be lambing now and I said yes, any time between last week and next week. She said they looked enormous and one was actually waddling. I did not tell her that in another 4-5 months or so she would be looking like that and waddling too. I am a good mother sometimes.

Yesterday I made 6 dozen chicken enchiladas and froze them. This morning I put them in freezer bags - 5 to a bag. Last week I made chili verde, and spaghetti sauce. I made the spaghetti sauce in my InstaPot and it was so easy and so much less work to use that. I also made the chili verde in the InstaPot as well. I froze 2 bags of spaghetti sauce and 4 bags of chili verde. Each bag has to feed 5+ adults. I am tired of cooking for so many.

Yesterday we listed the Yelm house. Now that building permits and water permits are being issued, we will probably get an offer. If we don't sell the house, at least the tenant has to vacate and we can put in another tenant that will actually pay rent. We are selling with the wood stove and appliances not included but optional. The propane stove is 5 years old, and the refrigerator was just replaced last Christmas. The wood stove is a really good one and there is another very old one that is actually worth more money in the bunkhouse that we will keep. If we actually ever get out of here we will need those stoves in the barn and workshop during the winter.

 

[Baymule]

So that's your real motive for leaving California--you are running away from your kids!

 

[Ridgetop]

You Bet!

DH and I used to joke that we couldn't get a divorce since neither of us would agree to take custody of the children!

 

[thistlebloom]

Sorry to ask this, but why are you doing all the cooking? Seems like plenty of able bodied people around that can step up and take turns.

 

[farmerjan]

I think that it is a 2 edged sword for @Ridgetop .... if she does the cooking at least things will not get ruined, burned up, taken out and not get put back, or put back and not found again when she needs them. If she says there is the kitchen, it could be left in a disaster that would make her madder than if she had just done it herself.... I usually offer to help do something/anything until this past year or 2 when my ankle and knees hurt too much to stand for any more than a few minutes. I actually like doing the dishes....
And if she wants to eat a decent hour, she has to get to cooking at a decent hour. But it is poor taste on the "kids part" to not at least offer to get going before dinnertime if they have not been invited.... I hate it when people just hang around like that too....
I never expected to eat at my mom's unless it was pre arranged.... or she was standing there insisting me/we/whoever stay. It was often expected that I stay when going down to visit when I lived an hour away.... but I still always said something to the effect.... and often offered to bring stuff with me to at least contribute....

I am sorry that "he" is once again acting irresponsible.... it is hard to get someone to change....

And there is something to be said to the "running away" if they don't respect your space even if you are the parents and the kids think they own you. I never did that with my parents, and don't do it with my son. I would never "expect" to get fed, or waited on, or helped with something unless I asked or it was first offered.
I ran away to Va partly because my ex would just come to the house whenever he felt and thought he still had a right to walk in... after a knock at least.... but I stopped that with the adoption of a german shepard that turns out had an extreme dislike of men.... was abused they suspected at the pound that I adopted him from....advertised as for a woman only home... and the first time my ex decided to come in, the dog went for him.... stopped that BS real quick.... My very innocent justification was that I was alone and I wanted protection.... and that he would protect my son also..... he couldn't make any case against the dog.... Thank you God.....
He//, I might run away again..... who knows....

 

[Bruce]

but I heard somewhere that they are talking all electric vehicles by 2045.... big rigs included.....

I guess we'll see, there have been quite good advances in electric vehicles in the last 10 years so another 25 years might be enough time .... though some of us won't have to worry about it

I don't think that 70 miles on 1.5 gallons is that difficult.

Then why can so few vehicles attain it? (yeah I did see your bad math post ). Do you recall in 2003 when gas first went over $2/gallon and everyone was crying about how we'd all go broke? People started buying smaller vehicles, especially when gas went over $3 then over $4. But gas is back down to "super cheap" (my how soon we forget the pain of $2 gas) and back to the larger vehicles. And even by model they get bigger. I know people who had a hybrid Toyota Highlander, when they replaced it they got a hybrid Rav 4 because the Highlander had grown and the new Rav was the size of their old Highlander.

And is the all electric, that needs charging most every day I guess, is that increased electricity coming at a "cost" to the environment at the plants to produce more and more????? I like solar, I really like hydro power as that is more consistent and continuous than either solar or wind....( in some places wind might be close) I like renewable.... but you have to factor in the overall costs, some not seen like increased generation of electricity SOMEWHERE, to provide that electricity to charge the batteries....and the increased cost of the actual vehicle... to the life of the vehicle... and the life of the battery and the replacement cost of that battery.... and to the fact that an average person/mechanic cannot work on these vehicles.....
Run the numbers against something like my ranger.... with the miles on it, and the maintenance costs... Is it worth it??? I honestly do not know....

"charge every day" would depend on the battery range of the vehicle and the commute. DW needs to charge every other day though she could probably squeak every 3 days during the warm weather. Most people don't have a 70 mile daily round trip commute though.

Most of the power we get from the electric company is renewable, hydro, solar & wind but your point is valid. There are still plenty of coal fired plants and natural gas fired plants. And clearly the cost of the vehicles will have to come down substantially though to be fair, there are a LOT of vehicles sold annually that cost more than our new Leaf, starting with Ford's most popular model - the F150. I'm not suggesting they are equivalent vehicles, totally different purposes (if used FOR those designed purposes). Google says the average price paid for new vehicles in 2020 is just shy of $38K.

And, yes the average mechanic isn't going to deal with the hybrid parts of a Prius but in fact we have NEVER had ANY part of the hybrid system need service. That is 5 vehicles since 2004. My 2004 had 130K miles when it was totaled, the 2009 that replaced it had 140K when it was totaled. DD2 has 180K on her 2006, DW has 235K on her 2006, DD1 has just over 100K on her 2010. But our local mechanic has made money on those cars. Brakes, bearings, oil changes, etc. DW's 2006 is still running fine, the decision to buy the Leaf now instead of waiting is tax related.

 

[farmerjan]

A 70 mile round trip for work here is very common. Unless you live right in town and work at say the hospital or one of the colleges, it is 20 miles for me to go to town in either north or south directions. Add in many having to take kids to a babysitter, and then pick up, and a spouse having to drive in a different direction... and 50 miles a day is minimum for most. When I go test, which yes, I realize is not the average job... but I figure a minimum of 70-80 miles round trip for all but about 4 farms.... several are 50-60 miles one way. But yeah, many do not have that long a drive I don't imagine.

Nearly every one of my vehicles has nearly twice the miles on it that yours have... granted yours have been "retired due to accidents"... but I have had a few over the years that also have gone that route... but over 200,000 at the time.

So you have never had to replace any batteries on any of them? I have heard, maybe true or NOT, that they last an average of 5 years????? And are expensive to replace..... Please enlighten me on the normal yearly upkeep costs.... I do brakes once a year or less.... oil changes are routine when I can get to them, Bearings?????, So maybe not much more in annual upkeep than a "regular" vehicle..... interesting....
But then again, I could not even begin to manage with the farm stuff, with a car.... I had a "duster" after I got divorced and it got so abused hauling feed and trying to stuff a half dozen sq bales of hay and countless trips to do stuff, that a truck was a godsend......

 

[Baymule]

Haha @farmerjan I had a 2003 Ford Focus wagon, loved that car. I could carry 500 pounds of feed in it and tie 3 bales of hay on top. If I really needed to, I could stuff 750 pounds of feed in it. I'd tell the guys at the feed store to put the feed in that red Ford truck, then watch then get confused. LOL At 750 pounds, it squatted down and wallowed all over the rad, but what the heck. What's the difference between feed sacks and 4 or 5 fat people? I wrecked that car in Houston, on the 610 freeway loop. It's a bad feeling to total a car in a big city, miles and miles from home. Hah! No problem, I just called a wrecker in Livingston, and got a ride home in the deal!

 

[messybun]

I find electric cars interesting, but as far as “clean” fuel I’m not so sure. I’ve always had a problem with where the electricity came from being “cleaner” than gas. On the other hand, I don’t think removing all the oil from under the plutonic plates is the best idea either, as seen in the increased earthquakes. Because who thought hey let’s take out all the lubrication for these giant moving plates, it’s not like we need it or anything. But, unfortunately, it is too expensive to make oil at the current time.