Trying to get a yard/lawn in is posing as difficult as getting a house built was. While DH is doing what he can himself, some of it just plain has to be done by others with the right equipment. When our property was initially cleared off to be ready for building site, we ended up with about 75 yards of topsoil, But it has lots of rocks in it and needs to be screened. Not something we can do by hand. Then we got that free topsoil, but it also needs to be screened and could use a bit of "help". We were told of another guy (neighbor of where we got the topsoil) who has a bunch of old cow manure he wants to get rid of, so we'd take that. The plan is to mix it in with the topsoils. The plan was the guy with the equipment was supposed to come back 2 weeks ago and bring the manure and his screen. He also said he had a screen to do it. Now he's saying he can't come for a few more weeks and something about renting a screen from some other company. Well geez.....if we had known all that DH would have made some different decisions....like just buying ready topsoil and having it delivered!
And DH was going to use/rent this guys backhoe for a day or two. He was supposed to get it Saturday. That didn't happen. Now he has no idea when the guy is going to have it available. This part is something DH needs to get done before the next step can be done.
Two weeks ago he had a guy come out to give an estimate on installing concrete curbing around where the lawn is going to go. Our neighbor happened to come over when he was here looking, and he said he's been wanting that done too......so he asked for a quote, too. No word from the guy to either of us. For our yard, it's something that has to be prepped, done before anything else would be done. Typical contractor from this area.
Summer is almost over and Fall is short here, so now we're probably not going to have time to get this in before it gets too cold to do. It's making for a very cranky DH. And he's too nice. He won't come right out and say to the guy, "hey, I really need a set date on getting this done by you, otherwise I'm going to have to find another plan, since it takes so long to find contractors around here". He'll just let him keep putting him off. Ah well, it's not like it has to be done. Would have just been really nice to get it in this year.
And DH, of course, just like I predicted, I dragging his heels at selling that little dump trailer. He keeps using the excuse he'll need it for this or that, but then doesn't use it. Example: the rocks delivered. He could have used it (though it obviously would have taken longer) to get that stuff over here. But, the guy who has the rock said he wanted to load and deliver it in his dump truck. So, of course we had to pay for that part, too. Supposedly, this guy who we are waiting on the bid for the concrete curbing is interested in trading his work for it. We'll see.......
And still nothing from that guy that has our hard drive. DH called the computer repair guy who had originally given me his number. Just on the off chance he knew anything at all about this guy or how to get a hold of him a different way. Or just to say, I wouldn't refer this guy to anyone else. He said that he didn't really know anything about him (he had told me that) but that when he came in and left his card for hard drive repair referrals, he told this guy that he trained all the people who work at another hard drive repair company, in his same small town. DH called them, to see if maybe they had a way to get a hold of him. They really seemed to know nothing about him either, so they said. Kind of surprising since it's a pretty small town he's in, of less than 5,000 people. I think they are the only 2 business's of that type in that town. Anyhow, that was a long shot anyway. DH left him one more voicemail. Not very nice this time. I think Dh is just going to try to go down to his house address (that's where I mailed it to and the address on his business website) and see if someone will answer and try to get it back. DH wanted me to text him (because we can see he's reading my texts) and tell him he's coming down there tomorrow to pick it up, but I said I wouldn't even let him know. Then he'll know you are coming and not answer the door.
My 2 new zero gravity lounge chairs arrived yesterday. I really like them and find them very comfortable. Though I think Lucy (Dime at a Time blog) is right, they aren't quite long enough for tall guys, though my DH is 6', not 6'5", like hers. Well, for the price they are good. They cost the same ($60 for pair) as the 2 regular lawn chairs I bought for front patio. Now I don't feel like I got a good deal on those, LOL.
I'm going to see if Lowe's has washer and dryer's on sale over Labor Day. I would think they would probably have a sale going on then. I don't want to spend more than $1000 for the set and if I can get a deal with their 6 mos no interest, I'll just get it and put on my Lowe's card. We don't need those fancy HE front loading washers and dryers that cost that much apiece. But, I was looking through some of their models, of just the "old style" washing machines, like we have. It's so confusing, because half of the reviews will say they love it. The other half hate it. Currently, one of their top load washing machines is reg like $750 for $499...geez, for $750 I don't think it could be that bad of a machine. But, I remember coming across the same thing when I was researching our kitchen appliances. Some said the dishwasher was too loud, other's loved it. We have a very open floor plan and sound carries. It's fine. For about 10 seconds it has a part in the cycle that is louder than the rest, LOL. Otherwise we barely hear it.
I would give anything to be able to return my new washing machine (that doesn't have the agitator) and get one like my previous one. I know the newer one supposedly saves money but it can't be saving electricity as it takes FOREVER to run a cycle. If you fill it up and then want to leave it sit for a bit before starting the cycle it will automatically empty itself after 3 minutes. Also, I just can't be convinced that slightly wetting a load of clothing and then shaking it is good for the fabric and actually gets it clean. Live and learn I guess.
ReplyDeleteI think the top loading one my dd got doesn't have the agitator. I'll have to ask her how she likes it. I've heard lots of complaints about the front loading kind, that they don't get clothes clean. DH hates change, so he'd probably hate anything different, LOL. He really doesn't even like the washing machine we have a whole lot, sometimes it washes a load in a normal amount of time, another load it takes twice as long.
DeleteI hope you are able to get your lawn in before winter, although it sounds like there's a lot to be done and people are not cooperating with timely estimates and so forth.
ReplyDeleteStores usually do have good sales on appliances during Labor Day. My new washer is a top loader without the agitator. I like it because there is plenty of room for my quilts. But, the "normal" cycle does take 54 minutes, which is almost twice as long as the old washer used to take.
that long of cycle is going to annoy DH, LOL. I asked DD which one hers was. It's sounds similar to yours, top loading w/o agitator. She said her load takes about 45 min, and that's with extra rinse. Hers is Maytag (which is what our current washer brand is)
DeleteI like the top loading machines sold in your neck of the woods but, alas! In this country, they are not a thing. Since the beginning of time they have been front loaders. I am using a very basic Samsung. The shortest cycle is 15 minutes, the longest two hours. 15 minutes cycle is not enough to wash anything properly. I usually use the 39 and 65 minute cycles. I wish, we could program them ourselves.
ReplyDelete15 minutes does seem way too short to wash well! I think our current washing machine averages about 45 minute cycle on most settings.
DeleteYou are wise not to give that person a heads up about coming. What an ordeal. I can't imagine treating a customer this way.
ReplyDeleteI think you still got a good deal on the chairs. When I was at Lowes yesterday, they had a lot of markdowns on their outside stuff. There were some very good deals if I had the extra money to spend!
I'd also watch for reduced appliances. Our Lowes has an area with scratch and dent, special orders that were returned, etc. I've seen some excellent buys that I'd consider if I were in the market.
DH didn't end up going down there today anyway, so I'm glad I didn't text him. I glanced at Lowe's patio stuff last week when I was there, but didn't see anything I wanted or was good enough priced. I'll have to see what they have for reduced appliances. I have to return one of the mirror pieces I bought. DH opened it up and it was cracked. I don't think we did it in the transport, because inside where the cardboard folded over was pieces of broken mirror that didn't come from that mirror.
DeleteI had a front loader about ten years ago. It was a Whirlpool Duet, and I gave away when it was about three years old. It was horrible for several reasons:
ReplyDelete1) It sat low on the floor, which made doing laundry a pain, literally, a pain, and I'm quite short. Sure, you can buy a base, but they were expensive--almost half as much as the machine.
2) While it used less water than a top loader, you could only fill the machine to halfway point, which meant smaller loads, thus, I was doing twice as many loads. I don't see where that was a savings.
3) Related to the above, the front loader never submerged the clothes in water, it simply turned it through. I didn't feel like the clothes ever got clean
4)I was constantly getting error signals due to suds in the line--and bear in mind I used the proper amount of the proper detergent.
5)You had to leave the door open when empty, which took up valuable laundry room space
6) It had to be cleaned every several weeks by running a "clean washer" cycle, or else it smelled like swamp. How is using energy to run an empty washing machine environmentally friendly?
Since that debacle, I have had two commercial quality Speed Queens. The one bought 7 years ago stayed in our old house. Never a second's worth of trouble, so I bought a newer version of the same model for this place. I love it.
Also, now is the time Lowe's tries to clear its floor in anticipation of Black Friday inventory arriving. They are anxious to get rid of any returns, or older floor models. We bought a refrigerator around this time about 2 years ago, and got a great deal on it--a GE Profile side by side which typically sells for over $1k for just about $400, due to a teeny, tiny dent on the side. Look for returns due to cosmetic reasons, and try to have a manager help you when you shop, as they are allowed to make price adjustments.
thanks for the front loader info. All things we would not like, either. Especially DH being tall (and doing most of the laundry) he wouldn't like it being lower. I have heard too many negatives about front loaders, like the "cleaning" you mentioned, but they sure seem like the popular ones they sell, doesn't it? and if you want them raised up, then it's another $200-$300 for the bases. I'll stick with the old style, plain white ones.
DeleteI bought a new washer maybe 4 or 5 years ago. It’s a large capacity Maytag centennial. It has an agitator because I don’t like change lol. It’s got the sensor in it for load size so the wash time varies slightly, but usually it takes 35-40. The only things I don’t like about it is the locking lid, which they all may have now, and I haven’t figured out how to soak stuff in it. That’s not a huge deal now, but would have been a deal breaker when the kids were little. I refused to even consider a front load. I would have a top loading dryer if I could. Bending over is very hard on my back.
ReplyDeleteWe are the same, don't like change haha. I was thinking no agitator might be nice for washing a big comforter or blanket. Our current top load machine takes 35-40 minutes for a load too
DeleteI can do comforters in mine but I wonder if they get clean. My dd had no agitator and she said it was great for comforters but she sometimes didn’t think the small loads got quite as clean. But who knows. I usually just take comforters to the laundromat a couple times a year and then make do with the job my washer does the rest of the time. Buying appliances is just hard! They think we need all these fancy bells and whistles-well I disagree!
ReplyDeleteI disagree too! I just want something that works well and LASTS a long time. I was reading one review on a washer from someone who said they had just purchased it and hoped it lasted the 7-8 years like her old one did. Really? LOL. My first washing machine lasted like 25 years.
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