Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[farmerjan]

Welcome to the forum @gurock244 . However, you are making comments on a journal that is more than 6 years old, and we all enjoy @Ridgetop 's chatty posts... there are no "quick clear entries" for most of us... it is a place to "talk" and to vent and to come to when we need sympathy or a kick in the pants.
Please add your location to your avatar so anything you post we can put a "place" to the posts... most list a state or general area...

 

[Baymule]

The bathroom tile looks like that brown tub is supposed to be brown. I think I’d leave it at that. Perfect match!

 

[Mini Horses]

Agree....a white tub would be out of place! Nice job that guy did!

 

[Weldman]

I would rip the tub out and make my own tub covered with the same tiles on the walls, but that's just me and my ways.
Overall nice job!

 

[SageHill]

The tub and surround look great. Perfect color for the tub. Stay brown.

 

[Ridgetop]

Welcome Gurock244!

I am very happy with the tile! I will do some touch up painting on the moldings when I get home. DS1 wilol get a dark bronze shower curtain rod and a shower curtain. Told him to let the water run in the tub when he turns in the water heater to drain the old water out of the tank. Micromanagement at its best.

Saw the asst ortho surgeon today, she was very pleased with the knee. Gve me some special glue remover packets to remove the tape residue from the kmee. Happy about that since the knee had been looking pretty grubby withthe adhesive residue on it. I mentioned how surprised I was at the amount of pain I had with the surgery and she said that people having a second knee replacement often said the same thing. After working through successful therapy they forget hoow painful the first surgery was and expected the second one to be almost painfree! LOL She said I don't have to cover the incision when showering anymore either so that will be good. I still can't drive for another couple weeks. DD1 picked me up for the appointment at 6:30 am to drive down to Santa Monica for an 8:30am appt. Lots of traffic. The hospital cafeteria has great selection and really good food so I bought her breakfast afterwards before we drove home. We had a nice talk without any distractions before heading home. Traffic going back mid morning is usually pretty easy. Then I went to her house for an hour and a half and played a game with her, Daniel, and Elizabeth. They are leaving tomorrow to go spend a couple days with a friend at some co-owned resort wth cabins, pool, hiking trails, and horse rental stables. The friend's daughter is apparently David's girlfriend. I gave DD1 money to rent 3 horses so she could ride with her kids which she hasn't ever done. We used to enjoy our family rides so much that I wanted her to enjoy it for herself with her kids. Elizabeth is in Blue Shadows Drill Team and I told them it would be nice to ride together now that Elizabeth could actually ride. My knee was beginning to hurt by then so they brought me home. I couldn't exercise my knee when I got home because it hurt so much from sitting and walking at the hospital so I took an Oxy. I haven't had to take much Oxy lately except for PT. The Oxy has worn off so I'm hurting again. Oh well, nopain no gain. PT tomorrow afternoon.

David has had one lesson of driving school and has a learner's permit so he drove us home. I sat in front and other than occasionally telling him to move more into the middle of the road when he nearly took off a mirror on a parked car, he did well. The hard thing about learnig to drive is learning ti stay to the left - it seems like you need to keepmoving to the right. LOL It did take 20 minutes to complete the 10 minute drive home but going slow was better than going fast. We crawled up the steep road to our house. I might have been able to walk it faster even on the walker but he did ok. I asked DD1 if she had whimpered when she let him drive the first time and she said yes, but she didn't cry tears like I did when she drove the first time, or make DGS2 and DGD1 wear their riding helmets like I did every time she was driving. Aaaah, Good times.

DH mowed the goat weed in the pasture today. He called me to complain about SIL andD2. Apparently they went to look at houses to rent and came home at dinner time. DH and DS1 had just come in from working in the barn and pasture and were tired. DS1 has cooked breakfst and dinner the past several days so DH asked D2 if they were going to cook tonight. D2 asked if DH would watch Annabel whom they had put down asleep. She was annoyed when he hesitated before agreeing to watch her. (He had spent half a day on the tractor and was tired and hungry.) Then she said tht she and SIL were going out to dinner. They did not offer to bring anything back for DH and DS1 which really annoyed DH since DS1 has been cooking for everyone since they arrived. In addition DH said that SIL2 had lifted D2 up on a fence and she was climbing on the fences today and he told her to get off them. She was a bit uppity and he was annoyed at that. He said he called so I could calm him down and tell him not to get upset at them. I said I wasn't going to do any such thing and they better not be climbing on my expensive fencing. He said they were climbing on some other fencing panels not the wire but I said it didn't matter - Don't Climb on Any of Our Fencing! DH did say that they were planning to rent a house about 1 1/2 hours away. Whew. I love them but not too close. To cheer him up I read the comments about their behavior from everyone. DH felt vindicated afterwards! LOL He was in the middle of talking when the phone suddenly went dead. He called back and whispered that he hung up because they walked into the house.

We have fish in the pond. SIL and D2 did a little catch and release and caught 3 fish - fish #1 was 2" long, fish #2 was 4" long and fish #3 was about 7" long. All Bluegills. It is good to know tht we have a healthy spread of ages. We will have to start feeding them. Also want to out in a floating aerator and anchor a floating "island" in the center of the pond for the geese to nest and be safe. Erick said he would give me some pairs of his Pilgrim geese. Pilgrims are calm and color sex linked - hens are gray-brown and ganders are white. He is also going to give me some of his runner ducks to control grasshoppers, crickets, and garden pests.

Tomorrow I am going to try to do some laundry.

 

[Baymule]

They went out to eat and didn’t offer to bring something back for your DH and DS1? Thoughtless and selfish! I bet DS1 is counting down time for them to leave!

 

[Ridgetop]

OMG! The drama continues. Thank goodness I am here. I don't think I will answer any more calls from DH. He called mylast night at 1 am his time to talk about the situation. Apparently it is my fault ??? and I am bad for "blabbing" all about the problem. I was just supposed to calm and console him, not get upset on his behalf! Right! Like anything that upset DH would not upset me! Then he started in on something else that had happened after we talked and was mad at me about it - I had to remind him that he hadn't told me about that business. And I am not allowed to talk to the famioy about any of this or post it. Go figure! Like that prohibition would stop me. I'm not answering any calls from him for next couple days, it is too confusing.

Called DS1 this am to find out what was going on. Apparently, whatever was going on, DS1 talked to DD2 and straightened everything out with the family. Still not sure what went on, but not going to inquire further! According to DS1, DH doesn't hear half of what is being said and doesn't make sure what he thinks he is hearing is correct! We all know this is true, but DH is indenial about his hearing. The comments about the cars and house were "jokes" according to DD2. DD2 and DSIL2 did not go out to eat, she was mad and "wanted to get out of the house" so stormed out. No idea what is going on back there but leaving it all in DS1's hands to deal with. He seems to be the only person who keeps calm and sane! He seems to have control of everything. DH is out mowing again.

They have found a house near McKinney which they like. North of Dallas and an hour from Anna and 1 1/2 hours from us. Good school district with autism classes for Annabel. Rent is $1800 so not too bad although DD2 probably has to go to work part-time. With Annabel in school that will be doable. Not sure of their move in date, but it might be August. I can't trust what anyone says since everyone repeats different dates!

DS1 said that Bryan told him to use heavier outdoor use Pex for waterlines. Pex will expand if it freezes, and less joints to deal with. Freeze line is 12" deep so burying it 24" will work. DS1 said that DH wanted more water spigots in the garden, so measured length of water lines is about 450'. The Pex can be bought in a 500' roll which gives extra footage for more lines later into pastures, etc. DS1 also measured for the electric lines from tool shed to pump shed to barn. They will pick up materials today. Oncor has not contacted them yet, although DH has been calling every day. According to them we are "on the list" for call back. Told DS1 to have DH sign something giving DS1 authority as our agent to okay meter being put in. Maybe I will type something up, print it off, and mail it to DS1. They don't have a printer back there and both DH and DS1 write like chicken tracks. LOL

DS1 said he wanted to change out the faucet in the "new" bathroom, but the holes were wrong so he has to return it and get another. He has about $200 of stuff to return to Lowes after finishing the bathroom project. Said he has to go to Greenville to get the right faucet since our Lowes is small and doesn't carry the one with the right holes. He also wants to install the new light fixture in the bathroom. He put the same one in the master bath which is a smaller room and DH said it is very bright since it is LED. DS1 got the same one for the larger bathroom and we were not sure it would be bright enough, but it should be fine. Moving along - one project at a time.

DD2 will be picking up Maisie on the 31st July. Maisie will stay at the ranch until DH comes back on the 5th or 6th. Grandpa can take her fishing in the pond. LOL DD2 and the girls will travel back with DH in the truck so he won't be alone driving. That will keep him from trying to drive after it is dark. With his cataract in one eye and the film behind the lens in the other he really can't drive well at night but again is in denial. I love that man but still not going to answer his calls for a couple days. DS1 can call me instead. LOL

PT today. Had to take Oxy to sleep last night. After trip to doctor, sitting up, and walking, my knee hurt all afternoon and evening. Better this morning so have done exercises and will take an Oxy before PT. The webbing over the incision is coming off. Lots of crusted blood on tape made me think incision was still open, but incision looks to be closed and healed. Moving right along!

 

[Margali]

They have found a house near McKinney which they like. .... Not sure of their move in date, but it might be August. I can't trust what anyone says since everyone repeats different dates!

That is great! As soon as they have signed lease, DD2 can contact the school district to ensure smooth move for Annabel into ISD. Most are starting classes mid-August and have staff on-site now.

DS1 said that Bryan told him to use heavier outdoor use Pex for waterlines. Pex will expand if it freezes, and less joints to deal with.

This is the PEX-A that I mentioned before. Best price I found was online for supplyhouse.com. Go 1" or larger to reduce pressure drop.

Told DS1 to have DH sign something giving DS1 authority as our agent to okay meter being put in.

You need a limited power of attorney form notarized for your DS1 to get things installed. I would fill in as "authorized to purchase materials and labor, and enter into contracts to supply water and electric to the property."

 

[SageHill]

We've got PEX running to the two new pastures. We put in shut-offs at the start of the lines, where they split to go to each pasture and at the spigot at each pasture. Hopefully we'll never NEED to shut off, but if we do we have options.