Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103 Posted July 16 Posted July 16 Friends, Kindred, Brethren, Amigos Pistoleros, In-laws, Out-laws and fellow Saloonatics, I owe something between an apology, and an explanation. You might have heard the distant sound of weeping, wailing, the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments, yesterday early afternoon. That was me writing the check. Y'see, the older me dear Pappy gets, the smarter the man becomes, and I must be getting on in my years as well, for a man doesn't often recognize the wisdom of the Grand Old Man until his own span of years is what I'll politely call ... increased ... Dear old 94-year-old Dad mentioned he'd had gutter covers installed and he was well more than pleased with their performance, as his house is surrounded by woods and had two sugar maples in the front yard (think leaves and seasonal spinners). He specifically stated a desire to not fall off a ladder while cleaning out said seasonal spinners, leaves, bird nests, debris and whatever else got caught. I made a mental calculation, I made a cost-benefit analysis, and I realized -- was I to come off the step ladder in what the pilots call an "Unplanned Descent" while divesting gutters front and rear of their annual bird nests, leaves and spinners from the neighbor's water maple ... let's see ... ambulance is a thousand bucks a trip, CAT scan used to be a thousand and it's gone up, multiple x-rays, replacement hip or stabilized fractures of various kinds, not to mention the distress of knowing my ladder borne stupidity just put more work on my wife ... Nope, suddenly that pricey gutter cover wasn't near as extravagant an expense as I'd thought. I did manage to swindle and cheat -- hak-kaff! Har-rumph! -- that is, they offered a senior discount, military discount (good for fire, police and EMS) and something else, which brought the cost down by a third, and they still made a profit, so my conscience didn't bother me any at the lower cost -- but like I said, if you heard the mournful manufacture of said sorry sounds from the soggy south shore of Lake Erie ... ... that was me, writing that check ... (My college girlfriend Dana, rest her soul, once told me I was so tight I squeaked when I walked, and my best friend said I was just tighter'n John Wesley's hat band when it came to spending money ... I took that for a compliment!) 3 9 Quote
Rye Miles #13621 Posted July 16 Posted July 16 16 minutes ago, Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103 said: Friends, Kindred, Brethren, Amigos Pistoleros, In-laws, Out-laws and fellow Saloonatics, I owe something between an apology, and an explanation. You might have heard the distant sound of weeping, wailing, the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments, yesterday early afternoon. That was me writing the check. Y'see, the older me dear Pappy gets, the smarter the man becomes, and I must be getting on in my years as well, for a man doesn't often recognize the wisdom of the Grand Old Man until his own span of years is what I'll politely call ... increased ... Dear old 94-year-old Dad mentioned he'd had gutter covers installed and he was well more than pleased with their performance, as his house is surrounded by woods and had two sugar maples in the front yard (think leaves and seasonal spinners). He specifically stated a desire to not fall off a ladder while cleaning out said seasonal spinners, leaves, bird nests, debris and whatever else got caught. I made a mental calculation, I made a cost-benefit analysis, and I realized -- was I to come off the step ladder in what the pilots call an "Unplanned Descent" while divesting gutters front and rear of their annual bird nests, leaves and spinners from the neighbor's water maple ... let's see ... ambulance is a thousand bucks a trip, CAT scan used to be a thousand and it's gone up, multiple x-rays, replacement hip or stabilized fractures of various kinds, not to mention the distress of knowing my ladder borne stupidity just put more work on my wife ... Nope, suddenly that pricey gutter cover wasn't near as extravagant an expense as I'd thought. I did manage to swindle and cheat -- hak-kaff! Har-rumph! -- that is, they offered a senior discount, military discount (good for fire, police and EMS) and something else, which brought the cost down by a third, and they still made a profit, so my conscience didn't bother me any at the lower cost -- but like I said, if you heard the mournful manufacture of said sorry sounds from the soggy south shore of Lake Erie ... ... that was me, writing that check ... (My college girlfriend Dana, rest her soul, once told me I was so tight I squeaked when I walked, and my best friend said I was just tighter'n John Wesley's hat band when it came to spending money ... I took that for a compliment!) Good job! 👍 1 Quote
Smokin Gator SASS #29736 Posted July 16 Posted July 16 We have 3.3 acres. I have built decks with roofs, workshop/storage shed, 20' x 20' barn for goats, a couple of other smaller shelters, pens, chicken pens. Also wood fences, chain link and field fences. Ran water pipe and hose bibs around the place. I don't mind paying every now and then when there's something I can't or don't want to do. Just don't want to get ripped off of course. I have been amazed at the prices people around us have paid for fencing in particular. 1 Quote
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted July 16 Posted July 16 I'm 84 years old and I used to be tighter than three coats of paint. After 61 days residing in hospital beds, a broken back and three broken ribs, bandages ans slings, enough bruises to cover a basketball court, whole bunches of lost blood, and multitudes of tests for everything imaginable, all in the last four years, I have learned that instead of hoarding all my money I'd be better off spending what I had to...and living to spend it... without the time lost to pain, discomfort, inconvenience, unnecessary and frequent testing over and over again and all else that goes with it. I'm fortunately in a position where I won't die totally broke, my kids have money of their own, and I worry much, MUCH, MUCH less now. 2 5 Quote
Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 Posted July 16 Posted July 16 (edited) At our age, it's best to ask ourselves: HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO HEAL? before we get up on ladders etc. Edited July 16 by Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 4 1 Quote
Calamity Kris Posted July 17 Posted July 17 6 hours ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said: At our age, it's best to ask ourselves: HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO HEAL? before we get up on ladders etc. I'm still trying to teach Uno that lesson. Unfortunately, he matches, if not exceeds all of you in the penny pinching department. {He is a Scot after all.....} I have tried convincing him for some time that climbing ladders is for folks half our ages. He scoffs at me and goes out anyway. I think I will have to invest in those gutter covers for my own peace of mind. 5 Quote
Rip Snorter Posted July 17 Posted July 17 Dirt is older than I am, many other things....not so much. I won't do ladders anymore, and I have LADDERS. Even the little 3' gets my attention when necessary on very rare occasions. Problem is there are trivial tasks that you wouldn't / couldn't hire done, and if you let them build up to a critical mass that can be paid for, quality of life has suffered. Bummer - and I was once indestructible! 1 Quote
Subdeacon Joe Posted July 17 Posted July 17 Good friend, rise and be at peace. The pardon thou dost so earnestly entreat is freely granted, though I confess myself sorely perplexed to discover the trespass for which thou seekest mercy. Yet who am I to deny absolution where guilt hath fled before the very dawn of accusation? Go hence with a lighter heart. I remit the penalty, erase the offense, and consign the whole unhappy business to that vast kingdom wherein dwell broken promises, forgotten dreams, and injuries that never came to pass. Let no man henceforth burden thee with remembrance of that which never was. Furthermore, THE PARDON IS HEREBY GRANTED. After mature deliberation, prolonged reflection, and nearly three minutes of exhaustive investigation, the assembled pards have concluded that the petitioner is entitled to a full, complete, and unconditional pardon for the offense alleged to have been committed. It is true that no witness has identified the offense, no evidence has been presented, and indeed no transgression has thus far consented to materialize. Nevertheless, in the generous spirit for which this forum is justly celebrated from the depot to the county line, we cheerfully extend executive clemency. Let the record forever show that whatever may or may not have occurred, whether in fact, rumor, conjecture, dream, indigestion, or the overheated machinery of public opinion, is hereby forgiven in its entirety. The slate, already spotless, has been wiped clean once more for good measure. The recipient of this pardon may therefore resume the ordinary pursuits of civilized life without fear that this imaginary stain upon an otherwise imaginary record shall ever again impede his progress. Should future offenses prove equally nonexistent, this office stands ready to dispense justice with its customary blend of solemnity and complete lack of necessity. (Courtesy of ChatGPT) 4 Quote
Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103 Posted July 17 Author Posted July 17 (edited) ... and now I must needs soothe the ruffled spirits and most earnestly beg the pardon and forgiveness of my lovely Goodwife, she who I have just wakened with cackles, howls, snorts, guffaws and the general range of sounds produced by a chicken laying a paving brick ... Good Subdeacon, a blessing upon your gentle soul, and my thanks for your scholarly, ecclesiastical, and learned absolution! Now to see if it's too early to bribe the Goodwife's ire and soothe her ruffled sensibilities with chocolate, which we have on hand ... not much, but hopefully enough. If you hear the whistling launch of the dreaded Inter-Continental Ballistic Frying Pan, you'll know the chocolate supply was insufficient! Edited July 17 by Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103 5 Quote
Null N. Void Posted July 17 Posted July 17 My wife insisted as I started to have medical problems that we get people to do the things I used to do. The operative quote is "We have guys for that." 4 Quote
Irish Pat Posted July 17 Posted July 17 thank you my guardian angels with more sense than I. Every time I look up at our gutters under our big oak I just know I could place my aluminum ladder on our brick patio, scurry up it with my blower and blow it out in just a few minutes. I am pretty sure that the ladder won’t slide on the brick while I am 13 feet in the air holding a blower! I would be doing this when alone as I don’t want Cindy to scream when I hit brick. Irish ☘️ Pat 2 2 Quote
Subdeacon Joe Posted July 17 Posted July 17 2 hours ago, Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103 said: Now to see if it's too early to bribe the Goodwife's ire and soothe her ruffled sensibilities with chocolate, which we have on hand ... not much, but hopefully enough. Café mocha with a healthy dollop of Kahlua should work. 2 Quote
watab kid Posted July 18 Posted July 18 i dont have gutters - i have a commercial EPDM roof with downspouts on the low corners [not really but what one might call a flat roof- roughly 12 " fall in 30 feet] the downspouts are open faced and the scuppers that feed them are oversized , still i live in the woods and i get a lot of leaves in the fall so i go up and clean off the roof , i climb the ladder but im not on it for long nor trying to reach out beyond the balance point , i dont need the medical bills 1 Quote
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