The "Help deschutes set up house" thread

[deschutes]

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I should have just bit the bullet and done this a long time ago rather than leaving bits all over the forum 😳

For those of you who live where it snows - is it worth undercoating a new car?

Does anyone keep their car until it goes to ground anymore, or is it the trend to sell and buy new after a few years? What would be a good reason to keep a car till it cough, spluttered and died?

~
And out of curiosity is there a rhyme or reason to licence plate numbers?

(For comparison, the plate system I was familiar with ran in series, i.e. if I received SBX 4255, the next person to register would be SBX 4256 and so on. The letters would eventually change in the same way. So you could guesstimate how new a car was by looking at the licence plate numbers.)

 

[yaah]

I don't think license plates here are based on that. There is some logic to how they are created and ordered, but any new registration is assigned to an available plate. I used to think it was based in part on the type of car, as in all Subarus have a certain start to the number, but I don't think this is true.

I don't know about undercoating. And as to keeping your car, people do different things. It's cheaper usually to keep the car as long as it is functional, but at some point it starts to cost more to upkeep the old one than to get a new one.

 

[Brian Pavlovitz]

I've never had my car undercoated, and it gets mighty snowy here in Rochester. I'd say engine block heater for you before undercoating!

 

[deschutes]

I've never had my car undercoated, and it gets mighty snowy here in Rochester. I'd say engine block heater for you before undercoating!

Maybe they plow quicker in Rochester! 🙂

I had considered a block heater. But one of the attendings who grew up in North Dakota told me it really was not necessary. Plus, the parking lots here DON'T have the block heater receptacle-whatchamacallit.

I have to sit down and figure out what the combination of AAA and State Farm covers - and more importantly, DOESN'T cover.
And it looks like I have to figure out if there is any benefit to a service contract opt-in... 😴
Is there a less painful way of making this decision? Are they just trying scare tactics on me, the poor naïve new car buyer?

 

[deschutes]

In another vein -

In the context of bank accounts, what does "CD" stand for?

It's the one where you put a sum of money in for a fixed term to get a slightly higher rate of return than a savings account would.

 

[Aubrey]

In another vein -

In the context of bank accounts, what does "CD" stand for?

It's the one where you put a sum of money in for a fixed term to get a slightly higher rate of return than a savings account would.

Certificate of deposit.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

I don't know about any other state, but here in Indiana the first two digits of a car's license plate tells you what county the vehicle is from. 84 is Vigo County (where I live), 11 is Clay County, 61 is Parke County (where my parents live), 42 is Knox County where my fiancee is from originally, and so on.

BTW the only reason I know this is that my first job while in high school was as a dispatcher. 😉 As I said, I don't know about other states, and this doesn't apply to trucks in Indiana, only cars.

 

[deschutes]

Certificate of deposit.

Danke! In other lives I knew them as "Fixed Deposits" and "Guaranteed Investment Certificates".

Gotta run. Gotta get to conference before pizza's all gone.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Danke! In other lives I knew them as "Fixed Deposits" and "Guaranteed Investment Certificates".

Gotta run. Gotta get to conference before pizza's all gone.

you post regularly from work? damn, i wish i had the time 😡

 

[deschutes]

you post regularly from work? damn, i wish i had the time 😡

...and next week I start 3 months of blood bank! 😉
CP is not for everyone though. You have to have a really defined sense of your priorities and learning objectives.... 😛

I have my list already, and it begins:
"1) Register for Step 3
2) Call insurance company"

 

[b&ierstiefel]

...and next week I start 3 months of blood bank! 😉
CP is not for everyone though. You have to have a really defined sense of your priorities and learning objectives.... 😛

I have my list already, and it begins:
"1) Register for Step 3
2) Call insurance company"

Oh yeah, that's right CP person 😛

My learning objective today:
(1) Learn by osmosis.

My priorities today:
(1) Cut all the **** by 6 pm so I can GTF home early!

 

[deschutes]

Oh yeah, that's right CP person 😛

Rather CP than LP...! 😎

 

[bananaface]

When do we get to help decorate your apartment?

 

[Arsenic]

I don't know about any other state, but here in Indiana the first two digits of a car's license plate tells you what county the vehicle is from. 84 is Vigo County (where I live), 11 is Clay County, 61 is Parke County (where my parents live), 42 is Knox County where my fiancee is from originally, and so on.

BTW the only reason I know this is that my first job while in high school was as a dispatcher. 😉 As I said, I don't know about other states, and this doesn't apply to trucks in Indiana, only cars.

florida is no where near that organized

 

[Arsenic]

When do we get to help decorate your apartment?

watch it deschutes

 

[deschutes]

When do we get to help decorate your apartment?

Too late! I was done in the first month. I never thought I'd say this, but my second X chromosome decided to get me just the cutest curtains from Childrens' IKEA. 😍

How do I light a fire in the fireplace without setting fire or smoking up the rest of the house? I have the implements.

Also, are those sawdust brick things any good?

 

[DropkickMurphy]

florida is no where near that organized

So I noticed when I visited.......

 

[yaah]

How do I light a fire in the fireplace without setting fire or smoking up the rest of the house? I have the implements.

Make sure the flue is open. And invest in some kind of grate or chain curtain to block the sparks from shooting out.

 

[Aubrey]

How do I light a fire in the fireplace without setting fire or smoking up the rest of the house? I have the implements.

Firstly, make sure the flue is open.. there is usually a little handle inside the fireplace to open it up. In order for the chimney to draw the smoke well, warm it up by burning a single sheet of newspaper in the [otherwise empty] fireplace. Then proceed to adding your logs to the grate.. place several sheets of wadded newspaper under the logs to serve as tinder. Additionally, make sure to get seasoned hardwood, like oak, for your firewood. Soft stuff like pine or cedar is right out (nasty resiny buildup in your chimney is not good).

Also, are those sawdust brick things any good?

I would avoid them.. they have a reputation for gumming up flues as well. Besides, they will never have the heat output, or the entertaining pops and cracks of a well-aged hardwood log as it burns.

 

[bananaface]

I never know how long to keep the flue open for. Obviously until the flames are out, but I dunno how much CO2 comes off of smoldering ashes. I just leave it open overnight. But, can you do that in MN and not wake up with a freezing house?

Kindling is good. That is small wood bits that catch fire easily but burn long enough to catch the bigger pieces on fire. Burn as little newspaper as possible, so that you have fewer ashes to clean up.

Do you have a set of those fire tools yet? I love the pokey pick.

 

[Pingu]

I done got me one of the gas log thingys. all the joy of a fireplace and no mess! The only thing it lacks is realism. 😀

 

[bananaface]

Gas logs don't let you roast marshmallows. 🙁

 

[Pingu]

We've had wood fireplaces before and we made horrific messes with them, the new fireplace can burn wood or a gas log, but since we will probably sell the house when residency is over, we are trying to keep it clean. We can also roast marshmellows in the backyard if we want (texas doesn't get too cold)

 

[beary]

(texas doesn't get too cold)

Hey Pingu - how do you like living in Dallas?

I would like to come there, assuming UTSW ever gives me an interview. 😳

 

[Pingu]

I love dallas, it has everything a city needs to have. If you love to shop, we have every major deisgner and Neiman Marcus (heaven on earth). Otherwise, housing is relatively cheap here (compared to other metropolitian areas) and if you want to live outside the city and commute in (like me) traffic is not too bad (this is with a caveat) Some areas of constant construction and sucky road planning will get congested. But you learn to avoid these areas at certain times. We have lots to do here for fun and i really like the people. One thing you learn is that people get 'done up' to do anything, so if you go to the mall and see people dressed up, that's just how they are. I once wore jeans and a button down shirt to get a facial and some woman were staring at me completely shocked. 🙄

 

[beary]

One thing you learn is that people get 'done up' to do anything, so if you go to the mall and see people dressed up, that's just how they are. I once wore jeans and a button down shirt to get a facial and some woman were staring at me completely shocked. 🙄

Whoa! I'm not sure I would fit in with that. My "uniform" is a polo shirt and jeans. 🙂

 

[deschutes]

Thanks for all the fireplace input. Bet you never thought you'd be teaching someone to light a fire when you first registered for SDN 😛

I think I finally figured out which handle direction means "flue open" (it's the one where all the ash falls down from the chimney, heh). Yeah I have the fire tools. The last tenant left both firetools (the "implements" I was talking about in my last post) as well as a chunk of firewood sitting in the fireplace, which is awesome because I sure as heck haven't figured out where to get this "seasoned hardwood, like oak" that Aubrey is talking about 😀

October and the heat comes on! Can't wait.

 

[Pingu]

Whoa! I'm not sure I would fit in with that. My "uniform" is a polo shirt and jeans.

My uniform was warm up pants and a t-shirt for a long time. I do take more care about my appearance though, which probably isn't a bad thing. The shoe fetish began long before dallas, dallas just facilitates my insanity with a steady supply of jimmy choos

 

[beary]

The shoe fetish began long before dallas, dallas just facilitates my insanity with a steady supply of jimmy choos

I just went to the jimmy choo website. I think I would fall over if I tried to walk in any of those shoes. 😳

I wear sneakers whenever possible - even at work. I have a sneaker that is all black and wear it with my black slacks.

 

[Aubrey]

The last tenant left both firetools (the "implements" I was talking about in my last post) as well as a chunk of firewood sitting in the fireplace, which is awesome because I sure as heck haven't figured out where to get this "seasoned hardwood, like oak" that Aubrey is talking about 😀

October and the heat comes on! Can't wait.

Seasoned just means that the wood has been aged (the longer the better), as opposed to being freshly cut. Newly cut wood will still contain a large amount of water, which leads to a lower heat output when it burns. In most locales you can find ads for people selling firewood, just call one of these places up and tell them that you're looking for seasoned wood; it's unlikely that they will be selling anything else. They usually sell by the cord, half-cord or quarter-cord.. one cord = 128 cubic feet = 1 ****load. Unless you're using the fireplace to heat the house for the winter, a quarter-cord should provide for plenty of cheery, romantic fires.

 

[Pingu]

The best sneakers ever are the new balance 991s. They are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. And they come in pink

 

[beary]

And they come in pink

Probably not in my size they don't. 🙁

I'm a size 12 or 13 so it is very hard for me to find shoes. Many of my shoes actually are men's shoes. But obviously for a dress shoe you need a women's shoe. It is a big pain.

 

[bananaface]

Probably not in my size they don't. 🙁

I'm a size 12 or 13 so it is very hard for me to find shoes. Many of my shoes actually are men's shoes. But obviously for a dress shoe you need a women's shoe. It is a big pain.

I love you for having big feet. 😍

If you are ever in the Seattle area Nordstrom's Rack has a ton of 12's and 13's.

 

[beary]

I love you for having big feet. 😍

If you are ever in the Seattle area Nordstrom's Rack has a ton of 12's and 13's.

Thanks for the scoop!! I basically just walk into a shoe store and don't even look at the selection. I just walk up to the counter and say, "Do you have any women's 12s?" It's either, "No," or, "Here's this one ugly pair."

It would be nice to have a selection! 👍

 

[Pingu]

I'm tall, so I wear a 10 B or a 40 if you are buying European. There are lots of shoes in that size because most women don't have sasquatch size feet like me (and you)

New Balance is pretty good about fitting shoes though. Although my brother wears a size 14 and often has to order shoes.

 

[Pingu]

There's also a store called marmi which i think carries shoes up to 14 for women and also has multiple widths. There is one in dallas and one in san antonio that I've seen

 

[bananaface]

Thanks for the scoop!! I basically just walk into a shoe store and don't even look at the selection. I just walk up to the counter and say, "Do you have any women's 12s?" It's either, "No," or, "Here's this one ugly pair."

It would be nice to have a selection! 👍

I get that even with size 11. Luckily I can always get stuff at the Nordstrom at the mall here. Have you everbeen to Nordstrom.com?

 

[beary]

Have you everbeen to Nordstrom.com?

I haven't but that's a great suggestion. I have gotten some pretty nice and comfortable women's 13s from Naturalizer's web site.

 

[bananaface]

Cool. Nordstrom has a lax return policy. You can seriously bring in 5 year old worn shoes or stuff without a reciept and they will give you your money back. I'm sure some people take advantage of it by just saying "Well, for what I paid, they just should have lasted longer." The running joke for awhile was that you could take a McDonalds hamburger there and get a refund. They restitch Doc Martens for free. I love that place.

 

[deschutes]

My weather forecast widget is showing not sun, not clouds, not rain for tomorrow, but leaves 😕

 

[Pingu]

My weather forecast widget is showing not sun, not clouds, not rain for tomorrow, but leaves

Be sure to take a rake or leaf blower with you wherever you go. You might have to rake your car out if the leaf storm is too heavy 😀

 

[deschutes]

Be sure to take a rake or leaf blower with you wherever you go. You might have to rake your car out if the leaf storm is too heavy 😀

Oh come on. Really? The leaves are barely turning! 🙁

 

[Pingu]

Didn't you have leaves in canada? There ARE trees in canada, right? Leaves can be some bad mofos, shutting down schools and highways 😀

This reminds me of a calvin and hobbes comic when calvin spends forever raking leaves up into a pile to jump in and then hobbes comes up just as he's about to jump in and tells him not to because there's slugs in there.

 

[deschutes]

You are up late!

Didn't you have leaves in canada? There ARE trees in canada, right? Leaves can be some bad mofos, shutting down schools and highways 😀

No, there is only snow and tundra in Canada. 😛

I was in a very dry part of Canada. As in, your skin would tighten up and itch the moment you stepped out of the shower room in winter.

What's the word for non-evergreens again? At any rate the local non-evergreen tree population consisted of poplars. I was in Canada for 3 years and the first maple tree I saw was in Portland, OR a couple of winters ago. Most of the fall colours are out east - Ontario, Québec etc.

One of the path dept secretaries used to say that in Calgary, there was no autumn, just fall - all the leaves just fall off.

So no, I never saw a school shutdown for leaves.

If it is a leaf storm, won't they be all soggy and not fun to walk or jump in? 🙁 Darn the slugs! I had such high hopes.

 

[deschutes]

My darling car was scraped this week. The deed sheared off paint and left in its worst spot a bare black patch the size of a little fingernail on my side mirror.

It also rained for 3/4 of the week.

I couldn't care less about appearances, but I was panicking about a rust spot developing.

I talked to random men and women yielding advice of varying degrees of practical use, but the best response came via email from my dad, which said something to the effect of - "Side mirror casings are made of plastic, you dolt!"

Learn something new every day.

 

[deschutes]

Where can I get an ice scraper/snow brush for my car? 😕 I've looked in two stores already. Or is this a crazy Canuck thing?

 

[beary]

Where can I get an ice scraper/snow brush for my car? 😕 I've looked in two stores already. Or is this a crazy Canuck thing?

Everybody around here has an ice scraper/snow brush. It may be too early for them to be out on the shelves. I would think any place like Target or Walmart, or a hardware store.

 

[deschutes]

I found my ice scraper/snowbrush at Target. Gee whiz, is everything in the US bigger (including ice scrapers/snowbrushes)? 😉

btw yaah, I was very pleased to find a wall of Pepperidge Farm little white bags. Did you know they have raspberry Milanos? And that they have Limited Edition Chocolate-Covered Mini Milanos?

I nearly bought the Crushed Peppermint Candy Genevas. Until I realized I would be paying $3.49 for only 91g worth of food.

 

[beary]

And that they have Limited Edition Chocolate-Covered Mini Milanos?

Chocoate-Covered Milanos. 😍 Those are the BEST.

*off to Target* Oh wait, they're closed now. 😡

Maybe I will get some when I am out getting a decent coat for my interviews.

8 days now until my first one!!

 

[deschutes]

How do I halve a butternut squash without doing serious injury to myself?