It was another beautiful sunny day in California. I can't believe I've said that several days in a row. Spring is hanging in there nicely, as we will only be up to the 80's by mid week. You can't beat that with a stick, mostly because it means my PGE bill will be under $300!! It is however, raining as I type. That's even better since now my well pump isn't sucking up electricity trying to keep my lawn some shade of green instead of brown!!
Morning was spent on the couch. How could I possibly move when this sweet baby with tummy troubles snuggles up to me. Especially when it's probably my fault that I gave him a new chew stick. The beef bones the Vet recommended didn't get more than a sniff. It was the fake rawhide chewy that did him in. Those will now be donated to Foxy. It will be interesting to see if he eats it or rolls on it!!
I did finally have to go get fuel. Driving on fumes in the Jeep isn't pleasurable for me since I'm a half full kind of gal. I knew it was going to be bad. Frustrating and Infuriating!! I looked online for the cheapest I could find. It was the Arco station a few miles away. California's gas tax is currently $.511, making the fuel $4.58 a gallon. That's still higher than most places back East, right?
So here it is ... the most expensive gas I've ever put in any vehicle I've ever owned. Diesel is a dollar per gallon MORE expensive, which is why I'm driving the Jeep, or rather why I'm staying home every day.
I returned a pair of pants to Amazon, which lives clear across town, causing me to drive by THAT smell. I swear they put fans in the buildings to exhaust that wonderful smell that causes you to slam on the brakes. The KFC Chicken House wins the chicken sandwich blue ribbon award. Habit Burger is better, but they cost more. I've saving up for the next tank of fuel.
It's interesting to note that while everyone else is going out of business ... some fast food places still have not opened inside dining, mostly because they can't find employees ..... Habit Burger is building yet another joint not six miles away. Now I can stop for a burger both going and coming!!
It was one of those days when I knew there was stuff to do, I just wasn't motivated. I finally got off the couch long enough to back the truck up to the fifth wheel and check the brakes. Yup they work, or at least they recognized I was hooked up. So many buttons to push and so much programming. I set it to Boost 2, meaning the trailer weighs at least as much as the truck, which at this point I have no clue.
Yes I should have completely hooked up the trailer and driven around the block, but the gutters were yelling so loudly, they completely drowned out that thought by saying "you will have to back all the way into the driveway"!! So I unhooked the brake connection.
Next I found myself out front with my big ladder, inspecting the gutters that are overflowing. It's not the leaves that plug things up, it's all the sand that gets blown around in these big wind storms we've had. Add to that the sand (or whatever it is) coming off the shingles, and the gutters are half full of what looks like the Gobi desert.
From there, I followed it around the side which wasn't near as bad, but I noticed more screws had come loose. That will be another day on the ladder since I don't have any screws long enough. I did find one drain that was full of dirt. I dug it out the best I could, but like this one, it has two bends. Then I stuck the garden hose in it and turned the water on high.
It didn't work and I got soaked!! I let it run wide open for about 5 minutes, but it still wouldn't clear the drain. Hardly any water came out the bottom. Lucky for me, there are two downspouts on this section and the other one is working well. I think I need some kind of rotor rooter thingy gizzy!!
The last gutter that really needs cleaning ... it's probably full to the brim with sand ... is well over 15 feet high. That's going to need a lift of some kind. Tall roof houses are nice, but they sure can be difficult to maintain!! Who knew??
My timing turned out to be pretty good since it's supposed to rain for two days. It's nice to know my gutters will now work ... most of them anyway!!
It's monkey suit initiation night at the Elks, so I'll be trying to catch some winks in between watching rodeos on the Cowboy Channel. Boy is that addicting!!! The good news is it keeps me out of the fridge!!
Well, I have been working on fixing the HHR, and finally this morning, when the last part I needed came in, it is running like a charm. Yesterday when I THOUGHT I was done, I went to Sams and filled up and I too put in, for the first time, $70 into the 14 gallon tank of the HHR, which on purpose we ran down to near empty. Will blog about the car fix perhaps tonight...
ReplyDeleteYou must feel good that it's fixed!! Fuel prices are killing me!!
DeleteYou sure don't hear much about the gas prices being so high, it's almost like it's accepted now. Don't get it! Your chicken sandwich looks pretty darn good with the chicken being larger than the sandwich. You're a brave girl on the ladder. Heights didn't bother me when I was younger, sure do now!
ReplyDeleteThat's the truth ... I haven't heard hardly anyone complain about fuel except the farmers. And why is it so much cheaper back East? I heard a couple of states dropped the taxes on fuel, but I'm sure that will never happen here.
DeleteGutters.When I moved into this house 12 years ago, it had no gutters. My dumb thought was, houses need gutters. Also, I was thinking of collecting rainwater, which I didn't do provisions for. Today, I think well, they do nothing but accumulate stuff and spill over when it rains. Of course, we rarely have enough rain to flush them out regularly, so I'm just thinking of kissing the $1200 I spent on them (yes, that was a long time ago)good bye, and letting it all go. I live in a pier and beam house, so it's likely sayonara gutters.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that hardly anyone has gutters in Tucson. I put them on, but come to think about it, I've never checked them. They make covers to keep out leaves, but that does nothing for sand and dirt.
DeleteWe know how you feel. The last time we put gas in the Jeep was in Indiana and we paid $4.59. Surprisingly where we are right now in Lower Michigan we can fill up for $3.75. The price coming east across the country was not as bad as we thought it would be but still more then we paid to drive west. It is ridiculous. Be careful on that ladder.
ReplyDeleteThat's certainly cheaper than here. Remember what it was when Trump was in office?? $2.39!!! Guess I won't be going anywhere for awhile.
DeleteYou are making me reconsider our desire to get gutters! We would just put them around the porch which is a little over 8' but the thought of having to clean them does not sound appealing!
ReplyDeleteWith your roof they shouldn't be too bad. Gutters save the eaves from rotting over time. They make covers to keep big stuff out, but they still eventually fill up with mud. I probably only clean them once every three years.
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