The Knoxville Area Chat Thread (ethanol, population, vegetables)

[gemkeeper]

Isn't it relief to find one of our missing? Wait until Pam gets back on line and reads all of the chatter we generated over her absence. I am glad that most of us have a way of contacting one another. Thanks, bebette.

Congratulations, Tn405! What a thrill to find a nice house in an area that you love. When you are ready to paint you'll have to check with Hik's Lauren. She's the expert at picking out the perfect color. Enjoy that new house.

Look how many have followed that great advice to consider renting first while they househunt. I am thinking that it is definitely the way we will go - if I get a vote!

Everyone have a wonderful week. SMG, enjoy that new kitchen. I am sure that it will bring in some buyers for you when the time is right.

[hiknapster]

Oh, gem, I'll tell Lauren you said that. It will thrill her!

I can't urge renting enough. It makes such a difference to get a lay of the land and feel for the area. If I hadn't rented I would have ended up in an area where we were not happy.

Yeah! Tn405! Congrats!

[aquarijen]

Goodness, I'm away again for the weekend and miss another couple pages of hapopenings here. Thanks for the good wishes Gemkeeper. Under the asbestos siding was Western Red Cedar clapboard siding. It's all under tar paper, but it is in pretty good shape for being so old. Needs the nails removed and to be painted, so it's a pretty big project, but it will be darling. I'm not moved in yet. It'll be a couple months before I can do that yet, but I'll get there! I'l still working on the floors. What I thought was water damage is actually animal urine, so I had to remove a lot more of the hardwood boards than I thought I would have to at first. Probably about 50 square feet. But it is just 2.25" quarter sawn red oak which is still available just about everywhere, so that's good! I'm getting very good at removing hardwood boards and replacing them - a skill I did not know I had. I hope I'll be able to sand them the weekend after next. I anticipate still patching the hardwood this coming weekend. I only can really work on the weekends. The good news is that I
m replacing enough boards here and there that the place will look relatively uniform in appearance, LOL - no one big "patch" of new flooring - just sorta sprinkled through the room. It does answer my question on why someone would cover the floor with laminate.

Congrats on the new diggs, TN405!!!

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by aquarijen

Goodness, I'm away again for the weekend and miss another couple pages of hapopenings here. Thanks for the good wishes Gemkeeper. Under the asbestos siding was Western Red Cedar clapboard siding. It's all under tar paper, but it is in pretty good shape for being so old. Needs the nails removed and to be painted, so it's a pretty big project, but it will be darling. I'm not moved in yet. It'll be a couple months before I can do that yet, but I'll get there! I'l still working on the floors. What I thought was water damage is actually animal urine, so I had to remove a lot more of the hardwood boards than I thought I would have to at first. Probably about 50 square feet. But it is just 2.25" quarter sawn red oak which is still available just about everywhere, so that's good! I'm getting very good at removing hardwood boards and replacing them - a skill I did not know I had. I hope I'll be able to sand them the weekend after next. I anticipate still patching the hardwood this coming weekend. I only can really work on the weekends. The good news is that I
m replacing enough boards here and there that the place will look relatively uniform in appearance, LOL - no one big "patch" of new flooring - just sorta sprinkled through the room. It does answer my question on why someone would cover the floor with laminate.

Congrats on the new diggs, TN405!!!

Are you slowly uncovering my house?

I have cedar shake siding. And when the seller pulled up the carpet, he found beautiful hardwood floors. He said his parents had that carpet on for 35 years, and who knows about the other owners.

Watching the market. What a disaster. I wish, for once, people would ban together and quit accusing each other.

[gemkeeper]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Are you slowly uncovering my house?

I have cedar shake siding. And when the seller pulled up the carpet, he found beautiful hardwood floors. He said his parents had that carpet on for 35 years, and who knows about the other owners.

Watching the market. What a disaster. I wish, for once, people would ban together and quit accusing each other.

Aquaijen and Hik, it was typical 60 yrs. ago to put down a wood floor and then use room size rugs over them. That WAS your floor.

The advent of wall-to-wall carpeting in the fifties (Ooooo, all that shagilicious fuzzy carpet!) covered up all of those beautiful wood floors that we now would give an arm and leg for.

My parents built our house themselves over the course of 2 1/2 yrs. and put down pine floors throughout the entire house - even the bathrooms. Linoleum tile went over the pine floors in the kitchen and bathrooms and the other rooms had throw rugs until late in the 50's when my mother just had to have the newest! A gold shag wall-to-wall carpet went down in our living room. Oh, what luxury, what a statement! Next to go was their bedroom and a small spare room off the kitchen.

Their poodle - rescued after we kids were all grown - loved to tinkle on the shag carpet and the one that followed that matted sad floor covering. Unfortunately, the carpet got cleaned up when this happened, but who knew what was happening to the floors underneath?

Well, last spring we found out after my father died and we were in the process of sprucing up the old homestead for a sale. Those pathetic pine floors under the carpets all had to be refinished before trying to sell.

I must remember that the next time I think I want a puppy to spread love throughout the hearth and home. I think I prefer hardwood floors without stains or blemish over cute fuzzy puppies.

I am happy that you are able to tackle the job yourself, Aquaijen. You will forever be so proud of your accomplishment and enjoy it that much more.
(Hiknapster, as I drive around town each day looking for a gas station that has gas available, I cannot help but think of the disaster our economy is in. Today, NO station in town or the nearby out-lying roads had gas. I will try again tonight about midnight. It is pathetic.

I'm afraid that I will have to have DH siphon some of my precious gas into the live-in son's car so that he can drive to school tomorrow - a new semester begins. DS also searched for awhile today, but we can't stray too far because we are using up gas to find gas. (Bebette says another good reason to move ourselves to E. TN pronto!!

Lauren DOES pick out great colors! I think she might become our official newbie decorator.)

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by gemkeeper

Aquaijen and Hik, it was typical 60 yrs. ago to put down a wood floor and then use room size rugs over them. That WAS your floor.

The advent of wall-to-wall carpeting in the fifties (Ooooo, all that shagilicious fuzzy carpet!) covered up all of those beautiful wood floors that we now would give an arm and leg for.

My parents built our house themselves over the course of 2 1/2 yrs. and put down pine floors throughout the entire house - even the bathrooms. Linoleum tile went over the pine floors in the kitchen and bathrooms and the other rooms had throw rugs until late in the 50's when my mother just had to have the newest! A gold shag wall-to-wall carpet went down in our living room. Oh, what luxury, what a statement! Next to go was their bedroom and a small spare room off the kitchen.

Their poodle - rescued after we kids were all grown - loved to tinkle on the shag carpet and the one that followed that matted sad floor covering. Unfortunately, the carpet got cleaned up when this happened, but who knew what was happening to the floors underneath?

Well, last spring we found out after my father died and we were in the process of sprucing up the old homestead for a sale. Those pathetic pine floors under the carpets all had to be refinished before trying to sell.

I must remember that the next time I think I want a puppy to spread love throughout the hearth and home. I think I prefer hardwood floors without stains or blemish over cute fuzzy puppies.

I am happy that you are able to tackle the job yourself, Aquaijen. You will forever be so proud of your accomplishment and enjoy it that much more.
(Hiknapster, as I drive around town each day looking for a gas station that has gas available, I cannot help but think of the disaster our economy is in. Today, NO station in town or the nearby out-lying roads had gas. I will try again tonight about midnight. It is pathetic.

I'm afraid that I will have to have DH siphon some of my precious gas into the live-in son's car so that he can drive to school tomorrow - a new semester begins. DS also searched for awhile today, but we can't stray too far because we are using up gas to find gas. (Bebette says another good reason to move ourselves to E. TN pronto!!

Lauren DOES pick out great colors! I think she might become our official newbie decorator.)

Unfortunately, we are not immune. Two weekends ago, there was a run on gas, after a gas station owner called the local television stations. The gas was $4.99, until they sold out.

The nice old guy in Fountain City was the only one that wouldn't gouge. I only buy my gas from him, now. I am always faithful to good people.

We have gas here, and the situation is pretty good, but it is a bit spotty.

I see that the stinkin' Pilot raised the price 10 cents, today. And crude went down $11.00.

I know, it hasn't been refined and they haven't bought it, but when crude on the market goes up, they don't hesitate to run out and jack up the prices.

I HATE Pilot and their ethanol gas stinks, too.

Long live the "No cigarettes, no alcohol, not a casino" guy. The station is even full service.

Phew. I'm glad I got that off my chest.

Dow is down 777. Amazing.

[gailli]

My oh my, had a Mammagram today, dont think she left me anything, wow, I know now why women dont get them often as they should, it hurts

Well, sounds like everyone is getting their houses shaped up, especially the new home owners, congrats to those of you that are. sounds like fun is on the horizon for some of you fixing and sprucing up.

I stopped at Chop House today and had the best Prime Rib, it was perfect, and its on Atkins so I got to enjoy it with no guilt which was even better.

Have a great evening, going to go watch the news, this stuff is really going to cause problems, its a good thing most of you have closed already on your new places, may be hard to get credit for a while now.

[hiknapster]

Full disclosure. Only Lauren's room is painted. Haven't painted anything else, yet.

I've spent most of my time trying to grow things in this clay and I am having spotty success.

Still haven't unpacked the clothes. I think that's because most of the clothes don't fit, so what is the point.

I need to go back on Atkins, too, gailli.

[gemkeeper]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Unfortunately, we are not immune. Two weekends ago, there was a run on gas, after a gas station owner called the local television stations. The gas was $4.99, until they sold out.

The nice old guy in Fountain City was the only one that wouldn't gouge. I only buy my gas from him, now. I am always faithful to good people.

We have gas here, and the situation is pretty good, but it is a bit spotty.

I see that the stinkin' Pilot raised the price 10 cents, today. And crude went down $11.00.

I know, it hasn't been refined and they haven't bought it, but when crude on the market goes up, they don't hesitate to run out and jack up the prices.

I HATE Pilot and their ethanol gas stinks, too.

Long live the "No cigarettes, no alcohol, not a casino" guy. The station is even full service.

Phew. I'm glad I got that off my chest.

Dow is down 777. Amazing.

I haven't seen a full service gas station since we left MA, Hik. Another reason to move to TN.

I guess I have taken ethanol pretty much as a fact of life until I read today that the grain to make that 10% ethanol gas additive uses the same amount of grain that would feed one person for an entire year. (A quote in "The Watchtower" magazine quoting a study cited in a South African newspaper.)

Talk about taking the food out of a baby's mouth!! I am definitely going to patronize ethanol-free stations whenever possible.
http://www.afpc.tamu.edu/pubs/2/515/RR-08-01.pdf

I, also read about a plan to convert baby's dirty disposable diapers into ethanol fuel. Now, we're talking. Save the grain to put in baby's upper end and then use what comes out the other end to fuel your car. Everyone comes out a winner!
CleanTech Biofuels to Turn Dirty Diapers Into Ethanol : Gas 2.0

An amazing drop in the market, but it is about what was predicted earlier this morning if the House didn't pass the Trillion Dollar Man's bill!

[goodbyehollywood]

Everybody say "quadillion."

Now, "pentillion."

How about "sexillion." If we ever get that far, people might think it's a good thing.