Our truck needed new tires.
I asked the dealer to give me prices on appropriate tires for my vehicle and my usage.
They came up with three recommendations at three price points.
I went on-line to see what kind of reviews they each had. Finally, I made a choice, but Sears had the same tires listed at considerable savings. So I ordered them through Sears, to be delivered at the store for installation. Yesterday, I got the call that they were in and ready, so I took the truck and a book and went in.
Estimate: one hour.
One hour later I got "The Call." You know, the one where something has come up that will require more services and more money.
This time the problem was that the wrong tires were sent. I ordered E rated tires (10 ply sidewalls) because they resist puncture from cactus and stand up well under towing loads. They delivered 6 ply.
"No problem." The guy says, we can substitute these other tires: different brand, longer warranty, higher mileage rating, higher price.
Luckily, I'm a retired gentleman of leisure. So I say, "If you can get me those tires at the price I already paid, fine. Otherwise, let's reorder and I will come back." And I pointed out that if I was going to pay more money, I could just get the tires I wanted at the dealer. ( Another point I was considering was that Sears are located all over the U.S. and Canada making warranty adjustments easier.)
Nobody wants to lose a customer, so, deal. Better tires at the same price.
Then when I am settling up to leave, the guy informs me that there is a mail-in rebate from the manufacturer and I will get $80 back. SCORE! Their mistake gets me tires worth $130 more, at a savings of $80.
Good job Sears guy.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
When the unusual happens...
I have to write about it.
I adjusted the timer on the drip irrigation system today to account for our warm, dry weather and walked around the yard to assure that all the plants were getting watered. I spotted what looked like a small bird carcass and went to pick it up. But it wasn't a bird carcass. It was a FISH carcass. I guess it was a sand trout who accidentally surfaced in my yard and got confused by the fence and couldn't get out.
I adjusted the timer on the drip irrigation system today to account for our warm, dry weather and walked around the yard to assure that all the plants were getting watered. I spotted what looked like a small bird carcass and went to pick it up. But it wasn't a bird carcass. It was a FISH carcass. I guess it was a sand trout who accidentally surfaced in my yard and got confused by the fence and couldn't get out.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
First and second set-backs
Notice I am numbering the set-backs.
Cynical? Nah, realist.
The painters took two days, one to prime, and one to finish. Looks good.
The cabinetry came. The fronts are natural hickory with knots and grain showing. Very pretty.
But.
The drawer fronts are the wrong style. We are told the correct fronts will be sent, no cost to us.
The sections of the vanity that fit under the sinks were supposed to have a cabinet above a drawer. They came with a drawer above the cabinet. Won't work, because the sink drops into the drawer. We are told that the correct models will be sent. Not only no cost, but we get to keep the errors.
One of them can be used when we get around to remodeling the downstairs bathroom, and I am sure we can think of a way to use the other one. At least we will store it somewhere until we figure it out.
We don't know what kind of delays this may cause, but we hope it can be resolved in the two weeks it will take to get the vanity top made.
We have all of the fixtures and hardware either here or on the way. We think. At least all the decisions have been made. Electrician will do installs next week.
We will be moved in by the end of the month. That is the plan.
Meantime, we have taken advantage of the dumpster bag to get rid of some of the larger pieces of junk around the house. Gee, we didn't even know we had any junk.
Cynical? Nah, realist.
The painters took two days, one to prime, and one to finish. Looks good.
The cabinetry came. The fronts are natural hickory with knots and grain showing. Very pretty.
But.
The drawer fronts are the wrong style. We are told the correct fronts will be sent, no cost to us.
The sections of the vanity that fit under the sinks were supposed to have a cabinet above a drawer. They came with a drawer above the cabinet. Won't work, because the sink drops into the drawer. We are told that the correct models will be sent. Not only no cost, but we get to keep the errors.
One of them can be used when we get around to remodeling the downstairs bathroom, and I am sure we can think of a way to use the other one. At least we will store it somewhere until we figure it out.
We don't know what kind of delays this may cause, but we hope it can be resolved in the two weeks it will take to get the vanity top made.
We have all of the fixtures and hardware either here or on the way. We think. At least all the decisions have been made. Electrician will do installs next week.
We will be moved in by the end of the month. That is the plan.
Meantime, we have taken advantage of the dumpster bag to get rid of some of the larger pieces of junk around the house. Gee, we didn't even know we had any junk.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Four out of Three
We had a good excuse to drive to Cottonwood last weekend. Liz needed a bed frame and we had one we didn't need.
But, in the Verde Valley there are a bijillion jeep trails, which is an excuse in itself.
This trip, Dave and Margie took their Dakota and Don and Peggie and I took our Ram on the Jerome/Chino narrow gauge railroad (the tracks are long gone). We went through Perkinsville and headed for Williams.
First, we saw mule deer, later we crossed two wet creeks, and neither vehicle suffered mechanical problems. So that is a perfect three-for-three outing. But, wait! There's more!
We passed through an abandoned flagstone quarry. Somehow, some of the stone landed in our respective trucks. So that makes four out of three criteria. Pretty good outcome. I now have stones of another color to add to the patio.
But, in the Verde Valley there are a bijillion jeep trails, which is an excuse in itself.
This trip, Dave and Margie took their Dakota and Don and Peggie and I took our Ram on the Jerome/Chino narrow gauge railroad (the tracks are long gone). We went through Perkinsville and headed for Williams.
First, we saw mule deer, later we crossed two wet creeks, and neither vehicle suffered mechanical problems. So that is a perfect three-for-three outing. But, wait! There's more!
We passed through an abandoned flagstone quarry. Somehow, some of the stone landed in our respective trucks. So that makes four out of three criteria. Pretty good outcome. I now have stones of another color to add to the patio.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Merry Christmas Bill
We just got back from attending the B.B. King show, the tickets for which were one of my Christmas presents. We were in row H, on the aisle, left of center. Great seats.
It was a fabulous show. B.B. King is 88 years old, and it shows, but he can play that guitar. Each of the eight band members got to solo on "The Thrill is Gone." That one song lasted about 20 minutes.
The opening acts were excellent bluesmen who are locals. We will have to see if/ where they play regularly.
It was a fabulous show. B.B. King is 88 years old, and it shows, but he can play that guitar. Each of the eight band members got to solo on "The Thrill is Gone." That one song lasted about 20 minutes.
The opening acts were excellent bluesmen who are locals. We will have to see if/ where they play regularly.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Nothing to say
Well, nothing earth shattering.
Like....EARTHQUAKE....or VOLCANO....or METEOR!!!!!
Those things are happening someplace else.
Our upstairs remodel is underway. The demolition phase is complete. We have one of those Waste Management bags in our driveway. It is full of sinks and drywall and cabinetry and tile and pipes and a bathtub.
In the bathroom we can see into the attic over the garage. We found out there was no insulation in that wall. This week the electrician will come to rewire for new lights, outlets and switches. The drywall guy will come to patch the places where stuff was removed. Then the painter will come to paint (duh). Next week the tile guy will come to tile (duhble duh). And guess what the carpet guy will do. Go ahead, guess.
Eventually, we will move into our new master suite.
Today we went toilet shopping. Really. We don't often go toilet shopping. I really don't understand why there are so many different brands and styles of toilets. There are many funny lines that could go here, but I will let you supply your own.
While we were out, we went to the Tucson Old Time Fiddle Contest. I saw it advertised the other day. Until now, I didn't know there was a Tucson Old Time Fiddle Contest. It was held in the auditorium/cafeteria/gymnasium (which they call a multi-purpose room), at a private high school. Walking into the room was like walking into the 1950's. Or into the 2014 version of a small town in the south. Everyone was dressed in western wear. Not Scottsdale costume western wear, real, everyday western wear. Their skin was weathered from life in the outdoors (or smoking, hard to tell). The announcer had a Texas accent. The program was organized as well as any small town program ever is. The fiddlers were mostly competent. Volunteers manned the raffle table and the hot dog stand. You don't often get that small town feel in the middle of Tucson.
Speaking of earth shattering: the sinkholes we saw in Sedona did not have Corvettes in the bottom. Boy howdy, Kentucky really knows one-upmanship.
Like....EARTHQUAKE....or VOLCANO....or METEOR!!!!!
Those things are happening someplace else.
Our upstairs remodel is underway. The demolition phase is complete. We have one of those Waste Management bags in our driveway. It is full of sinks and drywall and cabinetry and tile and pipes and a bathtub.
In the bathroom we can see into the attic over the garage. We found out there was no insulation in that wall. This week the electrician will come to rewire for new lights, outlets and switches. The drywall guy will come to patch the places where stuff was removed. Then the painter will come to paint (duh). Next week the tile guy will come to tile (duhble duh). And guess what the carpet guy will do. Go ahead, guess.
Eventually, we will move into our new master suite.
Today we went toilet shopping. Really. We don't often go toilet shopping. I really don't understand why there are so many different brands and styles of toilets. There are many funny lines that could go here, but I will let you supply your own.
While we were out, we went to the Tucson Old Time Fiddle Contest. I saw it advertised the other day. Until now, I didn't know there was a Tucson Old Time Fiddle Contest. It was held in the auditorium/cafeteria/gymnasium (which they call a multi-purpose room), at a private high school. Walking into the room was like walking into the 1950's. Or into the 2014 version of a small town in the south. Everyone was dressed in western wear. Not Scottsdale costume western wear, real, everyday western wear. Their skin was weathered from life in the outdoors (or smoking, hard to tell). The announcer had a Texas accent. The program was organized as well as any small town program ever is. The fiddlers were mostly competent. Volunteers manned the raffle table and the hot dog stand. You don't often get that small town feel in the middle of Tucson.
Speaking of earth shattering: the sinkholes we saw in Sedona did not have Corvettes in the bottom. Boy howdy, Kentucky really knows one-upmanship.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Boy, are we having a good time.
Friday we drove to Cottonwood. The expressed purpose of the trip was to visit some sink holes in the Sedona area that Don and Margie had recently become aware of. They had visited some of them. There are seven. Margie is acquainted with a professional geologist who agreed to give us a narrated guided tour. The exact locations of some of the holes is a closely guarded secret due to the archeological value of rock art found within. Only one of the seven is widely known and visited because it is on one of the popular jeep tour trails. The inside is accessible only with rappelling gear, so few people go to the bottom.
What the geologist told us, briefly, is that the red sandstone of the Sedona area is on top of a layer of limestone. The limestone is eroded by water coming down from the Flagstaff area through the basalt layer. When the limestone is gone, the sandstone caves in. The cave-in prevents access to the caverns, so nobody knows the extent of them. But they are active. Meaning they are still forming. In fact, the most recent rock fall was in the 1990's. That is so recent, that it doesn't even register on the geologic time scale.
If we had known of these sink holes as kids, we would most certainly, have found a way to get into them.
When we arrived back at Don's house, I heard air escaping from my rear tire. There was a screw in it. So we (Don and I) got to change a tire. But since it was on his driveway, it doesn't count as an "adventure".
On Saturday, Don and I went jeeping while Peggie, Karin, and Margie went to a presentation on the history of Verde Valley quilts. Naturally, we discovered many roads, and many places we haven't been to, so we will have to go back. We had lunch in Bagdad. Not much there. Only one diner, one convenience store, one dinner only restaurant, one Basha's. Really. No dollar store! No Walgreen's! No fast food joint.
When we go into the hinterlands, we measure success in three ways.
1. Beautiful views: yes
2. Wildlife sighting: yes (antelope, deer, coyote)
3. Wet tires: no There was water in some of the stream beds, but not at the road crossings.
Two out of three ain't bad.
What the geologist told us, briefly, is that the red sandstone of the Sedona area is on top of a layer of limestone. The limestone is eroded by water coming down from the Flagstaff area through the basalt layer. When the limestone is gone, the sandstone caves in. The cave-in prevents access to the caverns, so nobody knows the extent of them. But they are active. Meaning they are still forming. In fact, the most recent rock fall was in the 1990's. That is so recent, that it doesn't even register on the geologic time scale.
If we had known of these sink holes as kids, we would most certainly, have found a way to get into them.
When we arrived back at Don's house, I heard air escaping from my rear tire. There was a screw in it. So we (Don and I) got to change a tire. But since it was on his driveway, it doesn't count as an "adventure".
On Saturday, Don and I went jeeping while Peggie, Karin, and Margie went to a presentation on the history of Verde Valley quilts. Naturally, we discovered many roads, and many places we haven't been to, so we will have to go back. We had lunch in Bagdad. Not much there. Only one diner, one convenience store, one dinner only restaurant, one Basha's. Really. No dollar store! No Walgreen's! No fast food joint.
When we go into the hinterlands, we measure success in three ways.
1. Beautiful views: yes
2. Wildlife sighting: yes (antelope, deer, coyote)
3. Wet tires: no There was water in some of the stream beds, but not at the road crossings.
Two out of three ain't bad.
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