Tedd Thompson

I have major burnout and I don't mean the tire kind. I have been looking North to the Oregon coast for road trip but something is always getting in the way. I can't seem to find three or four days in a row to free up on my to do list. Thought I had it made for later part of this week then the phone rings and one of the rentals has a broken hot water line under the floor (no crawel space)Gotta cut the floor up to get access.And I thought I was retired.

If you don't hear from me for a few days I found someone to work for me and I left the state in the middle of the night. It never ends..... Tedd

PS. And I think I'll take the Miata, it has AC.

rustyroger

An air conditioned, comfortable, reliable, and economical car?.
That's not a road trip, it's a Jolly!.

Whatever, have a fun trip.

Roger.

zeeke

I'd take the 56' and a camera to post pics. That's a trip I'd love to take.

Drove up to NH yesterday. Was jonesing to take the Cutlass but wasn't practical. Wife, 3 kids and Mother-in-law; needed more space so took the wife's Traverse. I tell her if I ever hit Lotto the Traverse goes and she gets a 71' Vista Cruiser.

I've followed a few of your stories with the rentals, just proves there is no easy money. Get on the road and good luck with the trip.

Kennybill

Take the Oldsmobile. The drive can be the best part of a trip. What could possibly go wrong? Good luck.

CRUZN 66

Call a contractor/plumber and take off for a few days... Sounds like you deserve the vacation, however short it may be...

2blu442

Don't go too far North. The eclipse crowd is insane. Reports of no gas in gas stations Albany, Salem, Bend. There's a traffic jam in Central Oregon reported to be 30 miles long! But the coast West of Salem is where it all starts so it may have some of the same craziness.

11971four4two

Egads Mister TEDD

Hope you get the rental fixed and are then able to hit the hiway.
It seems you are having way 2 much not fun as of late

Happy Travels

Me , I just have woody wood pecker jack hammering holes in the siding of the garage. He is lucky I live in town and can not blast his *** with ye olde shot gun.

Tedd Thompson

Brian.
Get him at night with a strong flash light and a pellet gun. They usually roost near their hole. If noise is a major factor I have been known to use a frog gig but don't tell anybody..... Tedd

I might wait till after the strange darkness affair thing is over before I leave on my trip, kinda forgot that was happening so soon. This repair is going to have to be a in and out and done in one day. The lady that rents this unit has a toddler and a five year old. I don't need a kid falling through the unfinished floor plus she will not have any hot water till everything is done diapers and cold water don't mix well. If I only knew where the leak was before I started cutting holes in the floor. It's just the life and times of a Slum Lord it will work out somehow..... Tedd

Mike77

I live in the city and we have "wood peckers" too. Unfortunately they also peck on the vent pipes coming out of the roofs of peoples homes. Talk about a racket. See folks putting wire mesh around the stacks. We now call them "Tin Peckers". Wonder why they do that?

Tedd Thompson

Habit most likely, they like to irritate .... Tedd

Tedd Thompson

Back from the rental (total failure) I'm beat.Nothing went well or even sorta good. So far I have a 2x2 hole in the ladies bathroom floor and a 8 foot length of old iron pipe berried in dirt that leaks like a soaker hose. That means someone (not me) will have to open up the floor again near the hot water heater and another hole near the exterior foundation to replace the whole length with new pipe all the while dancing around a curious toddler who want's to play with the saws all and mother who can't get off her friggen phone long enough to corral her kid!..... DONE

Have I told you that I scored a great deal on a new tonneau cover and boot for the Miata.I know I know this is a Oldsmobile forum but for a $150 bucks you will have to put up with me today it's the only good thing that happened at all....Done again, going to take a shower and a nap.... Tedd

11971four4two

Nice score on the parts. I saw Frank's v-8 miata at his daughters wedding yesterday. They are cool lil cars but I do not fit in the cockpit very well.
Happy motoring

Sorry the plumbing adventure went not as well. Do you know a handy man?? Hope you do not have to pay BIG BUCKS for a plumber
Is iron pipe common for water out there?? Here plastic and copper supply lines are the norm

I had a good sized hole in the garage wall when I came home from the over night wedding fest south of the river. i filled it with vulkem and took a short nap after. The little bastage pecker wood made a new hole in the last couple hours... I will try and sneak up on him tonite or during the eclipse

Tedd Thompson

I've got a pocket notebook full of people to call, but it's Sunday and no one returns my calls. It will turn out OK it usually does just not on my budget or allotted time. It' down to whatever it takes to get it done at this junction of the game.

V8 Miatas are scary fast and handle great if put together well. Not so much a 1/4 mile car but crazy good on a road track. Some day if I live long enough and somehow get rich its on the bucket list.... Tedd

btw

Hilarious! Sorry for your sucky trip but we're all living vacariously through you!

Tedd Thompson

Finished the leaky pipe problem or my contractor did with some help from me and my 90 year old dad, it's a done deal or at least 95% done. I need to caulk up a few seams and such to finish up.This contractor was really good. He looked it over our problem for about 10 minutes then began pulling this red flexible pipe out of his truck and ran a new line from a hole in the foundation to the shower inlet by passing all the bad pipe and rusted fittings, made it look easy as long as he was doing it.

Somewhere during the fix I experienced a heat stroke while digging around the foundation. It was about 100 degrees and humid as Hell. This was the second time in the last two weeks that I have had this happen. Shut me down for a hour or so. I've got to watch myself a little closer, can't do what I use to do anymore.

I'm looking forward to getting out of Dodge now but probably wait till after Labor day, I'm not much into crowds anymore.... Just the life and times of a Slum Lord I may not get another call for a month or so, here's hoping.... Tedd

texxas

Tedd, I feel your pain. It's pretty bad when I keep checking this thread to see what the fix was and how long it took to accomplish, instead of seeing where you may be headed. I'm leaving to go check an A/C unit that is leaking water in one of my rentals. 100 and humid as hell is par for the course here in Dallas. It's getting where I do less and hire people to do more. I wonder if my houses are more slummy than yours? I won't get a break for awhile, I had a 15 year resident move out two weeks ago. I've got some work to do on that one. Watch the heat if it comes back that way and have a good break where ever you may end up taking it.

Jamesbo

Tedd, I used to manage 500 apartments and 12 shopping centers.

Thank God and Greyhound they're all gone

I don't miss it for a minute

Tedd Thompson

About 1/2 of my renters are just one step away from sleeping under a bridge. Some came from that bridge to begin with.I have renters that have been in the same unit for close to 20 years others get busted and thrown in jail or a hospital for drugs or over dose and don't make it 6 months.These are low end housing, most were built around 1936 and have been in the family sense then. They are what they are and fill a need for the down and out. I'm just a little burnt out right now, it's been about 3 weeks straight of troubles, that is not common I just need a time out..... Tedd

Tedd Thompson

Jamesbo I don't know how you could do it and keep your sanity... Tedd

texxas

So Friday morning we have an earthquake and shortly there after, one of my northwest Dallas rentals, about a mile from the epicenter, has a new spring flowing from the ground. I guess it shook the old water pipe around pretty good. Of course it's leaking from the cracks in the asphalt in the middle of the driveway. It's always something.
Most of my homes are older than yours Tedd. The leaker is a 1920s era home and I have a couple of late 1880s shotgun houses built by freed Jamaican slaves. They built most of the old shotgun homes in the east Dallas area. I have two of the few remaining.

Tedd Thompson

Texxas,Just curious how did they get the name shotgun homes? Luck on the asphalt spring I hate broken pipes but at least it is in the open where you can get to it..... Tedd

texxas

I'm not 100% on the shotgun name, but the internet is ready to help. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotgun_house
Basically all the doors line up from front to back and the interior rooms, if they are open you could shoot right through it. I have two and they were built pre-indoor plumbing. One has been heavily modified and the other is mostly original except the small bathroom added on the rear. There are many shotgun homes still standing in New Orleans, quite a few around the French Quarter. I had the Dallas Historical Commission approach me about getting a historical designation on the mostly original home I have. Apparently it is one of a few if not the only one still intact north of Interstate 30 here in town. I declined. My hands would be tied as far as modifications and even paint color. I will attempt to have the more original home moved if I sell, and probably will have to soon, since a 6 story apartment building is going in directly across the street, occupying two city blocks.
The areas of my homes have always been known as barrios and ghettos. Now the ghetto is known as the gateway to the arts district with accompanying massive value increase and the barrio is now known as the hospital district with another massive increase in value. The houses are worth the same amount but the land under them must have a large gold deposit down there, judging from the county valuations.
As far as the pipe I could get to it and have repaired it for now but it is an old galvanized water pipe that is original to the 1920s home it serves and it is about 80% blocked with rusty looking calcium deposits. Hurray, new water service coming soon with concrete driveway approach cutting required. Always something. Like you I am hoping for that month or two nothing breaks.