AsktheBuilder.com Issue #1298 (I think)

September 29, 2024

Dear ,

"It's the lure of easy money, it's got a very strong appeal."

(Glenn Frey - Smuggler's Blues)

Broccoli

You may be one of my virtual friends. I may have been lucky enough to meet you face-to-face. If we've not yet met, my bucket list has your name on it. I want to shake your hand or hug you.

Mike is on my bucket list. He lives in Presque Isle, Maine. You may think it's no big deal for me to visit Mike since I live next door in New Hampshire.

Maine is a huge state. It's 363 miles from my house to Presque Isle - a six-hour drive. Going west instead of north, I could get all the way to Rochester, New York if I drove an extra 45 minutes.

Mike sends me astonishing photos his brother Paul takes.

I don't think you understand Paul's talents. GO HERE and look at all his galleries and topic areas. Be prepared. I doubt you've ever been treated to eye candy as sweet as Paul's.

Be sure to look at his harvest and northern-lights galleries.

Paul went up in a power parachute and captured this photo a few days ago. He also shot many other spectacular photos of the potato harvest in full swing.

You're looking at fields of broccoli near Mike's home. The farm is owned by the Smith Farm company. Their headquarters are just 1/4 mile from Mike's house. They also grow potatoes, cauliflower, and grains.

Mike then shared that the Smith family has one of the largest broccoli operations on the East Coast.

Did you know that much broccoli was grown so far north? I didn't.

Mike and I then had an email exchange about harvesting potatoes. 

He told me the windrower and tractor used to get the delicious potatoes out of the ground and into the trucks that move them to the cold storage barns cost north of $1,000,000.

The windrowers are only used a month out of the year.

Think about this the next time you might gritch that potatoes are too expensive. (Gritch = grip + bitch)

I can't wait to meet Mike - and you too! Remember, you can plan your own New Hampshire adventure to facilitate our face-to-face meeting.

Leather Honey

I received a leather cleaning and conditioning kit this past week. The PR person who represents Leather Honey pitched me and sent it. Look at what my Georgia Boots work boots looked like after I followed the simple directions:

You may be thinking, "Big deal, Tim. They look okay. Yawn..."

GO HERE to see what the boots looked like before I started.

You can use Leather Honey to restore any leather including furniture, car seats, belts, jackets, whips, tack, baseball gloves, saddles, chaps, dog collars, leashes, etc.

Fun Concrete Math

Are you about to pour concrete? If you want to know how many cubic yards you need, use this multiplier assuming your slab will be 4 inches thick.

.0123

Multiply that decimal by the number of square feet of slab to get cubic yards. 

Example: 15 x 25 patio = 375 square feet

375 x .0123 = 4.61 cubic yards

Bath Fan Facts

What do you THINK you know about ventilation that just ain't so? 

What is the best exhaust pipe to use? What is the best TRUE duct tape?

GO HERE to discover what you don't know about bath fans.

Ornate Recessed Medicine Cabinet

How would you like to have an ornate yellow pine medicine cabinet including a 14 x 18-inch mirror for just $5? 

I had one of these in my second-floor bathroom located at 6270 Robison Road in Cincinnati, Ohio.

You might find one at an architectural salvage company, you can just buy an old house built in 1928, or you can be one of the first time-travelers and bring one back from your adventure.

CLICK HERE to see all the things builders put in houses built in the late 1920s. I salvaged one of the huge wood pantries from a job on Grand Vista Ave. I put it in my garage for tool storage.

Did you know  I offer TRANSCRIBED phone calls?

Yes, there's NO NEED for you to try to remember what I say OR to take notes. Within an hour of us talking, I can often send you a transcription of the entire conversation you can print out.

Pretty cool, right?

Do you need me to come to your home? I can do that too.

Get 100+ AsktheBuilder Ebooks, New Home and Remodeling Checklists, & More for just $79.99

Visit the Ask the Builder Store NOW for Hundreds of Products

"Yeah, right. That's the way it is. It's down there and I'm in here. I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.

Andy Dufresne just before he escapes from Shawshank prison.

CLICK HERE to see this classic movie scene.

#DoNotComply

Once bitten, twice shy...

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

The BEST Love Story of all time - well, maybe a close second.

That's enough for a Sunday morning.

Peace out.

Tim Carter (PhD, FullyAwakeology)

Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

Electromagnetic Adventures: www.W3ATB.com

My Pronouns: Told/You/So

Do It Right, Not Over!