NavySeabee's Profile

Pfft.

I make 'em big.
Vacuum big.

The Vacuum Lamp
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Last time I traveled I used the 'ghetto' version.
Bought the ultra-jumbo size zip lock bags.
Placed my clothes in the bag and zipped it most of the way closed.
Insert the little flat nozzle of the vacuum in the bag, turned it on and suuuuuucked it flat.
As I slid the nozzle out of the bag I zipped it the rest of the way.
This was convenient for me as I had individually suck-wrapped underwear, t-shirt and socks for each day.
As I had no laundry available for the entire trip the bags came in handy for packing the dirty clothes in for my return.
Unfortunately, the dirties took up much more space.
Fortunately, I had an extra piece of luggage only half full of things to bring home. That gave me the extra room I needed.

I was doing a renovation on a hotel near the Louisville, KY airport. Very near, the only thing between the runway and the hotel was a very busy expressway. I was told the windows were triple pane. You never heard the traffic and the jets were just a slight hum.

Let me illustrate.

We (the crew) usually worked in the rooms with the door closed and the tv on. There were thunderstorm warnings but nothing serious expected.

I'm vacuuming up some drywall dust when I noticed the vacuum sounded 'funny', an ever-so-slight whine had developed. After a minute or so I turned off the vacuum to investigate. The whine was still there and now I could hear the television. It was the local weatherman going on about 'take cover immediately', 'line of storms', 'tornado sighted' and worst of all 'AIRPORT'. All along I still hear the whine.

I decided to round up the crew to take cover. As soon as I opened the door I was nearly knocked down by the noise. That whine was in fact an enormous tornado siren mounted on a pole across the street. I've never heard anything that loud and I've worked around military jets.

So, like any good construction crew, we knocked off work, grabbed a beer (it was noon) and stood at the railing of the 2nd floor and watched a funnel cloud wiggling around beneath the cloud deck as it wandered down the road and out of range.

In summary: yes, sound proof windows work.

We've done this for years on a little 6 inch globe we keep on a knickknack shelf. Just the trips taken together. Never the solo trips.
Getting kind of crowded with pins in the eastern US & Canada. Maybe time to get a larger globe.

This sounds like an episode of Seinfeld.

John Wayne Gacy lived in Chicago so that pretty much rules out IBDB*.

You'll have to describe the smells.
Where is it strongest?
Where does it come from? Wall, vent, floor, overhead, cabinet?
Directional? North, east, south west?
Does it shift?

I have an incredible olfactory. Fly me out and I'll sniff it out.
Oddly enough, my wife is anosmic, can't smell.
(I like to say 'my wife doesn't smell'.)

*IBDB = Insulation By Dead Body

Thanks to all.
Comments and even criticisms appreciated.
No offense taken. I got a thick hide.

So, to boil it down:

Read a boatload of magazines,
start working on college courses,
get a 'flunky' job,
finish degree,
elevate career,
SUCCESS!

Works for me.
Thanks again everyone.

Thanks for the comments.
Unfortunately no Ikeas (in the US) within 6 hours Rochester.
Maybe I'll start with just one class.
No sense going broke by jumping in full time right off.

I'm guessing the guys in the bookshelf are tucked.

Yay! Did this a couple of weeks ago. Apple, ash, birch, elm. Only the apple has real flowers but it makes a pretty bunch.

My stepson just did a bunch of work in our basement.
We had a deep-textured (spikey) ceiling or stalactites as my wife called them. He scraped it down and retextured it with a little more conservative surface. It's not flat/smooth but at least you won't get cut it you hit it with you hands. (It's a really low ceiling.)

Whether it's plaster texture or popcorn, you can do it yourself but I'd recommend a pro. There's ladders, scaffolding or stilts, the tools, plaster/mud, tarps. All kinds of things to acquire, then you never know how much material to buy. (A gallon? Five gallons?)

Also, this is a very messy project. I'm just lucky it was over my tiled floor that I plan on replacing anyways.