Author Topic: Life in America - I made the move. (Read 983145 times)

Mr Zog · « **Reply #7480 on:** July 04, 2019, 02:43:32 am »

Quote from: BFG on July 03, 2019, 09:52:17 am

Quote from: Mr Zog on July 03, 2019, 01:38:24 am

Yuri will mail me the original documents from Customs and border protection to show that the bike has legally entered the country.

It's just the original registration certificate... if anyone has a back-door route to the SA licensing dept and can arrange one for me without me being there in person, please let me know I'd be most grateful

PM sent

grizz · « **Reply #7481 on:** July 04, 2019, 09:35:50 am »

Happy Birthday America... !!

Mr Zog · « **Reply #7482 on:** July 05, 2019, 02:25:21 am »

Quote from: grizz on July 04, 2019, 09:35:50 am

Happy Birthday America... !!

That it is!

Sitting writing here at just after 8pm. It's still very light outside, only really dark around 9pm, but fireworks have been going off all day. Thankfully the dogs are not too stressed by it all right now. Maybe they are getting used to it?

This morning I went off to go install 2 ceiling fans for a colleague, the same colleague I did the other work for a while ago. Installing ceiling fans is pretty simple. Only issue is that I needed to get power to the two fans, as well as screw in support beams for the fans between the rafters. So it took me around 3 hours to get it done properly, by which time it was hot and I was sweating freely. When I got home Mrs Zog chased me straight into the shower

because I smelled so bad

After the refreshing shower we went off to Home Depot for some supplies. Mrs Zog bought a small palm tree, an aurica (sp?) palm that she wants to help screen the building site behind the house. And I got a few 2x4's etc... and some wire and some screws

Back home I offloaded the bakkie, and it was so hot that I decided to stay indoors for a bit in the cool AC. It wasn't long and I got sleepy and went for a nap

I woke up around 4:30, and started planning out what I wanted to do with the 2x4's etc that I had bought. It was Mrs Zog's idea...

See the pics below

Mr Zog · « **Reply #7483 on:** July 05, 2019, 02:43:53 am »

Every night I let the dogs out before I go to bed for their last wee on the grass.

That way we don't get "accidents" on the carpets. However every night I have to first go and check the whole yard is clear of critters with a torch before I can let them out. We have all sorts of wildlife roaming here; Opossums, raccoons, armadillos, squirrels, snakes, rodents, bobcats, even fucking bears and alligators

and when Maggie sees ANYTHING in HER yard, she's in for the kill with Sammy helping as "backup".

Not only do I not want my pets to get hurt by some wild animal just defending itself, but I also don't want any wildlife getting hurt or killed by the killer Maggie

She's only doing what she was bred to do, not her fault. But it's a royal pain in the butt having to first patrol the garden with a torch before I can let them out. So Mrs Zog had the bright idea to build a little 3 foot high picket fence at the back door to the garage where I usually let them out at night. This way they will be contained in a small area with some grass so they can still pee, and I can see at a glance that everything is safe for them. It will also be a good restricted zone for them to go out during a lull in a hurricane, when we aren't sure if the rest of the fence is still standing, or if there is a danger of falling branches etc from the trees. Will just be peace of mind for us, and safer for the dogs.

So I made a start, but it was still hot, and progress was slow. I'll probably finish it off on Sunday...

I called it a day at 6:30, and fired up the braai

Mrs Zog had made us some lekker shrimp sosaties that she had been marinating all day in lime juice, orange juice, and rum

And she had made some baby marrow (zucchini) and onion and cheese and herbs in some tinfoil too. I had bought two steaks at Walmart yesterday evening on the way home that I put on the fire too.

Of course I had to have some of that special dop that @DarkMan had sent me... thanks again man, it is awesome

Supper was very lekker, and now I am sitting posting from an America that is celebrating with literally millions of fireworks. Thankfully the dogs seem to be unperturbed. I think they are just getting used to them now...

Oh well, back to work tomorrow. And Saturday I'll be working most of the day in the new shop with the Boss...

Thanks for reading guys & girls

Mrs. Zog · « **Reply #7484 on:** July 05, 2019, 02:49:30 am »

Quote

Mrs Zog bought a small palm tree, an aurica (sp?) palm that she wants to help screen the building site behind the house.

Areca palm... https://www.south-florida-plant-guide.com/areca-palm.html

TeeJay · « **Reply #7485 on:** July 05, 2019, 04:36:25 am »

Nice guys

Ri · « **Reply #7486 on:** July 05, 2019, 06:06:49 am »

Your house and garden looks BEAUTIFUL!

Have you been zogging the inside to be as fittingly elegant?

Mrs. Zog · « **Reply #7487 on:** July 05, 2019, 04:57:52 pm »

No Ri, not yet. We've done all the essential work first, like hurricane shutters and fencing. The inside jobs are "wants" right now, not "needs."

The two items highest on the list are bookshelves (I'm a book slut, or so Mr. Zog tells me - I have never met a book I didn't want to take home) and flooring.

We want (need, actually) to rip out all of the carpeting and replace it with laminate flooring. The kitchen and bathrooms are tiled, but the bedrooms, hallway, living room, and Florida room are fully carpeted, which is just terrible. WHY do people put wall-to-wall carpeting in a humid, tropical climate, where it just gets dank and moldy. The mind boggles. Flooring is expensive, so we need to tackle that room by room. We agree that the bedrooms and Florida room don't need to match, but the hallway and living room are continuous, so they will need to be done together in one go.

Eventually.

TeeJay · « **Reply #7488 on:** July 05, 2019, 07:02:30 pm »

Quote from: Mrs. Zog on July 05, 2019, 04:57:52 pm

No Ri, not yet. We've done all the essential work first, like hurricane shutters and fencing. The inside jobs are "wants" right now, not "needs."

The two items highest on the list are bookshelves (I'm a book slut, or so Mr. Zog tells me - I have never met a book I didn't want to take home) and flooring.

We want (need, actually) to rip out all of the carpeting and replace it with laminate flooring. The kitchen and bathrooms are tiled, but the bedrooms, hallway, living room, and Florida room are fully carpeted, which is just terrible. WHY do people put wall-to-wall carpeting in a humid, tropical climate, where it just gets dank and moldy. The mind boggles. Flooring is expensive, so we need to tackle that room by room. We agree that the bedrooms and Florida room don't need to match, but the hallway and living room are continuous, so they will need to be done together in one go.

Eventually.

Most dogs don't like laminate flooring. Have you heard them walking/running on laminate flooring - will drive you mad. Their nails also scratch the floor. If it doesn't get too cold there - what about cement screeding the floors - or just tiling it - then you can do it as you have the money. Anyway - just my useless 2c worth

allan.cawood · « **Reply #7489 on:** July 05, 2019, 07:43:40 pm »

Quote from: TeeJay on July 05, 2019, 07:02:30 pm

Quote from: Mrs. Zog on July 05, 2019, 04:57:52 pm
No Ri, not yet. We've done all the essential work first, like hurricane shutters and fencing. The inside jobs are "wants" right now, not "needs."

The two items highest on the list are bookshelves (I'm a book slut, or so Mr. Zog tells me - I have never met a book I didn't want to take home) and flooring.

We want (need, actually) to rip out all of the carpeting and replace it with laminate flooring. The kitchen and bathrooms are tiled, but the bedrooms, hallway, living room, and Florida room are fully carpeted, which is just terrible. WHY do people put wall-to-wall carpeting in a humid, tropical climate, where it just gets dank and moldy. The mind boggles. Flooring is expensive, so we need to tackle that room by room. We agree that the bedrooms and Florida room don't need to match, but the hallway and living room are continuous, so they will need to be done together in one go.

Eventually.

Most dogs don't like laminate flooring. Have you heard them walking/running on laminate flooring - will drive you mad. Their nails also scratch the floor. If it doesn't get too cold there - what about cement screeding the floors - or just tiling it - then you can do it as you have the money. Anyway - just my useless 2c worth

I put down commercial vinyl flooring ... no tick tick tick for the dogs running through the house ... and it was reasonably priced as well

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mrs. Zog · « **Reply #7490 on:** July 05, 2019, 08:07:44 pm »

We thought about the dogs and laminate flooring - mostly about how it will piss them off when running after their toys and coming at full speed for their food - no traction, lots of sliding into furniture

TrailBlazer · « **Reply #7491 on:** July 05, 2019, 08:43:49 pm »

I was keen to put down 35 sq metres of laminated floor in my home office until I had to sit and wait at the optometerist... that clickety-clack noise damn near drove me crazy.

KiLRoy · « **Reply #7492 on:** July 06, 2019, 08:48:30 am »

Gary, here is an idea. Go do your HAM license and get going with a HF rig. We can keep comms going between USA and SA?

Xavier2 · « **Reply #7493 on:** July 06, 2019, 10:26:34 am »

Uhmm, maybe you've heard of 'WhatsApp messenger'...?

mox · « **Reply #7494 on:** July 06, 2019, 10:29:37 am »

Blou Zebu · « **Reply #7495 on:** July 06, 2019, 12:03:23 pm »

Quote from: Xavier2 on July 06, 2019, 10:26:34 am

Uhmm, maybe you've heard of 'WhatsApp messenger'...?

Maaybe too complicated?

But I was thinking today of how screwed we would be if some real big disaster hit the world and the www went down. We have become used to it that it is essential like drugs for an addict

No ore Wilddog
no more whatsapp
no more facebook (not much of a loss)
even no more telephone calls.

Mrs. Zog · « **Reply #7496 on:** July 06, 2019, 02:25:51 pm »

Read the trilogy by John Masterson.

1. One Second After
2. One Year After
3. The Final Day

It's fiction but very accurately researched and based on solid science. Scary stuff.

Fransw · « **Reply #7497 on:** July 06, 2019, 04:44:19 pm »

Quote from: Ri on July 05, 2019, 06:06:49 am

Your house and garden looks BEAUTIFUL!

Have you been zogging the inside to be as fittingly elegant?

Yes agree, especially the lawn. Its beautiful, what's the secret? Or is it a carpet!?

Mr Zog · « **Reply #7498 on:** July 07, 2019, 02:56:45 am »

Quote from: Fransw on July 06, 2019, 04:44:19 pm

Quote from: Ri on July 05, 2019, 06:06:49 am
Your house and garden looks BEAUTIFUL!

Have you been zogging the inside to be as fittingly elegant?

Yes agree, especially the lawn. Its beautiful, what's the secret? Or is it a carpet!?

It gets sprayed with fertilizer and stuff every 2 months. Also stuff to kill weeds and bugs, based on what the dude sees when he visits and the season. It costs us very little, but certainly is worth it.

The lawn at the house we were renting was terrible, fire ants had destroyed it, cinch bugs (cut worms) ate what was left up, and the weeds were uncontrollable. I did try hard to spray it myself with stuff from the Home Depot, but it was not at all successful. When we moved here to our own place it was already being taken care of by the lawn care company, so we just kept it going. So far (touch wood) no fire ants, no cinch bugs, and very few weeds. Seems the experts get it right. Only downside is that in summer I have to cut it EVERY WEEK or it gets away from me

Mr Zog · « **Reply #7499 on:** July 07, 2019, 03:03:07 am »

Today I worked 10 hours of overtime

The boss wanted me to build a counter for the new shop he is opening. He decided to buy 4 big toolboxes to use as the counter, and wanted me to "make it happen".

So yesterday we collected the 4 toolboxes from Home Depot, and attached the wheels etc.

Today I removed the drawers, and bolted three of them together. Then I used a piece of aluminium angle to bolt the fourth one on at a 90 degree angle. I built a corner unit for display, and built a "skirt" all around the bottom to prevent stuff sliding under them. It doesn't sound like a lot of work, but it did take a long time. I was busy with the job for 6 hours.

In between I also went out to fix a water pump that wasn't pumping.

Boss is very happy with the result, and I must say that I like the setup too.