First month of knee hell down.
...This article and the thought of another great adventure
has been a positive note today.
<https://retirement.media/the-healing-power-of-nature-why-spending-time-outdoors-is-essential-for-health-and-well-being/>
On Mon, 26 Jan 2026 21:08:46 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
First month of knee hell down.
Good to hear!
...This article and the thought of another great adventure
has been a positive note today.
<https://retirement.media/the-healing-power-of-nature-why-spending-time-outdoors-is-essential-for-health-and-well-being/>
Good article, thanks.
When the weather is too cold to ride
outdoors, I put my bike on rollers in the garage. The last couple
of weeks it's even been too cold in the garage.
So just the last
couple of days I've taken to bundling up and walking in the
neighborhood. It helps my mental well being considerably.
As it happens, the wife and I plan to hike at a nearby nature
preserve this afternoon, so good timing!
On 1/28/2026 9:59 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
On Mon, 26 Jan 2026 21:08:46 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
First month of knee hell down.
Good to hear!
Really didn't realize how brutal a knee replacement was going
to be. I sure hope the other knee holds up, cause I sure as
hell don't want to go through this again.
When the weather is too cold to ride outdoors, I put my bike
on rollers in the garage. The last couple of weeks it's even
been too cold in the garage.
I keep my 3 car pretty toasty.
...The wife was talking about how everything seems so
expensive now and mentioned last months gas bill. I told her
to just pay it and not give it another thought. ;-)
So just the last couple of days I've taken to bundling up and
walking in the neighborhood. It helps my mental well being
considerably.
The wife has still been going out about 7:30 AM for about an
hour and a half on the trail by our house. When it got down to
-10F she took 2 days off and just rode the bike down in the
exercise room. She's pretty dedicated to doing this. I am
looking forward to when I can safely go out and hike, and do
like it this time of the year, but at 7:30 I still want to be
warm in my chair drinking my coffee.
As it happens, the wife and I plan to hike at a nearby nature
preserve this afternoon, so good timing!
Awesome! I been monitoring the weather out by you and it does
seem to get a little warmer than by us, but you do get a little
bit more wind.
...Glad you like the move and hope you continue living the
dream!
BTW, great hearing from you. Been a little quiet around here
and I've missed all you guys.
On Wed, 28 Jan 2026 20:08:11 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
On 1/28/2026 9:59 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
When the weather is too cold to ride outdoors, I put my bike
on rollers in the garage. The last couple of weeks it's
even been too cold in the garage.
I keep my 3 car pretty toasty.
That sounds appealing, but it doesn't seem possible for my
3-car. It's a pretty new house and the garage is attached, but
there's no HVAC to it. I've tried running a space heater (even
two!) and it doesn't move the needle much. Maybe I need to
just prop open the door from the house and position a box fan
in it for air exchange? Maybe I just need a bigger space heater
(though I only have 110 V outlets, so that seems to be a
limiting factor).
On Wed, 28 Jan 2026 20:08:11 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
On 1/28/2026 9:59 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
On Mon, 26 Jan 2026 21:08:46 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
First month of knee hell down.
Good to hear!
Really didn't realize how brutal a knee replacement was going
to be. I sure hope the other knee holds up, cause I sure as
hell don't want to go through this again.
Oof. Fingers crossed for you!
When the weather is too cold to ride outdoors, I put my bike
on rollers in the garage. The last couple of weeks it's even
been too cold in the garage.
I keep my 3 car pretty toasty.
That sounds appealing, but it doesn't seem possible for my 3-car.
It's a pretty new house and the garage is attached, but there's no
HVAC to it. I've tried running a space heater (even two!) and it
doesn't move the needle much. Maybe I need to just prop open the
door from the house and position a box fan in it for air exchange?
Maybe I just need a bigger space heater (though I only have 110 V
outlets, so that seems to be a limiting factor).
...The wife was talking about how everything seems so
expensive now and mentioned last months gas bill. I told her
to just pay it and not give it another thought. ;-)
LOL. I avoid such problems by just paying the bills myself. ;)
So just the last couple of days I've taken to bundling up and
walking in the neighborhood. It helps my mental well being
considerably.
The wife has still been going out about 7:30 AM for about an
hour and a half on the trail by our house. When it got down to
-10F she took 2 days off and just rode the bike down in the
exercise room. She's pretty dedicated to doing this. I am
looking forward to when I can safely go out and hike, and do
like it this time of the year, but at 7:30 I still want to be
warm in my chair drinking my coffee.
Yeah, the self propulsion has to work. A friend is recovering
from surgery to treat spinal stenosis, and his legs aren't yet
working well enough to walk much. Hoping he gets back to regular
mobility. I know it'll be hard for me when I'm no longer able to
get around on my two feet.
As it happens, the wife and I plan to hike at a nearby nature
preserve this afternoon, so good timing!
Awesome! I been monitoring the weather out by you and it does
seem to get a little warmer than by us, but you do get a little
bit more wind.
It was really nice to get out. We'd gotten a bit over an inch of
snow, so I tried out the Kahtoola MICROspikes (recent birthday
gift). There wasn't that much snow, so the spikes did a better
job of picking up mud than anything else. LOL
We did a bit over 3 miles, the wife's ankle was starting to bother
her, or we would have done more. It's hard for her, because she's
much more intense about regular exercise than I am (sounds like
your situation too).
I went out yesterday and did a bit over 7 miles. Was whomped when
done, but slept well last night! I also discovered that my Garmin
Edge 830 is not a good tracker for hiking. It only logged 5 of
the seven miles. Web searches suggest switching off the autopause
function and setting it for more frequent readings might help
(it's not designed for such slow movement). We'll see.
...Glad you like the move and hope you continue living the
dream!
Thanks, so far so good.
BTW, great hearing from you. Been a little quiet around here
and I've missed all you guys.
Same. I'll try to be more regular about checking in and posting.
On Fri, 30 Jan 2026 15:21:16 -0000 (UTC),
Ted Heise <theise@panix.com> wrote:
On Wed, 28 Jan 2026 20:08:11 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
On 1/28/2026 9:59 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
When the weather is too cold to ride outdoors, I put my bike
on rollers in the garage. The last couple of weeks it's
even been too cold in the garage.
I keep my 3 car pretty toasty.
That sounds appealing, but it doesn't seem possible for my
3-car. It's a pretty new house and the garage is attached, but
there's no HVAC to it. I've tried running a space heater (even
two!) and it doesn't move the needle much. Maybe I need to
just prop open the door from the house and position a box fan
in it for air exchange? Maybe I just need a bigger space heater
(though I only have 110 V outlets, so that seems to be a
limiting factor).
Okay, I checked out various options at Lowe's yesterday. It seems
the best approach might be to get a gas heater (or heat pump)
installed, but that's a big job and will take some planning.
Something that's somewhat portable would have the advantage of use
to heat the house if the power goes out. I assume such use would
mean a catalytic heater or venting from inside the house as well.
For the near term, I ended up getting another smallish space
heater--one with IR that runs on 110 V. With it and my existing
unit I was able to get the temp up to the low 40s yesterday.
Interestingly, opening the door to the house and running a box fan
for air exchange made no difference on the garage temp.
The garage was back down to the 20s this morning after an
overnight below 0 F and without any heaters running. Hope I can
get it up to the 40s again so I can get on the rollers.
Additional reading suggests that probably the best thing to do is
improve insulation. The double bay has living space above it, so
nothing to do there. The single bay has an attic with no
insulation, so laying a layer of insulation above the ceiling
seems like a good idea (and something I can do).
One wall adjoins living space, so again nothing to do there. Two
of the walls are exterior poured concrete like this...
https://www.westernforms.com/brickpatternconcreteforms
From a bit of reading online it seems the concrete loses a lot of
heat, so I should look at getting them insulated. Looks as if it
would not be a small job. Maybe glueing foam boards to the
concrete would be the simplest approach.
I expect the cheapo overhead garage doors also lose a lot of heat
and adding some insulation there would help as well. I'm not sure
if the doors seal up well enough to the door frames to make
addition of foam panels effective on their own. Maybe I'll call
up the contractor who put in a bathroom for us to see what he
thinks.
On 1/30/2026 9:21 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
On Wed, 28 Jan 2026 20:08:11 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
...The wife was talking about how everything seems so
expensive now and mentioned last months gas bill. I told
her to just pay it and not give it another thought. ;-)
LOL. I avoid such problems by just paying the bills myself. ;)
Since I met my wife, I pretty much let her take care of the
bill paying.
She's really good at all that kind of thing, I tend to put
things off too much. I think what makes it work for us is that
I have complete trust in her. She does not buy things we don't
need, and though she knows I don't give a crap what she buys,
she will ask me before anything out of the ordinary.
30 years ago she was a legal secretary making decent dough.^^^^^^
The problem was the damn lawyers. She would get into arguments
with them and would come home very upset. I finally convinced
her to just quit and let me take care of making money, and her
just take care of our "estate". She keeps very busy, actually
like doing laundry, and the house is immaculate all the time.
I do nothing inside the garage and I like it that way.
I did suggest she start making a list of all the bills and
payments that we have monthly so I would know where to start if
anything happens to her. She said not to worry, and that if
payments aren't made I'll figure it out soon enough. So I just
shrugged and went back to not worrying about it. Heh.
On 1/31/2026 10:35 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
Okay, I checked out various options at Lowe's yesterday. It
seems the best approach might be to get a gas heater (or heat
pump) installed, but that's a big job and will take some
planning.
Here's a pic of mine. I installed the unit 8 years ago and
it's 50,000 BTU. A gas heater is the only way to go if'n you
ask me. Electric is about twice as expensive to buy the
hardware/heater, with the possible benefit of not having to
install venting. I would never go with a convection heater as
they can cause mold, and just don't work as good IMO.
<https://i.postimg.cc/BZ2s7cHP/Big-Maxx.jpg>
Something that's somewhat portable would have the advantage of
use to heat the house if the power goes out. I assume such
use would mean a catalytic heater or venting from inside the
house as well.
Before I installed the BigMaxx, I used one of those little
barrel liquid propane heater when I was out there. They will
heat the place up in a hurry, but you will have to monitor the
oxygen levels and have to crack a door to get some fresh air
occasionally. I wanted the garage to be warm all the time and
not just when I stepped out there, so I eventually did it
right. It is really nice to get in a warm vehicle, or just
close the door and bring in the groceries.
For the near term, I ended up getting another smallish space
heater--one with IR that runs on 110 V. With it and my
existing unit I was able to get the temp up to the low 40s
yesterday.
Hard to get what you want with those. They are helpful in RV's
for people who get electric hookup and don't want to use their
gas and main heater that much. I'm not worried about those
things so I don't use one.
Interestingly, opening the door to the house and running a box
fan for air exchange made no difference on the garage temp.
Heating the air is one thing, but in the garage you have to get
everything in the room up to temp before it stays warm for any
length of time. For example, it can be below zero and if I
pull into the garage, the heater will kick on and warm the air
back up, but it doesn't have to heat up the floor, walls and
all my other toys, so it is comfortable right away.
The garage was back down to the 20s this morning after an
overnight below 0 F and without any heaters running. Hope I
can get it up to the 40s again so I can get on the rollers.
Even before I installed it, the garage mostly stayed above
freezing. I do have things out there that I don't want to
freeze, so as soon as it start getting cold, I turn the heater
on.
Additional reading suggests that probably the best thing to do
is improve insulation. The double bay has living space above
it, so nothing to do there. The single bay has an attic with
no insulation, so laying a layer of insulation above the
ceiling seems like a good idea (and something I can do).
Absolutely. My whole garage has a thick layer of insulation
above the ceiling. My walls are 2x4 studs and are also all
insulated walls. My garage doors are the insulated ones and
they do a good job. That's why it rarely went below freezing,
but I still wanted it "warm". FWIW, it kicks on when it gets
down to about 62F and will turn off when it gets up to about
72F.
Below is a picture of the thermostat and the I also installed a
switch to power the outlet from the previous paragraph. When
the power is on the light lets you know. I can monitor
everything with the heater right from this one spot.
https://i.postimg.cc/tRvdfWbj/Switch.jpg
Last, being a fairly new place, I would bet you already might
have gas going to the garage. If so, that might be a factor on
where you place a heater. Mine vents up into the roof, but you
can also vent them right out a side wall. I prefer the roof,
but I had the right setup to be able to do that easily.
On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:54:06 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
On 1/31/2026 10:35 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
Okay, I checked out various options at Lowe's yesterday. It
seems the best approach might be to get a gas heater (or heat
pump) installed, but that's a big job and will take some
planning.
Here's a pic of mine. I installed the unit 8 years ago and
it's 50,000 BTU. A gas heater is the only way to go if'n you
ask me. Electric is about twice as expensive to buy the
hardware/heater, with the possible benefit of not having to
install venting. I would never go with a convection heater as
they can cause mold, and just don't work as good IMO.
<https://i.postimg.cc/BZ2s7cHP/Big-Maxx.jpg>
That looks so good!
Something that's somewhat portable would have the advantage of
use to heat the house if the power goes out. I assume such
use would mean a catalytic heater or venting from inside the
house as well.
Before I installed the BigMaxx, I used one of those little
barrel liquid propane heater when I was out there. They will
heat the place up in a hurry, but you will have to monitor the
oxygen levels and have to crack a door to get some fresh air
occasionally. I wanted the garage to be warm all the time and
not just when I stepped out there, so I eventually did it
right. It is really nice to get in a warm vehicle, or just
close the door and bring in the groceries.
Yeah, the portable ones definitely have downsides. And that's a
great point about being able to get into a warm car--you're making
a pretty compelling case.
For the near term, I ended up getting another smallish space
heater--one with IR that runs on 110 V. With it and my
existing unit I was able to get the temp up to the low 40s
yesterday.
Hard to get what you want with those. They are helpful in RV's
for people who get electric hookup and don't want to use their
gas and main heater that much. I'm not worried about those
things so I don't use one.
Huh. It never occurred to me that a small space heater could be
used in an RV. Like you, I doubt I'll ever do that, but will tuck
away the idea for futuer consideration.
Interestingly, opening the door to the house and running a box
fan for air exchange made no difference on the garage temp.
Heating the air is one thing, but in the garage you have to get
everything in the room up to temp before it stays warm for any
length of time. For example, it can be below zero and if I
pull into the garage, the heater will kick on and warm the air
back up, but it doesn't have to heat up the floor, walls and
all my other toys, so it is comfortable right away.
Oh, more great points. After my earlier post today I went around
the garage and pointed a thermometer at all the interior surfaces.
They were all in the upper 50s to lower 60s (as compared to the
garage air in the 20s), so I'm thinking there must be a fair bit
of air being exchanged with the outdoors. Still, the walls do
have a lot of mass and would take a lot to heat up.
The garage was back down to the 20s this morning after an
overnight below 0 F and without any heaters running. Hope I
can get it up to the 40s again so I can get on the rollers.
Even before I installed it, the garage mostly stayed above
freezing. I do have things out there that I don't want to
freeze, so as soon as it start getting cold, I turn the heater
on.
Yeah, I've got paint in the garage and don't want it to be
freezing all the time, so it seems I really need to find a way to
get the garage to a consistently higher temp.
Additional reading suggests that probably the best thing to do
is improve insulation. The double bay has living space above
it, so nothing to do there. The single bay has an attic with
no insulation, so laying a layer of insulation above the
ceiling seems like a good idea (and something I can do).
Absolutely. My whole garage has a thick layer of insulation
above the ceiling. My walls are 2x4 studs and are also all
insulated walls. My garage doors are the insulated ones and
they do a good job. That's why it rarely went below freezing,
but I still wanted it "warm". FWIW, it kicks on when it gets
down to about 62F and will turn off when it gets up to about
72F.
Nice. Mine doesn't stay above freezing with space heaters off, so
I clearly need better insulation and weatherproofing. Thanks for
all the tips on the door seals (and pics of other stuff).
Below is a picture of the thermostat and the I also installed a
switch to power the outlet from the previous paragraph. When
the power is on the light lets you know. I can monitor
everything with the heater right from this one spot.
https://i.postimg.cc/tRvdfWbj/Switch.jpg
Okay, that pencil sharpener made me laugh.
Last, being a fairly new place, I would bet you already might
have gas going to the garage. If so, that might be a factor on
where you place a heater. Mine vents up into the roof, but you
can also vent them right out a side wall. I prefer the roof,
but I had the right setup to be able to do that easily.
You would think new construction would be more wel planned, but
this is a Celebrity build so as cheap as possible. <rolls eyes>
The gas would have to come from the adjoining basement, and
probably run all the way along the back of the garage--my work
space is along the outer side (the single door). Going that far
would also be necessary to vent a heater to roof, because the
double door garage nearest the basement has bedrooms above it.
Anyway, thanks again for all the suggestions!
On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:54:06 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
On 1/31/2026 10:35 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
Okay, I checked out various options at Lowe's yesterday. It
seems the best approach might be to get a gas heater (or heat
pump) installed, but that's a big job and will take some
planning.
Here's a pic of mine. I installed the unit 8 years ago and
it's 50,000 BTU. A gas heater is the only way to go if'n you
ask me. Electric is about twice as expensive to buy the
hardware/heater, with the possible benefit of not having to
install venting. I would never go with a convection heater as
they can cause mold, and just don't work as good IMO.
<https://i.postimg.cc/BZ2s7cHP/Big-Maxx.jpg>
That looks so good!
Something that's somewhat portable would have the advantage of
use to heat the house if the power goes out. I assume such
use would mean a catalytic heater or venting from inside the
house as well.
Before I installed the BigMaxx, I used one of those little
barrel liquid propane heater when I was out there. They will
heat the place up in a hurry, but you will have to monitor the
oxygen levels and have to crack a door to get some fresh air
occasionally. I wanted the garage to be warm all the time and
not just when I stepped out there, so I eventually did it
right. It is really nice to get in a warm vehicle, or just
close the door and bring in the groceries.
Yeah, the portable ones definitely have downsides. And that's a
great point about being able to get into a warm car--you're making
a pretty compelling case.
For the near term, I ended up getting another smallish space
heater--one with IR that runs on 110 V. With it and my
existing unit I was able to get the temp up to the low 40s
yesterday.
Hard to get what you want with those. They are helpful in RV's
for people who get electric hookup and don't want to use their
gas and main heater that much. I'm not worried about those
things so I don't use one.
Huh. It never occurred to me that a small space heater could be
used in an RV. Like you, I doubt I'll ever do that, but will tuck
away the idea for futuer consideration.
Interestingly, opening the door to the house and running a box
fan for air exchange made no difference on the garage temp.
Heating the air is one thing, but in the garage you have to get
everything in the room up to temp before it stays warm for any
length of time. For example, it can be below zero and if I
pull into the garage, the heater will kick on and warm the air
back up, but it doesn't have to heat up the floor, walls and
all my other toys, so it is comfortable right away.
Oh, more great points. After my earlier post today I went around
the garage and pointed a thermometer at all the interior surfaces.
They were all in the upper 50s to lower 60s (as compared to the
garage air in the 20s), so I'm thinking there must be a fair bit
of air being exchanged with the outdoors. Still, the walls do
have a lot of mass and would take a lot to heat up.
The garage was back down to the 20s this morning after an
overnight below 0 F and without any heaters running. Hope I
can get it up to the 40s again so I can get on the rollers.
Even before I installed it, the garage mostly stayed above
freezing. I do have things out there that I don't want to
freeze, so as soon as it start getting cold, I turn the heater
on.
Yeah, I've got paint in the garage and don't want it to be
freezing all the time, so it seems I really need to find a way to
get the garage to a consistently higher temp.
Additional reading suggests that probably the best thing to do
is improve insulation. The double bay has living space above
it, so nothing to do there. The single bay has an attic with
no insulation, so laying a layer of insulation above the
ceiling seems like a good idea (and something I can do).
Absolutely. My whole garage has a thick layer of insulation
above the ceiling. My walls are 2x4 studs and are also all
insulated walls. My garage doors are the insulated ones and
they do a good job. That's why it rarely went below freezing,
but I still wanted it "warm". FWIW, it kicks on when it gets
down to about 62F and will turn off when it gets up to about
72F.
Nice. Mine doesn't stay above freezing with space heaters off, so
I clearly need better insulation and weatherproofing. Thanks for
all the tips on the door seals (and pics of other stuff).
Below is a picture of the thermostat and the I also installed a
switch to power the outlet from the previous paragraph. When
the power is on the light lets you know. I can monitor
everything with the heater right from this one spot.
https://i.postimg.cc/tRvdfWbj/Switch.jpg
Okay, that pencil sharpener made me laugh.
Last, being a fairly new place, I would bet you already might
have gas going to the garage. If so, that might be a factor on
where you place a heater. Mine vents up into the roof, but you
can also vent them right out a side wall. I prefer the roof,
but I had the right setup to be able to do that easily.
You would think new construction would be more wel planned, but
this is a Celebrity build so as cheap as possible. <rolls eyes>
The gas would have to come from the adjoining basement, and
probably run all the way along the back of the garage--my work
space is along the outer side (the single door). Going that far
would also be necessary to vent a heater to roof, because the
double door garage nearest the basement has bedrooms above it.
Anyway, thanks again for all the suggestions!
All I can say about all that is: I'm glad I live in Middle Georgia.
On 2/1/2026 2:37 AM, bfh wrote:
All I can say about all that is: I'm glad I live in Middle
Georgia.
Yep, just make sure when you got 3 months of 90F and high
humidity you keep it to yourself.
Seriously though, as I am getting older, I like the cold less
and less, but to be honest I will take my upper Midwestern
weather, even with the cold and snow, over the oppressive heat
and humidity my brother gets down in Florida for months on end,
or the month of 115F my brother out in California gets!
Easy enough to put a coat on and go hiking even in very cold
weather, and we actually hike more in the winter than the
summer because of the bugs. But when it's really hot and high
humidity, I don't want to do shit. That's what cold beer is
for.
On 1/31/2026 4:12 PM, Ted Heise wrote:
On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:54:06 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
<https://i.postimg.cc/BZ2s7cHP/Big-Maxx.jpg>
That looks so good!
FWIW, the BigMaxx heater, thermostat, and the pipe totaled
right at $500 8 years ago. I had a little more in the switch
and wiring, the black gas piping, and also had to get a proper
fitting for under the shingles on the roof. Probably all
included just a little over $600. Never had to do anything
until this year when the board went bad. These are great
little heaters.
BTW, most HVAC companies probably put a lot of these in and
would give you a price if you called around. Hell, if I was
close I'd give you a hand and we'd knock it out in a day!
For the near term, I ended up getting another smallish space
heater--one with IR that runs on 110 V.
I think the most popular are those ceramic or radiant oil
filled ones. My brother actually uses two of them in his class
A. I wouldn't use the ones that blow air over something like
hot wires and such, I think they call them space heaters. Too
much draw for the wiring in a camper IMO.
Getting the floor up to temps is a major advantage too. You
pull in with snow on the vehicle and it quickly disappears and
the floor dries pretty quickly. A cold garage you always have
a mess on the floor.
https://i.postimg.cc/tRvdfWbj/Switch.jpg
Okay, that pencil sharpener made me laugh.
I have always like to use pencils when I'm thinking things out.
I've got a huge box of #2's. I like to be precise when I make
my cuts on boards, so it sure makes it easy to keep a good
sharp pencil for a crisp line to follow.
BTW, quality these days isn't what it used to be. Remember in
school as a kid every room had one of those and you had to take
turns to sharpen your pencil. You could give it a couple turns
and have a good point right away, every time. Now, the
graphite is not in the center as good as it used to be and it
makes it difficult to get a good point that is graphite and not
the wood around it.
You would think new construction would be more wel planned,
but this is a Celebrity build so as cheap as possible.
<rolls eyes> The gas would have to come from the adjoining
basement, and probably run all the way along the back of the
garage--my work space is along the outer side (the single
door). Going that far would also be necessary to vent a
heater to roof, because the double door garage nearest the
basement has bedrooms above it.
If you want it bad enough, you will figure out a way. Be the
envy of the neighborhood.
Anyway, thanks again for all the suggestions!
You're very welcome, Ted!
On 1/31/2026 4:12 PM, Ted Heise wrote:
On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:54:06 -0600,
-a-a sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
-a On 1/31/2026 10:35 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
Okay, I checked out various options at Lowe's yesterday.-a It
seems the best approach might be to get a gas heater (or heat
pump) installed, but that's a big job and will take some
planning.
-a Here's a pic of mine.-a I installed the unit 8 years ago and
-a it's 50,000 BTU.-a A gas heater is the only way to go if'n you
-a ask me.-a Electric is about twice as expensive to buy the
-a hardware/heater, with the possible benefit of not having to
-a install venting. I would never go with a convection heater as
-a they can cause mold, and just don't work as good IMO.
<https://i.postimg.cc/BZ2s7cHP/Big-Maxx.jpg>
That looks so good!
FWIW, the BigMaxx heater, thermostat, and the pipe totaled right at
$500 8 years ago.-a I had a little more in the switch and wiring, the
black gas piping, and also had to get a proper fitting for under the shingles on the roof.-a Probably all included just a little over $600. Never had to do anything until this year when the board went bad.
These are great little heaters.
Something that's somewhat portable would have the advantage of
use to heat the house if the power goes out.-a I assume such
use would mean a catalytic heater or venting from inside the
house as well.
-a Before I installed the BigMaxx, I used one of those little
-a barrel liquid propane heater when I was out there.-a They will
-a heat the place up in a hurry, but you will have to monitor the
-a oxygen levels and have to crack a door to get some fresh air
-a occasionally.-a I wanted the garage to be warm all the time and
-a not just when I stepped out there, so I eventually did it
-a right.-a It is really nice to get in a warm vehicle, or just
-a close the door and bring in the groceries.
Yeah, the portable ones definitely have downsides.-a And that's a
great point about being able to get into a warm car--you're making
a pretty compelling case.
Yeah, I wanted to have a heated garage for years.-a Wish I had done it earlier.
For the near term, I ended up getting another smallish space
heater--one with IR that runs on 110 V.-a With it and my
existing unit I was able to get the temp up to the low 40s
yesterday.
-a Hard to get what you want with those.-a They are helpful in RV's
-a for people who get electric hookup and don't want to use their
-a gas and main heater that much.-a I'm not worried about those
-a things so I don't use one.
Huh.-a It never occurred to me that a small space heater could be
used in an RV.-a Like you, I doubt I'll ever do that, but will tuck
away the idea for futuer consideration.
I think the most popular are those ceramic or radiant oil filled ones.
My brother actually uses two of them in his class A.-a I wouldn't use
the ones that blow air over something like hot wires and such, I think
they call them space heaters.-a Too much draw for the wiring in a
camper IMO.
Interestingly, opening the door to the house and running a box
fan for air exchange made no difference on the garage temp.
-a Heating the air is one thing, but in the garage you have to get
-a everything in the room up to temp before it stays warm for any
-a length of time.-a For example, it can be below zero and if I
-a pull into the garage, the heater will kick on and warm the air
-a back up, but it doesn't have to heat up the floor, walls and
-a all my other toys, so it is comfortable right away.
Oh, more great points.-a After my earlier post today I went around
the garage and pointed a thermometer at all the interior surfaces.
They were all in the upper 50s to lower 60s (as compared to the
garage air in the 20s), so I'm thinking there must be a fair bit
of air being exchanged with the outdoors.-a Still, the walls do
have a lot of mass and would take a lot to heat up.
Getting the floor up to temps is a major advantage too.-a You pull in
with snow on the vehicle and it quickly disappears and the floor dries pretty quickly.-a A cold garage you always have a mess on the floor.
The garage was back down to the 20s this morning after an
overnight below 0 F and without any heaters running.-a Hope I
can get it up to the 40s again so I can get on the rollers.
-a Even before I installed it, the garage mostly stayed above
-a freezing.-a I do have things out there that I don't want to
-a freeze, so as soon as it start getting cold, I turn the heater
-a on.
Yeah, I've got paint in the garage and don't want it to be
freezing all the time, so it seems I really need to find a way to
get the garage to a consistently higher temp.
BTW, most HVAC companies probably put a lot of these in and would give
you a price if you called around.-a Hell, if I was close I'd give you a
hand and we'd knock it out in a day!
Additional reading suggests that probably the best thing to do
is improve insulation.-a The double bay has living space above
it, so nothing to do there.-a The single bay has an attic with
no insulation, so laying a layer of insulation above the
ceiling seems like a good idea (and something I can do).
-a Absolutely.-a My whole garage has a thick layer of insulation
-a above the ceiling.-a My walls are 2x4 studs and are also all
-a insulated walls.-a My garage doors are the insulated ones and
-a they do a good job.-a That's why it rarely went below freezing,
-a but I still wanted it "warm".-a FWIW, it kicks on when it gets
-a down to about 62F and will turn off when it gets up to about
-a 72F.
Nice.-a Mine doesn't stay above freezing with space heaters off, so
I clearly need better insulation and weatherproofing.-a Thanks for
all the tips on the door seals (and pics of other stuff).
-a Below is a picture of the thermostat and the I also installed a
-a switch to power the outlet from the previous paragraph.-a When
-a the power is on the light lets you know.-a I can monitor
-a everything with the heater right from this one spot.
-a https://i.postimg.cc/tRvdfWbj/Switch.jpg
Okay, that pencil sharpener made me laugh.
I have always like to use pencils when I'm thinking things out.-a I've
got a huge box of #2's.-a I like to be precise when I make my cuts on boards, so it sure makes it easy to keep a good sharp pencil for a
crisp line to follow.
BTW, quality these days isn't what it used to be.-a Remember in school
as a kid every room had one of those and you had to take turns to
sharpen your pencil.-a You could give it a couple turns and have a good point right away, every time.-a Now, the graphite is not in the center
as good as it used to be and it makes it difficult to get a good point
that is graphite and not the wood around it.
-a Last, being a fairly new place, I would bet you already might
-a have gas going to the garage.-a If so, that might be a factor on
-a where you place a heater.-a Mine vents up into the roof, but you
-a can also vent them right out a side wall.-a I prefer the roof,
-a but I had the right setup to be able to do that easily.
You would think new construction would be more wel planned, but
this is a Celebrity build so as cheap as possible.-a <rolls eyes>
The gas would have to come from the adjoining basement, and
probably run all the way along the back of the garage--my work
space is along the outer side (the single door).-a Going that far
would also be necessary to vent a heater to roof, because the
double door garage nearest the basement has bedrooms above it.
If you want it bad enough, you will figure out a way.-a Be the envy of
the neighborhood.
At the beginning of the cold temps this year, my neighbor had an issue
with a mower part he couldn't get a nut and bolt off.-a He was working outside with his door up and laying on the cold ground trying to fix
this thing. He knew I have all the tools and a nice vice in the
garage, so he called me and asked if I could help him get it loose.
Told him the back door was open and bring it over.-a He walks in and
his eyes lit up and he says, "You got heat in here?!"-a I said I
thought you knew that and if he wanted he could bring it over and work
on it here.-a Took about 30 seconds to do his part and told him maybe
next time just let me know and you can bring it over and do it in warmth.
Anyway, thanks again for all the suggestions!
You're very welcome, Ted!
On Mon, 2 Feb 2026 19:13:20 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
On 1/31/2026 4:12 PM, Ted Heise wrote:
On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:54:06 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
<https://i.postimg.cc/BZ2s7cHP/Big-Maxx.jpg>
That looks so good!
FWIW, the BigMaxx heater, thermostat, and the pipe totaled
right at $500 8 years ago. I had a little more in the switch
and wiring, the black gas piping, and also had to get a proper
fitting for under the shingles on the roof. Probably all
included just a little over $600. Never had to do anything
until this year when the board went bad. These are great
little heaters.
[...]
BTW, most HVAC companies probably put a lot of these in and
would give you a price if you called around. Hell, if I was
close I'd give you a hand and we'd knock it out in a day!
Okay, that made me smile. I'm inclined to get an HVAC outfit to
put in the heater, not least because I can't do the gas lines but
I'd also feel more confident the roof wouldn't leak around the
vent.
I'm assuming I'd need someone else to guide me on (or even do) any
insulation installation?
For the near term, I ended up getting another smallish space
heater--one with IR that runs on 110 V.
I think the most popular are those ceramic or radiant oil
filled ones. My brother actually uses two of them in his class
A. I wouldn't use the ones that blow air over something like
hot wires and such, I think they call them space heaters. Too
much draw for the wiring in a camper IMO.
Yeah, I've had a number of the wire heating element ones over the
years, the new one I got is quartz infrared so it seems a bit more robust--maybe safer.
Getting the floor up to temps is a major advantage too. You
pull in with snow on the vehicle and it quickly disappears and
the floor dries pretty quickly. A cold garage you always have
a mess on the floor.
The more I think about this, the more it seems reducing heat loss
from the garage is going to be essential. Do I need to worry
about the floor? It's just a concrete slab, I think.
https://i.postimg.cc/tRvdfWbj/Switch.jpg
Okay, that pencil sharpener made me laugh.
I have always like to use pencils when I'm thinking things out.
I've got a huge box of #2's. I like to be precise when I make
my cuts on boards, so it sure makes it easy to keep a good
sharp pencil for a crisp line to follow.
BTW, quality these days isn't what it used to be. Remember in
school as a kid every room had one of those and you had to take
turns to sharpen your pencil. You could give it a couple turns
and have a good point right away, every time. Now, the
graphite is not in the center as good as it used to be and it
makes it difficult to get a good point that is graphite and not
the wood around it.
So true. My mom was a teacher/librarian, and always had an
ancient sharpener very much like that one installed in her
basement. I think it was a Bostick, and it worked superbly.
Nothing quite so satisfying as a really good tool.
You would think new construction would be more wel planned,
but this is a Celebrity build so as cheap as possible.
<rolls eyes> The gas would have to come from the adjoining
basement, and probably run all the way along the back of the
garage--my work space is along the outer side (the single
door). Going that far would also be necessary to vent a
heater to roof, because the double door garage nearest the
basement has bedrooms above it.
If you want it bad enough, you will figure out a way. Be the
envy of the neighborhood.
Loved the story about your neighbor. Makes me think I should ask
the old fellow next door to me for his suggestions. He's pretty
handy and very helpful. I really hit the lottery jackpot with him.
Anyway, thanks again for all the suggestions!
You're very welcome, Ted!
And the encouragement too! It's as helpful as the actual
suggestions. :)
I was able to retire at 53 years of age. One of the benefits
was that I was able to help so many of my friends get things
done they needed help with. I didn't want money for my time, I
just liked helping them. In almost every case a big part of
the fun was when they realized they actually could do what
needed to be done. The pride they felt when the job was done
was exactly what I got involved for.
I am working at just paying people to do things, mostly because
of the failing body parts. The tile job I had this past summer
is a good example. I've done them many times, but didn't want
to put the stress on my knees.
Gas pipe is really a very easy thing to do, but I can
appreciate thinking it might be better to just let a pro do it.
In the end, you still better check their work for leaks.
Same goes for putting in the piping and flashing for the heater
thru the roof. Very simple to do once you have the right
things. You do the alignment, and cut the hole. It helps to
have a shingle or two extra. You clue down and then nail the
proper vent flashing. The top 1/2 then gets covered over with
the shingles. Trust me, once you've done it, it is pretty
simple and doing it yourself can save a lot of money.
On Thu, 5 Feb 2026 12:18:10 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
I was able to retire at 53 years of age. One of the benefits
was that I was able to help so many of my friends get things
done they needed help with. I didn't want money for my time, I
just liked helping them. In almost every case a big part of
the fun was when they realized they actually could do what
needed to be done. The pride they felt when the job was done
was exactly what I got involved for.
I am working at just paying people to do things, mostly because
of the failing body parts. The tile job I had this past summer
is a good example. I've done them many times, but didn't want
to put the stress on my knees.
Gas pipe is really a very easy thing to do, but I can
appreciate thinking it might be better to just let a pro do it.
In the end, you still better check their work for leaks.
Same goes for putting in the piping and flashing for the heater
thru the roof. Very simple to do once you have the right
things. You do the alignment, and cut the hole. It helps to
have a shingle or two extra. You clue down and then nail the
proper vent flashing. The top 1/2 then gets covered over with
the shingles. Trust me, once you've done it, it is pretty
simple and doing it yourself can save a lot of money.
All makes sense, but I've started fretting about what my gas bill
would do if I try to heat the whole garage. It's darn near 1000
sq ft.
My handy neighbor suggested hanging a floor to ceiling
curtain around the smallish space I really would like heated,
ptobably about 90 sq ft. If I throw insulation onto the space
above the ceiling of that part I bet my space heater would work
well enough--and a whole lot less expensive.
On 2/7/2026 4:48 PM, Ted Heise wrote:
All makes sense, but I've started fretting about what my gas
bill would do if I try to heat the whole garage. It's darn
near 1000 sq ft.
That is big. I thought mine was a good sized 3 car. It's 25 x
35 and about 875 sf. You don't have to keep them as warm as I
do, and I suppose most people don't. I think most people
probably keep them at about 50-55F. No reason you couldn't
also go way down to upper 30's if you just don't want paint
freezing and can turn it up when you use it. But I'm out here
all the time, and I want it "comfortable" when I go in.
That said, even keeping it warmer than I should, I doubt it
adds more than a buck a day for the few months i heat it. If
it's double that I still don't care. I just want that garage
heated.
My handy neighbor suggested hanging a floor to ceiling curtain
around the smallish space I really would like heated, ptobably
about 90 sq ft. If I throw insulation onto the space above
the ceiling of that part I bet my space heater would work well
enough--and a whole lot less expensive.
You could always try that out for a year and see how you like
it.
On Sat, 7 Feb 2026 17:48:19 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
On 2/7/2026 4:48 PM, Ted Heise wrote:
All makes sense, but I've started fretting about what my gas
bill would do if I try to heat the whole garage. It's darn
near 1000 sq ft.
That is big. I thought mine was a good sized 3 car. It's 25 x
35 and about 875 sf. You don't have to keep them as warm as I
do, and I suppose most people don't. I think most people
probably keep them at about 50-55F. No reason you couldn't
also go way down to upper 30's if you just don't want paint
freezing and can turn it up when you use it. But I'm out here
all the time, and I want it "comfortable" when I go in.
That said, even keeping it warmer than I should, I doubt it
adds more than a buck a day for the few months i heat it. If
it's double that I still don't care. I just want that garage
heated.
Yeah, I'm probably overthinking it. Typical. And it's not like
I'm poverty stricken, either.
My handy neighbor suggested hanging a floor to ceiling curtain
around the smallish space I really would like heated, ptobably
about 90 sq ft. If I throw insulation onto the space above
the ceiling of that part I bet my space heater would work well
enough--and a whole lot less expensive.
You could always try that out for a year and see how you like
it.
Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too. Give the easier, less
expensive route a try, and if it doesn't work I can always throw
more money at it. lol
On 2/8/2026 9:32 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
On Sat, 7 Feb 2026 17:48:19 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
That is big. I thought mine was a good sized 3 car. It's
25 x 35 and about 875 sf. You don't have to keep them as
warm as I do, and I suppose most people don't. I think
most people probably keep them at about 50-55F. No reason
you couldn't also go way down to upper 30's if you just
don't want paint freezing and can turn it up when you use
it. But I'm out here all the time, and I want it
"comfortable" when I go in.
That said, even keeping it warmer than I should, I doubt it
adds more than a buck a day for the few months i heat it.
If it's double that I still don't care. I just want that
garage heated.
Yeah, I'm probably overthinking it. Typical. And it's not
like I'm poverty stricken, either.
I'm wearing a pullover sweatshirt right now that is probably 30
years old. Though I was the boss on the projects I was given
and could always go get a fresh cup of coffee somewhere, I
always brought a cup from home and a full Stanley thermos for
during the day. Does that mean I'm cheap? Nope, and I don't
think being frugal is bad.
But, when I want something, I'll check out the options and try
to be sensible, but in the end, If I want it it's gonna be
mine.
...After taking care of everything else and providing
shelter and security for my family, I am finally "allowing"
myself to get things I don't need but still want. Some people
buy the dumbest shit just for appearances. I don't care what
people think. I get things because I like the way I feel about
having them. My step-mom is one of those people who just
always has to have the newest Mercedes, and makes sure people
know it. To me she's a phony. If it weren't for my dad she'd
have nothing. The money and the things it can buy to giver her
status makes her feel important. I am fortunate to have a wife
who does not have this character trait. I didn't know this
when I met her, I guess I got lucky.
I blame my wife for finally getting some things for myself.
Though I have always been a motorcyclist, I could never justify
paying the price for a new Harley Davidson. I bought several
used Honda Goldwings, and though I liked them, they weren't
really what I wanted. We were out in Arizona on a trip and
found a Harley dealer and an Indian dealer at the same
location. She watched me look over those bikes with drools
coming off my lips. When we got back home, she just told me to
go get one, and that she did not want me to start to blame her
for not getting something she knew I wanted and instead having
something second rate. She knew it would eventually cause me
regret not having one, and could affect our relationship.
Next week I went and bought myself a brand new Harley Ultra.
The pleasure we both get out of that purchase has been
enormous.
You could always try that out for a year and see how you
like it.
Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too. Give the easier, less
expensive route a try, and if it doesn't work I can always
throw more money at it. lol
First thing I would do is get your insulation done. You should
be doing this one way or the other. It is also something that
will increase the resale value if and when you decide to sell.
There might even still be tax incentives in doing it. You
can't have paint freezing in the garage, and the warmer temp
will keep your vehicle engine in better shape not having to
start with everything so cold. It would be a good place to
begin outfitting your man cave.
On Sun, 8 Feb 2026 11:09:20 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
I'm wearing a pullover sweatshirt right now that is probably 30
years old. Though I was the boss on the projects I was given
and could always go get a fresh cup of coffee somewhere, I
always brought a cup from home and a full Stanley thermos for
during the day. Does that mean I'm cheap? Nope, and I don't
think being frugal is bad.
HAHaha. My wife just rolls her eyes when I put on my front-zip
sweatshirt from over 40 years ago. It's grubby and paint stained,
but super comfortable. I've made a concession to quit wearing it
when we go anywhere.
But, when I want something, I'll check out the options and try
to be sensible, but in the end, If I want it it's gonna be
mine.
Same here. My brother has always checked out *all* the options
and carefully weighed all the details before making a purchase.
Me, I'll do enough to feel I've covered due diligence and then
I'll pull the trigger.
...After taking care of everything else and providing
shelter and security for my family, I am finally "allowing"
myself to get things I don't need but still want. Some people
buy the dumbest shit just for appearances. I don't care what
people think. I get things because I like the way I feel about
having them. My step-mom is one of those people who just
always has to have the newest Mercedes, and makes sure people
know it. To me she's a phony. If it weren't for my dad she'd
have nothing. The money and the things it can buy to giver her
status makes her feel important. I am fortunate to have a wife
who does not have this character trait. I didn't know this
when I met her, I guess I got lucky.
Same here also. We moved away from our home state of Nebraska
back in the 90s for my career. I did pretty well, and now we can
take advantage of that. We spend our money for enjoyment and NOT
for appearance--same as you. My wife remarked on some of the
giant mansions by the trail around a local flood control lake we
ride around fairly often. I said, we could have bought one of
those, and she just shook her head at me.
Same as when we bought a house 20 years ago. The realtor said
based on our incomes we could afford a high six-figure house and
my smart wife said, "Yeah, if we want to sit around in that house
and be unable to buy anything else."
I blame my wife for finally getting some things for myself.
Though I have always been a motorcyclist, I could never justify
paying the price for a new Harley Davidson. I bought several
used Honda Goldwings, and though I liked them, they weren't
really what I wanted. We were out in Arizona on a trip and
found a Harley dealer and an Indian dealer at the same
location. She watched me look over those bikes with drools
coming off my lips. When we got back home, she just told me to
go get one, and that she did not want me to start to blame her
for not getting something she knew I wanted and instead having
something second rate. She knew it would eventually cause me
regret not having one, and could affect our relationship.
Next week I went and bought myself a brand new Harley Ultra.
The pleasure we both get out of that purchase has been
enormous.
Nice story! Does she know you're blaming her? ;)
A few years back our newer tv croaked and we decided to get a new
one rather than making do with the older one. When we looked at
the options, my wife encouraged me to spring for the one with the
nicest picture, even though it was more than we had spent on such
things before. Seems we both got lucky.
You could always try that out for a year and see how you
like it.
Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too. Give the easier, less
expensive route a try, and if it doesn't work I can always
throw more money at it. lol
First thing I would do is get your insulation done. You should
be doing this one way or the other. It is also something that
will increase the resale value if and when you decide to sell.
There might even still be tax incentives in doing it. You
can't have paint freezing in the garage, and the warmer temp
will keep your vehicle engine in better shape not having to
start with everything so cold. It would be a good place to
begin outfitting your man cave.
Aye aye, cap'n!
On 2/9/2026 9:23 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
HAHaha. My wife just rolls her eyes when I put on my
front-zip sweatshirt from over 40 years ago. It's grubby and
paint stained, but super comfortable. I've made a concession
to quit wearing it when we go anywhere.
What I also don't like is the material they make clothing out
of these days. The 2 old sweatshirts I really like are 100%
cotton. That's almost impossible to get these days. I hate
all this nylon and the fleece stuff, too.
Same here. My brother has always checked out *all* the
options and carefully weighed all the details before making a
purchase. Me, I'll do enough to feel I've covered due
diligence and then I'll pull the trigger.
It is funny how women get so much joy from a new item of
clothing, but we go nuts for a new tool. Practical things.
Same here also. We moved away from our home state of Nebraska
back in the 90s for my career. I did pretty well, and now we
can take advantage of that. We spend our money for enjoyment
and NOT for appearance--same as you. My wife remarked on some
of the giant mansions by the trail around a local flood
control lake we ride around fairly often. I said, we could
have bought one of those, and she just shook her head at me.
My wife does all the cleaning, and when I suggest we upgrade,
her usual response is something along the lines of she's not
gonna clean that all the time. My dad always had a nice clean
house, but the step-mom didn't do the regular cleaning. She
had a maid do that.
A few years back our newer tv croaked and we decided to get a
new one rather than making do with the older one. When we
looked at the options, my wife encouraged me to spring for the
one with the nicest picture, even though it was more than we
had spent on such things before. Seems we both got lucky.
I find when we do shop for those bigger ticket things we always
end up getting way more than we thought we would. Like her
Bronco, for example. You start looking at them and the
different options, and sure you can get less of those fancy
things, but you realize you want them and just say yep.
Rarely down the road are we unhappy with getting more, but I
sure have made purchases where I can say I wish I'd have gone
for the next level or two better.
First thing I would do is get your insulation done. You
should be doing this one way or the other. It is also
something that will increase the resale value if and when
you decide to sell. There might even still be tax
incentives in doing it. You can't have paint freezing in
the garage, and the warmer temp will keep your vehicle
engine in better shape not having to start with everything
so cold. It would be a good place to begin outfitting your
man cave.
Aye aye, cap'n!
You got all summer to get it ready!
On Thu, 12 Feb 2026 10:06:30 -0600,
sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:
It is funny how women get so much joy from a new item of
clothing, but we go nuts for a new tool. Practical things.
I always laughed when we drove by the pair of stores along I-70
somewhere in western Indiana (or Eastern Ohio?): one was a candle
store, and the other a toy train store. Perfect for couples!
My wife doesn't mind shopping for clothes at all, and I really
dislike it, so I long ago started letting her buy most of my
clothes. She has better taste too, so that'sa plus.
My wife does all the cleaning, and when I suggest we upgrade,
her usual response is something along the lines of she's not
gonna clean that all the time. My dad always had a nice clean
house, but the step-mom didn't do the regular cleaning. She
had a maid do that.
I try to help with some of the cleaning, now that I'm retired. It
just feels too patriarchal to expect her to do it all. Guilt I
guess.
We tried a cleaning service for the better part of a year a number
of years (decades?) ago. She was dissatisfied with the attention
to detail, so we gave up that idea! I'm still satisfied with a
lesser degree of cleanliness, so use that as justification for not
doing an equal share of cleaning. And of course those periods of
time where there's mor "man's work" to be done (yard work,
repairs, etc.) I feel pretty well justified in doing less around
the house.
A few years back our newer tv croaked and we decided to get a
new one rather than making do with the older one. When we
looked at the options, my wife encouraged me to spring for the
one with the nicest picture, even though it was more than we
had spent on such things before. Seems we both got lucky.
I find when we do shop for those bigger ticket things we always
end up getting way more than we thought we would. Like her
Bronco, for example. You start looking at them and the
different options, and sure you can get less of those fancy
things, but you realize you want them and just say yep.
Rarely down the road are we unhappy with getting more, but I
sure have made purchases where I can say I wish I'd have gone
for the next level or two better.
Same. When the company fell down on replacing the company car
with the same I'd had before, it turned out the Acadia with the
full trailering package had a bunch of other "features" (like
heated steering wheel and heads up display). When I first
encountered them, I kind of rolled my eyes--but as time's passed
I've really come to appreciate them.
On 2/13/2026 10:26 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
I always laughed when we drove by the pair of stores along
I-70 somewhere in western Indiana (or Eastern Ohio?): one was
a candle store, and the other a toy train store. Perfect for
couples!
In my younger days, my girl would always want to go to this
huge shopping mall outside Chicago, Woodfield Mall. She would
look around for hours and hours. I of course went right to the
bar and she came and got me when she was done spending my
money.
Unfortunately, my size makes clothes buying a real problem.
At 6' 6" getting shirts and pants that have the necessary
length without ending up tent sized is difficult. She has
found this out the hard way and has had to return many, many
things. I just wait until she complains enough that I need
some new things to wear and I finally go. I just hate it.
I try to help with some of the cleaning, now that I'm retired.
It just feels too patriarchal to expect her to do it all.
Guilt I guess.
We tried a cleaning service for the better part of a year a
number of years (decades?) ago. She was dissatisfied with the
attention to detail, so we gave up that idea! I'm still
satisfied with a lesser degree of cleanliness, so use that as justification for not doing an equal share of cleaning. And
of course those periods of time where there's mor "man's work"
to be done (yard work, repairs, etc.) I feel pretty well
justified in doing less around the house.
She's not as crazy about it as she used to be, but she still
cleans constantly. Unlike you, I don't suffer from any guilt
on the matter at all. I let her be able to not work and for 30
years I provided. She seems to like how we do things, so I
ain't gonna upset the apple cart. I do all the fixing, outside
maintenance, and remodeling we do. If she asks me to do
something, I get it done. Though she might ask me to close a
cabinet door properly, she just never asks me to clean
anything.
I gotta admit sometimes I leave a drawer open just slightly
so she can see it, knowing it drives her nuts.
Same. When the company fell down on replacing the company car
with the same I'd had before, it turned out the Acadia with
the full trailering package had a bunch of other "features"
(like heated steering wheel and heads up display). When I
first encountered them, I kind of rolled my eyes--but as
time's passed I've really come to appreciate them.
Going in next week to get her another new Bronco, so I can have
the one she has now that set up as a TOAD. She said she wants
it exactly like what she has now. I said not exactly, that it
has to have at LEAST everything she has now. If we find
something else she likes, we'll get that too. If that looks
like I'm buying her cooperation, I won't argue with that.
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