Gulf Island Building.

Bud Cline · 06-22-2011, 02:03 AM

Ah shucks !!!

I just noticed it is like 1a.m. here. Why I am doing this I have no idea, it's about four hours past my bedtime.

I realized a few days ago that I have been working practically non-stop for about three and a half years with the exception of a four day stay in Colorado over two years ago. I must be nuts.

So I am taking this week off but so far I have looked at two more jobs since Monday and now have those proposals hanging over my head. I don't know where it all comes from. I haven't advertised in eighteen or twenty years and the phone keeps ringing. AMAZING !!!

Prices here have skyrocketed as they have everywhere but the local economies have been holding their own for the most part. Just completed another new house last Friday and that was "THE JOB FROM HELL". The woman that owns the house scolded me twice and I gotta tell ya's; at my age I don't take scoldings all that well.

Some time tomorrow I am going to load some gear in a van and grab my son and go fishing by George. Screw it for a few days. I may even get real brave and turn off my cell phone.

frenchelectrican · 06-22-2011, 03:25 AM

It will be nice to take a break once a while which I do that in France.

Merci,
Marc

Ravenswood NYC · 06-22-2011, 11:23 AM

Hi Keith,

After your email yesterday I caved and joined the community. Like I said, it's been a real pleasure watching your progress on the house. Wish I had some room to tinker in my apartment in NY, but not yet...

Thanks!
John

cocobolo · 06-22-2011, 11:41 AM

When we were posting last night Bud, I wondered why you were still online so late - knowing where you are.

Speaking of getting scolded - several years ago my son and I were doing a job for a Doctor and his wife - big fancy place in Cloverdale.

Before they sent me out there, I was warned about this Doctor being a real tyrant. They also mentioned I would be getting extra S & A pay for this job.

So I arrive at the job, get started working, and by the end of the day we have made some fair progress. The tyrant Doctor arrives home after listening to his patients whine and complain all day and trots out the back to see what we're up to.

Right away, I drop my pouch, and go and meet him with outstretched hand. Long story short - he turns out to be the nicest guy if you just give him some respect and understand what he has to go through all day. Never had a lick of trouble.

His wife OTOH, she was a real piece of work. Next day, three cleaning ladies arrive to do her house. She treated those poor gals so badly, I wondered why they just didn't walk out and give her a piece of their minds, non-stop abuse from the minute they arrived until they left. I tell ya, we kept our distance from her.

cocobolo · 06-22-2011, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenswood NYC

Hi Keith,

After your email yesterday I caved and joined the community. Like I said, it's been a real pleasure watching your progress on the house. Wish I had some room to tinker in my apartment in NY, but not yet...

Thanks!
John

Thanks John, I'm glad you decided to hook up with us here.

Lots of really great people on this site.

Everyone doesn't necessarily have a ton of room to tinker, but your turn will come I'm sure. I saw an article on the web a few days ago about a gal in N.Y. who had a 180 square foot apartment - rented for $700 a month! Couldn't quite get my head around that one, but I suppose that's the rate if you want to live in the Big Apple.

If there's anything I can ever help with, just let me know.

**BigJim** · 06-22-2011, 03:35 PM

Bud that is some good information, I appreciate it. I may never tile another floor as I can get down on the floor but getting back up is a different story.

I know the feeling of working with difficult people, the last house I contracted in Memphis was a reproduction of an old Williamsburg, the lady had over 300 changes. Talk about hating to go to work the next day. She just couldn't visualize what she wanted unless it was right before her. I just knew one of us was going to have a nervous break down before the house was finished and I was right, she did.

Bud, I would take off and go fishing also, you need the R&R.

Bud Cline · 06-22-2011, 06:39 PM

Quote:

I may never tile another floor as I can get down on the floor but getting back up is a different story.

I can certainly relate to that these days.

Difficult customers are few and far between but every once in a while you find one that grew up with a silver spoon and has never done a days physical labor in their entire life. Those are the ones that just don't get it. And they never will.

Quote:

Bud, I would take off and go fishing also, you need the R&R.

Been trying to get on the road all afternoon but one thing after another keeps jumping up and smacking me in the eye.

We are loading up right now though, won't be long.

cocobolo · 06-22-2011, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bud Cline

I can certainly relate to that these days.

Difficult customers are few and far between but every once in a while you find one that grew up with a silver spoon and has never done a days physical labor in their entire life. Those are the ones that just don't get it. And they never will.

Been trying to get on the road all afternoon but one thing after another keeps jumping up and smacking me in the eye.

We are loading up right now though, won't be long.

Bud, we are going to expect a detailed list of all the fish you catch...with pictures of course!

Good luck!

Bud Cline · 06-23-2011, 09:19 PM

WELL CRAP!!!

We aborted after twenty-four hours of relentless wind and fiascos. We'll have to try again real soon.

Did land some Walleye and some Catfish however.

frenchelectrican · 06-23-2011, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bud Cline

WELL CRAP!!!

We aborted after twenty-four hours of relentless wind and fiascos. We'll have to try again real soon.

Did land some Walleye and some Catfish however.

How big did you get them ??

Merci,
Marc

Bud Cline · 06-23-2011, 11:02 PM

Here the Wally's must be over 15" and under 20" or over 28". Mine were 17". I don't want to talk about the catfish.

frenchelectrican · 06-23-2011, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bud Cline

Here the Wally's must be over 15" and under 20" or over 28". Mine were 17". I don't want to talk about the catfish.

Been there and done that with dammed catfish in both USA and European side so just throw it overboard for now but for Walleyes in France it have to be 26 inch or larger { 3/4 meter } to keep it.

Merci,
Marc

Bud Cline · 06-23-2011, 11:21 PM

I don't know anything about fish-sex. I wonder what happens when a Wally is over 20" but under 28"!!!

What does a 21" Wally have that a 14" Wally doesn't?

I'll bet Keith knows.

I damn sure don't.

cocobolo · 06-24-2011, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bud Cline

I don't know anything about fish-sex. I wonder what happens when a Wally is over 20" but under 28"!!!

What does a 21" Wally have that a 14" Wally doesn't?

I'll bet Keith knows.

I damn sure don't.

I'm no fisherman Bud, but surely you would know that one.

Answer: 7 more inches!

cocobolo · 06-24-2011, 01:22 AM

Bud, since you're still around after the trashed fishing trip, I have another question for you.

Before I set the tiles, I wiped them off as best I could - any that were cut got washed to clean off the slurry.

After they were set, but before the first seal coat, I needed to clean them somehow. So I used a boat brush, which has about 2" long stiff bristles and gave the tiles a good scrub - dry. Then I swept them off and just before I got to seal each tile, I used a fine bristled paint brush again to dust them off some more. Any minor thinset marks on the tiles came off with 120 grit emery paper, dead easy. Same with pencil marks or whatever other odd marks might be on there.

Is there any particular way to clean these tiles? They seem to generate their own dust very easily before they are sealed. I considered using a grout sponge just dampened, but didn't try that yet.