Random Thoughts - Part Deux [NO POLITICS]

[Sapphireho]

Originally Posted by spike021

Similar here. The SJ post office is absolutely horrendous. .

It was better back in the day. Once about 30 years ago my uncle, who was suffering from dementia, put just our last name and "San Jose" on a letter and it made it to our house.

Present day, I ordered car parts last year and the last digit of the zip code was off one digit. My street I lived on in SJ was Charmeran Ave. I believe there is only one Charmeran Ave in all the US. Nope, couldn't figure it out. Tracking showed it going all the way to my local post office, then going back to the vendor.

[Cole]

Originally Posted by spike021

Similar here. The SJ post office is absolutely horrendous. And GL if you think going into the main post office for your neighborhood will help resolve any issues. For the first few years I lived here, the post workers would basically skip delivering any packages I had simply because they’d have to walk up steps to a second floor. So I had to go complain multiple times until they let me “sign” a random piece of paper giving permission for them to leave packages at my doorstep (which they weren’t even doing in the first place).

And don’t get me wrong, I wish I didn’t have an issue with them. My grandfather basically entirely worked for the USPS after he got out of WWII. So I have some respect for them but I think they’ve definitely gotten way worse.

I wish I could have the problem of them just leaving things at my door step. I live in a coach house, and not a single delivery person seems to know what that means. My packages either go to the main house, or to the community mailbox which my landlord swears up and down that he doesn't have. Going to the main house isn't an issue as the landlord is pretty on top of letting us know when something goes to him, but both my fiancee and I are missing packages due to the community mailbox.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by echo419

I'll give it a try. you're probably right, it will depend on the PO person I talk to.

The other option, and more likely to work, would be to go to the other address, talk to the folks that live there and ask that they please not steal your packages, but call you. You could always bribe them with a neighborly treat of some sort.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by echo419

so I ordered some things and by accident had it shipped to the wrong street number. for example lets say I'm at 5145 but I had it shipped to 4145 messing up the first digit.

I wonder what the odds are that the mailman notices this error and delivers it to me? I didn't even think that the wrong address was even on my street because it's so short but google maps says it's at the end of my street.

fingers crossed. :p

I'd suggest you go to that house at the end of the street and give them a heads up that a package(s) may be arriving at their address, that are meant for you. Leave them your phone number and ask them to give you a call if they arrive.


humfrz

PS - I see @Dadhawk beat me to that idea -

[JD001]

Originally Posted by Cole

I wish I could have the problem of them just leaving things at my door step. I live in a coach house, and not a single delivery person seems to know what that means. My packages either go to the main house, or to the community mailbox which my landlord swears up and down that he doesn't have. Going to the main house isn't an issue as the landlord is pretty on top of letting us know when something goes to him, but both my fiancee and I are missing packages due to the community mailbox.

What's a 'coach house'? In the UK a 'coach house' was a 'public house' where travellers would rest and horses swapped for fresh ones to continue their journey...

[korhun]

I went my first ballet show today.


I was expecting the audience would be like this.


And the artists would be like this.


Instead they were charming.


And people liked the show a lot.


Some loved it a little bit too much.


I had to do the clapping thing a lot.


But it was fun.


Though I'd prefer a nice opera.

[Cole]

Originally Posted by JD001

What's a 'coach house'? In the UK a 'coach house' was a 'public house' where travellers would rest and horses swapped for fresh ones to continue their journey...

An apartment above a garage.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

Wait a minute, let's go back to these bulbs. I have a couple ballasts making noise in my laundry room. Must have info please.

[Teseo]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

But did you wash your hands after you?... You know.

The bucket and the wash pad had soapy water... so no

[ichitaka05]

Got an air frier & instant pot for Xmas. Testing out today & it’s working nicely. Tomorrow or next week, I’ll test the instant pot.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Teseo

The bucket and the wash pad had soapy water... so no

gross

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

Got an air frier & instant pot for Xmas. Testing out today & it’s working nicely. Tomorrow or next week, I’ll test the instant pot.

Well, you are all set for some up to date cooking -

We got our daughter an air fryer for Christmas. I wouldn't trust it to fry chicken - without lots of lard -

We have a instant pot, that I've used upon occasion. I don't much like it because it cooks too quick and doesn't give me enough time for a nap -




humfrz

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by humfrz

We got our daughter an air fryer for Christmas. I wouldn't trust it to fry chicken - without lots of lard -

We use ours for chicken all the time. An air fryer is really just a smart marketing name for "small convection oven", so it bakes chicken fine. since it has an open basket you can get the bottom part crispy as well. We primarily use it for breaded chicken fingers if we cook chicken but I have done whole pieces.

It's also good for potato and sweet potato fries. if you spritz them with oil they turn out pretty well.

if we need larger batches, our Samsung convection oven works just as well though.

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by echo419

so I ordered some things and by accident had it shipped to the wrong street number. for example lets say I'm at 5145 but I had it shipped to 4145 messing up the first digit.

I wonder what the odds are that the mailman notices this error and delivers it to me? I didn't even think that the wrong address was even on my street because it's so short but google maps says it's at the end of my street.

fingers crossed. :p

time to meet the neighbors! i screwed up the first week at my house, and sent some packages to the neighbor next door that i had already met. i spent a ton of time talking to the sellers, and usps to correct the address label to no avail. it took an embarrassing talk with the neighbor to striaghten it out.

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

Wait a minute, let's go back to these bulbs. I have a couple ballasts making noise in my laundry room. Must have info please.

it's all in the installation instructions.
https://a89b8e4143ca50438f09-7c1706b...pdf?1563392832

we've done a bunch of them.

they're less than ideal-- ideal being fixture replacement with an led variant. but there's many oddball fixture installations that it's easier to just yank the ballast and rewire than go through the effort of attempting to re-install a newer/better fixture that doesn't fit the same way. most of the times we use them is in industrial spaces where the fixtures are connected with conduit, and the only way to replace the fixture would be to completely re-do the entire installation from scratch-- rewiring the bulbs for led is a fraction of the labor time.

if you have a t8 fixture, you'll generally need to replace the tombstones(bulb-holders), as t8 tombstones are shunted(shorted), and can't provide hot and neutral on the pins.

this video is mostly how we do it, but we don't remove the fixture. if the fixture can be that easily removed, replace it:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOPjCbcXNyE[/ame]


if you've got a t12 fixture, as long as the tombstones are in good shape yet and aren't getting brittle, they are already non-shunted tombstones, so you only need some orange wire nuts to re-wire them the way the above video shows.

this video accurately shows t12 conversion, but i don't like that they connected all of the unneeded wires together on the other side(i cap every individual wire), and they also don't do a good job showing how to identify which side of the tombstone is which(important!) like the first video showed. but they do show installation of the UL-required sticker that comes with the bulbs that is required to be installed onto the fixture to warn future people that sparks will happen with normal florescent bulbs! :
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shrXPyjB2O4[/ame]


and a final note-- in both videos, they show the conversion of a 2' x 4' drop ceiling lay-in fixture. lay-in fixtures are the least cost-effective to convert in this method. we've always replaced the lay-in's with flat panel lay-in fixtures, as the cost of the fixture combined with the labor of removing and re-installing is less than that of the cost of the bulbs and the conversion process. not to mention, most fixtures are yellowing or falling apart by the time we do the conversion from being installed for 10+ years, so it also alleviates issues with parts breaking, and ensures a consistent final product instead of trying to explain to the customer that we replaced the guts but not the crap that contains the guts...

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Metalux-...24FP/305053624