Random Thoughts - Part Deux [NO POLITICS]

[weederr33]

So apparently 736 people are viewing the off-topic lounge according to the viewer stats lol

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by p1l0t

That's a good take! I hope they are good friends.

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They are. They're family to me and they treat me like one of their kid.

[p1l0t]

Originally Posted by weederr33

So apparently 736 people are viewing the off-topic lounge according to the viewer stats lol

That's just me, Tcoat, and my 734 bots.

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[spcmafia]

Originally Posted by weederr33

So apparently 736 people are viewing the off-topic lounge according to the viewer stats lol

1048 guests online......

[nextcar]

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

Oh I totally know how you feel. Ive help remodel/update my friend’s fan’s house. They lived in the area where all the houses were build in late 1800 ~ early 1900 houses. Electrical was nightmare. Building code were way outdated. Took over 5 yrs to finish it. But in the end, they sold it for over $1.5m (original price was $1/3m). Did I get any money from helping? Nope, but that’s okay. I helped em not for money.

I purchased a home that was built in 1940... and had never changed hands or been remodeled (the house passed from the original owner to their daughter to me).

The "joys" of cap and tube wiring, along with ZERO grounds. GFCI? no way. We had to totally rewire the place, but luckily there was a crawl space underneath.

One of the more amazing things to me was that the ENTIRE house was on a single 20 amp circuit. In the "old days" there were no microwaves, televisions, blow driers, clothes driers, computers, etc. and homes had very modest electrical service!

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by nextcar

I purchased a home that was built in 1940... and had never changed hands or been remodeled (the house passed from the original owner to their daughter to me).

The "joys" of cap and tube wiring, along with ZERO grounds. GFCI? no way. We had to totally rewire the place, but luckily there was a crawl space underneath.

One of the more amazing things to me was that the ENTIRE house was on a single 20 amp circuit. In the "old days" there were no microwaves, televisions, blow driers, clothes driers, computers, etc. and homes had very modest electrical service!

Oof! That sounds like costly remodel house project. Prob water line need to be updated. Same goes w central air... list just goes on and on.

[nextcar]

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

Oof! That sounds like costly remodel house project. Prob water line need to be updated. Same goes w central air... list just goes on and on.

Exactly! Try to imagine a woman in her 80s turning on a gas valve and dropping a lit match into a floor grate to light the heater! Air conditioning? Surely you jest.

Every single bit of "infrastructure" had to be replaced. Not to mention "double hung" windows that had been essentially painted shut.

And dealing with things like the legal property definition being "lot X of development project XXXXXX as filed with the county of San Diego on June XX, 1887". Even finding the property lines was a hassle.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by weederr33

So apparently 736 people are viewing the off-topic lounge according to the viewer stats lol

I am just logged in semipermanently so it probably shows me viewing all the time.

[spcmafia]

Out of curiosity, has anyone here ever visited Egypt? That and Italy have always been places I wanted to visit.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Spuds

I am just logged in semipermanently so it probably shows me viewing all the time.

300 of them are just my thread monitoring team.

Hmmm maybe I should diversify.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by spcmafia

Out of curiosity, has anyone here ever visited Egypt? That and Italy have always been places I wanted to visit.

Ummmm I was in Egypt but it wasn't a visit and I didn't get to do much tourist stuff since they were lobbing mortars at us every once in a while.
What I can say is that it is not what the travel channels would make you believe. The tourist zones are crowed, dirty, smelly and very commercialized. The non tourist zones were just crowded, dirty and smelly.
Probably the best time to visit there was about 2,000 years ago so maybe @humfrz has some suggestions.

I did visit Italy on leave from Germany and again it isn't what you would think. Pretty much any of the tourist areas are absolutely thronged with people all the time. The countryside is nicer but you can see almost the same thing by driving through rural California.

[spcmafia]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Ummmm I was in Egypt but it wasn't a visit and I didn't get to do much tourist stuff since they were lobbing mortars at us every once in a while.
What I can say is that it is not what the travel channels would make you believe. The tourist zones are crowed, dirty, smelly and very commercialized. The non tourist zones were just crowded, dirty and smelly.
Probably the best time to visit there was about 2,000 years ago so maybe @humfrz has some suggestions.

I did visit Italy on leave from Germany and again it isn't what you would think. Pretty much any of the tourist areas are absolutely thronged with people all the time. The countryside is nicer but you can see almost the same thing by driving through rural California.

I was drinking water and almost spilled it on my keyboard lol. I come from Honduras so crowded, smelly, and dirty is something I'm used to. I've been doing some reading and it seems to resonate with what you've said, basically they suggest to avoid large markets and what not, just go to the sightseeing places with a tour guide. As far as Italy goes, I've been also told to avoid the big cities and stick to the country side.

[nextcar]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I did visit Italy on leave from Germany and again it isn't what you would think. Pretty much any of the tourist areas are absolutely thronged with people all the time. The countryside is nicer but you can see almost the same thing by driving through rural California.

I beg to differ; however "different strokes for different folks" and all that. If you don't mind wearing a light jacket, Italy is FANTASTIC in the off season. If you love antiquities (and judging by the Egypt/Italy pair you do) it is beyond compare. Pompei and Herculaneum are incredible (but most artifacts are in the museum in Naples for preservation). In Rome it is breathtaking to walk around a corner in a crowded city and accidentally run into a fabulous temple, fountain, or other significant archeological site. The scale of the Coliseum and surrounding marketplace is breathtaking. Florence is a gem too - particularly the Da Vinci exhibits in the museums (and the nearby Tuscan vineyards). About the only place I was truly disappointed was Venice - quite touristy. Why they ever allowed a Hard Rock or Pizza Hut is beyond comprehension. The flooding of Venice is tragic too.

I would love to go back!!!

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by nextcar

I beg to differ; however "different strokes for different folks" and all that. If you don't mind wearing a light jacket, Italy is FANTASTIC in the off season. If you love antiquities (and judging by the Egypt/Italy pair you do) it is beyond compare. Pompei and Herculaneum are incredible (but most artifacts are in the museum in Naples for preservation). In Rome it is breathtaking to walk around a corner in a crowded city and accidentally run into a fabulous temple, fountain, or other significant archeological site. The scale of the Coliseum and surrounding marketplace is breathtaking. Florence is a gem too - particularly the Da Vinci exhibits in the museums (and the nearby Tuscan vineyards). About the only place I was truly disappointed was Venice - quite touristy. Why they ever allowed a Hard Rock or Pizza Hut is beyond comprehension. The flooding of Venice is tragic too.

I would love to go back!!!

In fairness I was only in Rome a day in the very middle of the tourist season. You couldn't get close enough to anything to even see what it was and every 2 feet there was a booth or cart hawking cheap souvenirs.
I am a huge archelogy buff and have watched hundreds of hours of videos' on Pompeii and Herculaneum and would love to visit them but almost ever thing on them says they are also so crowed and restricted now you really don't see much. You couldn't pay me to go back to Rome though!