I’ve spent many an hour online searching for a wall sculpture. So far I’ve refused to purchase any pieces as they seem cheesy and churned out like so many cogs on a wheel. Then, I found this Haitian Oil Drum Art site last week, and I was thrilled. The designs are chalked out on flattened steel oil drums and then cut out with a mallet and chisel. So, each piece is unique, and the prices are comparable with mass produced wall art. Now to decide which piece I like most…
Posted by Linda at 8:00 AM PST
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I’ll admit that I’m proud of the fact that I’m self-sufficient. But, when it comes to dryer hoses and inept apartment construction, I’d just as soon have a few shots of tequila than install yet another dryer hose. The hoses are fragile, they’re sharp (there goes THAT manicure), and they are - amazingly - the same diameter as the vent!
But, I did it - I installed that dryer hose not once, but twice as the first time just didn’t take. During that second go-round I stretched the wire in the hose ever so carefully (after going through one whole hose learning how to do that) so that it would fit over the outlet in the wall. The clamp (it needs a clamp to stay put, much like thigh-high hose needs a garter belt…) is another story. But, at least it hasn’t moved since I last installed it.
But, there’s another issue, one that was brought up by Matt at the Unclutterer. He states that eliminating bends in a dryer hose helps to lower energy costs. To whit, he introduced the Dryerbox. This tool helps to eliminate the kinks in the hose as shown at top, so that it creates a nice, clean, straight link betweent the dryer and the outside vent as shown at right.
This would be all well and good, but it will only work if the outlet vent is located directly behind the dryer. In my apartment complex, the outside vent is located to the right of the dryer. You might wonder if I can turn the dryer around, but I can’t. The water source for the washer, you see, is along the opposite wall. The capper on all this is that the drain in the floor is set up on a mound, much like an Indian burial ground. So, if the laundry room ever does flood, the water will rush out into my hallway and not down that drain.
Ok - enough of that. I just needed to vent (nyuck, nyuck). And, in case you wondered, I own a five-star energy efficient washer and matching dryer that has a great timer. They’re much more energy efficient than the apartment complex units. Since I can’t hang my laundry out to dry (it’s against the rules), this is my best choice.
Posted by Linda at 8:00 AM PDT
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I mean really - almost every living thing on this planet has purpose. But,what in heavens name are mosquitoes here for besides bats getting a tasty meal filled with your blood?
I live in the woods near water, and there are plenty of those dang buggers around. But not this year in my bedroom!! No BUZZING around my ear as I’m just about to fall asleep. This might sound crazy, but you know those harmless daddy long legs spiders? The ones you keep killing? Well they 
became my buddies this summer. I purposely left one or two high up in the corner of my bedroom ceiling, and they feasted on those pests before they feasted on me. Yes it worked - not one bite all summer :)
Visit Wikipedia to read more about this horrible flying things that cause misery all over the world. But, better reading is all the remedies listed for killing them or getting rid of them, including ten tips from Thrifty Mommy and a few more tips from LifeSpy. And, if you’re squeamish about spiders - even harmless ones - you can purchase a Mosquito Mega-Catch pictured here. This machine will squash those suckers flat (one test captured up to 1,200 mosquitoes in a single night and diminished mosquito populations over an entire acre).
Posted by Russell at 8:00 AM PDT
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Yes, almost every kid wants a tree house to play in! And, sometimes most of our childhood desires stay with us thoughout our lives. As adults, some of us have the resources to build on those desires with a more sophisticated version of our childhood dreams.
Read on, mon cher! »
Posted by Russell at 8:20 AM PDT
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