Kudos for Home Depot and their customer service


May 20, 2014

While working on the boat this weekend, I also headed down to finally finish up the repairs on the cabinets after replacing a refrigerator last year. It wasn’t an expensive project, but did require a little wood putty, sanding and matching of paint. By the way, Home Depot deserves a plug for how they handled […]

Ken Langone and Bernie Marcus of Home Depot on CNBC


April 15, 2009

Interesting conversation this morning on CNBC‘s Squawkbox as Home Depot‘s co-founders Ken Langone and Bernie Marcus offered up their views on politics and business. They both are concerned that wrong moves are being made due to the recession and that government is getting too involved in the running of business.  I’m also concerned that politicians […]

Archive: Bought a new Ridgid 18V Cordless string trimmer


August 13, 2023

It is late in the summer grass cutting season to be buying a new piece of lawn equipment, but keeping my favorite weedwacker going has finally gotten the best of me. If it were a normal lawn season and turning dry by August, this might not be a problem … but the regular rains this […]

Tech Friday: Ridgid 9Ah lithium battery claim for failing latch


July 7, 2023

One of the TWO reasons that I’ve opted for the Ridgid brand of cordless power tools is their LSA … which I’ve used once before on a couple of early batteries. Besides the minor hassle in registering and filing a claim, it seems to be the right way to go considering the problems with tools […]

Adding the Ridgid 175-watt Power Inverter to my want list


February 21, 2023

Here’s a small tool that most likely I don’t need, but find myself wanting. It is a small portable 110-120VAC power inverter by Ridgid sold at Home Depot that delivers 175 watts for as long as you have batteries to power it (I have a few that I keep charged). It might me handy to […]

How to dispose of household batteries property


October 15, 2022

Disposing of household batteries could use some clarity since not everyone knows which ones can be tossed with everyday trash and which ones should be recycled or taken to a collection site. Do you dispose of them correctly? Batteries are broken down into two broad categories: Single-use and rechargeable. How you dispose of them is […]

Advice: Consider replacing the wax ring seal on your toilet


December 5, 2021

It might be a good idea to replace, or at least check, the wax ring seal on your toilet … as the line goes, “ask me how I know.” It seems ours was fine for 25 years, but at some point decided to drip when flushed. Slowly but surely the drip turned into a wet […]

The Ridgid cordless tool LSA left me a little disappointed


November 6, 2021

The Ridgid brand of cordless tools have been my choice for the home workshop for a few years now and until this past week I have had a positive experience. Earlier this year Ridgid even replaced a couple failing batteries under the LSA (Lifetime Service Agreement) … BUT now this brand of choice is a […]

Archive: Weekend chores, family photos and a drip distraction


October 10, 2021

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Lithium Ion battery replaced under Ridgid LSA warranty


July 18, 2021

Good news and bad news. First, my relatively new (2018) smaller Ridgid tool battery will not hold a charge for very long … which has been my gripe with all previous battery powered “cordless” tools, especially those prior to Lithium Ion. Actually my complaint was not with the batteries, but the pricing of replacement batteries. […]

Adding and storing cordless power tools and lithium batteries


January 17, 2021

In keeping up with lithium battery powered tools, those of us who have married into a brand have our reasons (battery warranty in my case).In reading most of the comparison literature and write-up websites, Price and warranty aside, I would probably choose Milwaukee (and have for a couple 110 volt wired tools) as a rechargeable […]

Power Tools: A new Ridgid 18-volt Cordless Caulk Gun


July 25, 2020

It looks like Ridgid has a great new tool (I have a few other ones), but at $79, it seems like a lot of money for the ordinary handyman homeowner to spend for an 18-Volt 10 oz Caulk Gun? Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to at least looking at tools the next time I stop in […]

New smaller and lighter SubCompact Ridgid 18V cordless tools


April 28, 2020

My wife and kids think I should be working for Ridgid Tools as I have been extremely happy with their cordless tools of late. I have updated my old NiCad driver and drills with newer Lithium based brushless tools and they are so much better. A big thank you continues to go out to Katelyn […]

A simple framing woodworking jig idea and bookshelves update


April 5, 2020

Snipped an idea for the woodworking workshop that I’m planning to add to my table saw crosscut sled .. nothing complicated, but a way to use geometry in order to make the perfect 45 degree jig for cutting frames. It is a way to use perfect squares to accurately cut the 45 degree jig. Check […]

Is Amazon is getting lax in their vendor quality control?


March 23, 2019

Although I’m fond of shopping online for convenience, selection and to compare prices … I’m becoming increasingly frustrated with accuracy in fulfillment of merchandise being shipped by “prime” but from an third party vendor. In a recent order, I not only received the wrong product, but also an obvious opened and returned product (the correct […]

More compliments for Ridgid Gen5X lithium powered tools


October 3, 2018

If you use your battery powered drills as much as I do and are suffering with something a bit older than a couple of years, it is time to check out the new lithium powered tools. I can’t tell you how pleased I am with both my slightly older Craftsman Drill and Impact driver and […]

Tool talk: A little bit more regarding my Ridgid tool choices


September 18, 2018

In recent years, I’ve added a few corded Ridgid tools to my workshop or traveling trunk. I’ve owned a favorite reciprocating saw for about 10 years now and still find it my absolute favorite (also have an old Makita). Because I’m so fond of it, I’ve added an orbital sander which gets use very often […]

Our granddaughter is growing too fast and a shopping list


July 17, 2018

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Stretched out another weekend to work on the condo kitchen


July 5, 2018

Well finishing the kitchen upgrade at the condo was my goal, but since Brenda was with me, more than the condo kitchen was worked on! The guest bathroom’s minor vanity update grew into a MUCH larger project. One thing lead to another and before I knew it, my wife had me doing more tile than […]

Can a small cheap wet saw double as a small portable table saw?


March 15, 2018

In preparation for an upcoming project that I would usually rent a wet saw for tile cutting (Home Depot’s price is $26/day), but this time I decided to buy a cheap one on sale for $49 at Harbor Freight. I’ve never been impressed with the well used ones I’ve rented in the past, nor am […]

Picking a cold, damp and breezy day to clean the gutters


October 29, 2017

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Which corporations stand to benefit the most with a 20% tax rate?


October 4, 2017

A little bit of research highlights which of the Dow 30 companies benefit from corporate tax reform and which one are currently better at working the existing complex tax code. Company Ticker Median effective income-tax rate – past five reported quarters UnitedHealth Group Inc. US:UNH 40% Home Depot Inc. US:HD 36% Verizon Communications Inc. US:VZ […]

A quick visit to Perrysburg Ohio to see Katelyn, Drew and Annalyn


July 6, 2017

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New LG Dryer arrived but without the stack kit (old one for sale)


December 8, 2016

  The new matching dryer arrived, but missing the stack kit. We should have bought both the washer and dryer at the same time from Home Depot when they were really on sale, but I wasn’t ready for both. The cheapness came  back to bite me as the sale wasn’t quite as good as last […]

DJI oil, tech, retail, industry stocks officially in bear territory


August 21, 2015

Even though I’ve already posted on the recent plummet in the financial markets , the heavy volume and substantial daily moves like we’ve seen the past couple of days deserves a second post. Dow Jones Industrials on Friday afternoon August 21, 2015 Friday (August 21, 2015) was another sour day for investors who are holding […]

Refrigerator shopping again, this time for the house


November 13, 2014

Last year about this time (almost exactly this time) I was shopping for a refrigerator to replace the very old one down in the Florida condo. Ever since then, the aging white Kitchen Aid refrigerator in our house just doesn’t cut the mustard anymore … even though it still keeps the condiments it cool. Ok, […]

Customer info exposed again: Suffering data-breach fatigue?


October 4, 2014

The year 2014 is turning up to be the year of the data-breach. It seems every month another high profile company reports that their clients and customer data has been compromised. JP Morgan Chase is the most recent and perhaps the largest loss of data – a information from a “mere” 76 million households and […]

Additional problems … looking forward to the normalcy of work


November 12, 2013

The excuse I made for putting the boat in the water this week was that I would purchase a new refrigerator and have it installed in the Howard family condo before our snowbird tenants arrive in January. Sounds like a simple enough plan, right? Not so this week. The buying was easy enough as I […]

My personal twist on summer tech oriented Dogs of the Dow


May 26, 2011

Has anyone back-tested Dog of the Dow technology stocks as a second half of the year purchase? Most of the technology upgrade cycles and business purchases happen during the second half of the year … and with CSCO (1.5% dividend yield) and  MSFT (2.6% dividend yield) at the bottom of the Dow 30, they certainly […]

Woodworking: A new project and lumber prices are out of sight


January 21, 2023

There are two projects sitting semi-started in the workshop this winter (delayed with Brenda’s hip fracture), although I’m still struggling to accept the VERY HIGH lumber prices. To be fair, I’ve always complained about buying lumber as no matter where it is purchased, it always seems far to high. But nowadays with inflation raging, it […]

Our Samsung side-by-side Refrigerator Icemaker has failed


September 25, 2021

I’m going write this Samsung Refrigerator failed icemaker blog post up with the idiom that “they don’t make them like they used to.” I’m not exactly sure what electrical part has failed, but the electrical circuit or electronic board that controls the thaw/motor swipe to remove the frozen cubes from the small 8-cube ice tray […]

Weekend mailbox project update and Annalyn’s first haircut


March 14, 2021

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Thoughts on ‘battery drain’ with the Ridgid 18V USB accessory


November 29, 2020

Don’t tell anyone, but while shopping for “my” Christmas gift from Brenda (below … and yes, she sent me out to get it). So … I added a Ridgid 18V USB charging attachment for my inconvenience. Ha! After returning home, I tried it out, but for the record, I didn’t open my actual gift. So […]

Archive: Flying down and driving back from hurricane prep


June 28, 2020

Flew on the airlines for the first time since COVID19 to Florida via Baltimore (photo BWI terminal above) last week and thankfully the flights and negotiating the airport was uneventful. Besides a computer glitch which backed up lines on check in, everything else went smoothly. It is yet to be seen if the rise in […]

A great idea: Who hasn’t lost a part when working over water?


June 23, 2018

I think I’ll archive that idea as a reminder since I always have an umbrella in the back of my Van, 300D or BMW X5 35d … one of those cars is generally at the marina with me! This might be the perfect post to archive my Father’s Day gifts from my kids! A new […]

The week that was – Encore is back in the water


February 17, 2018

To the non-boat owner, having a sailboat sitting out of the water "on the hard" might seem like an inexpensive way to "park" a boat for a while? Well let me tell you that is not even close to being true, at least at a working yard. Several months ago I had such grand plans […]

Backpedaling … stop to measure before buying a refrigerator


November 13, 2014

So much for posting about refrigerator shopping … and good thing I measured.       appropriate Samsung RS22HDHPNSR Side by Side refrigerator Today was “slow down day” since our old, ugly, broken fridge is still working and the size has me re-thinking the “good deal.” The previously mentioned refrigerator that I “was” planning to […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog