[StiffLegged]

Quite a pain when restringing a weighted double-hung sash. The new ropes stretch and break quickly while the old ones can be 90+ years old and still serviceable.

The new stuff is often cheap crap, however much they charge for it (speaking from experience), whether synthetic or otherwise. The answer is to string them with plain white marine-grade polyester. I’m amused you have double-hung sash windows down under, but I suppose the design was taken there by Europeans. Apprentice joiners aren’t even taught how to repair them here nowadays, however much the conservationists love them.

[CharLac]

Hi Charlie

A lot of work for a row of pavers .

Well it was a bit more than that. If you look at the early pictures, in some places there was an embankment that had to be cut down and sloped on both sides of the driveway.

[CharLac]

I had to look that one up.

Me too

[CharLac]

In Bert's case, I think the word is argoat.

You are on fire lately #1, hyperboily....argoat

[CharLac]

I've been focused on getting mom back on track, and ensuring my kid brother never takes another dime from her.

Friday I took mom to a visit with her primary care doctor, and got the FMLA paperwork filled out and submitted so I don't get fired for taking all these days off without pay.

Mom got some blood drawn for the usual testing, and the doctor is referring her to a neurologist for evaluation of her signs of dementia. After the doctor visit I took mom out for lunch, her first time ever for sushi. Mom was born and raised in Nebraska, and never developed a taste for fish, and even turned her nose up at "raw" fish. I explained that not all of it is raw, some is steamed or seared before serving.

We started with miso soup, and I ordered a small carafe of heated sake. She really liked the pickled ginger, the wasabi, not so much, but the soy sauce she had plenty (mom adds lots of salt to nearly everything she eats).

She actually had more than I thought she would, cold smoked salmon, hamachi (a Pacific yellowtail jack with a delicious and buttery flavor, melts in your mouth), seared ahi tuna, sunomono (a cucumber salad), chūtoro (a delicious fatty tuna), and raspberry cheesecake for dessert.

Yesterday I was at her place all day trying to get her motorhome running so I can move it to my place for a few weeks, until I get the court papers filed and a restraining order preventing baby brother from contacting her again. After spending the day repairing some vandalism that was done to the motorhome I still couldn't get it started, and am suspecting the fuel pump has failed (a common problem with newer GM vehicles). Today I will return with stuff to test if the pump is bad, if so I will install a temporary fuel pump inline, and bring the motorhome to my place to pull the fuel tank and replace the fuel pump.

Fingers crossed.

Good luck!

[JimJohnson]

Quite a pain when restringing a weighted double-hung sash. The new ropes stretch and break quickly while the old ones can be 90+ years old and still serviceable.

Tell me about it. Our home is 115 years old. We have several windows where the ropes for the lower sash have broken. To retrieve the weight and string new rope requires removal of trim and a blind-secured panel. Truly blind after 115 years of new paint. If you are fortunate in removing the irreplaceable* trim without breaking it, found and removed the blind screw securing the weight pocket panel and removed the panel without damage, you will still likely have to strip and refinish the wood and replace the rusted steel screws to reassemble.

*If you break the (usually brittle) trim such that it cannot be repaired via glue and clamps, you have two choices - replace ALL the window trim in the room, or use the remaining bits of trim to create a custom planner knife and create new trim - further, if the wood is stained rather than painted, you have to try to find wood and finishes that match the rest of the room's woodwork.

Needless to say, we have some nice finished dowels to use as props for some of our windows because I haven't taken the time or risk to replace sash weight ropes.

[CharLac]

I still find it hard to watch people waste food and make a conscious effort to make sure all leftovers are eaten.

So it's not just me then? Having leftovers for lunch, as I do most days.

Yup, same with Ms CharLac and myself. We are very displeased with ourselves if any food goes to waste. Stir fries are the best, load everything from the fridge into the wok and serve!

[savoche]

The sod house she lived in as a girl:

It could need a lick of paint.

[Parallax]

Stir fries are the best, load everything from the fridge into the wok and serve!

Omelets are good too for using up the bits and bobs.

[savoche]

So it's not just me then? Having leftovers for lunch, as I do most days.

The best lunch I can have - tasty, and just needs a bit of heating (or not even that).

[savoche]

Often, there's a complete granite slab over the whole grave too.

Cecil Rhodes went further than just a slab

(No, I did not pee on his grave.)

[savoche]

Not like the Cook Islands where families have their family members graves in the middle of the front lawn, in town!

One would imagane it might make the plot harder to sell out of the family...

[savoche]

I’d be interested to know which knots are unsuitable for synthetic ropes? Or is it just the differences in characteristics as a whole? Synthetic ropes certainly weren’t available in the days of working sail ships but I’m not aware of the surviving historic ships avoiding them.

I have seen several knots marked as not safe for synthic ropes. Not that I can come up with any; I need to know the knots which are safe, not the ones which aren't.

Of course, if you really want to find out you could always ask the International Guild of Knot Tyers. Yes, it's a thing. You can find them here: Home - IGKT.net

[savoche]

A family member just sent me this. A photo of my grand parents' grave, my mother's parents. Their surname was Theart.
I last stood on that bit of dirt when I was about 6 years old.

Ladismith, Cape. About 350km east of Cape Town.

It looks to be pretty far from... everywhere. I've never been there. I guess the closest would be Oudtshoorn (yes, I did ride an ostritch).

[robtcorl]

Not many things taste better than leftover meatloaf, my lunch shortly.