painting

Ep 130: What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Ep 130_What I Did On My Summer Vacat

No, this isn’t an assignment I want you to write about.  It’s a theme I will write and talk about.

Yes, I got a TON done on the vacation/bugout home

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From the July 23rd post:

Hey guys,

Just wanted to give you an update on the Vacation/Bugout House. Wow…what a summer. Full of ups…and downs. I can’t believe all I’ve gotten done on the vacation house, but it hasn’t been without its setbacks.

Since last I left you, I was filling dumpsters with trash and finishing-up the master bath. Well, The master bath looks great but there’s one enormous problem left: The old drain is stuck in and the special tool I bought called a “drain key” broke and is now stuck in the drain. I am in the process of drilling it out, but it’s a time-consuming and frustrating proposition.

On the brighter side, I installed the downstairs bathroom can light housings, vanity, single-surface sink to (very modern) and am in the process of installing the trap/drain. I’ll connect the faucet and the trap tomorrow and the downstairs bath will temporarily done. We’ll temporarily install a shower curtain in the shower. A glass door and panel will be installed eventually, but we like to be here when work is done, so we’ll schedule that work for another trip/visit.

I added two coats of paint to several rooms’ walls and ceilings and am putting in the trim pieces in the can lighting (also called “high hats” or “recessed” lighting. I was painting ’til midnight last night after assembling a table and four chairs for the breakfast nook and replacing the halogens in the security lighting system.

Did I mention I spent every morning last week teaching 4th, 5th and 6th graders at Vacation Bible School? I t was great and my wife got to see me teach. My wife no longer thinks our daughter is weird after a week with today’s kids and being introduced to the “new normal.” I am exhausted because we’d come home every day and work until 11 or midnight. We’ve been doing this for weeks, but it’s coming to an end now.

With just a short time before our return, we HAVE to devote a little of our vaction to a vacation. Our daughter’s birthday is this Sat so we’re planning her party. We’ll add a few mandatory trips to the old favorites and it’s back to our regular work.

I know it doesn’t seem like a vacation to many, but the equity we’re building is worth the effort, especially when I see those just standing still and getting farther behind. Work usually yields success/progress. We’re still grinding away at the house and sweating equity into the building. I won’t be in my 40s or 50s forever, and i’d rather work hard now than in my 70s because I’m broke. The sense of accomplishment we feel is a great feeling and we’re still sneaking in some time with family and friends.

In a little while we’ll pull the plug and then I’ll get to do what I’ve been dreaming about all year:

 

Rent a canoe and hunt walleye and trout
go to Kennywood or Idlewild amusement parks
Catch crayfish in a nearby stream with my daughter
Take my daughter on a hike to the waterfall behind my childhood home
Take a few hikes in the woods
Explore a cave
Walk around the university district and visit the museums, libraries, and universities of my past.
Watch squirrels gather nuts
Plant some trees (I know, work)
Make lists (one of my favorite things to do)
Visit Steeler training camp
…and that’s about it. There will be other things thrown-in, but if I do half of the things on my list, I’ll call it a good summer.

Already scheduling work on the Vegas home and will be there in no time.

I’ll also probably need to schedule a hernia surgery and train for a half marathon this fall. The neighbor called to tell me the fruit trees back home are gorgeous and the lemon blossoms are heavenly. He said the tomatoes are delicious from my vines, too.

I’ve stopped thinking about vacations as “ultimate getaways” pumped into our heads by the Travel channel, and truly begun enjoying the “repurposed” vacation. Vacations are an opportunity to build sweat equity, work on preps and build for the future. I don’t want to leave my family homeless and penniless. My work for my wife and daughter is joyous labor. God has given me a strong back (after 2 surgeries) and a healthy body. I use it to HIS glory and for my family’s benefit.

Have you stopped spending all of your money on empty vacations that are great for bragging, but bad for your finances and future?

Another truth I’ve come to and realized for a while now is that there will be people who will always make bad decisions and are destined to be without success. I know someone who keeps making bad decisions despite money being thrown his way. If he made a million, he’d spend two. And nobody can help him…and he comes from a family of people who also make the same bad decisions despite people helping them immeasurably. Sad, just sad. Where do you draw the line between helping and enabling? Something to consider…

Well, that’s my report for the day…I have so many wonderful things planned for blogs and podcasts this fall. but the lack of internet access is killing me. This dispatch cost me a 2 dollar coffee at Starbucks–ouch! Should have internet/cable next summer, but not having a tv all summer has been great. TV isn’t and shouldn’t be my life–although with football season coming up, I see a few hours each weekend vanishing into a tv and couch.

Best wishes to all. Thinking of you. Have to admit that with fewer podcasts I’ve gotten fewer emails. Now’s a great time to have a problem or request answered. Tell me what shows you want. Tell me how I can help.

 

Dan

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August 13, 2012

No, I didn’t podcast very much this summer.  I apologize for neglecting you, but I tweeted my little tail off for you instead.  I just didn’t have the time to do much podcasting.  I literally had about five days off in two months, and that means i did HARD labor every other day…and put in days until 2 AM on occasion.  Well. no pity party for me–just telling you I WAS busy.

I shot some videos and I realized that they are a great way of documenting the improvements you make to your house for the insurance man.  I feel better knowing that there’s a record (and a public one in my case) of what I’ve been doing on the house.  You need to record your house and its contents for private records as well.

I’m totally bummed that I didn’t spend much time on gardening and permafood.  When I got back to Vegas, though, man was I happy to see that my fruit trees were relatively happy and all of the plants were alive.  Last summer’s return from vacation was depressing due to a water leak and the shutoff of all water to my plants and trees.  It was bad.  Fixing up the old cape cod took up the whole summer.  What do you want?  I’m a prepper.  You have to figure I’d spend the summer on some combination of food, clothing and shelter.  It so happened I’ve spent TWO summers exclusively on shelter.  Oy vay!!

So what great truths have I come away with?  What pearls of wisdom shall I cast to my followers…

Get real…I’m a regular guy and that’s why you listen.  I worked on making my family’s situation better.  Period.  That’s it.  Sure, I learned some things along the way.  I’ll sprinkle them in as I go, but the essence of the matter hasn’t changed one iota:

Keep grinding/keep hustling/keep working/keep prepping/keep on keeping on.

Oh, I will throw out one zen-like pearl of wisdom while I’m thinking about it:

Don’t wait forever to do what you want to do.

I’m 43 and cashed in my old job’s retirement to make our vacation house happen.  I didn’t wait.  I’m living MY dream.

BUT I had on my to do list another walk behind my dad’s house to the waterfall deep in the woods that I played at with my friend Scotty a million times as a kid.  We hid underneath it, caught crayfish, and chased water bugs.  I planned on taking a hike back to see it this summer with my daughter.  The farmer who owned the property and several neighbors sold all of the mineral rights to the properties.  The lad is being strip-mined and after the coal is extracted, gas wells will be dug using the fracking method (fracture drilling).  The land is destroyed and the waterfall is lost.  I was/am devastated.

Don’t put off your dreams too long.  See things and people before they’re gone.(okay, I guess that’s kind of deep)

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being lied to by the investment services industry.  Expect another show on it in the near future.  Most advisers assume a 7% annual return on your money when you invest it/put it in the market.  You averaging 7% ANNUAL returns over the last five or ten years?  Didn’t think so.  It’s NOT a given, but it’s used to show how inferior other investments are.  Guarantee me 7% annually and I’ll start believing what you’re saying

 

July 23rd 2012: Update on the Bugout House

Hey guys,

 

Just wanted to give you an update on the Vacation/Bugout House.  Wow…what a summer.  Full of ups…and downs.  I can’t believe all I’ve gotten done on the vacation house, but it hasn’t been without its setbacks.

Since last I left you, I was filling dumpsters with trash and finishing-up the master bath.  Well, The master bath looks great but there’s one enormous problem left:  The old drain is stuck in and the special tool I bought called a “drain key” broke and is now stuck in the drain.  I am in the process of drilling it out, but it’s a time-consuming and frustrating proposition.

On the brighter side, I installed the downstairs bathroom can light housings, vanity, single-surface sink to (very modern) and am in the process of installing the trap/drain.  I’ll connect the faucet and the trap tomorrow and the downstairs bath will temporarily done.  We’ll temporarily install a shower curtain in the shower.  A glass door and panel will be installed eventually, but we like to be here when work is done, so we’ll schedule that work for another trip/visit.

I added two coats of paint to several rooms’ walls and ceilings and am putting in the trim pieces in the can lighting (also called “high hats” or “recessed” lighting.  I was painting ’til midnight last night after assembling a table and four chairs for the breakfast nook and replacing the halogens in the security lighting system.

Did I mention I spent every morning last week teaching 4th, 5th and 6th graders at Vacation Bible School?  I t was great and my wife got to see me teach.  My wife no longer thinks our daughter after a week with today’s kids and being introduced to the “new normal.”  I am exhausted because we’d come home every day and work until 11 or midnight.  We’ve been doing this for weeks, but it’s coming to an end now.

With just a short time before our return, we HAVE to devote a little of our vaction to a vacation.  Our daughter’s birthday is this Sat so we’re planning her party.  We’ll add a few mandatory trips to the old favorites and it’s back to our regular work.

I know it doesn’t seem like a vacation to many, but the equity we’re building is worth the effort, especially when I see those just standing still and getting farther behind.  Work usually yields success/progress.  We’re still grinding away at the house and sweating equity into the building.  I won’t be in my 40s or 50s forever, and i’d rather work hard now than in my 70s because I’m broke.  The sense of accomplishment we feel is a great feeling and we’re still sneaking in some time with family and friends.  In a little while we’ll pull the plug and then I’ll get to do what I’ve been dreaming about all year:

 

• Rent a canoe and hunt walleye and trout
• go to Kennywood or Idlewild amusement parks
• Catch crayfish in a nearby stream with my daughter
• Take my daughter on a hike to the waterfall behind my childhood home
• Take a few hikes in the woods
• Explore a cave
• Walk around the university district and visit the museums, libraries, and universities of my past.
• Watch squirrels gather nuts
• Plant some trees (I know, work)
• Make lists (one of my favorite things to do)
• Visit Steeler training camp

…and that’s about it. There will be other things thrown-in, but if I do half of the things on my list, I’ll call it a good summer.

Already scheduling work on the Vegas home and will be there in no time.

I’ll also probably need to schedule a hernia surgery and train for a half marathon this fall.  The neighbor called to tell me the fruit trees back home are gorgeous and the lemon blossoms are heavenly.  He said the tomatoes are delicious from my vines, too.

I’ve stopped thinking about vacations as “ultimate getaways” pumped into our heads by the Travel channel, and truly begun enjoying the “repurposed” vacation.  Vacations are an opportunity to build sweat equity, work on preps and build for the future.  I don’t want to leave my family homeless and penniless.  My work for my wife and daughter is joyous labor.  God has given me a strong back (after 2 surgeries) and a healthy body.  I use it to HIS glory and for my family’s benefit.

Have you stopped spending all of your money on empty vacations that are great for bragging, but bad for your finances and future?

Another truth I’ve come to and realized for a while now is that there will be people who will always make bad decisions and are destined to be without success.  I know someone who keeps making bad decisions despite money being thrown his way.  If he made a million, he’d spend two.  And nobody can help him…and he comes from a family of people who also make the same bad decisions despite people helping them immeasurably.  Sad, just sad.  Where do you draw the line between helping and enabling?  Something to consider…

Well, that’s my report for the day…I have so many wonderful things planned for blogs and podcasts this fall. but the lack of internet access is killing me.  This dispatch cost me a 2 dollar coffee at Starbucks–ouch!  Should have internet/cable next summer, but not having a tv all summer has been great.  TV isn’t and shouldn’t be my life–although with football season coming up, I see a few hours each weekend vanishing into a tv and couch.

Best wishes to all.  Thinking of you.  Have to admit that with fewer podcasts I’ve gotten fewer emails.  Now’s a great time to have a problem or request answered.  Tell me what shows you want.  Tell me how I can help.

 

Dan

Ep 126: Bugout Home Update

Sorry I haven’t had a chance to publish much on the net lately.  It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks with several long drives.  Anyway, I wanted to give you an update on what I’ve been doing, and I’ve been VERY busy.

Since I finished teaching in mid June, I’ve been focusing my efforts on the bugout house.

Some of the things I’ve done in just over one week:

• Used a reciprocating saw and a grinder to cut down the old chain-link fence that surrounded the back yard and was infiltrated with shrubs–cut down about 200 feet of fence, fence post and steel.
• Dug up accompanying shrubs and bushes that were in-grown in the fence.
• Painted three rooms (ceilings and walls)
• Attacked and destroyed (and rebuilt) the closets from Hades
• Cut the grass–actually enjoyed that one
• Took out 15 bags of building trash
• Removed two cabinets and donated them
• Removed a toilet
• Brought in tile guys to tile the master bath
• Cut down one tree and removed/cut down three tree stumps
• Began demo-ing old fire pit
• Assembled modern brass fire ring
• Planted numerous pepper and tomato plants
• Tended to asparagus and horseradish
• Made contact to haul-in fill/dirt in back yard
• Attended nephew’s graduation party
• Re-lined the bath and kitchen with cardboard to protect the tiled floors

Some of the things worth discussing with you:

• Never throw out cardboard when working on a big project.  Cardboard is absolutely the best floor protectant.  The multiple layers of paper protect floors from contractors, dirt, and falling objects.  Remember, dropping materials on tile breaks them.
• Paint: If you are considering selling your house in the near future or want THE BEST neutral color for your house that everybody loves…go with RELAXED KHAKI.  It is by far the most amazing color.  It’s made by Sherwin Williams and any paint company can take their swatch and match the paint.  Trust me–it’s amazing.  Swiss coffee
• Also, if you’re painting for yourself–consider soothing colors in bedrooms.  Think relaxing.  I think oragne, red, and black are horrible colors for bedrooms.
• I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating:  DO NOT TAKE UP THE CARPET IN A ROOM YOU ARE ABOUT TO PAINT.  LEAVE THE OLD CARPET DOWN AND USE IT AS A DROPCLOTH.  I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE TEAR UP A CARPET, INSTALL NEW FLOORING, COVER IT, AND THEN PAINT THE WALLS OR DO REPAIRS IN THE ROOM.  IT MAKES NO SENSE.
• Another point on paint:  taping off walls can be a pain.  A steady hand and a trim brush may be a better option.
• Don’t wait until old trees die.  If you know a tree is going (or you’re going to remove it)  plant its replacement so its ready to take over and it already has a head start in/near the same spot.
• I’ve spent three days in one bedroom.  Stripping, cleaning, prepping, spackling, priming, painting…the window sills were horrible and the closets were filthy. the old people who lived here did NOTHING to take care of this house.  We’ve spent so much time on things that would never need to be done if they did the basic maintenance on the house…shame on them for letting leaks ruin wood, paint crack on the walls, and shrubs become forests.

My show is about many things, and today, prepping wasn’t one of them.  Don’t worry, though.  I’ll have some prepping goodies for you in the near future.

Until then, hang in there.

 

Dan

Ep 126_Bugout House Update

 

 

Ep 095_A talk on our work on our vacation home

Ep 095_A talk on our work on our vacation home

When SHOULD you remove storm windows?

When you replace the underlying window.

I discuss this and many other things I did at the vacation home over the holiday break.

If you engage in a renovation project…take video.  See your results.  You’ll regret not shooting any video.  I did.  Now I video a lot of my jobs.  I LOVE it.  You will, too.

Ep 094: Setting Up Projects for Effective Time Management

Ep 094_Project Management

Project Management is incredibly important when you don’t have a lot of time to work on your house. Set up trades to be there when you are and get them to work at the same time without being on top of each other. That allows for good project management. To improve efficiency, add a small job to do while you’re watching your trade guys doing their thing.

HINT: When working on old houses, DON’T SAND LEAD-BASED PAINT!!! That gets the lead airborne and can poison your kids/yourselves.

We worked hard this week and we played hard, too. I’m exhausted and ready to get back to the regular grind.

Ep 045: Painting Hints, Tricks, Advice

Ep 045_Painting Tips, Tricks, and Tools

With the Holiday Season over, it’s time for clean-up.  We just put our decorations away, so we’re now starting to get into gear for the new year.  One project I like to do in the winter is paint rooms.  I have some great tips and suggestions for painting, but remember to keep your own counsel.  If you want pumpkin-orange walls…have at it.

• Paint is one of the best ways to clean a room or make it look cleaner–it seals the previous layer and gives a bright, clean, new finish
• It fills-in and covers small cracks.
• Painting is real Easy to do…but you have to be patient.
• Always use tape to cover edges.  Pros who don’t use tape make messes, too. Tape leaves clean edges
• Remove switch/outlet covers and clean.  Don’t paint over unless you desire to hide the switch.
• DON’T take up the old flooring BEFORE you paint.  You have a free drop cloth. Have fun and pull up the floor after the paint dries.
• Use rollers and brushes on paint jobs.  Brushes on edges and corners, rollers in large areas.  Brush strokes in large areas look ugly.
• Don’t forget to spackle. Fill-in holes with a putty knife and rub area smooth with a damp cloth.
• A damp towel and soapy water clean latex paint and drips with ease.

Color Schemes:  This is my rule of thumb on re-sale value, etc, but use whatever colors you want.  But if you’re painting with the intention of selling, PLEASE consider my suggestions:

• Good colors include medium yellows w/ white trim
• Taupe/tan/straw shades
• Med greens like yellowish-green grass
• darker green for formal areas–
• hunter/dark greens–never use

• The wonderful 5 gal can of white economy paint:

• Priming:  I prime with a 5 gal bucket of latex white

• I still use 2 coats of color over the priming layer.  I used to buy primer, but I still needed 2 coats of color
• I always use tape on corners/ceilings
• Pull the tape and do your touch-ups
• I have watched pros do sloppy work without tape.  Use tape and don’t be a slob.
• Keep all paint cans for touch-ups and reordering paint–the code is on the can
• also, put the color codes in your home’s 3-ring binder.
• To avoid drips, poke hole on inner lip of paint can w/ a hammer and a nail/screwdriver.  The paint drips back into the can.
• Those cheap foam brushes are ideal for touch-ups and feathering/blending.
• Mismatched paints are bargains, but matching the color can be a problem–color scanning machines do exist
• I find $20 cans of paint really expensive.  I try to buy in bulk or on sale if possible.
• I don’t believe in ceiling paint.  that 5 gal white is fine for trim, doors and ceilings.
• don’t use powersprayers inside… the overspray is a mess.  Power rollers work inside, but you are limited with naps and accessories.

I hope you find these painting tips useful.  Happy painting!

 

Ep 040: What a Riot Over Tennis Shoes Can Teach Us.

Ep 040_ What a Riot Over Tennis Shoes Can Teach Us

So, Nike Came out with a new $190 pair of tennis shoes. They made them limited edition.  They released them two days before Christmas.  Then riots broke out.  No surprise here.

This story is SO WRONG on so many different levels, it makes me sick.  One, SHAME on these morons sleeping over outside malls to grab these shoes.  There was a report of a woman who left her child in the car to wait in line for the shoes  in freezing weather.  Disgusting.  Two, Shame on Nike for causing this riot.  They KNEW what would happen. And they are partly to blame.  But this is part of a bigger problem.  This happens every Thanksgiving all around the country as shoppers fight for “bait” items to lure them into the store.

Now for the big picture:

• This happened over a pair of shoes.  What happens when there is a shortage of food or other essential supplies?
• Most of us just shake our heads at the stupidity of the shoes story.  But when it’s food or medicine, who will be laughing?
• If ever there is a case for being a prepper and keeping a cache of supplies, this is it.
• Tennis shoes are nothing compared to a hungry crowd.
• That is why stockpiling food, medicine, and supplies is so VERY essential.
• That is why gardening and food production is so important
• That is why developing a defensible homestead is so important.
• That is why getting out of overpopulated areas, (in my opinion) is important.

 

Black Eye Friday: Shoppers throw punches over new Air Jordans

Race for New Air Jordan Sneakers Turns Ugly at a Metro Atlanta Mall

Rowdy shoppers eager to get the latest Air Jordans clash with police

New Air Jordans still incite shopper violence 9 years after player’s retirement

 

End-of-the-Year Episode Podcast

Dec 2011This episode will be short and sweet.

It’s the end of 2011 and we’re at the beginning of 2012.  Where are you?

Where are you financially?

Where are you career-wise?

Where are you with regard to your family?

Where are you spiritually?

Where are you preparedness-wise? ( i’m including here house, garden, preps, and plan-wise)

Remember that nobody plans to fail, but many fail to plan.

If you do nothing else over the Christmas break, assess where you are and PLAN for 2012 in every facet of your life.

 

Then, I want you to focus on your family and share a love and enjoy a warmth you haven’t felt in years.  Reach out to estranged family members.  Re-connect with friends and loved ones you haven’t talked to in years…and be a kid again.  Have fun and enjoy life.  You do NOT know whether 2012 or even the end of 2011 will be the last year you spend on earth.

 

With that, I bid you Peace, Happiness, and Prosperity.

Dan

Episode 037: Some Ways to Fix Our Country

Episode 037_ Some Ways to Fix This Country

My “US First” initiative. Everybody wants to play,”If I was in charge…” Today, I tell you what I’d do.

They include:

•  No foreign nationals from countries that hate us allowed in:esp in colleges studying engineering, chemistry and nuclear physics
• Profiling foreign nationals from countries that hate us = ok
• Prohibit lobbying
• Make all legislators volubteer/part-time
• Default on all US debt owned by China as a penalty for their continued piracy and copyright infringement
• All wars we fight in get a bill for whomever we help
• No children of illegal immigrants can become us citizens through birth
• Illegal aliens who are sick have their health issues stabilized, and are returned to their country for further treatment–enough abusing our health care system
• No illegals in schools.  all students must provide documentation for enrollment
• Make losers of lawsuits pay the legal fees of the winner–to discourage frivolous lawsuits
• Get rid or lawsuits against doctors (where only the lawyers benefit) and set up a system for victim compensation where only victims benefit.

 

 

 

Episode 038: Land, Corruption and Remodeling

Episode 038_Land, Corruption, and RemodelingI discuss the boom in farm land prices, next I make the connection to MF Global, and finally,I continue my previous talk on home improvement projects and the expected return on investment (ROI)

Insight: In Iowa, farmland boom means end of an era for many

IOWA FALLS, Iowa (Reuters) – It took just 31 minutes for Donald Ellingson’s family to end an agrarian tradition that had survived more than a half-century, by auctioning off 153 acres of rich Iowa farmland.

Five years after their father’s death, Ellingson’s three children had grown weary of the demands of running a farm. Their tenant farmer had retired, and finding a new one was tough. The youngest of them was 60 — too old, they agreed, to return to a life of risky finances and long work days.

Combines and corn were not part of the lives of Donald’s eight grandchildren or his 14 great-grandchildren. They live far from here. And given land prices these days, the family agreed it was the right time to let the past go.

“I think dad would be fine with us selling the land,” said Diane Guerrttman, 60, who lives in Wyoming and works with at-risk children.

Across the Midwest, the dizzying surge in rural land prices is accelerating a fundamental reshaping of the farm sector in the world’s biggest food exporter. Instead of digging in to benefit from the boom in grain prices, the next generation is opting to cash out of the small, family-owned farms that harbor centuries of rural wisdom and deep tradition.

The bidding wars that are now common at farm auctions and inside attorney offices, resulting in a 25 percent jump in land values last quarter, are bittersweet for heirs and aging farmers alike, whose children have fled to the city, leaving them unable or unwilling to shoulder the rising financial risk of a farm…

(Reporting by PJ Huffstutter; editing by Jonathan Leff and Marguerita Choy)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Oops! MF Global loses 1.2 billion of customer money: 

Translation: Golly, we’re really rich and we’re really sorry, but you’ll NEVER see a cent of your stolen money.  We’re Wall Street and we’re criminals.

MF Global missing funds may hit $1.2 billion

By James O’Toole@CNNMoneyNovember 21, 2011: 7:18 PM ET

MF Global (MFGLQ) was forced to file for bankruptcy last month after it disclosed $6.3 billion in exposure to troubled sovereign debt from weak European countries, sparking panic among investors.

Government regulators later said that roughly $633 million out of the $5.4 billion in customer funds at the firm were unaccounted for.

On Monday, however, that figure was revised significantly higher.

“[T]he apparent shortfall in what MF Global management should have segregated at U.S. depositories may be as much as $1.2 billion or more,” the office of trustee James Giddens said in a statement…

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Remodeling Magazine has a great article on ROI on 50 Projects:

        2011-12        National Averages

Midrange Projects

Project	Job Cost	Resale Value	Cost Recouped	Change vs.                            2010-11
Attic Bedroom	$50,148	$36,346	72.5%
Backup Power Generator	$14,760	$7,009	47.5%
Basement Remodel	$63,378	$42,338	66.8%
Bathroom Addition	$40,096	$20,455	51.0%
Bathroom Remodel	$16,552	$10,293	62.2%
Deck Addition (composite)	$15,579	$9,780	62.8%
Deck Addition (wood)	$10,350	$7,259	70.1%
Entry Door Replacement (fiberglass)	$3,536	$1,990	56.3%
Entry Door Replacement (steel)	$1,238	$903	73.0%
Family Room Addition	$83,118	$50,004	60.2%
Garage Addition	$57,824	$33,089	57.2%
Garage Door Replacement	$1,512	$1,087	71.9%
Home Office Remodel	$27,963	$11,983	42.9%
Major Kitchen Remodel	$57,494	$37,785	65.7%
Master Suite Addition	$106,196	$62,874	59.2%
Minor Kitchen Remodel	$19,588	$14,120	72.1%
Roofing Replacement	$21,204	$12,257	57.8%
Siding Replacement (vinyl)	$11,729	$8,155	69.5%
Sunroom Addition	$74,310	$34,133	45.9%
Two-Story Addition	$165,796	$103,391	62.4%
Window Replacement (vinyl)	$11,319	$7,692	68.0%
Window Replacement (wood)	$12,229	$8,258	67.5%

Upscale Projects

Project	Job Cost	Resale Value	Cost Recouped	Change vs.                            2010-11
Bathroom Addition	$76,209	$40,061	52.6%
Bathroom Remodel	$52,249	$28,972	55.5%
Deck Addition (composite)	$37,829	$20,637	54.6%
Garage Addition	$86,347	$44,987	52.1%
Garage Door Replacement	$2,994	$2,129	71.1%
Grand Entrance (fiberglass)	$7,488	$4,554	60.8%
Major Kitchen Remodel	$110,938	$63,731	57.4%
Master Suite Addition	$227,178	$114,822	50.5%
Roofing Replacement	$37,481	$20,435	54.5%
Siding Replacement (fiber-cement)	$13,461	$10,493	78.0%
Siding Replacement (foam-backed vinyl)	$14,274	$9,937	69.6%
Window Replacement (vinyl)	$14,328	$9,898	69.1%
Window Replacement (wood)	$18,999	$12,175	64.1%

 

 

Episode 034: When Stuff Changes

Whatever your goals are, they will change. Life is what happens in between the plans you make.

You need to re-evaluate your short and long-term plans and be flexible for what tomorrow holds.

Things that affect life for both the good and bad:

• Crop suitability
• job changes/demands
• move
• health issues
• change in direction/motivations/goals
• New dreams, new horizon

Episode 034_ When Stuff Changes

Episode 032: The Thanksgiving Special

Episode 033: The Vegas Episode: Gambling is Dumb

 

Gambling profits in casinos are more than $30 billion while lotteries are about 17 billion annually

“Players” with household incomes under $10,000 bet nearly three times as much on lotteries as those with incomes over $50,000

 

In 1973 state lotteries had $2 billion in sales.  By 1997, the revenues reached $34 billion

Gambling among young people is on the increase: 42 percent of  14-year-olds, 49 percent of 15-year-olds, 63 percent of 16-year-olds, 76 percent of 18-year-olds.

 

There are now approximately 260 casinos on Indian reservations (in 31 states and with $6.7 billion in revenue)

Internet gambling has nearly doubled every year since 1997 – in 2001 it exceed $2 billion

 

The Internet boasts 110 sport-related gambling sites

According to the American Psychological Association the Internet could be as addictive as alcohol, drugs, and gambling

 

After casinos opened in Atlantic City, the total number of crimes within a thirty-mile radius increased 100 percent

The average debt incurred by a male pathological gambler in the U.S. is between $55,000 and $90,000 (it is $15,000 for female gamblers)

 

The average rate of divorce for problem gamblers is nearly double that of non-gamblers

The suicide rate for pathological gamblers is twenty times higher than for non-gamblers (one in five attempts suicide)

 

Sixty-five percent of pathological gamblers commit crimes to support their gambling habit

____________________________________________________________________________________
(Courtesy of vegasclick.com)

Expected LossExpected Loss is somewhat of a misnomer.  It’s not the value you actually expect to lose.  It’s the mathematical average loss.  So whoever came up with the term “expected loss” did a bad job.  They should have called it “average loss”.
An example illustrates the difference.  The house edge in roulette is 5.26%.  So for every $5 bet the casino will keep $0.26 on average.  So your “expected loss” on a $5 roulette bet is $0.26.
But if you bet $5 on roulette you can’t lose exactly $0.26.  If you bet on red or black, you’ll either win another $5 or lose the whole thing.  So you don’t really expect to lose $0.26, it’s just your mathematical average loss on each $5 bet, if you played the game forever.
So why do we even talk about expected loss if you can’t lose exactly the amount it predicts on one play?  Because the longer you play, the closer your actual loss will be to the expected loss.  Let’s say you play 1,000 spins on roulette, at $1 a spin, betting on red every time. You win 475 times and lose 525 times.  So you got back $950 (475 wins, plus you get your original wager back), and you risked $1,000.  That means you lost $50. The percentage you lost was $50 / 1000 = 5%, which is pretty close to the 5.26% mathematical average.
Expected loss is good for comparing the risk of various games.  Your expected loss depends on three factors:

1. How much you’re betting (the amount per hand)
2. How fast you’re playing (hands per hour)
3. The house edge (the average casino profit per bet)

In formula form, it’s:

Wager x House Edge x Number of Hands = Expected Loss

As a practical example we’ll use blackjack at $5/hand for two hours, assuming you use the proper strategy:

$5 x 0.5% x 60 hands/hr x 2 hrs. = $3

Below is a table showing your expected loss after 16 hours of play, using common house edges and common rates of play

Game	Hands Per Hour (HPH)	House Edge	Expected Loss for 16 hours of play
Slots, 0.05 Slots, 0.25 Slots, 1.00	800	8.0% (5 coins) 6.0% (3 coins) 5.0% (2 coins)	$256 $576 $1,280
Roulette, $5/spin	40	5.26% (American) 2.7% (European)	$168 (American) $86 (European)
Baccarat, $25/hand MiniBaccarat, $5/h.	60 150	1.06% (betting on Banker)	$254 $127
Blackjack, $5/hand	100	0.50% (with perfect play)	$40
Craps, $10/round ($5 Pass, $5 odds)	30 (Pass Line Bets)	1.41% pass line bet	$34

 

Episode 031: Luxury DIY Projects: Thoughts

Episode 030: 3-Ring Binder Organization Revisited

Episode 029: A Veteran’s Day Tribute

Episode 027: How to Have a Pick-up Truck without buying

Episode 025: Organizing and De-Cluttering

Episode 026: Personal reflection and a Hospital Rant

Episode 024: Maximizing your podplayer for entertainment