Wherefore Art Thou Patio
Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023 12:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snoozefestaudio40F and gusty with overcast skies this morning, but the songirds were singing nonetheless. slept in for half an hour, because I was up a bit too late last night.
I'm trying to work out a schedule for the bills... just to see when everything's gonna hit which cards, and know when to do the two manual payments.
It's crazy because the water and garbage bills are completely random. The waste water bill is between the 1st and the 8th.
And while the other big bills recur on the same dates, together they range from the 30th to the 11th.
If I didn't have AmEx & Discover to catch these, I'd be getting overdrafts and late fees all over the place!
Some let you change the dates. Some Don't. Some allow autopay with bank account only. Some allow credit cards, but maybe not all types.
I feel like there should be a law standardizing this bullshit... and also standardizing the way paychecks are issued. Like, why am I paid on Tuesday? It should either be Friday or Monday!
--<>--
Well, whatever the case, I'm gonna have to keep a close eye on everything in April, because even though autopays have been set up, it can take a while for them to kick in.
And meanwhile, I won't know what my normal full time check is gonna be until we're into April.
But hopefully, by the start of May, everything will be ironed out, and I'll have a system down.
------------{=0=}------------
1:10PM
Just got off the phone with Nicor (the gas company). The bill had looked extremely confusing.
I'd just paid something on it yesterday, to set up the autopay, and then checked it today for the due date and it looked like I owed hundreds more by the 30th!
But the guy said I actually have a $600.00 credit with them, so I won't owe anything more for months!
How the hell that happened I don't know, but... OKAY!?
------------{=0=}------------
I watched a This Old House video on YouTube about doing a brick patio and... there's no way in hell I could do it myself!
It requires a plane leveler machine which would be an ass pain to rent. And the amount of gravel and sand required is... beyond my ability to transport or feed into place.
So... I went online to see if I could get an idea what it would cost to have a contractor do it and... Somebody just called me back, and wants to come see the yard on Monday at 11AM.
And I may get other calls.
So, I guess, the question is, how much am I willing to spend?
------------{=0=}------------
12:15AM
So I did get another contractor calling me at work tonight and he's gonna check things out on Friday morning at 11AM.
And Then a third one called, but it was just before lunch, so I didn't pick up.
--<>--
I think the patio is now inevitable!.. as long as it's under like... 3K.
And I think it will be, because we're talking about a free-floating paved space in the middle of the back yard, where I already know there are no underground utility lines of any kind.
And I'm not even picky about the exact position, like... just put it here in this vaguely central region of the back yard.
It should be the easiest job a contractor will ever do, and this is the start of the season, when they're all hungry for work, and competitive, so... somebody's gonna bid low just to get that quick cash for a one day job!
--<>--
And if I don't have to do it myself, then I'd rather just have it be circular. I'm sure they know how to do circular in their sleep, so it probably won't be any more expensive than a square.
Nothing fancy! Just a big, circle of bricks!.. 10 to 12 feet in diameter. Level to the ground, so I can mow around the edge.
--<>--
That instantly gives the entire back yard, needed context! It's a gathering spot, but it's also the centerpeice for future landscaping... future paths, and little rock gardens or whatever.
And, if last summer's observations had any merit... a bit of pavement back there, under the stars, should be attractive to field crickets... which is the reason I do everything that I do!
°¦}
https://soundcloud.com/snoozefestaudio
I'm trying to work out a schedule for the bills... just to see when everything's gonna hit which cards, and know when to do the two manual payments.
It's crazy because the water and garbage bills are completely random. The waste water bill is between the 1st and the 8th.
And while the other big bills recur on the same dates, together they range from the 30th to the 11th.
If I didn't have AmEx & Discover to catch these, I'd be getting overdrafts and late fees all over the place!
Some let you change the dates. Some Don't. Some allow autopay with bank account only. Some allow credit cards, but maybe not all types.
I feel like there should be a law standardizing this bullshit... and also standardizing the way paychecks are issued. Like, why am I paid on Tuesday? It should either be Friday or Monday!
Well, whatever the case, I'm gonna have to keep a close eye on everything in April, because even though autopays have been set up, it can take a while for them to kick in.
And meanwhile, I won't know what my normal full time check is gonna be until we're into April.
But hopefully, by the start of May, everything will be ironed out, and I'll have a system down.
Just got off the phone with Nicor (the gas company). The bill had looked extremely confusing.
I'd just paid something on it yesterday, to set up the autopay, and then checked it today for the due date and it looked like I owed hundreds more by the 30th!
But the guy said I actually have a $600.00 credit with them, so I won't owe anything more for months!
How the hell that happened I don't know, but... OKAY!?
I watched a This Old House video on YouTube about doing a brick patio and... there's no way in hell I could do it myself!
It requires a plane leveler machine which would be an ass pain to rent. And the amount of gravel and sand required is... beyond my ability to transport or feed into place.
So... I went online to see if I could get an idea what it would cost to have a contractor do it and... Somebody just called me back, and wants to come see the yard on Monday at 11AM.
And I may get other calls.
So, I guess, the question is, how much am I willing to spend?
So I did get another contractor calling me at work tonight and he's gonna check things out on Friday morning at 11AM.
And Then a third one called, but it was just before lunch, so I didn't pick up.
I think the patio is now inevitable!.. as long as it's under like... 3K.
And I think it will be, because we're talking about a free-floating paved space in the middle of the back yard, where I already know there are no underground utility lines of any kind.
And I'm not even picky about the exact position, like... just put it here in this vaguely central region of the back yard.
It should be the easiest job a contractor will ever do, and this is the start of the season, when they're all hungry for work, and competitive, so... somebody's gonna bid low just to get that quick cash for a one day job!
And if I don't have to do it myself, then I'd rather just have it be circular. I'm sure they know how to do circular in their sleep, so it probably won't be any more expensive than a square.
Nothing fancy! Just a big, circle of bricks!.. 10 to 12 feet in diameter. Level to the ground, so I can mow around the edge.
That instantly gives the entire back yard, needed context! It's a gathering spot, but it's also the centerpeice for future landscaping... future paths, and little rock gardens or whatever.
And, if last summer's observations had any merit... a bit of pavement back there, under the stars, should be attractive to field crickets... which is the reason I do everything that I do!
°¦}
