Lesson #1 - don't dig your patio extension...

[JimHare]

foundation too close to the big ass Oak tree by the house...

[terrible one]

Aw that's a bummer man. The tree probably isn't too happy either.

[EcSTSatic]

I think there is an old saying about digging and roots, but I can't recall it.

If it's any consolation, find out where you would come out if you dug clear through the earth...DigHole

[terrible one]

EcSTSatic,

That's pretty neat!

[Jesda]

Goodbye, tree!

[MacKiNBacK]

Lol my hole would come out in the middle of the Indian Ocean. But that is a bummer Jim.

[Stoneage_Caddy]

reminds me of one time in stalingrad me and sergi were drinkin voodka and burying nucclearrr vaste , we had small problem with hole that glows in dark .....like sergis girlfreind in chernobyl , only smaller ....

[JimHare]

Actually, it wasn't as bad as it looks - there was only one root there, it just snaked all over the damn hole. But it had creepers and feelers everywhere.. one good chop with the garden axe took it right off. I doubt that the 6-foot diameter oak even felt it....lol

On that DigAHole site - kinda neat - but I think there's a flaw in their algorithm. It's obvious that they use Latitude and Longitude to figure out where your hole would exit. One simply takes your Longitude WEST of Greenwich, and your Latitude NORTH of the equator, and flips them around to a Longitude EAST of Greenwich, and a latitude SOUTH of the equator - if you dug straight towards the center of the earth, that's where you'd come out.

So, here in Salem, which is at about 40North and 75West, the opposite location is 40S and 75E - middle of the Indian Ocean. But when I tried it with San Francisco, home of our Friend Little B, (122W, 38N) it gave me a place farther WEST in the Indian Ocean from Salem - when it should have been farther EAST, somewhere in Austrialia's Western Territories....

Anybody else notice this, or am I mistooken?

[JimHare]

Remember that big-ass hole I was digging a few weeks back? Well, after stops and starts, running out of bricks three time (why can't Johnny Count??) and weather interruptions, here's the finished product: a 5' by 10' dry brick patio extension for our BBQ grill to sit on. Had to put nearly all the dirt back in, plus about 7 bags of sand, leveled out, with a 3/4" slope from right to left for drainage...

PS - I can count - I just cleaned out the local WallyWorld of their stock, and had to drive 25 miles to the next nearest one for refills....

[chuckdobbins]

excellent work. looks like you chose the brinkmann grill...model F if im not mistaken, 3 burners, side burner and stainless steel hood, and for 198 bucks its definitely a fine choice.

no, i dont work at a walmart garden center...ok yes i do.

how bad do they rape you for an lp tank exchange? 15 and change in boston. ridiculous!

[JimHare]

Exactly right. My old tank was rusty and beat up so I just bought a new one. I forget how much it was.

Great grill, once you get the firing sequence right. You need to let the center burner open up for about 5-10 seconds before the igniter will set if off.

PS - and I paid 77Cents each for the bricks. What's the price in Beantown?

I still have to do the finish work, but it's rained steadily here for four days..the Little Lady wants to plant flowers around it, so i have to edge with pavers and fill in with some potting soil or something.

[codewize]

I'm sure if you cut those out the tree will survive. I'd be more concerned about the piece of conduit you cut through in the corner there..

[JimHare]

Originally Posted by codewize

I'm sure if you cut those out the tree will survive. I'd be more concerned about the piece of conduit you cut through in the corner there..

Yeah, that was a fun time...I knew about the unprotected flat wire, but the conduit was New To Me...hit it with the garden axe...

I checked the wires inside, they were ok - just a small nick in one. Patched back up, reinforced, and buried a little deeper this time.. LOL

[Boombotz]

You need to do away with the 20lb cylinder and hook it to your big tank, then you don't have to worry about running out of LP at the wrong time.

[slk230mb]

Originally Posted by boombotz

You need to do away with the 20lb cylinder and hook it to your big tank, then you don't have to worry about running out of LP at the wrong time.

Yup. We went for a new grill this year hooked it up to the house's natural gas...it's so nice not having to exchange tanks now...