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Homeowner/House Thread: It's going to cost how much, now?

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    HydropoloHydropolo Registered User regular
    Mugsley wrote: »
    I'm still trying to figure out why people like rooms with tall ceilings because all I can think about is the wasted hot air that ends up there during the heating season.

    Like my mom is cold a lot of the time and her living room has 12' angled ceilings (12' at the tall end). She didn't buy the house because of that aesthetic but I've never understood it

    No idea. We had looked at a house with a two story living room and my only thought was "This must be a nightmare to keep warm." This was in NJ.

    Regions are VERY different, as are energy costs. For example, I'm in a subtropic climate with vaulted ceilings and all I can think of is all that heat NOT getting vented during the day to keep the house oppressively warm at night if we don't pump the AC.

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    bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    bowen wrote: »
    Simpsonia wrote: »
    bowen wrote: »
    Of course if you are in a 100 year old building there are likely other factors that could be improved if they have not in the past century.

    I don't think I was being uncharitable for not addressing that directly for the small cluster of people that it applies to.

    I've researched it, and apparently there isn't a lot we can do without a full gut/rehab outside of simple things like proper caulking, weatherstripping, etc. Apparently just adding insulation into the walls of an old building like this without tearing off all the walls and installing a vapor barier is the quickest way to cause mold problems. As moisture and humidity pass from the interior air-space, it gets trapped in the insulation (typically blown cellulose) then starts to rot/mold. So either the whole house has to 'breathe' or you tear it all out and install vapor barriers and proper R rated insulation.

    Yeah you're going down to the studs on your external walls, but, insulation, drywall, and vapor barrier are cheapish!

    Not that cheap! We'd be looking at another 10k-ish to insulate our house. The windows were a great fix because our house had the original windows still (mostly cracked, all single pane), but the walls still don't have insulation. Or at least not enough.

    10k is cheap! (relatively)

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
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    a5ehrena5ehren AtlantaRegistered User regular
    The best quote I could get for drywall replacement + LVP install in a decent-sized room in my house was like $20k. At least in my area, there's more work than workers right now, and my jobs are too small-time for anyone to give competitive quotes.

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    Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    Mortious wrote: »
    I've been watching a lot of videos about food forests and permaculture in resedential plots.

    Now the people doing this usually have about double to quadruple the space available to them that we do, but they're also trying to go full self-sustainable, which we are not really looking at.

    I'd have to limit the max height of the trees we plant, but I couldn't find anything prohibiting me from replacing my backyard with one. Hopefully the neighbours won't mind.

    Are you in a good hardiness zone for it?

    My neighbors did this

    In their front yard

    And because they got anonymous notes in their mailbox about it, they supplemented the mass of vegetation with several of the brightest-colored giant metal roosters possible

    Like the ones you see outside kitschy wing places

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    YamiNoSenshiYamiNoSenshi A point called Z In the complex planeRegistered User regular
    bowen wrote: »
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    bowen wrote: »
    Simpsonia wrote: »
    bowen wrote: »
    Of course if you are in a 100 year old building there are likely other factors that could be improved if they have not in the past century.

    I don't think I was being uncharitable for not addressing that directly for the small cluster of people that it applies to.

    I've researched it, and apparently there isn't a lot we can do without a full gut/rehab outside of simple things like proper caulking, weatherstripping, etc. Apparently just adding insulation into the walls of an old building like this without tearing off all the walls and installing a vapor barier is the quickest way to cause mold problems. As moisture and humidity pass from the interior air-space, it gets trapped in the insulation (typically blown cellulose) then starts to rot/mold. So either the whole house has to 'breathe' or you tear it all out and install vapor barriers and proper R rated insulation.

    Yeah you're going down to the studs on your external walls, but, insulation, drywall, and vapor barrier are cheapish!

    Not that cheap! We'd be looking at another 10k-ish to insulate our house. The windows were a great fix because our house had the original windows still (mostly cracked, all single pane), but the walls still don't have insulation. Or at least not enough.

    10k is cheap! (relatively)

    Penny Arcade Forums › Debate and/or Discourse › Homeowner/House Thread: It's going to cost how much, now?

    We're looking at renovating our entire downstairs in our split level. It's currently walled in OSB, has a single fake rock wall, a giant mirror that isn't needed, textured ceilings, and no built in lighting. Probably redo the bathroom down there as well. And maybe expand into a big storage closet if that wall isn't load bearing, but I think it is.

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    Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    edited December 2019
    Nice got a guy coming over to plug my bee hole

    Captain Inertia on
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    SeñorAmorSeñorAmor !!! Registered User regular
    Nice got a guy coming over to plug my bee hole

    Usually you have to pay double for that.

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    ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    There are bee-holes all over the exterior trim of my house

    Bee Holes!

    When you showed them off to your sig other, did you gesture dramatically and exclaim, "BEHOLD!"?

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    djmitchelladjmitchella Registered User regular
    Mugsley wrote: »
    I'm still trying to figure out why people like rooms with tall ceilings because all I can think about is the wasted hot air that ends up there during the heating season.

    Like my mom is cold a lot of the time and her living room has 12' angled ceilings (12' at the tall end). She didn't buy the house because of that aesthetic but I've never understood it

    <====== better for juggling.

    (possibly a niche requirement, I'll admit, and our current house still has 8' ceilings, but one day, one day...)

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    dispatch.odispatch.o Registered User regular
    Mugsley wrote: »
    I'm still trying to figure out why people like rooms with tall ceilings because all I can think about is the wasted hot air that ends up there during the heating season.

    Like my mom is cold a lot of the time and her living room has 12' angled ceilings (12' at the tall end). She didn't buy the house because of that aesthetic but I've never understood it

    <====== better for juggling.

    (possibly a niche requirement, I'll admit, and our current house still has 8' ceilings, but one day, one day...)

    I'm over 6' tall. I like being able to yawn or stretch and not drag my hands on the ceiling. It also lets you light a room in a way that doesn't feel like you're under the glass at a salad bar with a bigger variety of lighting fixtures that can be discreet. Any very tall windows you get as a result of a vaulted roof also let in light for more of the day.

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    Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    All y'all are to be commended for publicly stating opinions that are so fundamentally wrong and broken, I can respect the intestinal fortitiude it takes to do such a thing in the face of imminent scorn and ridicule, but high ceilings are the way and the light.

    12 foot?

    Nah, gimme 16 foot ceilings, please.

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    HappylilElfHappylilElf Registered User regular
    Hmm I see the keto spammers have been replaced with Big Stepladder

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    evilmrhenryevilmrhenry Registered User regular
    Look, some people are hobbits, and others are elves.

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    HappylilElfHappylilElf Registered User regular
    Elves my ass, we start talking 16' ceilings and we're in giantkin territory :P

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    Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    I'm only 6'1".

    High ceilings are fucking amazing, though.

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    The WolfmanThe Wolfman Registered User regular
    It's all fun and games until a lightbulb burns out and you now have to go mountain climbing to replace it.

    "The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
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    MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    Also the cobwebs develop their own societies. And you're wasting money heating dead air there I said it.

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    MNC DoverMNC Dover Full-time Voice Actor Kirkland, WARegistered User regular
    It's all fun and games until a lightbulb burns out and you now have to go mountain climbing to replace it.

    Time to get a lightbulb changing claw. They rock!

    https://www.lowes.com/pd/Bayco-11-ft-Steel-and-Plastic-Light-Bulb-Changer/1005185

    Need a voice actor? Hire me at bengrayVO.com
    Legends of Runeterra: MNCdover #moc
    Switch ID: MNC Dover SW-1154-3107-1051
    Steam ID
    Twitch Page
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    Jebus314Jebus314 Registered User regular
    edited December 2019
    Does anyone use an expansion tank on their water plumbing?

    Debating whether I should install one or complain to the city about high main water pressure.

    City pressure seems to be at 90 psi. I have a pressure reducing valve, so my water pressure is 50 psi when running (which is fine), but when the water is off and the water heater kicks on it it climbs to 100 psi. Because the pressure reducing valve can only relieve pressure backwards at 10 psi above the mains.

    Technically I think Portland is supposed to limit my pressure to 40-80 psi, but it seems like I’d probably be better off not waiting for the city to do anything and just getting an expansion tank.

    Jebus314 on
    "The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it" - Dr Horrible
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    Jebus314Jebus314 Registered User regular
    edited December 2019
    MNC Dover wrote: »
    It's all fun and games until a lightbulb burns out and you now have to go mountain climbing to replace it.

    Time to get a lightbulb changing claw. They rock!

    https://www.lowes.com/pd/Bayco-11-ft-Steel-and-Plastic-Light-Bulb-Changer/1005185

    I mean, step ladders are pretty easy to use.

    Unless you put them on the roof....






    Sorry I couldn’t help myself.

    Jebus314 on
    "The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it" - Dr Horrible
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    CampyCampy Registered User regular
    It's also fun and games until you live somewhere with child weather and have to heat the giant bastards

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    evilmrhenryevilmrhenry Registered User regular
    Jebus314 wrote: »
    Does anyone use an expansion tank on their water plumbing?

    Debating whether I should install one or complain to the city about high main water pressure.

    City pressure seems to be at 90 psi. I have a pressure reducing valve, so my water pressure is 50 psi when running (which is fine), but when the water is off and the water heater kicks on it it climbs to 100 psi. Because the pressure reducing valve can only relieve pressure backwards at 10 psi above the mains.

    Technically I think Portland is supposed to limit my pressure to 40-80 psi, but it seems like I’d probably be better off not waiting for the city to do anything and just getting an expansion tank.

    Isn't that code nowdays? Anyway, preventing pressure rise from hot water expansion is exactly what an expansion tank is used for, and I'm not aware of any downsides, other than installation cost and adding yet another item into the plumbing system that could potentially leak.

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    Jebus314Jebus314 Registered User regular
    Jebus314 wrote: »
    Does anyone use an expansion tank on their water plumbing?

    Debating whether I should install one or complain to the city about high main water pressure.

    City pressure seems to be at 90 psi. I have a pressure reducing valve, so my water pressure is 50 psi when running (which is fine), but when the water is off and the water heater kicks on it it climbs to 100 psi. Because the pressure reducing valve can only relieve pressure backwards at 10 psi above the mains.

    Technically I think Portland is supposed to limit my pressure to 40-80 psi, but it seems like I’d probably be better off not waiting for the city to do anything and just getting an expansion tank.

    Isn't that code nowdays? Anyway, preventing pressure rise from hot water expansion is exactly what an expansion tank is used for, and I'm not aware of any downsides, other than installation cost and adding yet another item into the plumbing system that could potentially leak.

    That was sort of my position, but my dad is actually a building contractor and he says it is fairly uncommon (except for like radiator heating systems). He’s of the mind that the city is legal required to provide me water pressure in a good range, so I should complain and maybe they install a pressure regulator or something.

    "The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it" - Dr Horrible
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    Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    So you’re supposed to clean your oven?

    Yeah didn’t really keep up with that

    Just buying a new one instead

    That means the dishwasher is the last appliance standing since we bought the house

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    MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    You're supposed to clean your dishwasher and washer, too

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    evilmrhenryevilmrhenry Registered User regular
    Jebus314 wrote: »
    Jebus314 wrote: »
    Does anyone use an expansion tank on their water plumbing?

    Debating whether I should install one or complain to the city about high main water pressure.

    City pressure seems to be at 90 psi. I have a pressure reducing valve, so my water pressure is 50 psi when running (which is fine), but when the water is off and the water heater kicks on it it climbs to 100 psi. Because the pressure reducing valve can only relieve pressure backwards at 10 psi above the mains.

    Technically I think Portland is supposed to limit my pressure to 40-80 psi, but it seems like I’d probably be better off not waiting for the city to do anything and just getting an expansion tank.

    Isn't that code nowdays? Anyway, preventing pressure rise from hot water expansion is exactly what an expansion tank is used for, and I'm not aware of any downsides, other than installation cost and adding yet another item into the plumbing system that could potentially leak.

    That was sort of my position, but my dad is actually a building contractor and he says it is fairly uncommon (except for like radiator heating systems). He’s of the mind that the city is legal required to provide me water pressure in a good range, so I should complain and maybe they install a pressure regulator or something.

    You already have a pressure reducing valve, which seems to properly reduce pressure to 50 psi. The issue you are having is caused by physics; hot water takes up more space than cold water, which in a closed system will increase pressure. You have backflow prevention in place, which means the extra pressure can't escape to the city's pipes. (I know this because your pressure is higher than the city's system.) The city is not going to let you remove that protection.

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    Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    It's all fun and games until a lightbulb burns out and you now have to go mountain climbing to replace it.

    LED bulbs mean I only have to do that once every 20 years or so, though.
    Campy wrote: »
    It's also fun and games until you live somewhere with child weather and have to heat the giant bastards

    Thankfully here in my part of 'Straya it doesn't get very cold. Still looking to replace my windows with double glazing and insulating under the roof when we replace the cement tile with corrugated iron (the walls and ceilings are already insulated). And we've only got 8 foot ceilings, which I fucking hate, but you buy the house you can afford when you can afford it.

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    Jebus314Jebus314 Registered User regular
    Jebus314 wrote: »
    Jebus314 wrote: »
    Does anyone use an expansion tank on their water plumbing?

    Debating whether I should install one or complain to the city about high main water pressure.

    City pressure seems to be at 90 psi. I have a pressure reducing valve, so my water pressure is 50 psi when running (which is fine), but when the water is off and the water heater kicks on it it climbs to 100 psi. Because the pressure reducing valve can only relieve pressure backwards at 10 psi above the mains.

    Technically I think Portland is supposed to limit my pressure to 40-80 psi, but it seems like I’d probably be better off not waiting for the city to do anything and just getting an expansion tank.

    Isn't that code nowdays? Anyway, preventing pressure rise from hot water expansion is exactly what an expansion tank is used for, and I'm not aware of any downsides, other than installation cost and adding yet another item into the plumbing system that could potentially leak.

    That was sort of my position, but my dad is actually a building contractor and he says it is fairly uncommon (except for like radiator heating systems). He’s of the mind that the city is legal required to provide me water pressure in a good range, so I should complain and maybe they install a pressure regulator or something.

    You already have a pressure reducing valve, which seems to properly reduce pressure to 50 psi. The issue you are having is caused by physics; hot water takes up more space than cold water, which in a closed system will increase pressure. You have backflow prevention in place, which means the extra pressure can't escape to the city's pipes. (I know this because your pressure is higher than the city's system.) The city is not going to let you remove that protection.

    No exactly. My system does relieve back into the mains. But it can’t relieve from low pressure to high pressure. So it doesn’t start relieving until my pressure is 10 psi higher than the mains. Which is why it stops at 100 psi instead of going up to 120-150 psi which is where the hot water heater safety release valve is set.

    If the mains were at 70 psi (which is in the 40-80 they specify that it should be at), the relief would work fine and keep me at 80 or less. Which is fine. It’s just that the mains are a tad high, which drives my plumbing even higher.

    Eh. I think I’m just going to buy the expansion tank. It’s not that much money and relatively easy to install.

    "The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it" - Dr Horrible
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    MortiousMortious The Nightmare Begins Move to New ZealandRegistered User regular
    edited December 2019
    Mortious wrote: »
    I've been watching a lot of videos about food forests and permaculture in resedential plots.

    Now the people doing this usually have about double to quadruple the space available to them that we do, but they're also trying to go full self-sustainable, which we are not really looking at.

    I'd have to limit the max height of the trees we plant, but I couldn't find anything prohibiting me from replacing my backyard with one. Hopefully the neighbours won't mind.

    Are you in a good hardiness zone for it?

    Yup, I think so. Hawkes Bay is basically a farming area with a small city and some random suburbs sprinkled around.

    Lots of vineyards as well, my house is two blocks away from one. Apparently they do free wine tasting and sell wine directly at like half the price of the stores.

    Mortious on
    Move to New Zealand
    It’s not a very important country most of the time
    http://steamcommunity.com/id/mortious
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    bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited December 2019
    Mugsley wrote: »
    You're supposed to clean your dishwasher and washer, too

    psh it gets cleaned by the detergent

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
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    YamiNoSenshiYamiNoSenshi A point called Z In the complex planeRegistered User regular
    bowen wrote: »
    Mugsley wrote: »
    You're supposed to clean your dishwasher and washer, too

    psh it gets cleaned by the detergent

    "Run it empty with white vinegar" is the solution to every appliance cleaning.

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    MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    edited December 2019
    bowen wrote: »
    Mugsley wrote: »
    You're supposed to clean your dishwasher and washer, too

    psh it gets cleaned by the detergent

    "Run it empty with white vinegar" is the solution to every appliance cleaning.

    It works, but now my toast always tastes like vinegar...

    Yeah for a dishwasher, just a cup or two of white vinegar run in an empty machine will help. There's of course special cleaning pods you can buy, but not sure if they're any better.

    MichaelLC on
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    That_GuyThat_Guy I don't wanna be that guy Registered User regular
    MichaelLC wrote: »
    bowen wrote: »
    Mugsley wrote: »
    You're supposed to clean your dishwasher and washer, too

    psh it gets cleaned by the detergent

    "Run it empty with white vinegar" is the solution to every appliance cleaning.

    It works, but now my toast always tastes like vinegar...

    Yeah for a dishwasher, just a cup or two of white vinegar run in an empty machine will help. There's of course special cleaning pods you can buy, but not sure if they're any better.

    They at least don't smell like vinegar.

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    YamiNoSenshiYamiNoSenshi A point called Z In the complex planeRegistered User regular
    MichaelLC wrote: »
    bowen wrote: »
    Mugsley wrote: »
    You're supposed to clean your dishwasher and washer, too

    psh it gets cleaned by the detergent

    "Run it empty with white vinegar" is the solution to every appliance cleaning.

    It works, but now my toast always tastes like vinegar...

    Yeah for a dishwasher, just a cup or two of white vinegar run in an empty machine will help. There's of course special cleaning pods you can buy, but not sure if they're any better.

    They're pretty much just caked sodium carbonate (soda ash) which you can buy much cheaper by the pound.

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    StraygatsbyStraygatsby Registered User regular
    edited December 2019
    Got to try out my new combo leaf blower/vacuu-suck/grinder this weekend after everything dried out. Worth...every...penny. Made quick work of the metric ton of oak leaves all over my driveway and deck. I honestly think I'm a little sore from carrying it around, and I see why it comes with a should sling now, but damn it was satisfying to fill up the yard waste can with already mulched leaves. Once I clear out my garden space, I can probably use some of it there, too.

    Gonna need to see if they seller a bigger collector bag for it, though - I was emptying that sucker every few minutes.

    Straygatsby on
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    Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    bowen wrote: »
    Mugsley wrote: »
    You're supposed to clean your dishwasher and washer, too

    psh it gets cleaned by the detergent

    "Run it empty with white vinegar" is the solution to every appliance cleaning.

    How does this work in an oven

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    SimpsoniaSimpsonia Registered User regular
    bowen wrote: »
    Mugsley wrote: »
    You're supposed to clean your dishwasher and washer, too

    psh it gets cleaned by the detergent

    "Run it empty with white vinegar" is the solution to every appliance cleaning.

    How does this work in an oven

    Add a cup of white vinnegar to the bottom of the oven then turn on self-cleaning for a couple hours.

    Then burn down the house afterwards because that smell is never coming out of anything.

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    notyanotya Registered User regular
    You people and your fancy self cleaning oven settings.

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    The WolfmanThe Wolfman Registered User regular
    notya wrote: »
    You people and your fancy self cleaning oven settings.

    Self cleaning is nothing but turning the elements up to full blast for 4 hours and simply turning everything inside to ash. I imagine you can replicate it by... turning everything up to full blast.

    I got one of those fancy wall ovens, and the first time I did the self cleaning, it blew a fuse. I suspect because being in a wall, it doesn't exactly have the best of ventilation. Now I'm scared to do it again and have resorted to old fashioned elbow grease with an sos pad.

    "The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
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    AiouaAioua Ora Occidens Ora OptimaRegistered User regular
    I have never cleaned an oven.

    Never even bothered with the self-clean.

    I'm on team "what's the point?"

    life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
    fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
    that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
    bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
This discussion has been closed.