RPetry

Cannot work, cannot get up the energy to shovel snow, bored. The SB is still a week away. The line on the game has shifted from -1 Seattle to -1 Green Bay. Tough call.
If you have a slightly perverse sense of humor, see:

--
Society is impossible without inequality; inequality intolerable without a code of morality, and a code of morality unacceptable without religion.
-- Napoleon Bonaparte

Jack Kramer deserves an award.  He is a natural MC.  The incipient PW Industry should recognize his ability and contributions.  Same goes for you Thad.  Also, Beth & Rod must be recognized as the foremost leader in online education and content. 
 
In addition, Tom and Barbara Vogel of ACR products deserve mucho kudos.  Along with Everret Abrams, they put roundtables on the map many years ago.  They have pulled many contractors feet out of the fire for many years, and continue to do so.  I would not be in business without their help and support.
 
Carlos Gonzalez deserves a much needed recognition for his spunk, accumen, and downright efforts in trying to steer this service business to another level. 
 
Last, but not least, Peirce Fitchette of Ready Seal stains and Jake Clark of Armstrong-Clark stains have supported this small service "industry" to the hilt. 
 
To one and all, you are friends.  Valuable friends.

Thad,
Nonsense. You and many others not mentioned in my post deserve credit. Going back in time, if I can remember, Mark Smith, Ken Fenner, Greg R., Jim B., Diamond Jim Foley, and others used this website and the old Delco board to get the wood restoration business recognised by the general public. It helped my small business and many others.
So take a bow!

Thad,
Nonsense. You and many others not mentioned in my post deserve credit. Going back in time, if I can remember, Mark Smith, Ken Fenner, Greg R., Jim B., Diamond Jim Foley, and others used this website and the old Delco board to get the wood restoration business recognised by the general public. It helped my small business and many others.
So take a bow!

Thad,
Nonsense. You and many others not mentioned in my post deserve credit. Going back in time, if I can remember, Mark Smith, Ken Fenner, Greg R., Jim B., Diamond Jim Foley, and others used this website and the old Delco board to get the wood restoration business recognised by the general public. It helped my small business and many others.
So take a bow!

Jack Kramer deserves an award.  He is a natural MC.  The incipient PW Industry should recognize his ability and contributions.  Same goes for you Thad.  Also, Beth & Rod must be recognized as the foremost leader in online education and content. 
 
In addition, Tom and Barbara Vogel of ACR products deserve mucho kudos.  Along with Everret Abrams, they put roundtables on the map many years ago.  They have pulled many contractors feet out of the fire for many years, and continue to do so.  I would not be in business without their help and support.
 
Carlos Gonzalez deserves a much needed recognition for his spunk, accumen, and downright efforts in trying to steer this service business to another level. 
 
Last, but not least, Peirce Fitchette of Ready Seal stains and Jake Clark of Armstrong-Clark stains have supported this small service "industry" to the hilt. 
 
To one and all, you are friends.  Valuable friends.

 
All good points.  I'll add beer, plenty of smokes if one craves tobacco and is iced/snowed in, and an adequate suppy of firewood.  De-ice is helpful so you, your spouse, or dog does not fall on the friggin' steps and driveway.  If UPS has a delivery, demand that they plow the driveway.

It is a trying time. Unless you are in the more temperate climate.  A quick reminder, take care of the batteries!

It is Christmas Eve and I'm posting.  Kind of sad!  Anyway, to help TGS, thought this might be a potential popular thread. Please contribute.  It is the "off" season for many in the PW business and we need some entertainment.  Sure beats wrapping gifts.
 
WARNING!  The 2nd link in this post contains what some may consider offensive language and behavior.  If you are one of millions that have a restrictive, puritan sense of humor,  or happen to be lucky enough to be of the female gender, consider bailing out of this thread now.  This is not Christmas content.  Unless you know the recipient intimately, do not forward the link .
 
Beth, you may want to trash this ... It may be pushing the "terms of service".  I'll email you when done posting with fair warning.  Merry Christmas Eve!
 
May God rest his soul.  As seen from his unique comedic delivery, Sam Kinison started out as an itinerant Christian preacher.  He evolved into an extremely popular and successful comedian of my generation.  A sidenote.  His life was noteworthy, but demise was tragic, details here:  http://www.paulluvera.com/weblog/2009/11/the-strange-death-of-sam-kinison.html
 
Youtube has a video compilation of Sam's stage and TV appearances.  I saw him live one night in a small club,  He was terrible.  Had difficulty keeping on his feet (not wise for a "stand up comedian"), and his delivery was close to incomprehensible.  But just his screaming, facial expressions, and timing was funny.  He was severely drunk and more than a little high.
 
2nd WARNING!  Please do not blame me or complain to the fine purveyors of this web site.  If illiterate, I'll try, ...GO AWAY!   Hmmm...  On 2nd thought, it does not matter.  If, due to bad fortune, one cannot read, how can they navigate a dumbphone, tablet, or computer?
 
Now that I have your attention and tweaked your nasty, inner curiousity, see:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1GjyrQiSRs&list=RDXfi4s8cjLFI&index=2  If you get past the 3rd installment, you're psychologically more disturbed than I am.

Here's a truly heart warming story about the bond formed between a little 4-year-old girl and some construction workers that will make you believe that we all can make a difference when we give a child the gift of our time.

A young family moved into a house, next to a vacant lot. One day, a construction crew turned up to start building a house on the empty lot. The young family's 4-year-old daughter naturally took an interest in all the activity going on next door and spent much of each day observing the workers.

Eventually the construction crew, all of them "gems-in-the-rough," more or less, adopted her as a kind of project mascot.
They chatted with her, let her sit with them while they had coffee and lunch breaks, and gave her 20 little jobs to do here and there to make her feel important.

At the end of the first week, they even presented her with a pay envelope containing ten dollars. The little girl took this home to her mother who suggested that she take her ten dollars "pay" she'd received to the bank the next day to start a savings account.

When the girl and her mom got to the bank, the teller was equally impressed and asked the little girl how she had come by her very own pay check at such a young age. The little girl proudly replied, "I worked last week with a real construction crew building the new house next door to us."

"Oh my goodness gracious," said the teller, "and will you be working on the house again this week too?"

The little girl replied, "I will, if those a-holes at Home Depot ever deliver the effin' drywall..."

Scott,
Did not bother to read the WP article but your summation is hilarious. More funny, a patio guy is an authority on exterior wood!
Reminds me of years ago. Consumer Reports gave a Cabot's Acrylic stain the #1 rating over at least 10 other products, including a few oils. Problem was, they never considered possible wood rot, especially with cedar, and maintenance on any wood is a veritable nightmare.
As Beth says, nonsense.

All you gals and guys are top notch. Great replies and information that I can pass on to my customer. Thanks to everyone. This is a great example of the power and value of TGS.

Good thread John.
 
Kudos to Beth & Rod for starting The Grime Scene.  Back in those days, there were few internet resources focused on pressure washing, especially information on exterior wood care.  This site has educated and helped an entire generation of contractors.

Good thread John.
 
Kudos to Beth & Rod for starting The Grime Scene.  Back in those days, there were few internet resources focused on pressure washing, especially information on exterior wood care.  This site has educated and helped an entire generation of contractors.

In July, received the following email from my website:
Message: Help! I have a 5-year-old cedar deck that needs to be restained. I have the feeling the contractor we hired does not know how to properly handle cedar. He powerwashed to remove the old stain and was unable to get everything off. Now he wants to restain over the parts where the old stain still remains, and everything tells me this is the wrong approach! He also did not use a cleaner/brighter -- just the pressure. I am desperate for help! This is the third contractor we've used over the years to treat our deck, and no one I've contacted in my area follows the procedures you outline on your website. Is there any chance you would come up to XXXXXXX for a job? If not, do you know of anyone in my area who could handle cedar in the correct manner? Thank you so much, XXXXXXX
Customer name and location redacted to protect the innocent.
Short story. 5 yr. old clear cedar deck. Lord knows what the 1st "contractor" did, but the stain did not last long. 2nd "contractor" applied Sikkens to the horizontal cedar and a Cabot oil to the vertical wood. Lord knows why the 2 different stains. The Cabot's lasted for two years, though dark from linseed eating mildew. The Sikkens started getting bare spots after a year. Not good. Probably due to improper wood preparation or applying the stain to high moisture content wood or both. After all, why use a moisture meter and do the job right when they cost $150 and you just want to get done and paid?
Ran up a few weekends ago to look at the mess and provide an estimate. Very sad. The 3rd, current "contractor" did as described in the above email. Blasted the cedar with just water pressure to strip Sikkens! And the Cabot oil!
Add insult to injury. Said "contractor" applied 3 different stains (1 some waterbase and 2 some oil based stains, to 2 handrails and ~ 7 cedar floorboards. I guess these were gigantic "samples". And this was over partially removed Sikkens and Cabot stains!
Where do these no nothing, foul ball "contractors" come from? The local insane asylum?

John,
 
Hope it is easy to strip off.  If it is in Home Depot and marketed as "easy", every DIY homeowner will be using it.

^  Well that is real positive.
 
Fishing should be fun when first starting out at a very young age.  Ryan's suggestion of simple bluegills or sunny's is a great idea.  Little fish, usually bite on most anything, and easy and fun to catch for a little guy.  Don't remember being quite that young and never had children.  But would imagine a few hours without a catch or action would be a bit of a boring stretch for a youngster.
 
Time spent with a small child is important.  Fun time spent is more valuable and ingrained.
 
Back to the thread about hunting.  Long story, will try and be short.  2 Thanksgiving's  ago, we spent some time with my (inlaw) nephew and family in central NY state.  Arrived on Wednesday afternoon,  and as soon as out of the truck, my nephew declares, "We're going deer hunting early tomorrow morning".  Well OK, I'm up for something new and unusual.
 
Problem is, I've never hunted and the last time I shot a gun was around the age of 12 with a 22 long at YMCA camp.  He takes me out on his property, hands me a 30 ought(?) 6 rifle, and gives me 5 rounds to hit a target at ~ 80 yards.  I did manage to hit it around the edges with 2 rounds, and thought my right shoulder was permanently damaged.
 
Next morning, at friggin' 5:00 AM, we up and at it.  Private property of a friend of his.  Sit in a tree stand and gaze over the woods.  See a few white tails running out of range, and after 4 hours go back to the house.  Beer time.
 
Next morning, drags me out of bed before the sunrise.  "Let's go again!"  Cracks a big smile, hands me a beer.  People do not act like this in suburbia. 
 
Same place, different tree stand.  Quiet. lovely morning, warm when the sun comes up.  Peaceful, almost meditative., but I'm watchful.
 
I swear that this deer appeared right in front of me, like it was "transported" from space.  Maybe 70 or 80 yards away.  Never saw it browsing through the field right in front of me.  Took a shot.  Went down to the ground,  struggled up, and ran like a bat out of hell. 
 
We tracked the blood for about 300 yards and it was down.  Never heard the report of the rifle, or felt the recoil.  Maybe an instinctive genetic memory when man really had to hunt for food or starve.
 
 

^  Well that is real positive.
 
Fishing should be fun when first starting out at a very young age.  Ryan's suggestion of simple bluegills or sunny's is a great idea.  Little fish, usually bite on most anything, and easy and fun to catch for a little guy.  Don't remember being quite that young and never had children.  But would imagine a few hours without a catch or action would be a bit of a boring stretch for a youngster.
 
Time spent with a small child is important.  Fun time spent is more valuable and ingrained.
 
Back to the thread about hunting.  Long story, will try and be short.  2 Thanksgiving's  ago, we spent some time with my (inlaw) nephew and family in central NY state.  Arrived on Wednesday afternoon,  and as soon as out of the truck, my nephew declares, "We're going deer hunting early tomorrow morning".  Well OK, I'm up for something new and unusual.
 
Problem is, I've never hunted and the last time I shot a gun was around the age of 12 with a 22 long at YMCA camp.  He takes me out on his property, hands me a 30 ought(?) 6 rifle, and gives me 5 rounds to hit a target at ~ 80 yards.  I did manage to hit it around the edges with 2 rounds, and thought my right shoulder was permanently damaged.
 
Next morning, at friggin' 5:00 AM, we up and at it.  Private property of a friend of his.  Sit in a tree stand and gaze over the woods.  See a few white tails running out of range, and after 4 hours go back to the house.  Beer time.
 
Next morning, drags me out of bed before the sunrise.  "Let's go again!"  Cracks a big smile, hands me a beer.  People do not act like this in suburbia. 
 
Same place, different tree stand.  Quiet. lovely morning, warm when the sun comes up.  Peaceful, almost meditative., but I'm watchful.
 
I swear that this deer appeared right in front of me, like it was "transported" from space.  Maybe 70 or 80 yards away.  Never saw it browsing through the field right in front of me.  Took a shot.  Went down to the ground,  struggled up, and ran like a bat out of hell. 
 
We tracked the blood for about 300 yards and it was down.  Never heard the report of the rifle, or felt the recoil.  Maybe an instinctive genetic memory when man really had to hunt for food or starve.
 
 

Not in my opinion. The heros were there that day and the days that followed. They were the first responders that stayed awake for days. Searching through chaos, only to uncover horror and tragedy.
 
Those that packed their cars and drove hundreds of miles just to give blood or serve water to people they had never met before. The people in every state that put together food, clothing and needed supply drives in their local towns. The people who ran in when everyone was trying to run out.
 
I just got to go hang out with my brothers and kick doors in. It was mostly boring.

The. Best. Thing. Ever.

Beth,
 
Recently read that Steven Stills (of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young fame) was actually turned down when attempting to join the Monkees!

Not all of the prior stain was remove during stripping . When that happens the neutralizing process doesn't work in the ares which are dark . Why , because there is still finish there.

Shane,
Oh boy. Sorry. I did not know that Daniel was a forum leader.
TGS has been the premier website for good information on exterior wood care.
Pardon the ruckus. All my comments still apply.

Daniel,
I will admit to not being one of your fans. However, if you wish to start slinging mud, I'd suggest private messages. It is classless and a bit disrespectful to TGS, members, and the general public to post expletives on an open forum.
Your two statements shown above, written by you in this thread, are difficult to reconcile.
You asked a question about matching Cabot's Mahogany Flame pigment. I offered the best alternative that I am aware of.
Then you should know the pigments. Call the manufacturer, or Scott Paul, who sells a lot of TWP, maybe they can help. If available, order some sample cans.

Beth,
 
Also the new software ... Ouch!
 
Have a terrific holiday, we're all back at it on Tuesday morning.