InsertSnappyNameHere's Profile
- 1996
- 2007
- Brooklyn
- Park Slope
- Rental
- Attorney
- Female
Author's Posts
August 31, 2009
Clogged Tub Drains
My bathtub drain is severely clogged...again. I don't want to waste the landlord's money by asking him to have a plumber come out and snake it. In the past, I had noticed that by dumping several pots of boiling hot water down the bathroom sink drain, the tub drain was flushed clear and the problem was solved. This time it's not working. Liquid Plummr and it's other counterparts have failed to do the job. I suspect that the pipes in my apartment are quite old (I already replaced a portion of pipe under my kitchen sink that had basically rotted and burst) so I'm wary of using extra strong chemicals. Any suggestions (cheap ones!) that I could try and do on my own without asking my landlord to spend $$$ on a plumber?
May 24, 2009
New Floors for Rental Apt.
I’ve been living in the same rental apartment for 10 years now, and when I moved in, everything was brand new. The living room and bedroom are carpeted, but as you can imagine, after 10 years the carpet needs to go. Besides the look of it, I have severe allergies and asthma (and a shedding cat). I want to convince my landlord that it's time to change out the flooring, particularly to a solid surface floor. Because he is so nice and my rent is so low, I'd like to approach him with some super low-cost options and maybe even some options I could install myself. I’ve been looking online at vinyl planks that have the look of hardwood. Vinyl was my first choice simply because the subfloor in my apartment is EXTREMELY uneven. In the bedroom when walking towards the bed, it actually feels like you are going uphill! The living room isn’t as bad as that, but it’s definitely not level. It was my understanding that vinyl peel and stick planks can be placed on an unlevel floor without using a leveling compound (and maybe just using a self leveling underlayment.) Am I wrong? I’ve read up on a product called Novalis and it seems to get great reviews on gardenweb (picture of Novalis planks seen here - http://tinyurl.com/oodqcy). It’s cheap and would suit my purposes. My living room is about 8’10”x11’2” and the bedroom is about 9’6”x18’. So, figuring that I’d need about 280 square feet of flooring (to be safe), it will cost just over $300. Do you think that flooring would work on an uneven floor? Or will it just peel up on me? I’m super handy so I think I could install it myself. If necessary, how hard is it to level out a floor? Could I do that myself? (the subfloor appears to be plywood planks.) Is there any other super cheap product I could suggest to the landlord besides more carpet?
Author's Comments
Here's one for Chicken:
http://tinyurl.com/yg3gjch
One for anyone feeling particularly Chrismtas-y:
http://tinyurl.com/ygv8yo3
For the dog lovers:
http://tinyurl.com/yhowmrp
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:32 PM in response to Open Thread
Bxgirl, I'll see what I can do about finding some donkey undies!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:27 PM in response to Open Thread
Cobble, I think we need to commit a federal level crime so we can live it up in one of those golf course fed prisons! My backswing is a little shaky anyway and I need the practice. Too bad Martha's not still there. We could be eating quite well!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:24 PM in response to Open Thread
Ha! Rob, the lights are already on...we are still here! And because we have no PLUSA money, there is no toilet paper and hand soap to steal!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:22 PM in response to Open Thread
If prison is humid I refuse to go...everyday would be a bad hair day! I can't take incarceration and a daily 'fro!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:18 PM in response to Open Thread
We can make Randi do the waxing and other general manscaping!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:17 PM in response to Open Thread
The shoes:
http://tinyurl.com/owuu3o
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:16 PM in response to Open Thread
Clear heels for the boys! With fish in them! (so our wee ones can have a treat after the video shoot)
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:15 PM in response to Open Thread
Bxgirl, how about we make them wear these:
http://tinyurl.com/3yj5xg
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:14 PM in response to Open Thread
Cobble, I'll be sporting a beehive for my perp walk!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:12 PM in response to Open Thread
Ha!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:12 PM in response to Open Thread
Bxgirl, we'll need a case of hair gel and a vat of concealer. We'll make these boys camera pretty in no time at all!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:09 PM in response to Open Thread
Cargar, for the vid you must wear briefs! No exceptions!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:08 PM in response to Open Thread
ROFL Cobble! Oh, and wipe your chin...you spilled a little!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:06 PM in response to Open Thread
Scary thing, Cargar, I still haven't cracked open a beer yet! This is pure, unadulterated Snappy nuttiness you are seeing now!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:03 PM in response to Open Thread
LOL Cobble! Feel free to drop by...I'll have on King of the Hill reruns on Cartoon network around 1am :) LOL
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:02 PM in response to Open Thread
Well, Cobble, if that image scares you then I guess the scene where they all strip down to their tightie whities and have a pillow fight is out as well? :)
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:54 PM in response to Open Thread
C'mon Cobble! You mean you don't wanna see Dave's nips? Don't lie! LOL
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:53 PM in response to Open Thread
Good idea Cobble...know anyone in the cement business? We can make her disappear forever and have a nice little giggle everytime we drive over the new Kosciuszko Bridge :)
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:52 PM in response to Open Thread
NO!!! Not my wee ones and mini-mes!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:50 PM in response to Open Thread
"You have to get your pussy paws into every guy who comes along."
ROFLMAO!!!!
PUSSY PAWS???? PUSSY PAWS????
ROFL!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:49 PM in response to Open Thread
Cobble, for the PLUSAs Gone Wild vids, I'm imagining the boys standing in a row lifting their shirts and showing their nips! We'll have to have a meeting to decide if we will release the video uncensored or if we need to digitally edit in a black bar to hide it!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:48 PM in response to Open Thread
Bxgirl!! Are you blackmailing us? Fine, you can have the microphone, dog collar and 93 cents that are currently in the PLUSA coffers. Is that sufficient to button you up? :)
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:46 PM in response to Open Thread
If I have to hide by putting a jacket over my head what makes you think I can swing them letting you wear a hoodie and shades??? LOL
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:44 PM in response to Open Thread
Bxgirl, next year we will offer a PLUSAs Gone Wild video series. You and your video camera will be on call!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:43 PM in response to Open Thread
Denton, it's a deal!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:37 PM in response to Open Thread
Ok...skip the speedos...we'll just give him a wash cloth to hide his naughty bits. Depending on the size of the wash cloth, we may be able to raise the price to $75 per calendar!
(my word, I hope Amzi isn't reading this...he may kill us!)
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:36 PM in response to Open Thread
I'll only do a perp walk if they:
1. Allow me to put my jacket over my head so no one sees my shamed face.
2. Guide me while doing the perp walk so I don't run into any pillars face first (Don't wanna wind up on the news AND America's Funniest Home Videos or World's Dumbest Criminals)
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:35 PM in response to Open Thread
Yes, Denton, as PLUSA photographer, we'll be having you take the photos. But I don't wanna hear anything about union prices or working conditions. You get a bottle of water and $5 per photo...THAT'S IT!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:32 PM in response to Open Thread
I'm thinking no shirt and and speedos...gotta make the $50 per calendar price tag worth it!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:31 PM in response to Open Thread
ENY, any lawyer who represents themselves in this type of case is a fool!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:27 PM in response to Open Thread
Let's just hope they don't make us do a perp walk through the OT.
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:24 PM in response to Open Thread
Cobble, maybe we can make bail with the Beefcake calendar money and be out in time for the Holiday Bash!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:23 PM in response to Open Thread
Save me a glass! I'll bring the smack to spike the drinks with :)
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:22 PM in response to Open Thread
Hmmm...can heroin be stored in a light fixture? LOL
**If the DEA or NYPD are reading this, I am TOTALLY JOKING**
**Oh, and, if you come arrest me, I've got nothing to say except I WANT A LAWYER. NOW!**
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:18 PM in response to Open Thread
Damn. You mean I gotta get rid of my stash as well? What the hell am I supposed to put in the cookie jar now, Cobble?
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:13 PM in response to Open Thread
"Brandon Fuckin Jacobs"
Cool middle name. Or is that his mom's maiden name?
:-p
*I still need beer and a nap*
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:12 PM in response to Open Thread
If Raunch Awards were given out, I think we'd all be nominated! (You still win this week Cobble!)
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:06 PM in response to Open Thread
Bxgirl, when I first started reading your 4:59 I was thinking, "Damn, what a sucky life she's lead if she's never had multiples...poor woman!" Then I continued reading and realized you were responding to what Cobble said. Ha!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:02 PM in response to Open Thread
Nah, Dave, it came from the thigh pouch on my thigh highs...gotta have a place to hide the dough when strolling the avenue :)
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 5:01 PM in response to Open Thread
I do know he SUCKED as a player.
ENY, I'm pretty sure that Dave likes 'players' who 'suck' :)
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 4:59 PM in response to Open Thread
BEEFCAKE....BEEFCAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 4:58 PM in response to Open Thread
bxgrl's pimping her pussies??
ROFL!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 4:57 PM in response to Open Thread
DH, I think they are at the bottom of the barrell and willing to take whatever they can get their paws on!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 4:54 PM in response to Open Thread
Bxgirl, I saw your wee ones on the corner of Flatbush and 5th last night saying "Yo, I got that snow! 20 dolla, 20 dolla!"
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 4:53 PM in response to Open Thread
Pia doesn't hook...she is a thief though. She likes to take paper money and wad it up under the bed. I caught her running off with a $100 bill once and chased her under the bed. When I moved the bed I discovered about $22 in fives and ones under there. Damn five finger Frieda.
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 4:50 PM in response to Open Thread
Do they have Fur-Anon for family members of kitties on smack (similar to Al-Anon)? We may have to go to some meetings too to learn how to support their efforts to stay off the pipe!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 4:48 PM in response to Open Thread
Cobble! I've got it! We can raise money and have our PLUSA coffers spilling over if we a do a calendar for 2010: Brownstoner: The PLUSA Beefcake Edition. Amzi will be forced to pose for at least 7/12 months. My guess is that Dave will buy many, many calendars. We'll be rich!
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 4:46 PM in response to Open Thread
Perhaps we need to stage a kitty intervention and send them off to rehab. I've heard Furball Hills out in Phoenix does great with wee ones on the smack.
:-)
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 4:42 PM in response to Open Thread
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
eman1234
since when is making a pass at a woman considered a culture?
You't can't imagine how many men bug the crap outta me on a daily basis.
Tis the season to be jolly.........
Posted by: Ysabelle at November 6, 2009 10:20 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism
Listen, the reality is that women get hazed in stereotypically male work environments, and shouldn't need tougher skin than men in similar positions but absolutely do.
As a woman who has worked on way more jobsites than offices, I have survived and thrive because I have a very dirty mouth, am not afraid of conflict and am just about impossible to offend. I also go ahead and sympathize with how weird it looks to see a tiny blonde woman lifting a 100-lb bag of cement, actively point out that I am smaller than my co-workers, and generally don't try to act like everything's normal. I am a novelty, and honestly it's easier and more honest to work with it than it is to work against it.
You can't change people, but you can behave as if you will be treated the way you want to be treated, and empathize with the fact that a lot of people in the trades have very little formal education, come from countries that are really sexist, and live in a much more gendered world than you do. This mixture of integrity and empathy is strong. It doesn't work instantly, and is more about developing relationships than negotiating the hardware store, but it works really well.
Posted by: vanburenproud at November 7, 2009 9:33 AM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism
The surprising thing about this thread is it is full of women I had previously assumed were men.
Posted by: mopar at November 7, 2009 10:36 AM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism
My two cents.
Replacing bathroom fixtures is really easy if all goes as planned, but throw in a leaky shut off valve, corroded pipes, or any of the million other things that can go wrong and things get annoying very quickly. If I were a novice, I would make sure I had a friend on standby who knew what he or she was doing and could come over and bail me out if it came to it. Otherwise you may end up shaving (or worse) in the kitchen sink for a few days.
Installing crown molding in my opinion is more difficult to do than flooring, but it's going to be a lot less intrusive on your life style than the flooring.
If you're doing tongue and groove hardwood, you can get by with a circular saw since if you do it correctly, all of your cuts will be hidden by either baseboard or shoe molding so you have a little wiggle room. Rent the nailer, which will put you on a tighter timeline for getting things done, but it's one of those tools that you're not going to use very often. Laminate click and lock flooring is easier and requires very few tools.
I hate installing crown molding. It's a pain in the neck to get it perfect, and it looks terrible if you don't.
Posted by: Bond at November 7, 2009 12:17 PM in response to DIY Beginner Project?
"The surprising thing about this thread is it is full of women I had previously assumed were men."
You sexist :-)
Posted by: denton at November 7, 2009 5:30 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism
Ha! All right...nite everyone...and enjoy the undies :)
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 6:33 PM in response to Open Thread