New York Renovator

I admit, I am not a very good “safety gear” kind of person. It’s over 90 degrees for days on end! I am NOT wearing heavy denim overalls, steamy dust masks, and safety glasses that fog up. One thing I’d like to know is how does wearing safety glasses improve safety? I think they jeopardize safety– I wear regular glasses, and when I wear those ugly, heavy, blurry safety glasses, they steam up in seconds; I can’t see through them! How does this constitute “safety”? lol. Plus, the safety glasses are designed for someone the size of Chewbacca. Hello, “safety” gear manufacturers– we women do stuff around the house, too!!

Anyway, lol… I wear a lot of t-shirts and shorts as I work. I do wear gloves. But you can imagine how quickly I burn through the clothing– most of my t-shirts are now slathered in paint, caulk, have small tears, etc etc. We are ALWAYS looking for new t-shirts. The kids (all teens now) especially like “meaningful” custom t-shirts. One of their favorites is made by Voice of the Martyrs, and it says “This shirt is illegal in 52 countries.” It’s a great conversation starter at Home Depot. And I do love my Chuck Norris t-shirts.

I saw this t-shirt recently, and it made me crack up. LOL

This is on the front:

And this is on the back:

Bwahahaha!

I noticed that there’s a bunch of hype about Eclipse t-shirts right now. It’s EVERYWHERE. I don’t understand society’s sicko obsession with vampires, honestly. I don’t follow most of the movies that come out these days, but a lot of bloggers were discussing the movie, talking about how Rotten Tomatoes Reviews Eclipse; so that’s the only reason I’m even aware of the thing. I don’t get how sick stuff like blood and vampires are so accepted by society as “OK,” but Christian t-shirts are “offensive.” :-p Doesn’t make sense to me.

Anyway, t-shirts are the clothing of choice for work, at least in this heat. Maybe they’ll eventually come out with VOM gloves, or Chuck Norris safety glasses…

OK, have you got an emergency kit for your home and car yet? You should have one! We have had some winter car mishaps, and have had power losses from time to time– an emergency kit is cheap and, believe me, it’s very, very convenient when you need it. You can also have all the individual “stuff” and place it in a big box, but a kit is nice because it’s compact, and because family members are less likely to “borrow” a tool from the kit and never put it back. Not like that has ever happened here. :-p We can never even seem to keep track of our flashlight…

ANYWAY, a kit is very important. It’s good to have one in the car for winter, and in the house year round.

A car good kit includes:
A hand-crank battery-operated flashlight
A hand-crank battery-operated radio
Antibiotic ointment and bandages
Aspirin or ibuprofen
Compass
Waterproof plastic zip bags, with one bag filled with matches
Whistle
Small, portable shovel
Flares
Small blanket
Small amount of cash

A good home kit includes:
A hand-crank battery-operated flashlight
A hand-crank battery-operated radio
Antibiotic ointment and bandages
Aspirin or ibuprofen
Waterproof plastic zip bags, with one bag filled with matches
Whistle
Fire extinguisher
List of emergency telephone numbers and contact names
Small amount of cash

Buy.com has a great sale on the First Survivor Emergency Kit. It’s only $17 and the shipping is free. It also includes a handy Mobile Phone Charger with Dynamo Hand Crank Power Generator.

Also, this is the time of year when you should check to make sure you have operating smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. New laws have been passed in various municipalities. Here in New York, carbon monoxide detectors is now mandatory for all dwelling places, both new and existing.

It does not take very much time and effort to provide for safety in the home and car. And Buy.com has made it easy on the budget, too. They have great prices on smoke and carbon monoxide detectors (ooo and on radar detectors, too! heehee). Some manufacturers have come out with combination detectors, too, and Buy.com carries them.

Stay safe this summer!

February is a big vacation month for us in the Northeast, but you don’t want to wait until then to prepare your vacation plans. If you will be leaving your home for any length of time on a holiday, you want to be sure that your home and all its contents will be safe (and still there!) upon your return. Here are a few security and home care tips to prepare your home before you leave for any extended trip:

• Turn off your water supply.
  In your basement near the water meter (where the water comes in to your home), there’s a valve that controls the input of water. It’s recommended that you turn off your water supply before an extended trip. Be sure to do this and empty your plumbing of water if you turn off your furnace during your vacation, so that a deep freeze does not freeze your pipes and cause them to burst. I’ve heard through the grapevine that some insurance companies insist you shut off your water supply AND drain the water from your plumbing before a vacation, or any damage will not be covered.
• Turn off your furnace, or set it on low.
  This is best if you live in a high humidity area, to prevent mold and mildew. You can even get a timer to have the furnace turn on periodically; or, set it at 55 so it will run when the temperature drops.
• Unplug large appliances.
  The refrigerator, hot water tank, computers, power-sucking TVs, etc… these don’t need to be on. If you have those “vampire” appliances (appliances that still use energy even when in “off” mode), unplug them all.
• Place a “hold” on your mail.
  One of the first things a thief looks for is if the mailbox is being emptied regularly. You can go to the [...]