What Irked You Today?

[HomerS]

40 minutes ago, espo said:

Might want to check out the possible side effects. Sometimes the cure can be worse than the sickness. 

Due to my A1C, the Dr put me on Metformin.  My wife is nurse and warned me the major side effect is diarrhea.  Not just diarrhea.....let me just say the scene from Dumb &  Dumberer with Jeff Bridge's in the bathroom is no longer funny!  Do not trust your sphincter to determine if that flatulence is a liquid, solid or gas!!!  

[slusher]

18 hours ago, HomerS said:

Due to my A1C, the Dr put me on Metformin.  My wife is nurse and warned me the major side effect is diarrhea.  Not just diarrhea.....let me just say the scene from Dumb &  Dumberer with Jeff Bridge's in the bathroom is no longer funny!  Do not trust your sphincter to determine if that flatulence is a liquid, solid or gas!!!  

I feel for you man…

[Calb56]

We started some remodeling work at our house. It started simple, and got more complicated. Got into the wiring, which we paid 6k for an electrician to put in a new panel.

The "handyman" who's supposed to pull 4 cadet heaters, he's pulled two but hasn't patched the sheetrock. Removed the fireplace and a wall, is still farting around with interior wiring. The electrician told him to staple the wiring, replace 2 plugs... he's been messing with the wiring for almost a month.

He hasn't finished the framing or the sheetrock.

He still has painting and the floor to do.

He's been here over 2 months and I swear on all that is holy, he's just doing the same thing over and over and not finishing.

All I want is my #@#!!! Ceiling and walls...

I'm not made of money, no fortunate son here!

[Calb56]

So... I get up around 2am to go to work, then work 10.5 hours. Today, I'm volunteering to help the guy hang the sheetrock on the ceiling so it gets done. This is what I'm paying for???

To work a full day and then help hang sheetrock on the ceiling while paying someone else to do it?

FML 

[Ace-Garageguy]

12 minutes ago, Calb56 said:

...Today, I'm volunteering to help the guy hang the sheetrock on the ceiling so it gets done. This is what I'm paying for???

To work a full day and then help hang sheetrock on the ceiling while paying someone else to do it?

Sorry to read about the trials you're having getting work done, but sadly, it's becoming pretty universal.

Finding quality- and competence-oriented craftsmen has always been a challenge, but it's worse now than ever.

I speak from very expensively acquired experience in multiple fields over decades.

[JollySipper]

4 hours ago, Calb56 said:

I'm volunteering to help the guy hang the sheetrock on the ceiling so it gets done.

If you were nearby, I could finish all of that and paint it in about 2 or 3 days...... I'd do it just to help you out!

Here in my apartment, the popcorn texture was falling off my kitchen ceiling. I finally had to fix it myself, as the company that manages these units is so very slack!

[Calb56]

23 minutes ago, JollySipper said:

If you were nearby, I could finish all of that and paint it in about 2 or 3 days...... I'd do it just to help you out!

Here in my apartment, the popcorn texture was falling off my kitchen ceiling. I finally had to fix it myself, as the company that manages these units is so very slack!

That would have been appreciated, this has turned into a nightmare. Both cost and the time involved.

We're reconsidering having him finishing the project which besides the finish work on the walls and ceilings include interior painting and installing the flooring we purchased.

My wife has two exes who are contractors and  she's going insane.

[89AKurt]

This makes me wonder if guys really like working on cars (trucks, boats, etc.).  I have been trying to get reliable brakes since I got Fakerri, I'm to the point of wishing I went all new Wilwood brakes system.  But no, never listen to my inner voice, again.  Having a mechanic shop do it.  Last week I showed up, opened both boxes with calipers, and discovered one was completely wrong, they warehouse to the store to the delivery person to the mechanic did not look at BOTH boxes, until me.  Today it was the correct caliper, but it leaked like crazy through the cylinders, so this time he is getting 3 calipers just in case.   He this week, had a really bad experience with Toyota, correct VIN#, but tie rods were wrong, from the dealer, wasted his time.  How does anyone stay in business when parts are always wrong?  Good thing this is not my daily or only vehicle.

Picture of paint stir stick used by the builder in 1977?

[TonyK]

Working on another 3d model car with the wheel diameter a bit too large to fit inside the tire. LOTS of tedious carving and sanding.

[Engine 51]

Sting trimmers. I dread using it every year. I have never been able to make friends with one yet, despite the salesman telling me how user friendly it is. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

On 6/18/2025 at 8:25 PM, 89AKurt said:

This makes me wonder if guys really like working on cars (trucks, boats, etc.).  I have been trying to get reliable brakes since I got Fakerri, I'm to the point of wishing I went all new Wilwood brakes system.  But no, never listen to my inner voice, again.  Having a mechanic shop do it.  Last week I showed up, opened both boxes with calipers, and discovered one was completely wrong, they warehouse to the store to the delivery person to the mechanic did not look at BOTH boxes, until me.  Today it was the correct caliper, but it leaked like crazy through the cylinders, so this time he is getting 3 calipers just in case.   He this week, had a really bad experience with Toyota, correct VIN#, but tie rods were wrong, from the dealer, wasted his time.  How does anyone stay in business when parts are always wrong?  Good thing this is not my daily or only vehicle.

Picture of paint stir stick used by the builder in 1977?

Honestly, most people who "work on cars" don't enjoy it. Thinking they did was a gross mistake I made when I got in the biz about the time the first Datsun Z-cars hit the market. Sadly, it's perceived as a job you get if you're too stupid to get clean employment, doubly sadly because being a GOOD mechanic takes a kinda big brain.

Welcome to my world. It never stops, and it's WAY worse than it used to be (wrong parts, "offshore" parts that aren't made to spec and/or fail early, or OEM stuff that's just not available anywhere at any price). Late-model collision parts not being available from any dealer nationwide is playing bloody hello with the bottom line and job-throughput at the most competent bodyshop I've ever seen. After well over fifty years, two generations of guys who DO really like working on cars (it shows in everything they turn out), the frustration of operating in today's business environment is bringing down the curtain. They're running a skeleton crew in a shop that used to support 3 times the staff because THERE'S NOBODY COMPETENT TO HIRE TO DO THE WORK RIGHT. And God knows they've tried. Happily for the owner, the property value has skyrocketed, and when the bay doors roll down the last time in the not too distant future, the shop buildings will likely be bulldozed to become a parking lot for the brandy-new gubmint complex across the street.

Far as the stir stick goes, that's typical of kit-car-builder "solutions", and almost every single car I touch that's had "something worked on" elsewhere is riddled with moron fixes.

But not to worry. Apparently all the worst of those mechanically inept dwerbles are happily designing poorly thought-out junk on computer screens for manufacturers now.

[johnyrotten]

33 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

being a GOOD mechanic takes a kinda big brain.

Ain't this the truth. Actual diagnostic skills and most importantly experience. Lots of guys just fire the parts cannon at a problem. 

[stavanzer]

41 minutes ago, Engine 51 said:

Sting trimmers. I dread using it every year. I have never been able to make friends with one yet, despite the salesman telling me how user friendly it is. 

I have a Brand New, 2 Stroke Gasoline Trimmer in the Garage that I cannot figure out how to start and use. So, there it sits, for the past 3 years.

So, I hear you on trimmers.

[stitchdup]

4 minutes ago, stavanzer said:

I have a Brand New, 2 Stroke Gasoline Trimmer in the Garage that I cannot figure out how to start and use. So, there it sits, for the past 3 years.

So, I hear you on trimmers.

on this side of the pond trimmers are for beards, i had wild visions in my head of why it would need an engine, lol

[johnyrotten]

2 minutes ago, stavanzer said:

I have a Brand New, 2 Stroke Gasoline Trimmer in the Garage that I cannot figure out how to start and use. So, there it sits, for the past 3 years.

So, I hear you on trimmers.

Most of these small engine problems are directly related to modern fuel, those carbs have extremely small orifices that clog. In the case of 2 stroke engines, too much oil fouls plugs,and any air leaks in the tank or lines will drive you crazy. And they are tuned very lean due to the epa

[peteski]

12 hours ago, stitchdup said:

on this side of the pond trimmers are for beards, i had wild visions in my head of why it would need an engine, lol

Around my area (in Northeast USA) the ones for grass are called weed-wackers. 

As for gasoline (um, petrol) powered trimmers, those are for really bushy out of control beards.

Edited June 21 by peteski

[A modeler named mike]

I can contest to the Weed Wacker lingo. The one I'm currently using and wish I had not bought is an electric Black & Decker model. It's body is shaped like a reciprocating saw. Now you can’t buy a electric powered Weed Wacker, it's gotta be either gas or battery. When this one finally dies, I'll be purchasing a gas powered one.

[Calb56]

1 hour ago, peteski said:

Around my area (in Northeast USA) the ones for grass are called weed-wackers. 

As for gasoline (um, petrol) powered trimmers, those are for really bushy out of control beards.

All of you just stay away from my outta control beard, just cuz I decided to grow it out again. I wanted it hitting my chest!

[89AKurt]

I've had an "irk" going for awhile, been keeping contained.  A couple months ago I unleashed my ire at the County.  No letter, nothing from them since their threat letter.  Everything about Fakerrari has been a test of patience.  Good thing it's just a toy.

[johnyrotten]

4 hours ago, 89AKurt said:

.  Everything about Fakerrari has been a test of patience.  Good thing it's just a toy

It's a cool car,no doubt about that. It was also someone's else's project at one time so you're left discovering the level of craftsmanship they had. And being an older chassis, you got the parts availability and whatnot, coupled with today's costs and quality issues. You'll get it sorted out. Been there, done that and dealing with the same on an ironhead sportster I inherited from my late father-in-law. Lots of "bad touch" on that bike. Funny thing is it looks like a million bucks at a glance.

[stitchdup]

I sat down to build a tamiya escort cosworth only to find someone had already decaled it and surperglued the glass in. and for some reason i cant understand they cut holes for the bumper and hood spotlights. the kit is completely ruined so now i'm sat with a uscp engine kit i cant use. £125 altogether wasted because ebay sellers cant tell the truth. i looked for another kit and i just cant justify it cos they start at £130 now. i should have checked the kit when it arrived

[Falcon Ranchero]

Kinda Irk/pleased but more so some irks. Took HS to the cruise night last night and it was pretty awesome. But some things made it kinda not awesome. Like on our way there some punk kid blaring his cr ap music in the lane beside us spewed up some sort of material from the road (not rocks thank goodness) but when we got to the cruise there were white blotches all over the hood we had to wipe off that weren't there when we left. And during the cruise some large military vehicle merged in from nowhere right in front of us; obviously didn't even pay the $20 to be part of the show/cruise, and we were stuck behind it for the one round we made. We were going to do maybe another round but some guy in a '69 Torino cut us off when we had the green arrow so we just decided to head home. I was somewhat baffled that some other classic car owners don't respect other classic car owners.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Pretty good day overall, but my left hip is quite unusually painful. Definitely got the old grampaw walk going on. 

Ah well. Take some ibuprofen and get on with it.   

[stavanzer]

7 hours ago, Falcon Ranchero said:

Kinda Irk/pleased but more so some irks. Took HS to the cruise night last night and it was pretty awesome. But some things made it kinda not awesome. Like on our way there some punk kid blaring his cr ap music in the lane beside us spewed up some sort of material from the road (not rocks thank goodness) but when we got to the cruise there were white blotches all over the hood we had to wipe off that weren't there when we left. And during the cruise some large military vehicle merged in from nowhere right in front of us; obviously didn't even pay the $20 to be part of the show/cruise, and we were stuck behind it for the one round we made. We were going to do maybe another round but some guy in a '69 Torino cut us off when we had the green arrow so we just decided to head home. I was somewhat baffled that some other classic car owners don't respect other classic car owners.

Welcome to the world of Classic Cars, Nathan.

Sadly, some of the Folks who have the $$$ to afford these Dream Machines, are not the nicest folks. I've seen it in all the Full Size Auto Hobbies I have been involved in. It makes no difference the category. Military Vehicles, Classic Cars, Model T Fords, Street Rods.  Rudeness, Entitlement, and just plain ole Selfishness show up in any organized Enthusiast Group. The Higher the Cost To Join, the more  "Jerks with Money" seem to show up.

There are always polite, helpful folks in these hobbies too. And usually they far outnumber teh jerks.

Glad Your Dad found some parts you needed.

Edited June 21 by stavanzer
spelling

[Calb56]

On 6/18/2025 at 5:42 AM, Ace-Garageguy said:

Sorry to read about the trials you're having getting work done, but sadly, it's becoming pretty universal.

Finding quality- and competence-oriented craftsmen has always been a challenge, but it's worse now than ever.

I speak from very expensively acquired experience in multiple fields over decades.

So... we're down several days more of "labor cost" but very little physically accomplished. My wife got frustrated and posted if anyone could suggest anyone able to do sheetrock, painting and floors. She received over twenty people responding who are looking for work, licensed and bonded with personal references. 

I told her to see what this guy accomplishes in the next two days, if it's not an improvement (we've spoken to him multiple times over the last three weeks), I told her to choose 3 or 4 to come place bids before this "handyman" bleeds us dry.

This is why I... well, I'm much calmer than I used to be.