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Born to Run

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Posts posted by Born to Run

  1. Still? I thought the Trump stuff had kind of worn off in the past few months to where at least they wouldn't be advertising it.
    I don't know why the coast attracts that kind of stuff. I grew up there and just don't get it. It's one reason why I like going to SPI instead. Less/none of that garbage down there.
    In my observation, the whole Maga flag thing on the coast has been slowly petering out over the last two years. Still see quite a few, but they are no longer Everywhere. Any many of the remaining flags are tattered and eligible. The pop up Maga grift guys are less frequent and with fewer customers. On of the guys down the way from my boat barn even took off his Trump boat wrap. Sad!

    Calhoun County at least, I'm down there 6-8 times a year.
  2. I’ve never had any of those things happen except moths, once, about a dozen years ago. So I got a cedar chest and it’s never happened since. I’d argue wool holds its shape, wears better, and shrinks MUCH less than cotton. 
    Moth traps in my closet do the trick and catch a disgusting amount of those bastards Before they wreak havoc.
  3. Hopefully these pics upload in the correct order.
     
    Have I fucked up?  Yes.  Did I ghost BtR?  Yes... however he is @ fault for that as well (the 1st portion, anyhow).  Part of that was delays because of what I was doing / elbows deep into a project when he or M called (at first) & then later it was "OK, so how do I get myself out of this?"  & He did send stuff via FB messenger; his GF as well.
     
    & Not that it matters, but the parking ticket is something I was unaware of until well after the fact.  All I can guess [on that one] is some asshat yanked the ticket off the windshield & I never saw it ...OOOOOOH...  YEAH, I DIDN'T HAVE THE REGISTRATION SO I COULDN'T RE-REGISTER IT into my name, so the mail went to him, NOT ME.
     
    As to a couple of other items that appeared in this thread, those who are noted can please send me a text (PM's are shitty with notifications, etc).
     
    If any of you fine readers want to discuss projects I have successfully handled for you, you are welcome to raise your hand.  I am not expecting anything, however I do know there are well over 75 Shaggers ... possible as many as 125 ... who I have done outstanding work for AND plenty who I have barely charged gas money or even nothing at all... some who I have merely consulted for free & told them "No $$ for me, pay the crew guy maybe $ ___ & keep me out of it."
    There's the fella up in Dallas where we did a total chimney removal as part of his re-roof.  I totally - 100% absorbed the costs on that.  A fella in Travis Country who needed a re-sleeve on a pipe boot & it took me less time to do that than it did to get my ladder off & back on the truck.  Someone else on this thread who we did a deck build for (around his new pool) after the total re-roofing (& after the public adjuster took an insanely long amount of time to push the file through), I didn't make even 25% of what I should have - & I didn't complain to him @ all (PS:  While you were @ the Notre Dame game, we jumped off the new porch roof & into the pool.  I don't regret that even a bit, nothing got damaged)..
      There is one person who in the last 2 months seemed surprised that I was going to have a gutter installation quoted by another co. & then take some $$ off the top when the specific profile (shape) they wanted is only available from 2 companies in the area & I put in the leg-work to track the product down (it was on a house next door to their BnB in Southeastern Austin... Cesar Chavez-ish area).
     
    I am well aware that negative reviews stick around a LOT longer than positive.  Reputations are crazy difficult to repair.  & I have definitely fucked this up.  But, as you will see... all is NOT 100% on me.  I will let the resident assholes dig into that & decide any re-allocated fault.
    I will also admit this:  Construction work (ownership, management, installation, ditch digger) is often where people end up because they aren't qualified to do anything else.  It can be like furniture or car sales - once you get into it & stick around for 9 months or more, you're probably stuck for the rest of your career.

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    Bro you said you were going to handle title. I've had everything you need since Sept of 2021. You have not responded since. Not one fucking time. Not to resolve truck, minor warranty issues on projects.

    Zero response full stop.
    All you had to do was take all the paperwork from us and handle your shit.

    We've offered to meet you anywhere or go in with you.

    You haven't been That busy if you're out buying dogs and parking illegally.
    Just more deflection and bullshit.


    I don't have time to wade through all this bullshit right now as I have family in town doing late Christmas until Monday.

    Maybe spend less time making excuses and handle your shit before its necessary to put you on blast to even get a response.

    Still no text or call, you coward.

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  4. The establishment of MCC here really spawned our transition from a college/state employee town to the tech hub it is today.  That also coincided with the building boom that article describes.  
    Things cooled a bit between the S&L crisis and the recession.  But by the mid-90's, Austin was off the races and was never looking back (save for the dot-com burst, but that was short lived).  I moved here in late '95 and all I heard about were the golden years of the 60's and 70's.  You know when real estate-based racism was all the rage apparently.  And the contemporaries I met when I first moved here claim it was our era of the 90's that was the heyday.  I think maybe the best balance time I personally lived through here was about 2005-2010.  We were growing too fast but I still knew my way around town, the Domain wasn't a whole city yet-just one short strip of stores, and we still got out to the all the festivals and concerts and holiday events, but they were complete logistical shitshows.  You could make it out to Lake Travis or Driftwood and things still seemed move a little slower out there.  Now it takes a week of planning.  Nevermind every fucking street in downtown is closed off.
    You get older and get caught up in the area immediately surrounding your workplace, the kids' schools, and the HEB of your choosing.  It's insane and unsustainable here in the long run, but the next 10-15 years still will be fun.  
    As Turk Pipkin once told me, "Only time you worry about an Austinite is when they quit bitching about the ole' days."  
    I see ol Turk at the Bee Caves Lowes quite often, is he even an Austinite anymore?

  5. Our school tried to fuck me on scheduling freshmen year. You could pick your schedule for the most part, so I chose world history for my first class. Got my schedule and those assholes had stuck me health. Had to go to the office and change that shit.

    Health was a jerk off class taught by the girls basketball coach. Save that shit for senior year, take the jerk off class, then go home (seniors could usually leave at noon).
    Took health as a sophomore. Ended up messing around with a senior that worked at Hooters and sat next to me, was smoking hot, dumb as fuck and needed help to graduate. Great semester!
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  6. Do we know if OP saw [mention=2205]Born to Run[/mention] put him on blast?  Last login date same day as initial call-out post but I don't know how to tell beyond that.  Guess there's an outside chance he's just been busy and will obliviously come back to 100 mentions and pitch forks.  More than likely he's lurking and reading from a new account or logged out in his browser.
    Either way... I will feel cheated if we don't get some kind of resolution here.  Whether it's a gaslighting, refuting counter or an earnest apology.  [mention=1009]ROFL BOX[/mention] don't be a bitch.  Have some honor.
    Yeah I felt that way for a fucking year. Maybe he's dead, maybe he has cancer, maybe he's so busy trying to make ends that the he can't bother to answer his phone or go to the DMV because he's hustling.
    Yeah hustling buying a superfluous dog he can't keep after a day. That's all I need to know. F you Rofl

    He knows about this thread. Dude has a million posts over the years and knows everyone on here. It weirdly was part of his identity.

    Delete thread and OP and move on.
    Hopefully my PI Brother Shamus handles it and isn't working both sides.
  7. No so cool story, bro -- I had gone my whole life without really trying sauerkraut until the 2012 Alamo Bowl against Oregon State.  In the early fourth quarter, I was fairly buzzed and starving, so I grabbed a hot dog close to my seats, and piled on sauerkraut for the extra calories.  I now won't eat a hot dog without it.
    Ruebens, dogs with kraut, or german sausage and kraut (childhood staple) plus beer equals superlative cropdusting fuel. Watch out husky fans.
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  8. Actually, as far as technical expertise, I'm comfortable saying that the guy knows his shit (and for reference, I've worked as an "expert witness" on construction defect stuff). I'm not a roofing expert by any means, but the guy has discussed problems that I've seen discussed in depos, etc.  
    Now, he wouldn't be the first construction guy to cut corners, borrow from Peter to pay Paul, generally suck at customer service, etc. 
    And, without going Cloak Room, y'all in Texas are pretty loosey-goosey when it comes to contractor licensing and qualifications, are you not? 
     
    We talking liscences bro. Don't need no stinking badges.

    I used to have one, the legislature phased them out. I'm third generation in the residential industry, my grandpa did cabinets. You wouldn't believe the amount of shit Builders we have here, anyone can be a builder. It's all up to inspectors. I suggest everyone hire a good third party inspector and engineer if outside a legit inspection area like Austin, and even then hire a good third party and verify the engineer is legit. I routinely collaborate with other contractors and I can see them budgeting getting sued on occasion to cut corners on the rest. Fuck that.

    That said, plenty of great builders and subs all over Austin. Some real talent.

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  9. I would somehow end up hanging out with ROFL every few ears. He even came to a crawfish boil of mine. Was always cool to me. Did some work for a friend and she too complained about his lack of communication. Told her to fire his ass and move on. 
    Last I saw him was at John Muellers memorial. He gave me a ride home in a white dodge ram with serious transmission issues. He went on about various things people had called him out on seemingly to explain. I gave zero fucks because I was tired and half drunk.
    I dont think he is a bad guy but just has absolutely no clue what he is doing.
    Perhaps on the spectrum.
    Who knows. 
     
    Yeah something like that, and it is always something.
  10. Also looking for different areas of town to grab lunch in via bike. Done Pearl District etc, South Presa. Might just end up back at Mon Chou Chou because we love it. Also interested I'm Attaboy if we do brunch, but lady is talking Gym and yoga in am before we get shitty in the afternoon.



  11. What are your contracts looking like these days? Are you doing cost plus a percentage? What percent for 2023? This is for a vacation home in the mountains and while contracts vary wildly, I'm curious what makes sense. Personally, for an $800K home, I'm thinking around a flat $100K over cost. I've already put together most costs and the builder is putting it into a sworn construction statement and filling in the blanks. I've already done the site location permit and fire department signoff and obtained an address and the HOA architect has approved the building and I am waiting on overall preliminary approval from the HOA.
    I don't anticipate any changes because it is SIP construction with the two main interior walls using SIPs as well. Since those walls can't be cut on-site we have to be pretty damn sure that we planned properly. I say we but I've done all the work and will get all the blame if there are mistakes. The plans are complete but may have some minor changes after the timber guy puts everything into CAD and the structural engineer reviews the timber plan. All materials have pretty much been chosen. I'll buy the sinks and lighting but that stuff is minor for us as I generally prefer recessed lighting and natural lighting. Countertops and backsplashes I think should wait until we can bring samples in. I'm trying to do custom cabinetry from Mexico instead of built-ins because of price. We will see how that goes. Luckily, the only built-in type cabinetry is on each side of the great room fireplace and in a nook upstairs.


    You honestly sound like you have your shit together and will be fine.


    I usually bill between 15% to 25% on residential depending on how much design I handle and other factors.
    Builder's were getting 30% or more last year. I don't play that, I like working for good clients that value quality and respect people's time and are cool with working a brisk but honest pace. I thrive on repeat business.
  12. Meh, when shit gets a little sideways, landscape is where cuts should be made.   You can always add landscape "next year", fucking windows and flooring need to be done NOW.  Same for hardscape.  
    I've seen people build a million-dollar house (20 years ago, when that was a TON of money) and have tinfoil on their windows because they couldn't afford window treatments.  Meanwhile, they were paying Pablo to mow their fine lawn and trim their hedges.  
    My background is mostly construction finance.   I can tell you about the Doctor's wife in La Canada that moved the same door 4 times from one side of the wall to the other.  That shit ain't free. Change orders are poison.  Bring an interior designer in at the planning stages, because your wife has shitty taste, and she's never looked at a set of drawings in her life. 
    Bring an interior designer in at the planning stages, because your wife has shitty taste, and she's never looked at a set of drawings in her life. 

    Yes that would be my biggest suggestion. And build pinterst, Houzz pages, and build a collaborative page with all parties- builder, arc, designer owner and trades. As early as possible, then get things on contract and allowances tight or more importantly, accounted for.
  13. You say that but [mention=279]scottsins[/mention] got my childhood friends dog off of death row pro bono and let her live out the rest of her days a free dog. He is a goddamn saint.  Everyone should care about the dogs like he does.
    Waffle box is gone so no need to worry about his ass anymore.
    That's great hear regarding Scottsins!

    We have an aggressive dog we've managed to keep alive for years incident free, excepting him biting the fiance and me, and let him live to his current ripe old age of 15 and now he's just a happy old mutt.
    Never hurt my kid, whose now in HS. We were just careful and trained a lot.


  14. Fuck, I'm building a house in the next few months. I get along with the builder and since so much planning has gone into the project, it should be straight forward. But, I have to say that your post makes me nervous because I get it. And when we are talking today's rate of $350K/sqft, shit could get real pretty quick.


    Nail down your allowances asap, and really press for a formal change order structure and try not to make a lot of changes.

    Most of the times I've gotten sideways was on allowances (thinking they'd want $1000 bath fixtures and they select 20k insane shit for a 3-2 in Crestview. Dm if you want a 10 min phone call to make sure you have a smooth process.

    Track additional expenses as they happen and budget more for landscaping than you think. (And start planning and budgeting for that, plus furniture, blinds and all that shit.) Do you need an organizer, have you budgeting storing furniture and design choices, whose responsible for that?

    I mostly do high end houses, so we already have budget and multiple teams planed for; design, storage, delivery and installation of shit I'm not normally dealing with like outdoor furniture and rugs, and the final move in shit. And organizing it all. That all adds up.
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