Bonjour: Getting a French Drain From Select Basement Waterproofing

Since I lived in my current home, my basement has always been freezing. Even in the summertime, I need my Snuggie to stay warm down there.

I always had no idea why since I never remembered having those issues in my basement as a child. I also never recalled there being moisture problems with the HVAC pipes sometimes being covered in water from condensation, though my basement was finished with wood trim on the walls and a tiled floor covered with green carpeting.

Once we started seeing mold grow more than once on the walls, we knew it was time to call somebody in. The way our basement was set up was that there was exposed earth in between the end of the floor & the wall, which I always questioned and got a response of it being fine.

Select Basement WaterproofingBut after calling Select Basement Waterproofing, we found out differently when project manager Jason Weaver came to see us. Turns out, the moisture comes in through the walls to explain the condensation & the mold.

Oh and the freezing temperature? That’s from the moisture as well, especially in winter since it freezes inside the wall. And the fix for that was a French drain system and adding a 2nd subpump to our large basement area.

They were booked for a month solid, so we had to wait a while for the service, but it was worth it. It only took a day for this huge job to be performed, but it was a long day. Jason Weaver was not present at the job, so I dealt with his staff.

It was a combination of one guy who seemed to be running the show (who incidentally sat in my patio set without asking & fell asleep on his lunch break) with some others who did not seem to have English as their first language (hopefully not day laborers).

The French drain service was done very well and they were very understanding & patient when we ran into some payment issues (i.e. our debit cards wouldn’t let us charge that much since it seemed suspicious), but the one part of the job that was not so appealing was how much things were in disarray when they left.

Jason Weaver told me that certain walls would not be fixed by them (which should have been a hint), but they didn’t do simple things like turn the water back on for the washing machine, the hose was left on and the fact that the floor was still quite dirty. The cement dried over the next couple of days and we cleaned & restained the whole floor, bringing our basement back to its former glory.

Business Card Count: 40,503

Joe Krzeszewski: The Replacement Terminix Technician

Joe Krzeszewski TerminixIt’s always interesting when someone new and unexpected makes their way into your life. And that goes for things even as mundane sounding as exterminating… though the word exterminating sounds pretty badass.

But moving on… it’s time for our semiannual spray from Terminix to ensure no bugs come in the house. But it being summertime means there are bugs coming in, whether they’re flying in as we open and close the doors or crawl into the basement.

And on the day of the Terminix appointment, I missed a call from a number I didn’t recognize and after watering the garden (well, the dirt), Joe Krzeszewski scared me half to death since I was expecting our usual guy.

But I was informed that our usual guy took the month off since his wife was having surgery in Turkey. Random, but I guess healthcare costs a lot less there so that works to save money! But Krzeszewski also serves the area and took on our guy’s customers.

Joe was very laid back while ensuring that all of our property was sprayed inside and out. He also told me to give it an hour for the poison to dry, while our guy said 15 minutes. Not sure who to believe here, but it’s not like I’m crawling on the floor licking pesticide so it doesn’t matter.

The job got done efficiently and Joe seems like a nice enough guy based on the conversation we had.

Business Card Count: 38,269

I Found a 32-Year-Old Ambient Conditioning Business Card in My Basement

Mike Uchrin Heating Air ConditioningThis might be my most interesting business card story to date. And after my years of blogging and collecting, that’s saying something.

I was painting the ceiling of my laundry room when I came upon our heating unit and found an unusual envelope in a Ziploc bag. The envelope sure looked old, considering the discoloration. The name and address on it is:

  • Mike Uchrin Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc.
  • 289 High Street
  • Metuchen, N.J. 08840

I Googled Mike Uchrin and found some online listings for him in Metuchen and South Plainfield as well, but no Google My Business listing. That makes me assume it’s no longer in business since Google picks up all businesses that are open, unless it’s not registered to a specific address.

Then, I took a look inside the envelope and found paperwork from when the heater was installed, I assume. It was from November 30, 1985… 5 months after I was born. I was shocked to find an envelope this old, but I’m not too surprised considering our home was owned by an older couple for years and the house was built in the late 1950s. Then, I found a miracle: a business card that was as worn as the envelope it came in.

Ambient Conditioning

Ambient ConditioningI found it strange that a business card for a company called Ambient Conditioning, Inc. was in an envelope for Mike Uchrin Heating and Air Conditioning, but I’d have to assume that the companies either worked together or the owners just put all of the HVAC info in one place.

I can tell this business card is old since the Edison phone number starts with a 201 area code, which I discovered had 2 splits: the 908 area code in 1991 and the 732 (and 848) area code in 1997. Funny enough, Ambient Conditioning is still in business today in Fords, which is a quick drive from Edison.

I can’t imagine what their business card looks like today, but I might travel out to Fords just to snag one for my collection since it’s not a far drive for me. I’m glad I took a look inside this envelope to not only get the down low on my heater, but find a piece of history and a tough weird story to beat.

Business Card Count: 37,166

DWG Total Furniture Repair Company Fixed My Dining Room Set

DWG Total Furniture Repair CompanyDining room furniture is something we might take for granted since eating in front of the TV is more of the norm nowadays than having a meal at the family table. Most times, the dining room table is just a large place to put your mail and other assorted crapola.

But, there are times when the dining room table gets utilized besides sitting for dinner in the way it was intended such as for holding party platters and playing board games.

However, one of the legs on the table and the legs on 3 of the chairs were loose no matter how many times we attempted to tighten them. That’s when a call to Bob’s Discount Furniture came since they were still under warranty.

They contracted the warranty work out to DWG Total Furniture Repair Company, who are based in Roselle Park NJ. Apparently, Bob’s doesn’t have a team of their own that handles repair work, so I met Dwayne W. Gilyard who I’m assuming the DWG in the company name is. I guess hiring a one-man repair team is cheaper by the job than having someone on staff full-time to pay benefits to.

But I digress. He was set to arrive at 9 am, but arrived 10 minutes early. Normally, I would commend earliness, but I was running around that morning between grabbing some food and dropping the kids off at daycare. He was knocking at my door as I pulled up at 8:50 am and I had to shout at him from my car, almost hitting his truck in the process since I was focused on rolling down the window and trying to turn into my driveway.

Gilyard showed the “going the extra mile” initiative by arriving early and also tightening every leg on the table and all legs on all 6 dining room chairs. It only took him about a half hour to do all of the work and left before 9:30. I appreciated the extra effort and the fact that everything is as tight as a… whatever tight euphemism you use. Google Suggest offers up drum, whistle, tick, boiled owl, owl tiger, rope crossword, clam, simile and fishes arse.

I can’t tell you whether DWG Total Furniture Repair Company is a good business to use for your home fixing needs since all Dwayne did was tighten some bolts, but I can tell you that he seems to go the extra mile if you choose to call him.

Business Card Count: 37,032

Rich Tree Service Gave Our Backyard Some Non-Christmas Tree Removal

Rich Tree ServiceThe symbolism of a Christmas tree is so representative of the holiday season from Rockefeller Center to the one in your own home. Today, I’m talking about a different type of tree: a dead one.

More specifically, a really large dead one, a smaller dead one and 2 fig trees that we’re knocking out to make way for a fruit & vegetable garden next spring. That’s where Rich Tree Service comes in.

Or more specifically, a coupon for them plus seeing how they didn’t get bad reviews online. Anyway, we placed the call and the initial person (I assume Charles) came over and gave his estimate for how much the removal of the 2 trees & grinding the 2 fig trees down to the stump would cost.

Then I was informed by Rich Tree Service that in order to take the trees out that part of our fence would have to be removed. That was definitely acceptable since it was promised that it would be put back together. And it was. However, I was neglected to be told that there would be huge tree parts placed on our front lawn and one of our outdoor Christmas decorations subsequently stopped working for good after the tree service was done.

Tree Removal South Plainfield NJ

The backyard was also torn up some because they had to drive a small vehicle into it to take down the tree and remove the tree parts. The most interesting thing was that the big tree that died took 3 chainsaws to remove because it wasn’t just wood. Parts of rock and metal actually got infused with the roots, causing there to be a difficult time for them.

But, they were quick, efficient and very helpful in removing a metal pole stuck up in our yard as well. The previous owners of the house were garden enthusiasts and had this pole up for the purposes of their plants. I did discover that the pole was not disposed of, but just thrown to the side under some leaves. This was disappointing since I got the impression that Rich Tree Service would be getting rid of it for us, but not too much of a shock since it’s not made of metal.

I didn’t catch a name, but I also found one of the tree service people to be a bit of a jerk/phony even though he was trying to be funny. That’s what happens when you try to be jokey with a customer you don’t really know.

Would I recommend Rich Tree Service if you’re looking for tree removal in Central New Jersey? I would say that they did the job that was asked of them, but I wish I was a bit more informed that there would be huge tree chunks in our front yard since I would have removed any electronics including the one that stopped working after their service.

Business Card Count: 36,777

Realtor Curtis Counts Left a Thanksgiving Apple Pie on Our Doorstep

Curtis Counts RealtorThe holidays are a time for giving. Not just for family, but in general. Everyone seems nicer around the holidays. Unless you’re Black Friday shopping, then watch out.

But getting back onto topic. One recent afternoon, my significant other came home to an apple pie on the stoop. Along with it was the business card of Curtis Counts, a Remax realtor.

I was unaware of the significance of who Curtis Counts was until I was told that he helped my significant other with her home purchase. The first thing that came to my mind was “wow, that’s a nice thing to do.”

Remax Clark NJThe second thing is that all I ever got from my past realtors were cards and headaches. But I digress.

The apple pie was very tasty and would definitely fall into the category of an apple crisp because of its topping. That reminds me of my grandmother who made apple crisp, but I regretfully never had any because I was a picky eater in my youth.

Id like to thank Curtis for the lovely gift that complemented my pistachio Halo Top Creamery pint. It was enjoyed by my significant other and I very much.

Tis Better to Give

I think giving during the holidays is a nice gesture that can be spread all year around. I try to be giving in nature in general, but I know that I can’t always do so monetarily or with my time.

Thisyear, my Christmas season will be different because I had the idea to volunteer for the holidays. I’m still looking for a good place to do so in my area, but I’ve never really volunteered before and want to give back somehow.

My significant other and I will be heading to the Dominican Republic the week before as well since we’ll be seeing my family the week before.

Business Card Count: 36,580

Getting a Quarterly Spot Spraying & Checkup From Terminix

Terminix Trenton NJBugs have never really been a huge problem for me, more of a nuisance. A hatred of ankle-biting mosquitoes in the summer time.

Though the house I bought did have a cricket issue of them being in the wall, so that was fun. I believe I got someone to take care of them while patching the hold causing the problems.

But I feel like this is my first experience with regular bug treatments with a company like Terminix. That’s because my significant other has a plan with them that costs a minimal amount per quarter.

And I must say the outer pods are effective since I barely see bugs inside. It was only when I started dwelling in the basement (and we cleaned it) did a few more start coming.

The other day, Ibrahim Temur from Terminix came out to the house to do some spraying inside and out. He said the inside hadn’t been done in a while, so its a good thing it got done.

I was picturing a tent needing to be erected and evacuating to the backyard from the fumes. Turns out, it’s a small canister of spray and the area couldn’t be touched for 15 minutes.

Ibrahim, which must be Abraham in another language, was polite and thorough to ensure everywhere that needed to get hit did. If it keeps critters out for winter, it’s well worth the money.

Business Card Count: 36,518

How Arctic Air Conditioning Fixed a Most Unusual Issue

Sal Del're Arctic Air ConditioningKnowing the AC doesn’t work on a hot day really sucks. This happened one day recently and it was time to call somebody. But I didn’t know anybody.

Since I spent so much time at Home Depot getting paint to give the basement a new coat of paint (pun intended, though my significant other did more painting than I did), I decided to see if they knew someone who could help with this. And they had a company they recommend in my area called Arctic Air Conditioning.

I received a call from Arctic Air Conditioning to set up an appointment a couple of days later and they had openings, so it was only for a weekend that the AC didn’t work. Early Monday morning came and so did Sal Del’re.

If the R in his name is capitalized, I can’t tell from the business card, which has a cool cartoon Eskimo mascot on it who looks to be dancing. But I digress.

Sal was very helpful in fixing our air conditioning issue. Well, issues technically. The first one was more minor when he pulled the air filter out that got SUCKED INSIDE the unit. It looked like a dusty flattened accordion by the end.

The more major issue was a wire not working since it appears to have been cut. The basement was home to many wires that led nowhere, so it must have been pulled on by accident. My bad people.

I’d use Arctic Air Conditioning again and hope that Sal would return to help us out. Or maybe somebody else with a different business card can, so I can add a new one to my collection.

Business Card Count: 36,378

Another Move Down: The Good & Bad of My Most Recent Home Move

Tom's Automotive Service Old Bridge NJMoving day is always a stressful time since there are so many moving parts. But I doubt I’ve ever had a move as mentally taxing as this one.

That’s because there were a lot of layers to it. For one, I only had 3 days notice doe to my landlord somehow telling the homeowner that we’d be out by the 15th of the month when we agreed on the 1st of the next month.

My landlord also offered to get a truck for us both, but reneged. I also asked for half my rent back and am waiting on it. I would have stayed until I got my money, but the homeowner said they’d clear everything out using a junk removal company on the 15th.

So I couldn’t just stick around. At least I left things behind I didn’t want to carry out. But the landlord complained about that even though she told me I could leave anything behind since leaving excess garbage out would have cost her money.

She even sent photos claiming she’d be charged for the cleaning crew though they’d be brought in anyway. Between no notice and the fact that I haven’t heard from her since the move except for the photos, I hope karma gets her good.

This situation really caused me to panic over finding a truck, which I wound up getting at Tom’s Automotive Service on Old Bridge NJ. The place was far off of my beaten path and looked like such an old-school mechanic in the middle of nowhere.

They only had a 10-foot truck available and I thought that I’d be okay since I downsized a lot. Not enough apparently since I needed to make 2 trips, which led to a longer time moving. But it meant that I got more of a workout since I did a good amount of heavy lifting and walking. I did not go to the gym afterwards. Or the next day.

I also got some good bonding time in with my mother and significant other who both helped me with this move at the drop of a hat. I’m much happier in the new place than the old one since it means a new chapter in my life that I’ve been anticipating for a long time now.

Not to mention the laundry isn’t left in the machine for days and I’m not in a basement where the bathroom ceiling looks like it was chewed by beavers.

Business Card Count: 36,158

Finding Old Business Cards & Much More During the Home Packing Process

Old Business CardsPacking can definitely be tough, especially if you intend on downsizing for the first time. That’s the case for my move.

I held onto a lot of things I brought into the house & got from the divorce since they were mine. But I know that I needed to downsize a good amount. I was hesitant to do it at first, but I found it therapeutic and emotional as I was doing it.

I found things that I forgot I even had, including some duplicate business cards in a random bag. Shockingly, there were some bigger-ticket items than these cards.

After it was all set and done, I purged the following items:

  • Old VHS tapes that can be found digitally
  • Old games I don’t play anymore
  • Old paperwork/bills from accounts I closed as long as 10 years ago (shred, baby shred)
  • Clothes that don’t fit me anymore (anything 2x and/or I didn’t wear was donated)
  • Old greeting cards/books/non-photo memory keepsakes collecting dust & not being looked at after 2 or more moves
  • Anything I haven’t used in at least a year or was later found to be broken or there wasn’t space for

Overall, the packing & downsizing process was very eye opening for me. Seeing past bills from when I was in credit card debt, old statements from places I used to live, cards from old birthdays/holidays & sympathy cards from my dad’s passing and other things I honestly forgot I had brought up memories.

But getting rid of them helps me to leave my past in the past and concentrate on building the future that is the next chapter in my life.

Business Card Count: 36,098