What's in This Issue?

Latest News
New Lighter USG Drywall
Dishwasher Detergent Warning
Tim's Garage Sale
High-Pressure Sales Tactics
Checklists
Update on DC Metro Card
Future Tool Reviews

I do product reviews frequently. Please read my Disclosure Policy to understand the relationship between me and the companies that make the products or offer the services I review.

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Friendly Question Reminder

If you have a question for me, don't hit the Reply button just yet. Go immediately to my web site and type in the keywords about your problem into my Search engine. The search box is at the top of every page of my web site. You could have your answer in seconds if you do this! Please pay attention to all links you see at my web site. The exact products and services you often need are right in front of you, and you might be ignoring them.

Latest News

Two weeks from today, the moving van will be here at my Cincinnati, OH house. The tempo is picking up with respect to the move. I made it back safely my last drive from New Hampshire thanks to the New York State DOT. It's a good thing they ground those rumble grooves into the side of the road that wake drivers who fall asleep. I can tell you they work.

This is a somewhat abbreviated newsletter because of all I have going on surrounding the move. I'll have much to share very soon. Next week, I'll be at the Delta Faucet headquarters in Indianapolis, IN for a one-day editors conference. I should come away with tons of new information about Delta faucets.

This is the first editors conference I've attended since shivering down in Florida 19 months ago. A Sears Lawn and Garden event was planned for a respite from cold weather in sunny, warm Florida, but a massive cold front swept all the way down from the Arctic to Miami and it was COLD at the central Florida location, believe me.

If you're in the public relations business, I can tell you these editors conferences get results. You should convince your clients to do them. I learn so much in such a short time and then can share it with all who I come into contact with.

New Lighter USG Drywall

USG, long considered the leader in gypsum panel technology, recently announced a new light drywall. They say it's 30 percent lighter but has all the strength of traditional drywall. I've not yet tested it, but could have used this just last week when I was carrying three sheets of drywall down the outdoor steps at my New Hampshire house. USG has always made great products in my opinion. Plus, they're made here in the USA - you've got to love that.

Dishwasher Detergent WARNING

In our Cincinnati house, Kathy showed me some discoloration that was happening inside our Viking dishwasher. It has a stainless-steel interior. I said that it had to be the dishwasher detergent. Sure enough, when you looked very closely at the back label, you could see it contained chlorine bleach.

Chlorine bleach and stainless steel don't play well together. She had switched detergents because she saw new labeling that promised it had Shine-Shield formulation.

The brand was Cascade. There was nothing on the front of the bottle stating that it had chlorine bleach. If you have a septic system, you don't want to use anything that contains chlorine bleach as this chemical kills the beneficial bacteria in the septic tank.

Cascade makes another blend that is chlorine-bleach free that we had been using. We switched back today.

Tim's Garage Sale

I'm having a blow out garage sale this Saturday, August 7, 2010, from 8:00 until Noon. I'm selling all sorts of tools, supplies, an awesome new never-used Rheem water heater (a model you can't get anymore), antique wood TV cabinets that have those two doors that open to the tube, an antique gas space heater, etc.

A *partial* list of what's for sale is in this pdf document. Bring cash. If you live within 75 miles, it might be worth showing up.

Please don't come early. I'll open up at 8:00 am sharp. The sale happens rain or shine.

High-Pressure Sales Tactics

This morning I received an email from Randolph. Here's what was on his mind:

Tim,
 
I wonder if I am the only subscriber that feels very frustrated by the contractor closing technique of incrementally significantly discounting the price if you decide on the spot to sign with them at the first meeting. Siding job price went from $34K to $19K over course of 20 minutes of me trying to get him out of house at 10:30 PM after 3-hour pitch. Such a discount seems to mean he was really trying to rip me off with first price. Am I wrong to feel this way about this apparently common practice?
 
Many thanks.
R. B. Wehner

Randolph, it's a very common tactic. And I have to tell you it gets results. The sad thing is that some consumers succumb to the initial price and indeed pay too much.

The best defense, when faced with this situation, is to take control of the sales situation. In my opinion, you made the biggest mistake by allowing this person to be in your home longer than 45 minutes. In the future, you tell any in-house salesperson that you can only devote 45 minutes to the presentation because you're a BUSY person. If they can't deliver the message in that time, it's too complex. After all, how long does it take to talk about siding, roofing or whatever?

At the beginning of the conversation, you take control by telling the salesperson that the first price out of their mouth must be their lowest price. If they lower the price at the end of the meeting, you'll consider them dishonest and absolutely will not do business with them. You also tell them that you'll NOT sign that night as you want to think about it. Remember, do this at the beginning of the presentation.

You can also take control of a sales situation like this by using one of my checklists. Let's talk about an exciting new project you're going to love.

Checklists

For years, I've sold checklists that allow you to spot the professional contractor that's going to give you the best Value for each dollar you spend. I had a massive sale on these back in March.

I've decided to expand the checklists and customize them for you. How you might ask? Well, here's what I'm going to start doing in September.

I'm going to feature either a new or revised checklist every two weeks. If it happens to be a checklist you want, after you purchase it, I'm going to do a FREE LIVE telephone seminar on the topic. Using feedback from you, I'm assembling and answering the top questions submitted to me about that checklist. Your question(s) may be among those I talk about on the phone!

Let's say you can't make it on the call for any number of reasons. No problem. Because you purchased the checklist during the special promotion, you'll be able to download the audio seminar. It's all part of the deal and it's going to be tons of fun, just like the 12 years I did my two-hour call-in radio show. Imagine how much ground I can cover in an hour of conversation. From past experience, I can tell you it's miles and miles.

Here's where I need your help now. Can you please go to the following page and look at the list of my current checklists. Select just one of all of my checklists that's most important to you NOW. You only get to pick one. After you select one, then tell me in the box at the bottom of the survey page the TOP THREE questions you have about that topic. Write short questions please.

When I see what the top checklists are, I'll start revising those immediately.

This survey has closed. Thank you to those who participated.

Update on DC Metro Card

Last issue, I gave away a DC Metro card to a subscriber. I thought that I'd get maybe ten requests for the card. WRONG!

First, the winner claimed the card four minutes after the newsletter was sent. That's FOUR minutes, not forty. I then went on to receive over 159 other requests! WOW!

Here's what the winner send back to me after I sent it to him in the mail:

Dear Tim,
 
The DC Metro card arrived in the mail. THANKS! I will use it Monday.
 
I was invited to the unveiling of the "All New" Ford Explorer. Will be having b'fast & lunch with the CEO of Ford. Lucky me - I am merely a peon whom the local Ford dealership appreciates and invited me to attend. The new Explorer will be based on a "car" chassis - vs its current "truck" chassis and supposedly get 30% better gas mileage. We own three Fords: F-150, minivan, Escape Hybrid.
 
I respect Ford for their "thumbing their nose" to the O'Bama admin's attempt to take over the US auto industry.
 
I read the "about me" info on your website. Impressive.
 
I was elated to see your comments regarding your support of the 2nd amendment. Please keep it up. Are you an NRA member? I hope so.
 
A little about me: Married, 2 kids/college grads. I am a Virginia Class B Licensed contractor and a retired US Army aviator.
 
Thanks again for the card and have a great summer. I am sure you will enjoy your new digs in New Hampshire. If you return to DC, maybe we can link up for a cup of Joe.
 
Mac

Mac, congratulations for winning once again and Thank You for your service to this great nation!

Future Tool Reviews

As insane as this sounds, Christmas is not that far away. I'm starting to get press releases about new tools and will be testing many in September and October. You want to open all future newsletters so you don't miss these reviews. Some of the tools are going to be fantastic. I can already tell by the description I get from the PR folks.

Wish me luck on the move. I'll get plenty of sleep the night before we drive to NH. No need to repeat what happened to me two days ago.

AsktheBuilder.com
100 Swain Rd.
Meredith, NH 03253, USA

What’s in This Issue?

Summer in NH
The Move
Deck Stain Test
Washington DC Metro Moola
Round Area LED Light
Frost Damage
Deck Checklist News
Moving Sale
Smoke Remediation
Craigslist Scam
Collectors Items

Remember, Do it Right, Not Over!

I do product reviews frequently. Please read my Disclosure Policy to understand the relationship between me and the companies that make the products or offer the services I review.

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Friendly Question Reminder!

If you have a question for me, don't hit the Reply button just yet. Go immediately to my web site and type in the keywords about your problem into my Search engine. The search box is at the top of every page of my web site. You could have your answer in seconds if you do this! Please pay attention to all links you see at my web site. The exact products and services you often need are right in front of you, and you might be ignoring them.

Summer is in its full glory here in New Hampshire. We had a recent heat wave last week that was pretty uncomfortable, but now we're back to regular temperatures in the 80's. The past few days I've spent hours floating and playing in the warm lake waters with friends. If you've not vacationed up here, you should. If you do, stay at Fred and Sandi's bed and breakfast, The Maria Atwood Inn. It's close to many great places up here in New Hampshire. Wait until you taste Sandi's scones and the maple butter. WOW! Watch the video at the bottom of their home page of me eating one of those bad boys. We had to do multiple takes of the ending of that video, but I wasn't complaining!

One month from today it will be all over. Kathy, Kelly, Tristan and I will have made the two-day journey from Cincinnati, OH with the animals and the moving van. If the drive goes as planned, Kathy will wake up for the first time exactly one month from today in our temporary home here in the Granite State. I'm anxious for that day for a host of reasons. I say temporary as we're hoping to break ground on the new home next spring.

I'll be leaving to go back to Cincinnati in just 12 days, so there is much to do here to get ready for the transition. One of the biggest tasks is installing the missing flashing at the rear deck. I'll be documenting that for an eBook for you in case you have a similar situation.

Deck Stain Test

I've been getting scads of emails about the status of the deck stain test I started back at the end of April. I'm taping a video today so you can see the results, but I'll share them now. Here's the original video shot as I was applying the stain and clear sealers:

The first sealer I applied was the Extreme Defy that's tinted brown. They call it Cedartone. It looks fantastic. I can't see any color fade and I see no discoloration at all. It looks magnificent.

The stripe next to it in the original video was supposed to be a clear product. It was Extreme Defy in clear. Well, it's not clear in my opinion. If you remember in the original video, it dried slightly gray. It's now slightly more gray. You can see some of the original cedar color, but not too much.

The third stripe was a Sherwin Williams product called Deckscapes in clear. It went on handsomely, but in less than three months, it's failed miserably. You'll see it in the video.

Finally, the fourth stripe of wood was cedar that I cleaned but didn't add any sealer. That wood is now completely gray and matches the planks of cedar perfectly that have Extreme Defy clear on them that's 13 months old.

It's important to note that all three sealers are still doing an EXCELLENT job with respect to repelling water. Water is STILL beading up on the wood. The failure so far has just been the color.

I've decided to do an extensive test next spring, featuring at least six to ten sealers that you see in the home centers as well as other top products like Defy. I'll be doing it in a more controlled manner using both cedar and treated lumber. I'll also be coating TWO samples of each wood with each sealer. One of the samples will stay outdoors but the other one is being taken inside and put in a box in my garage out of the sun. At different times of the year we'll be able to take the samples outdoors to video them against the ones in the weather. That's going to be an amazing test!

Washington DC Metro Moola

Do you live in the Washington DC area? Do you ride the Metro subway regularly? I was in DC about five weeks ago and in a rush got a ticket I thought was going to be a single fare. Instead the machine gobbled my entire $20 bill. I have a ticket with $16.65 worth of travel on it. I'll mail it to the FIRST person that contacts me and provides me with a DC area mailing address. If you DON'T get a reply email from me after sending your address, that means you were an also ran and reacted too slowly. Better luck next time!

Round Area LED Light

In the craziness of my life this past two months, I've been able to test an interesting product. It's a small LED light that looks much like a hockey puck. It's made by the Energizer folks and produces 50 lumens of bright white light. This little light is meant to act like an overhead light and is equipped with tiny magnets. If you want to mount it to a wood or drywall surface to use it, it comes with a handy plate you screw to a non-magnetic surface.

The only trouble I had with it was the non-intuitive (for me!) method of turning it on and off. I was looking for a button or a switch on the sides of it. There were none. You simply push the clear lens to make it go on and off. Duh!! They say it runs for 31 hours on it's two AA batteries. I don't know if that's true as it's still working great for me!

This is the fourth LED lite from Energizer I've tested. I LOVE them, especially the headlamp one and swivel-head flashlight - both of which have red and green LED bulbs in them in addition to the white ones. The red light is perfect at night when I walk to and from my Fire Pit. The red light lets you see, but doesn't ruin your night vision.

Frost Damage in Wisconsin

Molly Nordin of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin emailed me with a distressing situation:

Molly, I can't imagine trying to manhandle that massive chunk of masonry. You're going to have to start over unfortunately.

To prevent this delamination from happening again, I'm going to suggest you use my cement-paint methodology and do some digging. Please read this column of mine to get a great grasp of how and why cement paint works to help bond two masonry layers together.

In your case, you apply the cement paint just before you trowel on the mortar that bonds the cultured stone to the foundation.

After you install the new faux stone, I want you do dig a trench alongside the foundation that's about 2-feet deep and 6-inches wide. Remove all the clay soil. In its place, pour in small rounded pea gravel. Make sure there is a 4-inch or more gap between the bottom of any of the cultured stone and the gravel.

My guess is that your problem happened because the soil may have been in contact with the bottom of the stone. When the soil froze and then lifted up against the bottom of the stone, it sheared off the mortar bond between the stone and the foundation.

This loose pea gravel, along with the space, will create a buffer zone. Even if the stone raises up that distance, because it's free-draining, it should roll up and over the faux stone. Your clay soil does the exact opposite. It's like a massive bulldozer pushing up against the stone.

Deck Checklist News

Several weeks ago, I talked about my revised Deck Checklist. The impending move is really wreaking havoc with my schedule. I'm going to try this week to put together that special deal I mentioned last issue. It will be a 60-percent-off promotion with a BONUS. The bonus is a one-hour phone seminar where I answer the top questions you have about installing, repairing or maintaining a deck. Watch for this extra promotion email in a few days. You don't want to miss this.

Moving Sale

I know that you may be a subscriber that lives in or near Cincinnati, OH. I've decided to have an exclusive Garage Sale for just you on Saturday August 7th! It will not be advertised to the general public. I'll be selling my sweet John Deere lawn tractor and plow, some great lumber, tools (many in original boxes), hardware, a great Kohler 3.5-gallon flush toilet (you CAN'T get these any longer) and other assorted stuff. I'll put together a full list early that week and send it out to you. There will be some great deals to be had. I can deliver the John Deere mower and plow, in case you can't transport it.

Smoke Remediation

Very dear friends of mine, Veronica and Jason Hill almost lost their home due to a home next door to theirs that burned to the ground. Veronica and Jason's house suffered significant smoke, water, heat and some fire damage. Photos of their house can be seen in and at the bottom of this column at my website.

If you're a smoke remediation specialist, they need advice. Better yet, if you're located in Southern CA, you may get the job. But at this point, I'm trying to make sure Veronica and Jason don't get taken. Can you email me and I'll put you in touch with them?

Follow Up on Craigslist Scam

As I knew would happen, I got hundreds of emails about my Craigslist Scam-Alert newsletter. The scam I was pointing out was not, by any means, the only one out there. What's more, you may have been one of the several subscribers that sent me a link to a story where a man was shot to death by thieves that expressed an interest in a diamond ring he was selling on Craigslist. That's precisely why I mentioned that being an avid supporter of the Second Amendment is not such a bad idea.

There is yet another scam that's surfaced and come to my personal attention. I've had the exact same email sent to me on two different products where the person wants me to watch a video to make sure the item I'm selling matches what they want to buy. If you get an email asking you to watch a video or a link to a website where you should go to look at something, DON'T do it. Don't try to watch a video or go to that website. There's a very high probability you'll be a victim of malware, spyware or some other evil virus that will wreak havoc in your financial and personal life.

That being said, I'm continuing to have a GREAT experience on Craigslist. I'm selling things all the time. I'm happy, the buyers seem happy and people are getting things they need. Remember, if you have a project coming up, you may find a fantastic deal on materials right around the corner from your house. You never know who's selling what.

Collectors Items

Are you a serious collector of old beer bottles? How about a serious sports memorabilia collector? I have two beer bottles from Cincinnati breweries that are at least 100 years old. I also have a 16 oz bottle of Pepsi - unopened! - that's a commemorative issue of the 1975 Cincinnati Reds World Series Win. It was a special Bicentennial July 4, 1976 commemorative bottle. I'm offering them to you first, then the general public if there's not any interest here on my list. Make me an offer. Yes, I realize you need to see photos. I'll send them to you if you're interested.

AsktheBuilder.com

What’s in This Issue?

Latest News
Metabo Cordless Drill
Pocket Door Photo Could Be Worth $100
Paslode Tools and Breast Cancer
Ceramic Tile Over a Stained Concrete Floor
Deck Construction & Maintenance Checklist

Remember, Do It Right, Not Over!

I do product reviews frequently. Please read my Disclosure Policy to understand the relationship between me and the companies that make the products or offer the services I review.

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Friendly Question Reminder!

If you have a question for me, don't hit the Reply button just yet. Go immediately to my web site and type in the keywords about your problem into my Search engine. The search box is at the top of every page of my web site. You could have your answer in seconds if you do this! Please pay attention to all links you see at my web site. The exact products and services you often need are right in front of you, and you might be ignoring them.

Latest News   

I started to write this newsletter on June 22nd. Then life got in the way. My daily life is starting to seem like one of those spinning rides you see at county fairs. All the details in and about the upcoming move, I'm moving my wife and daughter up from Cincinnati, OH to NH, are consuming me. Each day the mental vertigo seems to get worse.

Tomorrow I drive back from NH to Cincinnati the second-last time to load up the truck and trailer with many special outdoor plants that Kathy wants up at the new house. The moving company has clearly communicated no guarantees with moving plants. This means I move them as Kathy treats many of them as if they were her babies. In many respects they are, as she's nurtured them for years.   

I'm only in Cincinnati for a week, back to NH for perhaps 12 days then drive back to Cincinnati to attend the closing on the house sale and the final packing. The moving van arrives at the Cincinnati house on August 17th.    

As I type this, it's July 5th and I can see Provincetown off in the distance as I look across Cape Cod Bay. It's my first time ever to this magical place. I've always wanted to come here, but never made it.   

I'm on the beach a guest of some great friends of mine who have inherited a legacy 104-year-old beach house up on top of a dune in Truro, MA. The breeze is amazing, but it's hot as Hades in the sun today. I just scorched my feet walking up the wood steps from the beach. Earlier today, I was at a house two doors down doing a wood-deck consult. More on that later in this newsletter.   

Here's the original open for the newsletter I wrote over two weeks ago:   

Last week I was in Washington DC for a two-day event about Internet Advertising. On the second day I met with the Senior Policy Advisors of five US Senators. It was a fascinating civics lesson to be sure. The meetings were an attempt to convey to the advisors how a proposed bill might affect you and small businesses like me.   

There's a draft bill in the House about Internet Privacy. If passed in its current form, it could potentially shut down websites similar to AsktheBuilder.com that allow you free access to information. If you haven't already figured it out, I'm only able to give away this newsletter, all my columns, and videos to you for free because of the advertising revenue I'm able to generate.   

The privacy issue is complex and one aspect deals with information you pass on to third-party networks such as the IP (Internet protocol) address of your computer. Each computer has an IP address much like your social security number. When you visit a site like mine I'm able to use your IP address to serve you with highly relevant ads.   

Here's an example. Let's say you have a clogged sewer line any you live in Scranton, PA. You come to my website and read my columns about clogs. Lo and behold, in that column are ads for drain-cleaning companies and plumbers who are based in Scranton PA! That's exactly what you need, not ads for tennis rackets, shampoo, or plumbers in Sacramento, CA.   

Can you see how targeted ads help you solve problems around your home? I thought so. Make sure you contact your representatives telling them that you feel the Internet works just fine right now and they should concern themselves with creating jobs, lowering our budget deficits and our national debt, etc. Right now the Internet and technology sectors are one of the few things in our economy hitting on all eight cylinders and some politicians are trying to muck it up.   

Metabo Cordless Drill   

I just tested another cordless drill while constructing a storage loft in my garage here in New Hampshire. It was the Metabo BS 18 LTX cordless 18-volt cordless drill. This powerful tool comes with two batteries, an air-cooled charger and swivel handle.    

It was comfortable to use and didn't disappoint me with respect to power and torque. For a full list of features and a great photo of the drill, you can visit the Metabo website. Run your mouse over the photo of the drill and watch what happens. That's a clever use of Javascript!   

Your Pocket-Door Photo Could be Worth $100   

If you've been a subscriber to this newsletter for any length of time, you know I love pocket doors. These are the doors that disappear into walls when you open them instead of swinging on hinges. Pocket doors take up less floor space and open up interior design options in your home.   

L.E. Johnson, the manufacturer of the pocket-door hardware I use, is willing to pay you $100 if they decide to feature a photo of your pocket door in their online gallery. If you'd rather have a credit to purchase more hardware from them, they'll give you a $200 product credit. All the details are at their website. Be sure to take a great photo. You'll see examples at the website.     

Paslode Tools and Breast Cancer   

If you own a Paslode framing nailgun tool, you can trick it out and help Nail the Cure by purchasing stickers that go on the gun. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds are given to the Susan G. Komen For the Cure organization. More details are here:   

Paslode Breast Cancer

Ceramic Tile Over a Stained Concrete Floor   

Tameka Jones from Kilgore, TX wrote to me asking:   

Tameka, great news for you young lady. You don't have to do anything to the floor other than make sure it's in the same plane. This means fill in any low spots so that the floor has no humps or dips in it.   

To get the best results, you should install a crack-isolation material over the concrete and then apply your thinset mastic on top of that. This eliminates the bonding issue between the stained concrete and the thinset you're concerned with.   

Deck Construction and Maintenance Checklist    

As I said earlier, about three hours ago I was consulting with an older woman who has a gorgeous beach house on the dune just south of where I'm staying. I met this woman at dinner last night. Somehow she discovered I was the Ask the Builder guy and we got to talking about her worn deck.   

She's got rusted nails that are protruding from the deck and wondered what her options were. I went over and showed her how easy it is to hammer the nails back in and set them below the wood surface with a nail set. I also presented her with more costly options that would make it so she never had to get a hammer out again.   

On top of that, I'm getting ready to paint the exterior of my home in NH. The builder who constructed my home did a pretty good job on the entire house, but he totally fell down when constructing the huge deck on the back of the house and the small one at the front door. He didn't flash them correctly, and this is causing some rot problems with the wood trim around the windows and doors below the deck.   

Maybe you're getting ready to build a new deck soon or in the future. Are you sure you know many of the pitfalls? To help you prevent problems like I have plus avoid all sorts of other deck nightmares, including sealing and maintaining wood decks, I recently did a massive revision to my Deck Checklist. If the older woman I just visited had this checklist years ago, I wouldn't have had to go see her. There would be no protruding nails. Had the builder of my NH house had my deck checklist, there'd be no wood rot at my house and he wouldn't have a list of angry customers.   

The revised checklist has 50 percent more questions than the original. I've included links to all my existing deck construction and maintenance columns and videos, and photos of my existing deck connections. I've also included an illustration and a detail I've drawn that will show you how I'm going to install flashing to solve my deck problem. In other words, this checklist is a pretty good roadmap that will help you construct the deck you want, or it will help you find the pro who will end up doing it the right way.   

In a couple of weeks when I'm back in NH, I'm going to do a first-ever promotion with this checklist. Not only are you going to be able to get this checklist for an enormous discount, there is going to be an added bonus I've NEVER done before. Wait until you discover what it is. The sad part is that only 1,000 people are going to be able to take advantage of this special live event.   

Watch for more details about this in the newsletter next week. Yes, I promise to have a newsletter next week - even with the insanity going on in my life right now.

AsktheBuilder.com

What's in This Issue?

Father's Day Edition
Underwear
Gorilla Glue Hat
Bikes, Books or ?????

I do product reviews frequently. Please read my Disclosure Policy to understand the relationship between me and the companies that make the products or offer the services I review.

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Friendly Question Reminder!

If you have a question for me, don't hit the Reply button just yet. Go immediately to my web site and type in the keywords about your problem into my Search engine. The search box is at the top of every page of my web site. You could have your answer in seconds if you do this! Please pay attention to all links you see at my web site. The exact products and services you often need are right in front of you, and you might be ignoring them

Father's Day Edition

This is a special edition for Father's Day, which is a week from today. If you're struggling for a gift idea, I've got a few that will help you score points with your Dad. If you had to send your Dad back to Heaven, like me, you may find something for yourself. After all, you deserve it, right?

Underwear

I hear you - BORING! But wait, what if I told you about a company that sells clothes to contractors that you can wear, and your Dad? Clothes that are really durable and GREAT for everyday use? I thought that would get your attention.

Last week, I got an email from the public relations (PR) person from Duluth Trading Company. What really put my head on a swivel was the mention of underwear. Okay, we're all adults here, so let me tell you why this interested me.

Over the past year, I've switched from the traditional jockey shorts to trunks. But not just ordinary floppy trunks. I've been wearing Hanes trunks that are a blend of spandex and cotton. WOW! They've been the most comfortable underwear I've ever worn.

Duluth Trading has their own line of Buck Naked Ultra-Light underwear that rivals the Hanes trunks I've been wearing. They sent me some to test including a tee shirt. These garments are 93 percent nylon and 7 percent spandex. I've never worn pantyhose, and never intend to, but are these things comfortable. I LOVE the tee shirt. And just as some of the reviews state, you don't even know you're wearing underwear it's that comfortable.

They are a little pricey, but I'm impressed. I'll be wearing these on the ski slopes this winter as you never want to wear cotton when perspiring in the cold.

Two thumbs and two fingers up for this underwear! Your Dad will LOVE it, trust me.  Buck Naked underwear and tee shirts come in some spiffy colors. Check them out. I'm going to get some of the red ones for sure. If you're an ND fan, you'll love the green ones.

Check out all the other clothing items while at the Duluth Trading Company site. They have a huge assortment of things your Dad, or you, will LOVE. Be sure to look at the the long tail tee shirt. I wear those bad boys each week during winter up in NH.

Finally, they have an entire Women's section, so ladies look around!

Gorilla Glue Hat

Do you think your Dad would want a unique baseball-style hat? You'll work hard to find one more trendy than this one from Gorilla Glue!

Bikes, Books or ???????

Last week while I was in Erie, PA, torturing my feet playing that flag football game, I got to ride a traditional bicycle. I can't remember the last time I did that! My neighbor Dave in NH rides a mountain bike around many of our back roads and I was sort of interested but never acted on the urge. But after riding the bike in Erie, I'm definitely going to get a neat bike that will let me cruise the back roads of NH.

Well, the first place that came to mind to start looking was my friend Steve's website. It's BestWebBuys.com. You can price bikes and MANY other things there. Wait and see!

This comparison shopping website was one of the FIRST ones on the Internet! It's a survivor to be sure. My guess is that you've never heard of it, but once you visit it, you'll bookmark it for sure. You can save tons of money using Steve's site on a regular basis. Instead of you checking around yourself for the BEST price on things like books, electronics, music, video, etc., and oh yes, BIKES!, let Steve and his team do it for you.

All you do is select what you want, and Steve goes in nanoseconds to find the best price for you out on the Web. You then click it and buy. It's like falling off a log.

Happy Father's Day Shopping!

Watch for a regular newsletter soon.   Don't forget to share your feelings about our great nation at my Tim Carter's Fire Pit website.

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