mreaves

Looks like I'm right on the southern edge.

I have the tournament up on my second screen (thank you WFH). Some of the greens already have the beginnings of that slightly dry, brownish sheen, at least when viewed from above. Of course they are only televising 4,5 & 6 right now.

I read something where he said his knee hurt when walking downhill. That gives me pause because of how hilly Augusta is.

I remember suggesting you move up here. The VT State Police are constantly recruiting.

But think about the meat and potato jobs that have been outsourced and downsized or turned into a “gig” rather than a job. That’s the overall lesson that’s been taught. Obviously it is not every company or every sector but it has been pervasive enough to leave an impression on a generation.

I was just going to say, where does he think they learned that? It’s not like there are a lot of companies that are overly loyal either. And I don’t think it’s a chicken and egg thing, we know who crushed the loyalty out of people.

That’s where I land too. The biggest thing, for me, is flexibility. I really liked the fact that I didn’t have to get up at 5:00 am and shovel the driveway and drive on crappy roads to get to work. Our prior wfh policy was so inflexible that I never bothered doing it. However, collaboration can be more difficult. I think a split week would be a great compromise and work well for most.

That was some of it for me too. It will be 2 weeks from my second Moderna shot on Friday. No immediate side effects, no tail or horn growth and I haven’t caught COVID either. It’s been a win-win so far. I will say I’m probably closer to your lifestyle though Ginx. I usually don’t do big crowds in confined spaces. Occasional hockey or baseball games and once or twice a year if we travel for vacation. Most of my stuff is outside, golf and snowmobiling are pretty much cut out for staying away from crowds, with caveats about social situations that surround those activities.

Wait a minute, I thought you catered your forecasts to Kevin?

Only drink professionally now?

Still waffling on who I like to win this week. The sentimental pick for me would be Rory. I've always liked him and I think his meltdown on the back 9 in 2011 continues to impact him. I also like Matsuyama, who seems to play well here but just not quite well enough to win. As for obvious favorites, DJ and Dechambeau are the first to come to mind but I don't think Dechambeau has really come to grips with how to win at Augusta yet. Having said that, the amount of research and practice he puts in means he could get over that really quickly. Under the radar would be Brooks Koepka and Paul Casey. Koepka has knee issues and nobody really thinks he'll contend but this is a guy who does stuff just to piss off the establishment. Casey has played well for the last year or so and has just missed out a couple of times in big tournaments. Maybe he could sneak up and grab it.

And it is pretty tough to win two tournaments in a row, let alone one being a major. https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/four-golfers-won-pga-tour-event-before-the-masters/

As everyone already knows, it was a tough season for a lot of resorts https://vtdigger.org/2021/04/06/a-brutal-year-for-vermonts-ski-industry-losses-estimated-at-100-million/

Rory’s form of late makes it hard to think of him as a favorite. Spieth has played well for several weeks and this could be the one to get the 2016 monkey off his back. DJ is always a threat, in any major. I’ve always like Hideki in the Masters but he seems to fade in the majors.

Want me to drive up and sneak some pics?

Can Spieth continue his run of good form? I'd love to see Rory come out of nowhere to snag the career grand slam. Not sure I have a real pick yet though.

Fire it up! Braaaaaaap!

I'd love to go out in the yard and pick some fresh lasagna from the vine.

You're right. I hadn't thought of that. I'd actually support upping it to 10'X10' or 10'X12". As far as zoning in general goes, it's a mixed bag. It doesn't always promote smart growth and can be used over zealously. However, it also can be a valuable protection for neighbors. We just had a case where a business built and addition without getting a permit and then came to the DRB seeking a variance from setback requirements. It turns out that the addition may actually be partially on his neighbor's land. We obviously couldn't grant the variance request but now the neighbor at least has some recourse if they can't come to a boundary line adjustment agreement.

Here are the exemptions from permits in our town. As you can see, our shed size exemption is pretty small. I was actually thinking it was 120 sf before I looked it up. In my defense, even though I am the chair of the DRB, we never see any of these types of things come before our board so I rarely look at these rules.

Story on the explosion in backcountry skiing in VT Digger this morning https://vtdigger.org/2021/04/04/equipment-pandemic-fuel-explosion-in-popularity-of-backcountry-skiing/

In my town, I don’t need any permits for inside work or if am just replacing an existing deck. I do need a building permit for new construction but as long as it complies with zoning regs, it’s pretty straight forward.

I am the chair of my town’s Development Review Board. One of our duties is to review and grant variance requests. In VT, there are 5 questions an applicant must answer in order to receive a variance. Those are in state statute. The actual zoning regulations themselves vary from town to town. One of the questions basically asks if there is any other way you can do your project without requiring a variance. So, even though you may think you’d be ok with being up against the back property line, your best bet is to check the setback rules and comply if it’s at all possible. If there is a reason you can’t comply, such as severe topography or how your lot is shaped, then you’d qualify for a variance, at least here in Barre Town, VT.

Check the zoning regs in your town to make sure the location you plan on putting the shed meet setback requirements. In our area, there are different distances for different zones. There are usually requirements for how far from your property lines you can build stuff. You want to make sure you have all required permits because if you ever want to sell, an unpermitted structure could derail that. Whether your neighbors care or not.

This is what I observe around here too. When we were walking around the Waterfront and Church St. last weekend, it seemed like everyone was wearing a mask outside. I’m not sure if it was etiquette up there or just strictly following mask wearing.