Rough Start...

 

I mentioned yesterday some of November's drama rolled over into the new month.  We finally resolved  what we could of it on our end & sat back.  Of course, we relaxed a bit too soon.  Later that afternoon, the washing machine breaks.  It had a loadful of clothes in a basin full of dirty water.  Our regular fix it guy wasn't answering.  We managed to get someone else out to fix the thing.  It was a stressful night again.  We plan on doing as little as possible the next couple of days.  Maybe we can recover a bit.

Cya..

1st November Saturday...

It's the 1st weekend of November.  We're halfway through Fall & this season has certainly sucked.  Yesterday was the 1st time we didn't have temps up into the 80's.  Most of the windows were finally closed last night.  Maybe Fall is actually getting here.

The gas is fixed.  The car stuff is handled.  The new fridge is in & the ice maker seems to actually be working.   Yay!!!

My labs got back about my thyroid & my meds will be getting bumped up again.  The levels weren't where they should be.  They'll get there. 

My arms are still a little sore from the flu & pneumonia vaccinations I got yesterday.  I'll get blood drawn on Monday for my appointment in Tulsa later in the month with my specialist.  I have an appointment with my primary care physician this Thursday.   My roomie has an appointment this month as  well.  It's busy, buys, busy.

This is the end of Daylight Saving Time.  Tomorrow will be an hour earlier.  But the sun will set earlier as well.  Always a trade off. 

That's it for now.

Cya...

Trying To Be Thankful...

Yesterday wasn't a good day for me, nor my roomie.   Her daily mostly got bombed by my bad day & the crap causing my day to disintegrate.   It started off with a pile of little straws that kept mounding up & threatening break the proverbial camel's back.  It was hot.  Then we made some discoveries throughout the day.

1. Due to the heat, the fridge wasn't cooling as well as it should & might eventually have to be replaced.  There's a several hundred to a thousand $ we really don't have right now.
2. We also noticed that the extreme heat is screwing with some of the cheap windows installed in this house. Again $ we don't have.
3. Finally, I go out to close the van windows & one refuses to shut.   The kicker.  For the first time in forever, it is seriously forecast for a fair amount of rain.  Which it did.  Luckily we got plastic over it before the rain started.

My nerves were shot, way beyond frazzled.  So we've made some plans on the matters.

1. If the fridge does need work, we'll see about it or buy a used one.
2. This winter I will have to silicone the seals on the windows.
3. We've called & made an appointment to get the window fixed.  At least we caught it before the rain started.

It's  hard to stay positive & I usually don't.  But, plans & the making of plans are about all we have right now.

Cya

Being Practical...

We try to stay practical about most things.  We don't have a lot of choice, we don't have a lot of $.  One of the things we do, is to try & keep with maintenance of our appliances & electronics.  The most basic of all forms of maintenance is the one that most people never do.

That's right cleaning these items will extend their lifespan & improve their performance.   We're going to use fans as the primary example.  A well used fan is going to get disgusting.  A disgustingly, dirty fan does not work as well as a fan in good repair.  A fan in good repair will last longer than one not taken care of regularly.

Every fan is different, so you may have to investigate how to disassemble it.   Some, but very few, actually come with instructions on how to clean the fan.  There are three primary parts of a fan.

1. The outer cage/box
2. The blade assembly
3. The motor

Things you will need.

1. Small brushes, a toothbrush or a cleaned old mascara wand
2. Clean rags
3. 409 or other cleaner (soapy water)
4. Screwdrivers 
5. WD40 or machine oil

Steps:

1. Unplug the fan
2. Remove the grills & the blades (if possible)
3. If the grill & blades can be completely removed, take them to the sink of bathtub & clean them there.  This will get messy.
4. Once those are cleaned, dry them completely
5. Take your brushes & begin to remove all dust & debris from the inner parts of the fan. (You can use a vacuum or hair dryer on cool/low for this part in the beginning.)
6. Once the fan is cleaned, oil the motor & the blade shaft
7. Reassemble the pieces.
8. The fan is now ready to be used.

I know that sounds like it's common sense, but most people never think about cleaning their fans.  Fans should be cleaned seasonally & before they are put away for the year.  Fans that aren't cleaned lose performance & overheat, which leads to mechanical failure.  Fans that are not cleaned regularly are havens for dust mites, allergens, dead bugs & other nastiness.  Never buy a fan that will not let you break it down, so you can clean & there are lot of those kind on the market.  Fan manufacturers don't want you to clean your fans, they want the fan to break &  for you to have to buy a new one.

This is a simple, practical way to save $ by taking care of a household appliance.  Guess what, this also works on computer fans.

Cya