Day 4554

Yay. We have a new dishwasher. I don't know how to use it yet, but I'll worry about that later. I'm glad I had a good plumber install this thing. Nothing is as easy as it seems and there were some complications on the installation that the Home Depot delivery crew would have probably just given up on. I wish modern electronics weren't so complicated. Old major appliances were simple and lasted forever. Everything nowadays basically has a computer inside and tends to break quickly. Our old dishwasher had a single round dial on the front. This new one looks like the control panel on the space shuttle. 

The big difference on this new machine is that there is no heater coil at the bottom of the tub to dry the dishes. This new dishwasher uses super hot water on the final rinse and then somehow vents away the moisture inside. It sounds like the dishes just air dry to me, but what do I know. I need to get some of that rinse-aid liquid that prevents streaks on glasses tomorrow. The instructions say that you need to use this stuff to ensure effective drying. Why so complicated? I would have much rather had the old fashioned electric heating coil on the bottom of the tub. Oh, well. It is what is is. Maybe I made the wrong choice but I really didn't have many options. Most dishwashers are 24" wide. The space available in my cabinet was slightly smaller than this. The LG model I bought was 23.75" wide and barely fit. The reviews on this machine were very good, although some people were frustrated about the strange drying system. I may be one of those people.

It turned out to be a very busy day. While the plumbers were here I had them fix a few other things around the house as well. There was an outdoor faucet in the back yard that had been leaking for years and a rubber cap on a drain access line that leaked even worse. Too bad they couldn't fix my strange French toilet. Parts just aren't available for that thing anymore. The plumbers were on time and everything went relatively smoothly, so we were still able to visit the rescue Dalmatians this afternoon. This whole dishwasher episode ended up costing more than I expected, but what else is new. Everything costs more than you expect these days.

The Dalmatians are all doing well. We didn't play with Rocket today because he is still recovering from his heartworm treatment. Charlie, Willie, Oliver, and JoJo were all in fine form though. I don't know why JoJo still wanted to go outside on a day like this. It was way too hot, but JoJo insists on playing outside. The other dogs were smart enough to stay in the air conditioned indoor play area. 

By the time we returned from the kennel it was way too hot to even consider walking in the park. It even seemed too hot early this morning when we were taking Dawn on her sunrise walk. I went to the gym instead. I was surprised at how many people were at the gym this afternoon. It was probably the weather. Something was wrong with the air conditioning system on the main floor today, but it was still much cooler than it was outside. I didn't stay long today. I just shot some hoops on the basketball court, walked a mile or so on the indoor track, and used the rowing and the abdominal crunch machines. Maybe I'll go back tomorrow, but I hope it is cool enough in the morning so I can walk in the park instead.

They say it's going to be a very hot summer. It certainly looks like we are headed in that direction. I just hope we don't have blackouts or major power outages this summer. With everything else that is going wrong in the world, a lack of electricity might just be enough to push me over the edge. 

Marcie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4547

Well, we've got a new dishwasher. They won't be able to deliver and install it until Saturday, but that's OK. The old dishwasher still works and I just need to remember to mop up the small amount of water that leaks on the kitchen floor after I do the dishes. I hope everything goes smoothly. I've had problems with appliances fitting through doors before. I think appliances were smaller when our house was built in the mid 1950's. I wish the salesperson hadn't spent so much time explaining what my options were if the dishwasher arrived with scratches or dents. Now I'm worried that I'm going to get something with a dent in it.

As luck would have it, my dealer friend told me today that he had sold two more model trains from my collection. This was perfect timing. The sale will pretty much pay for the dishwasher. It's taken about three years to liquidate half of the collection. Model railroading isn't as popular as it used to be either. I may have to put this collection in my will. It's doubtful that the entire collection will ever be sold. It's a nice surprise when something does sell though. I was certainly surprised today.

We had a change in plans and didn't visit the rescue Dalmatians after all. I ended up going to the gym instead. It's nice to have this option as the days grow warmer. It was definitely too hot to go walking in the park this afternoon. It was too hot to give Dawn an afternoon walk as well. Our sunrise walk with Dawn was fine, but even then you could tell that the day wasn't going to be pleasant. I'm glad they've opened up the basketball court at the gym again. Shooting baskets is a lot more fun than lifting weights or walking around the oval indoor track. I should go to the gym more often, but with five dollar gas it could get expensive. 

I found the Havahart live trap, cleaned it up, and made sure it still worked. I baited it with Cheddar cheese and placed it in the atrium. Hopefully I will catch the rat, but I'm not very hopeful. This trap has failed to catch rats before. The neighbor's cats actually did a much better job of keeping the rats and mice at bay. I still can't figure out how an animal can get into this space. It is basically in the middle of the house, enclosed on three sides by brick and glass, with screen wire wall on the fourth side facing the back yard. I'm not worried about the rat getting into the house. With a broken sliding glass door, it takes a lot of effort for me to get into the atrium myself.

I was trying to find a carpenter I used to use when we first bought the house. He was very good. I couldn't find him on Facebook and the old phone number I had didn't work. I don't know why I was surprised. It's been thirty years since I used this guy. I think he was older than me too. He might not even be alive anymore. I used to have a really good list of suppliers that I could depend on for almost anything. They're all gone now. One or two people were successful enough to start companies that are still in business today,  but they don't come out to the house anymore. It's hard for me to relate to the younger generation that has replaced these people. For the most part, they don't understand old houses either.

I had something I really needed to do tomorrow but I've already forgotten what it is. It happens a lot. Maybe I'll remember. If not, I'll eat my shredded wheat for breakfast, take my long walk, and see how many things I can postpone until another day.

Wendy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 2811 - Labor Day

I learned a lot about refrigerators today. I suspect that one of the reasons they don't last as long as they used to is that they've become way too complicated. We saw refrigerators with built-in web browsers. There was one that had a WiFi camera inside the refrigerator that you could access using your phone. If you were at the supermarket and couldn't remember if you needed milk, you could just check the fridge with your phone. Several manufacturers offered convertible models where you could temporarily turn the freezer into a second small refrigerator with the flick of a switch. Jeez. A refrigerator is just a machine to keep things cold. Why did they all have to turn into computers that keep things cold?

We eventually found a few refrigerators that were small enough to fit inside our kitchen alcove. None of them were as nice as the fridge we already have. Like most things in life the basic models have become even more rudimentary and the high-end models have become bloated with an insane array of features. There is no middle ground anymore. All the major stores basically offered the same choices at roughly the same price. Nobody was willing to deliver and install anything in less than fourteen days. We had hoped to find something we liked and get it installed tomorrow. That wasn't going to happen. We needed a plan B.

I was surprised to discover that you could buy one of those little dorm room refrigerators for less than the cost of a good ice chest. In fact, a large Yeti ice chest ended up costing twice as much as a small dorm room refrigerator. Since the freezer still works in our existing refrigerator, we bought one of these little refrigerators so our food wouldn't go bad and I'll call an appliance repairman in the morning. There's a good chance I could get our existing refrigerator fixed in less time than it would take to get a new one delivered. The big problem with appliance repairmen is that they are so slow. They come out and diagnose your problem and then they have to order parts. Usually at least one important part is on back order, so you are lucky if you see them again in two weeks. What ever happened to keeping a stock of parts on the truck?

Hey, at least the gas crisis appears to be over. There were several stations in our own neighborhood that had gas today. I still can't find the leak in the shower, but I am making progress on the roof. I might have finished today if we hadn't spent so much time looking at refrigerators. I didn't do much patching today, but I did haul some materials up to the roof, including a leaf blower which I used to clear away a mountain of dead elm leaves that seemed to have fallen overnight. I actually got lucky. Apparently the leaves fell after the elastomer coating dried, so they were easy to clear away. I really need to get this job finished before the oak tress start shedding their leaves. That would really be a mess.

Janet is going back to work tomorrow. I thought she had another week at home, but apparently not. It doesn't seem like two weeks have already passed since her latest surgery. Of course it doesn't seem like summer is already over either.  Where has the time gone?

I hope nothing else breaks and everybody stays healthy. I'd really like to end this year on a positive note.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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