Tuesday, March 9, 2021

OUR MONDAY

 Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Our Monday was sunny, but a cool breeze blew. 

Franklin and I started the day with a visit to Lowe's, where Franklin is always admired for his beauty and good manners. At the cash register he stood so still while we waited our turn that the lady behind us asked, How do you get him to do that?

He just does it.

We were there to purchase two items. The first was a thermostat. Mine has been behaving strangely. I replaced the batteries in it and it still didn't register the correct temperature in the house. When I turn on the heat, it runs and runs and runs because the thermostat insists that the house is colder than it is. I rely on space heaters for the most part, but it's a good idea to have an accurate thermostat. 

So we got home with the thermostat. I opened the box and glanced at the instructions. The first item on the agenda wasn't in the instructions but I knew it must be done. The cover had to be separated from the base.

I couldn't get them apart. I argued with it and swore at it. No luck. So we went to the garage and pulled out a screwdriver, which popped them apart. The thermostat respected the screwdriver but didn't respect me. 

Bastard. 

Then I studied the instructions. Oh, dear god. Wires and millions of things to do. I thought putting up a new thermostat would be simple and instead the task seemed daunting. 

The new thermostat is on the dining room table. I'll attack the job when I'm alert and well rested and haven't just had an argument with the device.

The second item we purchased was a plug for the bathtub. The metal plug that was in the tub and closed with the turning of the little handle thingy didn't fit very well. I took baths a few times after I moved here and slowly lost my water.

After a while I replaced it with one of those shroom things. It's not a plug. It captures hair to keep the drain from clogging. 

But recently I read a post by Anne at The Gods Are Bored about how she loaded up with water before a hurricane. It made me think about Texas and so many people not having water. Before big storms, I fill every pitcher and Tupperware bowl with water. I've never needed it, but what if I did? I should start filling the bathtub, too. 

So now we have a plug.

What else happened? Oh! When we pulled into the parking lot at Lowe's, two very large Canadian geese (at least that's what I think they were) were chilling at one end of the lot. I wanted to take their picture so our resident Bird Man, David, who blogs at  Travels With Birds could tell me if they really were Canadian geese and fill me in on their lives, what they like to eat and how they behave and all that.

But when I got close enough for a photo, I pissed them off. They arose and stomped off, honking all the way. I didn't take a picture at that point because it would have been of their butts.

The rest of the day was pleasant. Franklin and I walked. Penelope and I talked. We enjoyed the sun. I read some. I cleaned some. Did a little laundry.

It was a good day in spite of the new thermostat's disrespect and argumentative nature. Maybe it will be better behaved after this time out on the dining room table, where it is nothing special. 


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug


28 comments:

  1. I was impressed when it seemed you were installing a new thermostat yourself without a thought. I hope a couple of thoughts later will find you easily doing it! Better to simply be an annoyance to a couple of Canada geese than to really piss them off.

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    1. The thermostat looked at me wrong when I got up this morning. It's still in time out. Maybe I should call the Heating/AC guy about the heat's misbehavior. I don't know for sure that the thermostat is the problem.

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    2. Janie:
      Well, I would have called the heating/AC guy immediately. You at least thought about doing it yourself!

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    3. Thank you for putting a positive spin on it.

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  2. Hi Janie - it's life isn't it ... hope things work out ... Franklin is brilliant, as too of course Penelope! All the best - Hilary

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  3. David would probably be able to identify bird butts as well. He is that good.
    Of course Franklin is brilliant and much admired.
    Good luck with the thermostat. I really hate tackling those jobs.

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    1. I might give up on the thermostat and call the expert, Dean, who sends one of his sons to make repairs. I greet them all with, Hello, Son of Dean.

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  4. I am sorry to hear that a recalcitrant thermostat caused you grief, but as you say after being made to sit on the table for an extended period (surely the thermostat equivalent of standing in the corner) it may give second thoughts to acting up again. I trust that by now it is installed and functioning correctly. As for the geese, I apologize if they were Canada Geese and ill-behaved. And they couldn't even use a thermostat as an excuse for their bad temper.

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    1. So it's Canada geese and not Canadian geese? If they are actually from Canada, then are they Canadian geese? I guess I'd have to check their passports to find out. The thermostat is not installed. Time out hasn't improved it. I had problems recently with the zipper on my black Kate Spade tote bag. I gave it a dirty look and put it on the dining room table. When I picked it up later, the zipper was fine. Obviously, Kate Spade is more cooperative than Honeywell.

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  5. I had my HVAC guy install a new thermostat; I am lousy at electrical stuff. spring is coming soon!

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    1. Son of Dean installed a new thermostat a couple of years ago. I don't know what gave me the idea I could do it. I'd excuse it by saying I was under the influence, but I wasn't. I was insane. We've already had weather warm enough to require the AC on one day. It didn't work so Son of Dean checked it and found the low pressure switch had been tripped. I had no idea what it meant, but he fixed it. I should have made a fuss about the problem with the heat when he was here, but my brain said nothing except It's hot and we want air conditioning. Then it cooled off and I tried turning on the heat. Blah.

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  6. Good luck with that thermostat! And were those grumpy geese black and white? Probably Canada geese if they were, yes.

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    1. I'd call them black and gray, but maybe they rolled in the mud, as Franklin did today. He's now stinky and wet and will need a shower. I'm not offering showers to any geese I encounter.

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  7. Good for you for taking this task on--new thermostats (especially electronic ones attached to wifi) are complicated but can help save $. And your dog sounds delightful.

    https://fromarockyhillside.com

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    1. In the past couple of months I've figured out how to do some things I thought I couldn't possibly do. I realize now that my abilities probably do not extend to anything involving wires. Franklin is the most delightful dog in the world, or at least in my house, although he has competition from Penelope.

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  8. Good for you installing stuff by yourself. I would get a helper. I keep water in reserve for when the electric goes out or is turned off by Edison, our company for electric. Everything here works one electric, so it's important to be prepared.

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    1. All electric here, too. I believe I will get help regarding the thermostat. I don't actually know if it's the culprit.

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  9. You are a better woman than I to attempt to install your thermostat. Hats off to you.
    Glad you and the crew had a good day.

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    1. I think my attempt has ended. Better to call in the experts on this one. When I was able to hook up the pump to drain Lake Junebug, I believed myself invincible. I am not, and the thermostat has taught me that lesson.

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  10. Home improvement projects are sooo frustrating until... you succeed. Wishing you great success with the thermostat today.
    As to geese, some think them aggressive poop machines. I find them charming.

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    1. These particular geese were not friendly sorts, but as they stomped away, they did not leave any poop behind. For that I am grateful.

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  11. I hate it when replacement parts come with an attitude. I have been wrestling with a cranky hinge for a few days. I will never admit to it being a user error when purchasing said hinge and vow to make it fit/work.

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    1. They really can be obnoxious. My Kate Spade bag repaired itself when its zipper was messed up. All that was required was a dirty look from me. The thermostat is still rude and probably needs the touch of a certain man.

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  12. Screwdrivers are bastards, and stud-finders never work. Same ole story. I hope WDW is still meeting some needs, at least.
    Love you.

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    1. If screwdrivers are bastards, then I guess that's why the thermostat respected the screwdriver. I need to be meaner, but I don't think I have it in me. I've never tried a stud-finder and now I won't.

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  13. Hate replacing the thermostat, but it's a necessary evil. We have been hawk watching lately, we have several nesting around the house. Thankfully Alaska's 70 pounds and too big to haul away.

    Fun tip, if you flip the overfill plate that drains the tub (usually it's around the plug lever) the other way, you get 2 extra inches of tubbie water.

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