Baseball Tonight

Well, I thought I was going to watch a New York Yankees  https://www.mlb.com/ game on ESPN http://www.espn.com/ tonight but it turned out their games were during the day. And the Yankees lost to the Cleveland Indians. But, I was able to watch a game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/sports/houston-astros-hurricane-harvey-mets.html?mcubz=1 at Tampa Bay Tropicana Field.  I sometimes, but rarely watch a Rangers game or an Astros game unless they are playing the Red Sox or the Yankees, but it seemed like, tonight, that watching would be a way to honor both teams and the people of southeast Texas who have suffered so much because of Hurricane Harvey.

Evidently, there was thought to play this series in Arlington, but there was a chance of a rainout, so the plan was to go to Tampa Bay. The Astros will return to play in Houston this weekend.  With the agreement of the New York Mets and Major League Baseball, they will have a day off on Friday, and play a doubleheader on Saturday, finishing the series on Sunday with a final game.

Major league baseball is supporting fundraising to help the victims and survivors Hurricane Harvey.  Are you?

Feeding Haiku

Feeding Haiku has again become increasingly difficult.  She is supposed to be on a renal diet, and she will sometimes eat the renal dry food, but not the canned food. I have taken to mixing the renal diet dry food with other dry food she likes, including treats, and hairball care treats. Sometimes, she eats well, mostly she just picks at it.  I try to remember to keep it on the kitchen counter, because Taki will eat this food, but Taki rarely jumps on the kitchen counter (she can, though.)  Haiku does get on the kitchen counter. I have started feeding her liver  again, and sometimes she likes liver, sometimes she eats the dry food, sometimes does not.  I gave her liver tonight, and she ate some.  I made a tuna salad for me, and she wanted tuna, so I eventually gave her tuna. She does not like cat tuna.  Past history tells me that a 6 ounce can of tuna, stored in the refrigerator, loses its appeal after the next meal. So, although it is more expensive, I need to buy the three ounce cans of tuna.  Oh the trials and travails of having a picky eating cat. 

My Great Toe Joint

Many years ago, I was diagnosed as having arthritis in my feet.  I was told to use insoles to alleviate the problem, and that worked.  Most recently, though, I have purchased some Skechers https://www.skechers.com/en-us/ shoes with memory foam, and do not seem to need the insoles. I still have insoles, if I need them.

Yesterday, I started having some pain in the joints of my toes in my right foot.  Specifically, today, I had intense pain in the joint of the great toe of my right foot.  The joint was swollen.  When I arrived home from work, I tried using an analgesic spray, and later, an analgesic cream.  Elevating my foot helped some.  I took some Aleve https://www.aleve.com/ which did not seem to help much.  What did help was elevating the foot and putting an ice pack on it.  

The throbbing has stopped.  So I will have to see how my foot feels tomorrow.  

Vinegar as an Herbicide

About 30 years ago, I was told that vinegar could be used as an herbicide, so I tried using it.  It stunned the plants but did not kill them.  Today, I ran into an acquaintance in the grocery store who was there to buy more vinegar for the process.  She said they made a mixture of vinegar, salt and dish soap.  I haven't done much with pulling weeds this year, so I thought I'd check it out on line.  http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/pastpest/200714f.html  and http://weedcontrolfreaks.com/2014/06/salt-vinegar-and-glyphosate/.  In reading, one thing noted is that it needs to be 24-48 hours after it rains to use it.  I have let my weeds get out of control this year, so maybe next weekend, I will try this.

Getting Rid of Household Items

Many years ago, I was told one way to get rid of unwanted items was to put them on the curbside, label them free with a disclaimer regarding what is wrong, and let it be.  I did that some time ago when I purchased my new lawnmower, and my neighbor immediately scarfed up the old lawnmower. But they were tinkerers, and liked to work on things. 

Well yesterday, after I put my new vacuum cleaner together, and tried it out, I cleaned up my old vacuum cleaner, washed the filters, and put them in the garage to dry.  I did not really have any place in the house to store it. I made a sign that said "Free vacuum cleaner.  Suction works. Power head motor does not."  Today, about 3 PM or so, after the filters had dried, I put the mower on the lawn with a sign. I could not decide whether to leave it out over night or not, but when I checked about 8 PM, it was gone.  I hope someone can get some benefit from it.  I would normally donate something like this to the Catholic Charities Resale Center, but I did not want to donate something that does not work, especially if someone is willing to take it on warts known. 

Taki and the Box

So, I had the new vacuum cleaner in the box in the kitchen for a while yesterday.  Taki followed me into the kitchen at one point, and stopped before she entered, arched her back, and sidled to her right and out the other door to the dining area. Obviously, she does not like boxes, especially those about the size of her cat crate.  She stayed out of the kitchen while I was assembling the vacuum cleaner.  Haiku on the other hand, was very curious about the box.  She likes boxes.

Poor Sleep Leads to Confusion

I have had problems with sleep my whole life, except for a short period of my life. It comes and goes, but mostly I deal with it by staying up late until I am ready to sleep, or I fall asleep, wake up briefly, and then I go to bed.  If I do anything to really wake myself up, then I cannot go back to sleep. 

Circumstances have not helped.  I have been staying up late for various reasons: We had a Catholic Charities board meeting that lasted until 9 PM, and it took me several hours to unwind.  I stumbled upon an old, old version of Pride and Prejudice, I stayed up late to watch Hurricane Harvey https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/25/us/hurricane-harvey.html?mcubz=1 make landfall and some of the aftermath. That was last night.

So, this morning, I woke up at 7 AM, thinking I was late for work.  I started getting ready to get a shower, and then thought about it.  I checked my cell phone, and sure enough, it was Saturday morning.  I went back to bed, and slept until almost 10 AM, unheard of for me, but not so much lately, since I have not been sleeping well.  

I need to work on changing my sleep pattern.  

Impulse Purchase, Well Sort Of

I went to Home Depot http://www.homedepot.com/ today to get those batteries I realized I needed, and to buy a gallon of window wash.  While I was there, I decided to look at vacuum cleaners.  I have been thinking about getting a new one.  Mine is 12 and a half years old, and while the suction of my vacuum cleaner is good, the power head does not work, and has not worked for some time.  I do not vacuum much, because it bothers my back. Leaning slightly forward is one position that still bothers me.  And raking, sweeping, mopping and vacuuming involve leaning forward.  I adjust my activities to not have to do things to not lean forward. But I still have to vacuum sometimes.

I have looked at vacuum cleaners recently at Wal-Mart https://www.walmart.com/ and online. I was thinking about a light weight or even ultra-light stick vacuum.  I was hesitant to purchase one, though, because when I vacuum, I usually pick up a LOT of cat hair, and the stick vacuums and ultra-lights do not seem to have a big dirt container.  So they had a Hoover http://www.hoover.com/shop-by-needs/pet WindTunnel Rewind 2 Pet Upright Vacuum  on sale for $50 off.  I bought it. 

Was this an impulse purchase.  Yes, sort of, but not totally, because I had been looking around for vacuum cleaners. But I did not plan to purchase one today.  

It required a little bit of assembly and I tried it out after assembly. It is lighter weight than my old vacuum cleaner.  Which is a blessing.  I did a fair amount of vacuuming without it bothering my back.  So, even though I did not plan to buy a vacuum cleaner today, I am glad I did.

Lubbock Weather Tonight

So there were some storms in the area tonight, and part of Lubbock received some rain. I could see lightning and hear thunder, but if my part of town got any rain, it was very little and brief. 

But the temperature has dropped to the low 70s.  When that happens, I often shut off the air conditioner and open my windows as I did tonight.  I have the ceiling fans turning, as always.  But there is very little wind, and the humidity is high so there is not much cooling occurring right now.

But I have a double window over my bed, so when I go to bed, I will have a small wash of wind going over me, and I suspect I will be comfortable enough to sleep, especially because the temperature is expected to drop even more. 

Friday Night Television Watching

Watching the Weather Channel and news this Friday night to watch the Harvey Hurricane track https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-harvey-forecast-gulf-coast-texas-louisiana.  So far some positives:  evacuations of patients was handled smoothly, according to two Covenant Hospital https://www.covenanthealth.org/ nurses who took equipment to move a baby to NICU in San Antonio.  Governor Abbott has already declared 30 counties disaster areas, with an awareness that more can be added as needed, and President Trump has signed off on the request for Federal aide.  Another good thing, Governor Abbot in Texas has lifted the hotel/motel tax for the next 14 days for evacuees and first responders, saying this is a housing emergency.  The Texas Department of Criminal Justice https://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/announcements/announce_hurricane_harvey.html has an emergency plan in place.  The Texas Department of State Health Services has posted information about preparing for a hurricane http://dshs.texas.gov/ .  FEMA is staged, as is the Texas National Guard.  A former co-worker now living in Houston has posted on Facebook that she is safe, so far.

Lubbock is sending firemen, and others to assist the teams.  The South Plains Red Cross is on standby to send a truck and volunteers to help with rescue and clean up. 

Evacuations were ordered yesterday if not Wednesday.  Power companies have crews on standby to start working on restoring power as soon as it is safe.

Texas has its own power grid for much of the state http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2003/08/why_texas_has_its_own_power_grid.html, and but Lubbock is not in it, so  if there are some problems, we could be affected, although is very unlikely.  Nothing is impossible.  I am charging my phone and my laptop stays charged. I have lots of flashlights and batteries, but I probably need to get some more D cell and C cell batteries tomorrow.  I always have extra food at home, even for the kitties.  I might be low on bottled water, so should probably buy some of that, also. 

The Eclipse in Lubbock

Monday, August 21, 2017 was the total eclipse of the sun, seen across the United States https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/lubbock.  In Lubbock, we were anticipating about a 79% eclipse.  The day of the eclipse, it was mostly cloudy, but at the time of the eclipse, it could be seen.  I did not see it, but someone at work had a viewing box and many folks did view it.  Because it was such a partial eclipse, it was hardly darker than it was because of the clouds.  In fact, on Tuesday, we had a heavy thunderstorm that blew through in the mid-afternoon, which darkened the sky more than the eclipse did.  

Hate vs. Peace

I condemn the violence that occurred last weekend in Charlottesville, Va. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/local/charlottesville-timeline/?utm_term=.53126ef6d1a7 when white supremacists and nationalists gathered and march, and were met by counter protesters, and violence ensued, including death. 

In the mix was the discussion of taking down a statue of Robert E. Lee.  I understand the honoring Confederate leaders is repugnant to people of color.  It commemorates the War Between the North and South which, as we know was very much about the issue of slavery. Many of these monuments were erected during the Jim Crow era in the early part of the 20th Century. 

I think that these statues and monuments should be kept in a historically appropriate place, not as decoration for public places including parks.  There should be historical context for keeping the statues and monuments, because we cannot change history, and we need to learn from it. I think of a movement in Germany by white supremacists who denied that the Holocaust over occurred. We can never deny the history of  racism and bigotry in our country.

We have to keep our history alive and teach it because that is the only way we can learn from our past, and frankly, we have a lot to learn.

I think one of the good things that has come out of this is that the dialogue about racism in this country is more open and realistic, and many people who did not realize that racism is still out there are becoming more aware. 

I grew up with "White Privilege" and could not begin to know what someone of color or minority experienced in their lives.  But I do know that we have an obligation to speak out against hate and violence. 

Today, the white supremacists and nationalists had a "Free Speech Rally" in Boston, and the counter protesters came out  in huge numbers http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/thousands-march-boston-counter-protest-free-speech-rally-n794156.  There was some tension and a few problems leading to arrests, but not the massive violence that occurred in Charlottesville, Va.  I think that the authorities in Boston learned from Charlotteville and took the possibilities seriously and prepared appropriately.  

I think we will see more marches and protests and rallies, because people are being energized to be more active.  Sadly, a lot of that is coming from the controversial comments by President Trump http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/19/politics/trump-remarks-alt-right/index.html.  He has just inflamed the people of this country who believe in peace, not violence, and want to work on improving conditions for all.  

Vet visit follow up

When I got home from work on Thursday, I made a point to hug Taki, so she would not think that I only hug her to get her into the cat crate.  Well, she wanted none of it, and started to cry.  I let her go quickly, and just let her be.  The weird thing was that Haiku started crying, too!

Taki's Trip to the Veterinarian 2017

Taki had her yearly veterinarian visit on Wednesday of this week.  We use the Ark Animal Hospital of Lubbock http://www.arkhospitalforpets.com/.  She dislikes being crated and she dislikes being at the vet.  This year was no exception.

She hides when I pull out a cat crate, so I put her in the stroller before I pulled out the crate.  She went in well, but hissed as I locked the door.  She cried on the way to the vet's office, but became very silent in the waiting room.  She was up .2 lb although I have been trying to cut back her available food.  She did not want to get out of the crate, so I took the cover off.  The vet has instructions on her file not to take her temperature, but even with that, she is not very gracious to the vet.  She hisses when they walk in.  This year, the vet said to just turn her backside to him.  He gave her two shots, and did not try to examine her.  I told him I had not noticed any problems, and I can check her teeth and ears at home. 

Although they post a notice to allow staff to hold the animal patients, they always let me hold my cats.  That started with Sake because as bad as she was, she was better when I helped hold her.  So, now, I hold all of my cats while they work on them.

Taki did not stay mad for very long when we got home.  She did not ask for anything to eat at dinner time, but she did allow me to pet on her.  

Applying for Medicare

I will be turning 65 soon, so I need to apply for Medicare.  I thought to do it on line, but had trouble signing onto MyAccount at the Social Security Administration website https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/.  At first, I did not realize I had established an account (my bad) and could not recall my user name.  They sent me my user name, but then, of course, I could not recall my password, although I tried several common ones I use. Then, I tried to use the security questions, all of which I picked because they have concrete, definitive answers.  I was told those were incorrect. So, finally, SSA told me they would send me a letter that I would receive in 8-10 working days.  The letter came yesterday.  I did sign onto MyAccount, reset my password, and redid my security questions, but could not figure out about applying for Medicare.  So I signed off and went to FAQs about applying for Medicare.  I realized that I had a lot of questions that filing on line would not answer. 

So, this morning I called the SSA to make an appointment to file for Medicare.  Of course there was a wait.  I finally spoke to a representative who wanted to tell me about applying for Social Security benefits, although I clearly told her all I wanted was to apply for Medicare.  She finally told me there were no appointments available and they would call me back in 7 working days; if they did not, I should call back.

The representative wanted a phone number at which I would be readily available to talk to someone when they called, so they did not have to leave a message.  I explained that I work in a prison, and cannot bring my cell phone to work, which she said she put in the comments and read back to me. 

She provided me with a list of what I need to bring to the appointment, and wanted to know if my 2 marriages were 10 years.  So I asked her if that meant they were more than 10 years ago.  She explained that no, if I was married for 10 years, I might be eligible to benefits (I am assuming spousal benefits.)

I know these are overworked, possibly underpaid government employees, and they have certain things they have to do, but they are not automatons, and they can be responsive to their customers who pay their salary. 

If I do not hear from SSA by August 24, I will make it a point to go to the office early in the morning, and stay until I can talk to someone.  This is ridiculous, but frankly, not very different than some of my experiences as a social worker dealing with the SSA in the past.

Sending Pictures From My Cell Phone

When I first bought my IPhone, I sent myself a few pictures.  Some came through, some did not.  One thing I did discover is that they almost always go through if I post them to Facebook.  So often, if I went to send a picture to my computer, I send it to Facebook, then copy it to my pictures so I can email it to others, who do not have Facebook.

Well, when I came back from my vacation in July, I tried sending some pictures to my Gmail account, and they went through right away, almost instantaneously.  

Last night, I wanted to send a picture to my computer to share it with a co-worker, not on Facebook.  Ultimately, I sent it 4 times to my Gmail account, and it never went through. I even sent it to my Suddenlink account, although in the past, the pictures almost never went through to the Suddenlink account.  So, tonight, when I signed on my email, the picture was in my Suddenlink account, and 4 times in my Gmail account.

Too weird. 

Yard Work

There has been so much rain recently that my yard has really greened up.  And the weeds and volunteer trees have really shot up. The landscapers have been coming weekly, and came today.  Tonight I trimmed the ivy, cut down some volunteer trees, and did some other trimming.  

It is so humid that I was sweating very soon after going outside to work.  There is more I can do, but I am going to work on it Thursday night.  

Yankees vs Red Sox

So I am a very unique baseball fan who is a Yankee fan and a Red Sox fan 
https://www.mlb.com/.  I grew up in Western Massachusetts, and most of our baseball exposure was to the Red Sox, and when we went to watch major league baseball, it was at Fenway Park.  But, because of the way television was back then, we received broadcasts from Connecticut, which were often Yankee broadcasts. So, I grew to be a fan of both teams.  And have never changed my fanship.

Tonight, I have been watching the third of a three game series between the Yankees and Red Sox in New York. The Friday night game was not televised in my area; the Yankees won.  I watched last night to see the Red Sox win. When people ask me how I cheer for the Yankees and Red Sox when they play together, I say I want a close game, or better still, an extra innings game, and may the best team win.  

That is what is happening  tonight.  Love it!

Jazz at the Silent Wings Music

Yesterday on the news I heard about an event at the Silent Wings Museum https://www.mylubbock.us/departmental-websites/departments/silent-wings-museum/home in Lubbock.  It was in celebration of the "The Spirit of 45" http://www.historynet.com/keep-the-spirit-of-45-alive.htm which is a commemoration to remember the spirit of The Greatest Generation 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greatest_Generation.  I had not heard about The Spirit of 45 until this year.  The event included free admission to the museum, food trucks, a bounce house for kids and a jazz concert, of music from the World War II era, and in that style.

The jazz band was the Alma Quartet, but the drummer was not present today.  They did pretty good, the lead singer sometimes was a little tentative in his style, but sang well.
https://www.facebook.com/AlmaQuartet/photos/a.10154107320968321.1073741825.84610013320/10154107314883321/?type=3&theater.  It was an enjoyable presentation

 
In the past, when the Silent Wings Museum has had an event such as this it has been pretty much standing room only.  I am not sure if it was due to lack of publicity, or the timing, or that the musicians were not much of a draw, but there were not a lot of people present, and only a few stayed for the entire 2 hour show.

The highlight for me was that a woman came up to me and told how much these songs meant to her.  She said she is now from Dimmitt, Texas, and turned 94 today.  She said she lived in Memphis, Texas during the 40s, and every weekend, they drove the 30 miles to Childress, Texas to the Army Air Base, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childress_Army_Airfield for the dances.  She said every big band in the country came through.  How fine of her to share that with me!

Changinge my pill dispensing system

So I am on a bunch of medication.  For years, most of the pills were in blister packs. Then slowly, they were dispensed in bottles.  The last time I had my medications refilled, they were all in bottles.  This has thrown me.  The shape and size of the blister packs, and the immediate identification of the shape, size and color of the pills in the blister pack made it easy for me to know exactly what medication I was taking.  

No so with the bottles.  I have been so rattled by the change that I took my morning medication in the evening the day I went to Big, Loud and Live.  I told my colleague my mistake and said if something happened to me that was why.  By the intermission, we agreed that if I was going to feel the effects, I would have by then, so it was no big problem.

But, I am trying to be very careful about what pills I take when so I will not make another mistake.  

The Cats During the Air Conditioner and Heating Repair.

So, on August 11, 2017 I was reading in the living room, waiting for the repair technicians.  Neither cat sat with me.  I had the front door open.  Then both cats were at the front door, a signal we had company, and we did.  Taki and Haiku took off.  During the course of the day, Haiku would come out and sit with me from time to time.  For logistics reasons, I moved the laptop to the dining room table, as otherwise, I would be traipsing through the workers tools and areas to get to the computer room.  Sometimes, Haiku would sit next to me at the table, sometimes she would hide.

When things quieted down, sometimes because both workers were outside, or when they went to lunch, Taki would come out.  She came out after just 2 or 3 minutes of quiet, but only if no one else was around. Haiku was in and out.  

They both seemed relieved when I moved their toys, basket and tree back into the living room, and returned the trunk to its spot.  

Today, August 12, 2017 both cats were still a little skittish. Sometimes Haiku would just sit and stare, other times she would race around.  Sometimes, Taki would disappear, or when I moved around, she would race off.  By evening both were doing better.  This is good. We are getting back to normal.

New heating and cooling system

So Friday, August 11, 2017, I had the air conditioner and heater in my home replaced.  I went with JD's One Hour and Plumbing  https://www.jdsonehour.com/.  I noticed some bad reviews on line, but my worst experience was with the guy who tried to convince me he could not replace the thermocouple in the water heater.  When I was talking with the slab guy and mentioned that experience, he knew exactly who I was talking about.  Everyone else with JDs has been polite, efficient and effective.  I have used them off and one for years, and my experience on Friday was just what I expected.

The crew showed up on time. I hate to admit it, but when JD came by Tuesday, we shook on the plan and I did not ask for a written bid.  I called into there office later, and asked that the crew present me one before they started the work, so we were all on the same page..  The leader of the crew not only had the written bid, but agreed that it was for their protection and mine, and later in the day went on to tell me a story about how JD was victimized by a customer with whom he did not have a written agreement.  I think it is nice that there is a businessman out there who will do business on a handshake.  I wish more of life was like that.

The crew worked till noon, took a lunch break, and returned in the afternoon. One person worked outside to replace the compressor, the other worked inside to replace the coil and furnace, and install another air exchange.  They predicted they would be done by 3 PM, but the outside worker was called away, so it took the crew leader a little longer to clean up.  

After the installation was complete and functioning was tested, the technician showed me about my new unit. He even tested the condensation pump.  He told me the filter I had in reserve was the correct size for the new unit but said the pleated filters I had been using made it harder for the air to pass through the system, and the easier the air passed through, the better, so to use a plain filter (which is less expensive.) He showed me how to change the filter, and said that was the only maintenance I needed to do.  He also explained that there was no pilot light, that there was a some kind of hot spot and that would ignite the gas when the heater came on, so that would save a small expense as I left the pilot on during the summer (I hate dealing with pilot lights).  He showed me the indicator light that showed the system was working properly.  He asked me about looking at the compressor outside and told me what the various hook ups were for.  He put all the serial numbers for the units on the receipt, gave me the owner's manuals, and said basically the parts are warrantied for 10 years, but the labor is not. That makes sense. He said they were an authorized dealer, so if I had trouble, to call them, and they would deal with the company.  He said that the furnace would have a slight burn smell, the first time I turned it on, and if I was uncomfortable with that, they would come out and turn it on for me in the fall, free of charge.  I told him every season, the first time a turn on the air conditioner or the furnace, I make a point to do it when I will be present, in case there is a problem, and I would do so again this fall.  

He cleaned up so well, I probably could have gotten away with not vacuuming the work area, but I did, and returned everything to its place. 

So, I was presented with a bill for the exact amount JD and I had agreed to.  I paid by check, having previously move the money to my checking account.  

The new system has a different sound than the old one. JD said it would be louder. It is not, it is just different, and I think that is because the old system worked so hard so long to cool the house.  Immediately when the new system was turned on, I could feel the increased force of the blowing air.  It took a while to get the house cooled, and the system to shut off, but we could feel the cool air in the process, after the house became hot while the system was being replaced.

This was good.

I then returned everything to its place.

Arthritis

I have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis.  Officially in my feet.  I have been diagnoses with degenerative disc disease as a result of my back pain and back surgery. I have been diagnoses with two compressed cervical vertebrae.

Years ago, I mean many years ago, I woke up one morning, and the middle joint of each thumb was swollen and aching.  Some of the swelling eventually went away, and the ache went away before the swelling decreased.

Yesterday, inexplicably, the joint in my right thumb became very painful.  I have been massaging it and that seems to help.  I am not sure what that means, but it is not unbearable, just inconvenient. 

Preparation

The air conditioner/furnace replacement is scheduled for later, on August 11, 2017.  In preparation, I moved out the materials that are around the general area where the crew will be working.  I hope I did not under estimate the area they need.  I may have to empty more of one closet, but if that is the case, it will not be difficult.  

Haiku is very distressed by this disturbance in our environment. Taki stays close, which is usual for her, or she hides.  She also hisses if the situation becomes untenable for her.

I am concerned how to handle the cats tomorrow.  I do not want them to be in the way, but I hate to lock them down in a room or the cat stroller, if I do not have to.  Because I suspect the workers will need access to the attic, which is through the garage, I cannot put the girls in the garage.

I will play this by ear. I suspect the cats will resolve the issue for themselves, and find a place to hide.  

Big, Loud and Live 2017

Big, Loud, and Live https://www.fandango.com/dci2017:bigloud26live14_202428/movieoverview aired August 10, 2017 presented by Fathom Events https://www.fathomevents.com/.  A colleague and I met up to watch the show.  It was a very good presentation, lasting close to 5 hours, not counting waiting for the tallying of results, which we did not wait for.

But for close to 5 hours, we heard blaring drum corp music, which is enjoyable to listen to and the performances are fun to watch.  But the music is loud, and jarring. Because of that, it takes me a long time to wind down after seeing a performance.  So, I planned to take off from work on the 11th of August. The problem is, I need to get up early to be ready for the air conditioner/furnace replacers. 

So now, I am home and have cleaned out the area for the air conditioner/furnace replacers to work, finished reading email, finished playing computer games, have had some wine, and am watching a second interesting movie, having already watched In the Heat of the Night  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061811/.  Now I am watching The Bedford Incident  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058962/.  

I like submarine movies, and thought I had seen The Bedford Incident before.  But I do not remember anything about it.  I do remember my father and brother talking about it when it came out, or maybe, they discussed the book. My father did not read a lot of books when we were growing up, but he liked a good military or historical thriller. 

So, I am waiting to get sleepy enough to so to sleep.  If I try lying down before I am sleepy, I just toss and turn, and waste sometimes the whole night trying to sleep.  I try using relaxation breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation, but it does not work.  This has been my life's history regarding sleep.  It just is, and I have only had a few periods in my life when my sleep was better.  But, I don't mind. Especially when I do not have to be on my best game the next day.

Air Conditioner and Heater Day 2

So, the air conditioner/furnace specialist came by this morning to check on my situation. Sure enough, the condenser coil was rusted and leaking. Options were: try to replace the condenser coil; for not much more money replace the inside furnace/condenser coil unit; for about twice the money replace everything inside and out.  Since I had already thought that I would be doing that in June, and the unit is 26 years old, I decided it was time to replace everything. 

I was scheduled to be off Friday, and had a couple of errands to do, but I rescheduled those, after I scheduled the system replacement for Friday. 

I think this will be a good move. 

Plumbing

Well, I actually called the plumber last week, but did not receive a response, so let it go until this morning, when I usually go into work late.  I called, and received a response.  I called into work and said I would be later than usual.

The plumber came.  We looked at the bathroom near the leak, and could find nothing. We checked the meter, which showed no leak, he pulled up carpet and padding that was soaked, and asked to put a fan on the area to dry it out.  He wanted to come back later in the day. That worked for me, as I had some work things I felt obligated to do.

So, in the afternoon, when the plumber came back, the area was dry, unless he stepped on a specific spot.  Amazingly to me, but not to the plumber, there was high quality tile on the slab.  He tried to dislodge it and could not, and said he might have to come back tomorrow with different equipment.  

So, then we looked in the furnace/ac closet.  I had looked. There were some water stains on the floor, but I thought they might be old.  He took the panels off the furnace, and sure enough, saw water drips.  The filter was wet.  That was the leak, and it was seeping into the hallway. He said it was a coil in the air conditioner.  

So relief, I did not have a slab leak that could take an untold amount of digging to find, but now I am faced with possibly needing a new air conditioner and even air conditioner and heating unit. 

The plumbing company I use has specialists who do certain things.  The air conditioner person, and the supervisor were both unavailable to talk to me this afternoon about what my options are.  So, I will stay home from work in the morning, again to meet with someone about this. 

Well, if you are a regular reader, you will remember I thought a new system might have been required a couple of months ago, when the air conditioner could not keep up with the 112° heat.  But, all that was needed then was a clean out of the compressor. But it might have been an indicator of more serious things. 

The air conditioner/furnace were replaced in this house in the fall of 1991, about 6 months before I purchased it.  So, I have really been blessed that I have not had much trouble before now.

And, I am still blessed, because although there is a leak, I have air conditioning.  Most of the time, when the air conditioner develops a problem, there is no air conditioning.  

This will be an expensive process. 

I will deal with it.

I am blessed that I can deal with it. 

Detroit

I went to see the movie Detroit http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5390504/ today.  It was a very brutal movie, about a very brutal time in our history.  However, I am a firm believer that we need to know and understand our history because it can help us to improve our future.

I remember the news stories about riots across our country when I was a teenager.  The horror, the senselessness, the destruction.  I learned about the rage of black people who had been subjugated for years and years. As I watched the movie, I recalled the news about the Algiers Hotel.

I was raised to respect police, and not until I was well into my adult life did I realize or accept the fact that police and authority figures in this country could be just as unlawful and vicious as criminals.  I should have known better. But I was too gullible and accepting.

I am glad that in this day and age, with body cams, cell phone videos, street cams and other security surveillance, we have information about how people behave in public, including the police. We have information about police being inappropriate, and we have information about police having to make impossible split second decisions that involves deadly force.  Policing is a very difficult career, and we have to allow them to do their jobs, but criminal behavior by police is still criminal behavior.  I think that was brought home very clearly in this movie.  

I do not find it ironic that this movie was produced during this time of high scrutiny of police behavior and possible misbehavior. 

Floor Leaks

So, I did not want to believe this at first, and I thought I had a kitty who vomited on the carpet in the hallway.  I cleaned it up, but it took days to dry out, and only after I tried to towel up the excess water several times.   

Then, another spot, and the first spot, and another spot.  I soaked them up last night but they are soaking wet again tonight, and there are some other little spots in the same general area.

I am afraid that one of the pipes or conduits in the concrete slab on which the house is built is  leaking.  I am hoping for one leak, which is spreading to surface in various areas in my hallway.

I cannot deal with this right now, but I will have to take time off from work to do so.  It is just a fact of life.

I will start dealing with it tomorrow. 

Rain Again

It was a grey morning, with a little sprinkling, but I thought the gray was going to burn off.  Well, not so, although the sun peaked in and out today.  But when I left work, it was raining fairly strongly, so I pulled out my reserve poncho kept in my desk, and had coverage.  

I was grateful for the coverage.

There was some localized flooding as I ran errands and drove home.

I will now have to bring the poncho back into my unit to keep on hand again.