Home Improvement Tips - Link

I found an interesting site that gives tips about home improvement. Goodness knows I can use all the help that I can get!

I wanted to add this site because it doesn't look like one of those "advertising" sites where there is just advertising to buy something. This website looks sincere. And ironically the guy behind this website is one of Google Adsense's sucess stories.

Home Tips.com

Does Anyone Else Have This Problem?

I can't figure out why its so cold in the kitchen!

During the summertime when it was warmer it didn't matter because when its warm outside then its warm inside - including the kitchen.

But earlier this afternoon as I was in the kitchen eating dinner it occurred to me just how cold the kitchen was. The temperature outside was in the 40's plus its a very windy day today.

The kitchen it seems is the coldest room in the house and I really can't figure out why. I thought it may have had something to do with the insultaion around the back door and window but it just seems that there's not enough open airspaces in the kitchen that would warrant it being so cold.

Now if I'm cooking in the kitchen it gets quite warm and I'm wondering if that has anything to do with why it would be cold otherwise.

I mean are kitchens meant to be so cold?

I have seen pictures of kitchens with fireplaces in them and I'm thinking about adding one to mine. The only problem is where would the fireplace go? The only place where I could fit a fireplace in the kitchen is where the refridgerator is standing right now and I need a refridgerator - LOL!

But I would be interested in knowing if others have this same problem or is this the way that it is meant to be - and if it is - why?

Ambience Versus The Heating Bill?

I managed to get an energy audit for my home from my local utility company. The woman on the phone said that it appeared that my gas usage was "a little bit high". I found out where this "a little bit high" came from.

You see my stove is a gas stove and I do use it a lot! I like to slowly boil water in my tea kettle for things like when I want some tea (and now that the weather is getting colder - hot chocolate) or when I'm making a stew. So it seems that that is where the "a little high" gas usage is coming from. The man that came and did the energy audit mentioned to me that he uses things like a crock pot which is plugged in to the electric as opposed to using the stove when he makes something like stew.

So now it seems I have this little dilemna about ambience versus the heating bill. I like the way that the house smells when food is slowly cooking and I also like knowing that I have hot water boiling for my tea or hot chocolate. It just doesn't seem the same having a crock pot versus having the food/stew slowly cooking on the stove. So heating bill be damned!

There's always something that needs to be repaired.....

I mentioned before in some previous posts about how I was having trouble with my heating system now that the weather is turning colder.

It was working perfectly fine last year around this time and I thought that as the weather got colder the heat would automatically "click" on. When it didn't the first thing I thought was wrong was that I didn't "bleed" the radiators - so that's what I did. Still no heat!

So the next thing I did was call the people that installed it. They said that it was probably something simple like the pilot light being out. So I checked that! The pilot light was on.

Since they charge $69 for a service call I decided that since I got the heating system with a grant maybe they wouldn't charge me anything for looking at it to see why the heating system wasn't working.

I had to wait a few weeks in order to get in touch with them since their program didn't start again for the year yet but then it was relatively warm outside and my need wasn't immediate.

Well the weather got colder and so did the house and subsequently so did I! I finally got in touch with them and explained the situation and they sent someone out to look at it. He came to the conclusion that the problem with the heating system was the thermostat - because the heater itself was only two years old. So he noted the problem and told me that a contractor would be doing the work.

Well the contractor came out and guess what the problem was?

It seems the chimney is collapsing and it was collapsing into the chute resulting in a lot of dust gathering thus clogging up the chute meaning that the heater was working overtime and it just overworked itself!

How about that!????? I mean I know that I have a chimney but you know it never occurred to me that the chimney would collapse. I mean the house is over 50 years old and I don't remember any repairs being done to the chimney for at least 20 years so I'm sure that its not in the best of conditions!

But it never occurred to me once that the problem had to do with the chimney!

Man Burns Down House Trying To Get Rid Of Bees!

I'm having this trouble with bees crawling around a certain bedroom window. I can't figure out how they are getting in! The window in this bedroom has a window air conditioner in it and I'm guessing that they are getting in through the (small!) open spaces around it.

While I was looking online for some information that would help me get rid of them I found this article about a man who accidently burnt his house down while trying to get rid of them. I also found some very interesting links relating to other people and how they are having the same kind of trouble - some even more worse than me!

• How To Get Rid Of Wasps (which I think is what they are)
  

• Google Search - How Do Bees Get In The House
  

• Why Do Wasps Like Me?
  

• FAQ
  

• How To Get Bees Out Of House

10/15/07 Update - Well I found out that the bees seem to be getting inside the window between the top and bottom window panes (is that the right word?). You see there is an air conditioner in that window which means that the bottom window had to be pushed up in order to get the air conditioner in the window. Now the bees seem to be coming in between the top window and bottom window. Now there is some insulation foam in the window but it seems that the bees are pushing through it. It looks like the insulation foam has deteriorated some and the bees are getting in through it. I put some more foam-like material to close the gap and now I have to see how well that works.

Update - Saturday, October 27, 2007 - Well it looks like they are getting in some other kind of way via that area. I had a chance to do some observing and it kind of looks like they are coming from the bottom of the radiator area (the radiator that sits under the window). I could have sworn that I heard them "pushing" through something but that could just be my over-active imagination. I know not to shine a flashlight in the area because I read online that that isn't good. So I still have to wait and see where they are coming from and the sooner the better!

Pilot Light? - Dilema!

Okay so its finally getting colder after days of high humidity and heat. As a matter of fact its quite breezy outside which makes it feel even colder!

So that means its time for the inside of the house to get warmer.

I kind of thought that the colder temperature inside the house would make the heater (actually its called a boiler) come on automatically - but it didn't. So I go through my its-starting-to-get-cold routine that has to be gone through at the start of fall each year by "bleeding" the radiators. I hear the water circulating in the radiators and thought that everything was ok. So I turn up the thermostat to a higher temperature (around 75 degrees) thinking that it would warm the house up sooner - it didn't! So now I'm wondering what's wrong. I know it can't be the condition of the boiler because its only a year (if that) old. So I call the company that installed it and the guy on the phone says that it sounds as if the pilot light is out. Ok, I know WHAT a pilot light is but that is about it.

So he tells me that it should be a simple fix and that all I really have to do is light the pilot light and that the instructions for doing so should be there on the boiler itself (it is). Fear comes over me! I don't know what to do! So I go into the basement and find the instructions that are on the boiler. Now first of all there is a piece of the boiler that is partially blocking the instructions which makes it hard to read them and the "piece" is not removable! So one of the first things that I see in the instructions is that the controls should be visible but if they are not then the control panel should be removed - the what? I took a piece off but what was inside didn't look like the picture on the instructions. Plus there is this warning that if the instructions are followed exactly then serious harm could result! So now I have pictures in my mind of me blowing up the house (along with myself included).

Since I don't know what to do I have to wait until the company sends somebody out. They charge $69 for that but I'm hoping since I got the boiler with a grant that they will look at it and not charge me. I just don't want to do anything wrong (or explosive - if you catch my meaning)

Just in case you're curious, this is a picture of what my boiler looks like. Small isn't it? But last winter it kept my house toasty warm! The brand name is Peerless. It seems that my old boiler was so old that the company had went out of business a long time ago!

Strange Noise?

Ever hear a strange noise in your home?

So its like 2 o'clock in the morning and I'm typing away at my computer and I hear this strange noise! It kind of sounds like a wounded animal! Now I've been having trouble with bees finding their way into the house and I thought maybe that was it. Then it could also be squirrels because they have run rampant in my attack. But this noise sounded so close and it just happened intermittently and it wasn't a continuous sound. Everytime I got up to investigate the noise would stop. Then when I settled down the strange noise would start up again.

I managed to get up and follow the noise. It was in the bedroom across the hall. Now I still have the box that my computer came in on the floor by the front of this room and I thought that maybe something crawled inside of there. I could still hear the noise so I kicked the box and nothing happened. But now that I was in the room the sound was quite close (and quite scary!)

It turns out that the noise was a short in the answering maching that caused one of the lights to flicker! Shew! What a relief! Almost sounded like the house was haunted! (And it being so close to Halloween too!)

There have been other "noises" as well but this was the most recent and the most scary!

The Cost Of Heating Is Expected To Rise!

Here is a link to an article that talks about how the heating costs will rise this winter.

I'm really not surprised by this news - just a little disappointed.

It's getting harder and harder for people to make ends meet! And I'm sure that this is not welcomed news for them!

Fortunately for me I was able to get a new heating system with the help of a grant that Rose help me find.

I am also on a monthly "budget" plan that my utility company offers where you pay the same amount each month and it balances out your bill payments for the year.

In the winter time I have seen my heating bill be as much as $300!

Just in case you're wondering what kind of heating sytem I have it's a boiler system that is in the basement and it brings heat to the radiators that are in every room.

I Know That I'm Going To Love This Blog!

A Frugal Living Blog by a Frugal Guy! - I knew that I was going to like this blog when I saw the most latest post which was about "leaky faucets"! Oh boy can I identify with that!

I liked the blog so much that I went back in the archives so that I could start reading the blog posts from the very beginning. It turns out that the author was going through a tough time and I could so relate to that!

Even though at first I thought that I don't want to live frugally - I want to live regally - and didn't want to read a blog about frugal liveing I then thought about it some more. You can live frugally but still enjoy the living!

Laundry Day!

One of the things that I am truly thankful for is my washing machine that is in the basement! It is a Maytag and I'm sure you might remember all those commercials about how dependable it is - and it is!

I have had this washing machine for over 20 years now and so far it has been working great! (My dryer pooped out on me some years ago )-:

I was thinking about this today when I remembered about doing my laundry yesterday. The washing machine has that dial that spins around to facilitate the washing process and I must have turned it too much because it wasn't spinning. As I was doing laundry yesterday the clothes soaked for about 3 hours because the dial wouldn't turn - but hey - at least I knew that the clothes would be clean! Of course worrier that I am I worried about the machine being broken and I loath to have to get a new one mainly because I can't even remember how that machine was able to be put in the basement. So I thought as long as the machine was still working I could stay down there and turn the knobs until it finished its cycle. But guess what? As soon as I said that and left the machine to its own devices the dial worked again! Oh for joy! My washing machine is back to normal! I hugged and kissed it!

I HATE the thought of having to lug my laundry to a laundromat!

Thank you God for all the things you have provided me with!

70 Year Old Woman Gets Handcuffed For Dry Lawn!

A bit more detail:

Bloody nose for having a dry lawn

Salt Lake Tribune - Jul 7, 2007

Betty Perry, 70, was arrested and her nose bloodied after an Orem officer confronted her at her front door about her dried-up lawn...When Perry refused to give her name and tried to walk inside to call her son, the officer tried to arrest her... According to a police news release, while she was struggling, she tripped and fell on her doorstop, cutting open the bridge of her nose...After being booked, supervisors... released the woman and returned her to her home on the basis that there were other options available to handle this situation besides making an arrest and holding the woman in jail... Perry was taken to Timpanogos Regional Hospital and treated for her wounds. Besides the cut nose, she sustained bruises on her arms from the handcuffs. She said she was approached about the problem last year but didn't hear from officers again after a first warning

Outback - Well sort of

Here you have a view of what I see when I look outside my backyard.

It's not huge but after seeing pictures of other people's views I got kind of jealous of everyone else's pictures! Also it was suggested that adding pictures would help enhance my blog. This picture was taken with my cameraphone and I hope to take more and add them here.

Since I don't live in the city its not as congested where I live which is just outside of the city. It's kind of the same view that I have when I'm looking outside my kitchen window. Every now and then I will see the neighbor's cat sneaking around. During the spring and summer I will see the birds digging for worms. The squirrels run back and forth and I will occassionly see either a neighbor or one of the yard workers working in the yard. Maybe it's just me but the scenery always seems to be a little bit more brighter during the weekends - especially on Sundays!

On Sunday's I'll open the curtains and have my coffee or tea or hot chocolate and just look at the view. Those times when I'm depressed I'll also look at the view even during stormy or dark weather. It just something about seeing the trees sway back and forth that somehow comforts me when I'm feeling down.

Everyone should have a view!

Part Handyman

I just got finished reading another blog and the guy was talking about how he had a air conditioning emergency and how he had to call around to find someone to service the air conditioner. Now of course this is during the summer and it was getting close to the weekend to boot!

Well he said he called around and found that no service technician would come out for less than $60! Add to that they also couldn't come out until the next few days. So the author of the blog decided to take matters into his own hands and find out if he could fix the air conditioning himself. He said he took the air conditioner apart, looked around and found that the problem had something to do with the wiring. He made a quick trip to Lowes and he was able to fix the problem.

That got me to thinking about my own air conditioning system. I don't have central air I have air conditioner wall units. The oldest air conditioner is at least 20 years old and you can imagine how big and clunky it is. But guess what - It stills works just fine!. I still clean the filter on a regular basis but other than that that big old trusty air conditioner still works. It cools the whole downstairs!

But getting back to the guys post it reminded me of how us homeowners have had to be our own "handyman" at times! I can think of more than a few home-related repairs that I have done that I never thought I would have to do. One thing I can say is "Thank God for duct tape!" Its a miracle tool!

There was an incident where the thermostat-thingie wasn't working on the heating system and water was spewing everywhere! So I go to home depot and get a part (that I wasn't familiar with) thinking that I could replace the old part. Well the old part seemed to be rusted to the heater so that was one of the times that I had to call a repairman. I guess I shouldn't dwell on it but you know I actually went to work the next day all the while thinking about the water gushing in the basement!

Home Inspector Nightmares!

Here's an interesting article that I found about "Home Inspector Nightmares". I know that people try to get away with a lot when they are trying to sell their homes but it made me think about all the things that we homeowners do to "temporarily" fix some problems. Goodness knows that there are some "shortcut" repairs that I have in my house that I wouldn't want anybody to see - LOL!

Gone Fishing

I was browsing around like I normally do and came upon this blog! I LOVE TO FISH! and this blog reminded me of that. I haven't gone fishing in a looooong time and this blog is just making me remember how much I miss it!

Of course the name of the blog is Gone Fishing and the link is:

http://fishforfood.blogspot.com

TV Guide

I have this oh-so-terrible pet peeve about the most latest and "newest" TV Guide! Remember back when it was shaped like this little fat book and it had the TV listings? But more importantly it had a description of the shows and what the episode was about. I hate the newest version. It looks like a big glossy magazine and they have forgone much of the tv listing descriptions in favor of glitzy articles on the celebrities.

Maybe I just need to get more of a life but in the past I had looked forward to get my latest TV Guide and settling in and circling which programs I was going to either watch or videotape. Since my hours aren't normal "9 to 5" hours I pretty much wanted to know my TV options well in advance.

You can't do that with this latest version of TV Guide!

I give it a big thumbs down!

Taking Out The Trash!

I'm always in this mini dilemma about when to take out the trash. If I put it out the night before then I'll put it in one of the recycling buckets so the cats can't get at it (we have a LOT of cats in my area) and then I won't have to worry about getting up earlier in the morning to put it out.



On the other hand there are those times when I just don't want to be bothered with it and I vow that I will get up earlier the next morning so that I can put it out - which sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. There have been a few times when I have awoken to the sounds of the trash truck going down the street and in that instance I remember that I didn't put out the trash and then I sign and vow to have it out the next week. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.

Weeds, weeds and more weeds!

Yes that's right I have been weeding away at the weeds! I never knew weeds could grow so strong! They managed to grow along the stone of the garage! It kind of looked live a vine and I may be wrong but I think the roots were trying to tell me to leave them alone - they were so thick! I was also breaking branches (still have some to go) that were from the tree and they fell during some of the storms.

One thing this has taught me is patience! The more that I struggle and huff and puff the more I seemed to be getting nowhere. But when I take my time it seems that more is done so I'm practicing patience as I clear away the weeds. But I have come to find out that this is part of the process because I'm learning a lot about maintainence outside the house. For instance today I did some more planting and I also did some weeding and it all goes together. You can't have a garden without doing some weeding. Plus its just good to be outside. I have my trusty chair and my trusty trash can and I just sit there and get it done. I do need a new rake though because I have worn the old one out. I cleaned out the birdbath. Since it sits under our tree which is a 100 year old maple it gets a lot of debri in it.

I don't remember if I mentioned it here on my blog but I was feeling kind of jealous of my neighbors who were out in their yards cleaning and such but now I am one of them too. Plus the township where I live kind of frowns upon unkept property - so at least they will see that some work has been done.

This is one of the reasons why a lot of people that like apartments don't want to have a home because they say that they don't like the maintenance part of it. I'm just the opposite. I have never lived in an apartment and I don't think that I would like it anyway. I'm a house kind of person. (-:

The Resuming of the Outside Work Has Begun!

Well I am quite proud of having started where I left off last fall! I am working my way around the house because truthfully speaking that is the best way to do this. It's a slow way but the best way. As I work myself around the house I can see what has to be done. For instance there are a number of smaller trees but with very thick trunks that I just can not cut down my self. It's better to know all of the ones that have to be cut down as opposed to just getting them cut down one tree at a time.

Just in case you're wondering what it is I have to do on the outside of the house let me tell you. This should kind of be a lesson to those that don't know but when you let the outside go without maintaining it what you will get is a lot of overgrowth and a lot of weeds - and I mean a LOT of weeds! If you let those weeds continue to grow then they start to turn into trees and then you have a bigger problem - which is what I'm learning. So around the house I go digging up and clearing away the weeds. There is a rosebush that is at least 20 years old on one side of the house and if that isn't properly pruned then the branches grow out and then the heavy weight of them bends the branches while they continue to grow and before you know it the branches start working their way next door! So at the side of the house I'm digging up and clearing the overgrowth. I'm thinking of putting some mulch or some brick walk plates to stop the growth. Once I work my way around the sides that brings me to the back of the house where I have my garden and the hedges. I haven't had a garden for 2 years so you can imagine that there is a lot of overgrowth, debri and weeds to be cleared up! But as I work my way slowly around I managed to clear enough ground to start planting - yipeeee! Now I can think about that as I'm clearing away the rest of the ground!

Since we're not at the end of our frost free date I started planting some cold weather vegetables.

So now I'm onto the other side of the house where there is more clearing to do. Once I finish that side then there's the driveway/garage area that has a lot of tree branches from previous storms that have to be broken up. Whew! Sounds like a lot doesn't it? I'm still not finished though because next will be the front of the house! That involves cutting the grass (after I clear the branches away) and cutting the hedges!

I know it sounds like a lot but hey I have a house! I should be very grateful for that because not everyone can say that. Plus I know from neighbors about the terrible experience of losing their home - something that I vow not to go through.

But back to more pleasant talk..............It is a lot of work but I do want to do it. It also gives me the pleasure of deciding what kind of "do-dads" I want to add like windchimes and a birdhouse and what kind of flowers I want to plant.

So I have a lot of work to do and I plan on having a lot of fun while I do it (-:

Cleaning The Birdbath!

Today I took a little time and cleaned the birdbath outside. This was bugging me because I take time to feed the birds and squirrels and the bird bath hasn't been cleaned since last fall (if then).

I do have other outside work to do but I'm doing that in a certain way and working my way around the house. There are the hedges (both front and back) to be cut. I also have some trashbags full of debri like branches that aren't picked up with the regular trash and they require a (fee-based)special trash pickup where I have to call the township and schedule a trash pickup. Since the weather has gotten warmer the grass has been growing and needs to be cut. There are some weeds that have to be cut down (and the longer I leave the weeds, the bigger they grow). I also want to start my garden in the backyard so the ground has to be cleared.

Actually it sounds like a lot but as long as I'm in the right mood for it it will be okay. And there is something to be said for working outside in nice weather.

But its the birdbath that was bothering me. Mind you I know its not just the birds that use the birdbath. I have seen squirrels and the neighborhood cats use it too.

So along with the inside work that has to be done there is the outside work that has to be done too. I'll have to hire someone to cut down some of the more thicker weeds that have grown so tall but other than that the rest I can do myself.

Replacing A Broken Window

As I got online I saw this link to a site with a guy showing how to replace a broken window. Here is the link:

Replacing A Broken Window

There's a video on the site as well.

I don't have a broken window but I do have an upstairs window that has a crack in it. From what I have been told I can just replace the pane but I haven't done it yet and I haven't decided if I'm going to do it or have someone else do it.

The windows that I are pretty old and I kind of like them the way they are plus I have this weird thing of "if it ain't broke don't fix it".

Outside Things To Do

Want a little insight to some of the work that a homeowner does outside their house? Of course it depends on the type of house that you have, how much land you have and so on but in my specific case here is a list of the things that I have to do.

• The first place that I have to start with is where I left off last fall when I was clearing away some of the overgrowth and weeds. I found out that the trash bags full of garden debri and branches and stuff won't be taken by the regular trash pickup. I have to call and get a special pickup (and of course there is a fee for that). I got about half-way done last year and now I have to work on the other half - clearing it away and then I get to start all over again.
  

• There is the cutting of the hedges that I should do at least once every three weeks
  

• I also have enough room for a garden in the back - got to get a new hoe because I used the last one to death!
  

• Would you believe that I still have leaves to rake!
  

• There are also branches that have to be broken and trashed - this is the result of storms and high winds
  

• I'm on the hunt for some good porch furniture! (Of course getting rid of the old furniture will be a problem but I'm hoping that I can just get some new cushions and not have to chuck the frames). I also have to take into consideration getting something that doesn't look good enough to steal. And I'm also having a hard time finding just the right kind of porch furniture. I want something that will be big and sturdy and not those "lite" looking porch chairs and benches that I see advertised.

Sounds like a lot of fun doesn't it? But I won't mind as long as I do it a little bit at a time. I see people enjoying the fact that they are taking care of their homes and shopping for things like plants and flowers can be fun. Besides, between work I can always sit on the porch and rest - That reminds me - I want a rocking chair for my porch!

Bugs!

Dare I say it? I HATE THEM! I saw one crawling out from somewhere while I was at the keyboard typing and it freaked me out! So you can see that I'm not too accustomed to having them around. Is there such a thing as a "bug free" house? I know the weather is getting warmer and I know that that will mean more bugs (and I hate to say the word roaches!). I also know that warmer weather will mean bees! I hate those too!

Losing Your Home!

I have to admit that this is one of my biggest fears!

I'll see ads in the paper where mortgage companies are offering certain amounts that you pay back monthly for a mortgage. Of course a lot of those amounts are much lower than what I am paying for my mortgage right now but I don't dare call these companies no matter how attractive their mortgage payment amounts look! Quite honestly I would like to pay my mortgage off just to not have the headache but I read somewhere that actually having a mortgage to pay could be considered a good thing because it is known as "good" debt. It has to do with your credit score or something.

I see the notices of sheriff sales in my local paper and see all the listing of homes that have already been foreclosed on. I even shutter when I see those programs on TV about "flipping" property!

My solution to this nagging problem has got to be for me to have a fund that has enough money in it so I don't lose my house. And I'm not talking about mortgage insurance. I'd rather have my own mortgage insurance where I have control over it. Just a nice tidy sum that is enough to pay off the mortgage and have some still in it to pay the yearly property taxes. It's a nice dream isn't it? But I would MAKE it a reality! I could go without some "niceties" if it meant that I knew that I had my "house" fund.

Mortgage Companies!

I recently read an article talking about how many people are going to lose their homes to foreclosure. It's a very sad thing to see and read about. As far as my mortgage goes, I like everyone else want to have it paid off! The foreclosure process is not a very pleasant experience. People need help to help them stop the foreclosure process on their homes. And while foreclosures may be a very good thing for real estate investors it isn't a very good thing for the people whose homes are being foreclosed on.

One good thing that I can say about my mortgage is that it is a 30 year fixed mortgage and it is not one of those adjustable rate mortgages. A lot of people have those adjustable rate mortgages and now they wish that they hadn't. But you know they probably could not get a mortgage any other way.

There are so many ads and commercials about helping people with their mortgage problems and how they can get out of debt by consolidating their bills. If you can avoid it don't do business with these kinds of companies. Paying off your mortgage the old-fashioned way may take longer but in the long run you will be glad that you did it that way.

Sticky Remote Control

I have Direct TV and now the remote is sticky. I don't know if I did this or if its just regular wear and tear as far as the remote is concerned. I haven't had it for even a year yet and I'm pondering what to do. I don't want to "fiddle" with the remote cause I don't want to break the darn thing and I don't want to call up Direct TV and ask them about it because I certainly don't want to pay for another remote control.

I suppose I could switch TV remotes from another one of the other TV's - guess I'm just lazy!

I'm thinking in the back of my mind that if I do switch them then I would have to re-program the remote control to work with both the TV and the VCR and somewhere else in the back of my mind is this voice saying that I may still need to fix it with whatever TV I switch it to.

The literature and the instructions that came with the Direct TV installation is full of what they will repair or replace and what they won't repair or replace and in that literature somewhere I'm sure that they don't say anything about "sticky" remotes. I don't think that comes under the warranty.

Emergency Repair

See this doorknob? It was faithfully working for over 10 years. Then one day I put the key in it and found out that while it worked the key wouldn't turn inside the lock. I did not want to be faced with the problem of being locked outside the house so I figured that it was better safe than sorry to have the lock replaced.

Actually I though that the doorknob itself could be fixed without having to get a new one but in the end it was just better to get a new one. (Side note here getting a new lock means getting new keys which was a good idea because this time I would know who had copies!). Even the guy that did the repair said the same thing that even though the lock could be fixed it would just be better to get a new one. (In fact he was surprised that the doorknob and lock lasted as long as it did).

Since the guy that used to do the repairs to the house had since died, I found this guy the old fashioned way - I looked in the yellow pages! You often hear about people who have had a bad experience when they call someone from the yellow pages - especially when it has to do with repairs) but I can say that my experience wasn't one of them.

The guy that did the repair was nice and he gave me his name and number in case I needed him for future repairs that had to do with locks. A lot of these guys that work for companies do work on the side, work that doesn't go through the company but goes directly to them. I mention this because they make more money if they bypass the company and get called directly to do the work. It's hard to say whether this is a good thing or a bad thing and I'm lucky that I got someone who wasn't a scam.

But this is one of those repair kind of things that comes under the heading of an emergency repair because it wasn't a planned thing and it was done immediately because I didn't want to come face to face with the prospect of being locked out. (Being locked in - I could handle that). The whole thing - new doorknob cost just under $100 bucks - the keys I got for free (or so they tell me).

So I'm wondering now which another "emergency" repair is going to come up.........

My First Cellphone!

Well I have been jealous seeing people just whip out their cellphones and start talking. I see them using their cellphones everywhere! Including at the grocery store and on the bus and even walking down the street!

I have to preface this by saying that my credit is not all that hot! So I had to get on one of those prepay plans where I pay a certain amount every month. If I don't make the payment in time then I won't be able to use the cellphone.

But like I said this is my first cellphone so its kind of like having a new shiny toy! At least my credit rating was good enough to get a cellphone that isn't one of those prepaid ones. Besides being able to make and receive calls I was surprised to find out that I can also go online with this cellphone - of course there is a fee for this! And one thing I insisted on was having a camera phone - although I'm still trying to successfully transfer the pictures to my email address.

One dis-heartening thing that I found out was that this particular model cellphone doesn't allow for ringtones outside the ones that you have to pay for! I recorded part of a song that I would love to use as a ringtone but I found out that I can't! )-:

There has got to be a way for me to do this and I'm still trying to figure how!

I also have to be careful of my "minutes" and now I know why people are always talking about their "minutes". My nighttime and weekend minutes carry over to the next month but not my daytime minutes.I'm also learning about this "battery" business. Silly me - I thought that cellphones used regular batteries but I found out that they don't and that the kind of battery that cellphones used have to be recharged - at least I got the charger as part of the whole package!

So with the exception of not being able to use the ringtones that I want and still trying to figure out how to transfer the pictures from my camera phone - I'm kind of having fun with my new "toy".

Hearth.com

Like I said I love fireplaces and I thought that this was just the most adorable picture that I have seen!

If you like talking about fireplaces or are seeking information about fireplaces or are looking for specific parts then Hearth.com
is the place for you. There is a message forum as well as pictures. You can browse the forums but in order to post to them you have to register but there is no cost involved to register.

Since I don't have a fireplace of my own yet I can look at the pictures of others and be jealous! One of the current topics is how mild the weather has been lately but everybody is preparing for the weather just in case a snowstorm comes along.

So if you enjoy fireplaces then this is the place for you!

Fireplaces

I got an email from someone that read on one of my pages that I love fireplaces! And they mentioned that they love them too. I don't know what it is about fireplaces but they just seem so peaceful and romantic (and besides living by the ocean) and so warm and inviting.
I mentioned to this person about how I wanted to bring back the fireplace in my house because there is supposed to be one here but it was covered up. And that got me to thinking that I should start making plans as to how I am going to accomplish this. First I have to be sure that there really was a fireplace here (I mean we have a chimney so doesn't that mean that there was one here?). Then I'm going to have to find out how I can get it back. The livingroom is quite full and I'm guessing that the fireplace would have to be where the sofa is now but I'll see. I don't want to move (or get rid of) the sofa and hopefully there will be a way that I can fit it in.