I'm In The Market For A New Vacuum Cleaner!

And lo and behold comes an online article about them!

I have had my old Eureka vacuum cleaner for so long - I guess about 20 years - that I guess it is time for a brand new one!

I have been hearing so much about the benefits of having one of those vacuum cleaners where you don't have to change the vacuum cleaner bags - but its something that I have never used before and I'm such a creature of habit!

The article seems very interesting and it includes links to other relevent articles as well:

Searching For A New Vacum

Seeing How The Other Half Lives?

While I absolutely LOVE where I live and wouldn't trade it for a million dollars, I also like to look at the home of the rich and famous. I found a blog that posts picture of luxurious real estate - and they are luxurious-looking!

I always like to see homes like these and I was a frequent watcher of "The Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous".

Like I said before some of these homes are absolutely gorgeous!

Who knows? I may purchase one as my 2nd Home!

Homes Of The Rich

Here Is An Interesting Link.....

Found another one of those interesting articles on the Internet. This one lists 25 things that (in their opinion) will not be here much longer!

25 Things Vanishing From America

I won't give away everything that is on the list but there are a few things that I don't necessarily agree with.

Probably the most important one is that I LOVE my VCR and don't know what they could possibly have to replace it!

Even though there are millions of email being sent every day I still like to believe that there are still people out there that still do handwritten letters. I haven't done them myself in quite awhile but that doesn't mean that I am never going to!

So take a look at the list and let me know your thoughts!

Well It Looks Like I Will Need A New Vacuum Cleaner!

I was going to vacuum one of the bedrooms today and found out that my vacuum cleaner did not want to cooperate!

I have had this vacuum cleaner now for some time - over 20 years I think - so I think that it's time to get a new one!

The problems that I'm having with it is first that I am not getting enough suction! I thought maybe the hose was clogged up and I checked it and it was clear. Second of all the hose that goes into the vaccum is not catching on to the vacuum bag itself. (Actually it took me quite a while to find a store near me that carried the right size vacuum bag that I needed!)

Third (and probably the most important thing of all) is that I broke the catch that secures the hose and bag to the vacuum machine itself!

The brand of the vacuum cleaner is Eureka and it did last a long time and it worked quite well - so I'll probably buy the same brand. However I have done a quick Internet search of vacuum cleaner prices and they sure have gone up since the last time I bought a vacuum cleaner!

So I welcome your comments and suggestions as to the kinds of vacuum cleaners that you have that you are happy with and hopefully your comments will help those who are also in the market for a new vacuum cleaner!

Are You Ready For The Switch To Digital TV?

If you don't know it by now we all have to make the switch to digital tv by February 2009!

That means that if the television set(s) that you have are not digital-tv-ready then you will either have to get a converter for your tv or buy a new tv that is digital ready.

If you already have a satalite dish, a dish network subscription or you have cable then this does not apply to you.

The government is providing coupons for those that want to by a converter box to make their tv's digital-ready. You can request one coupon now, and one later, but no more than two per household. They expire 90 days after they are mailed.

Here is the information that you need to know in order to get your coupon(s) for the tv converter:

Order coupons on line at www.DTV2009.gov

Order by phone at 1-888-DTV-2009

Order by mail at PO Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208

Or order by fax at 1-877-DTV-4ME2

Air Conditioner On!

Today is the first day this year that I have turned on the air conditioner. At 1 o'clock in the afternoon it was already 88 degrees in Philadelphia and the heat index made it feel like 100 degrees! That is HOT!

So as much as I want to be able to conserve energy - my energy bill be damned! I am going to be comfortable!

On the bright side at least this gives me more incentive to earn more money so that I will be able to pay my electric bill!

I do have to thank The Adsense Consultant for helping me with my adsense! The adsense payments won't be issue for at least 2 weeks but at least I know that I will be getting a payment this month!

There Is Definitely A Chill In The Air!

Silly me! I thought that once I opened my windows that the weather would stay warm enough to keep them up. Not so tonight!

I thought it was a little bit chilly but I thought that it was just me! But then I felt the heat coming from the radiators and I knew that it was cold enough in the house for the heating system to kick on!

So I closed the windows and I'm thinking about drinking a nice hot cup of hot chocolate!

Spring is still here with all of its varying temperatures!

I LOVE Windchimes!

I LOVE windchimes! - But not too many of them!

I was reminded of this when I went downstairs to wash the dishes and I could hear my windchimes outside! I used to have two of them but one just fell apart after having it for something like 20 years - LOL. I have it in bits and pieces and I want to put it back together again.

The windchimes that I have currently hanging outside are of little sharks! I got this particular windchime in Atlantic City. (I definitely have to take a picture of them so that I can post it here).

I love the sound of them! And hearing them lets me know if its windy outside.

Daylight Savings Time Has Begun!

Well I hope that you remembered to turn your clocks ahead 1 hour early this morning!

With the recent power outtages that we have been having in my area I have been changing clocks all month!

My cellphone clock took a while to "kick in" with the daylight savings time thing but I'm glad because now I don't have to worry about figuring out how to change the clock on my cellphone!

My computer's clock already "kicked in" with the daylight savings thing so all I really have to worry about are the regular clocks that are ALL around the house! I did notice that I'm going to have to update the thermostat clock - although I'm toying with the idea of leaving it like it is - LOL!

Power Outage!

There was a power outage in my area early this morning.

You think that I would be used to this and not get myself in such a panic when this kind of thing occurs - but I wasn't and I did!

The first thing about this outage was that it occurred so early in the morning and it was a Saturday - meaning weekend - morning at that. I wondered if anyone else in my area was having this problem - but it was so early in the morning that I thought "who would be up at this time of night?".

I went to check my circut breakers (thank GOD I had purchased a flashlight a few weeks ago and the batteries were still good!) and they all looked fine. Then I went into the kitchen to get something to drink and noticed that the light in the refridgerator was working! OK, I thought that THAT was weird but since it was a new refridgerator I thought maybe it was one of those new "fangled" refridgerators that didn't need electricity in order for the light to work. Then I noticed that the clock on the stove was working (it had the wrong time on it but that was because the knob had broken off and I never adjusted it to the right time) and so I thought that that was really weird!

The lamp by the front door wasn't working but the lamp in the livingroom was working? OK more weirdness!

I looked outside to see if one of my neighbors who always has a light on had any lights on and I didn't see any lights on. So I thought well it must be at least happening in my block!

So I called the utility company and their number to report outtages. Imagine my surprise when I was able to talk to a real live person! She asked if I had checked my circuit breakers and I had told her that I did. ("Checked" meaning I looked at them and they seemed alright - BUT I DIDN'T TOUCH THEM!. She then got a technician to call me and he asked about the situation and I told him about the electricity being out. Since it wasn't a life-threatening situation and I told him that, he said that a truck would be dispatched as soon as someone got there. About 2 hours later the truck arrived but then it left! 'OK' I thought, 'it must have to do with just my house if the truck drove away! While I was on the phone with the utility company again I found out that several other people had reported outages in the area - which I was relieved about because it meant that I wasn't the only one! But as I was talking on the phone I looked out the window and noticed the guy looking at my meter. I hung up the phone and went out to talk to him and he said that there was indeed a problem. It was then that I told him that I had partial electricity. He said that there was a problem with the electricity in the area and that some - not all - of the houses in the area were affected.

Of course the problem was fixed (as you can tell by my being able to post this blog entry) a few hours later and all the power is back on!

Before this I had visions of old electricity in my 100 year old plus house and of expensive electricians and expensive electricity repairs!

I was so jumpy after that I took a nap!

Heating Emergency!

Yesterday I noticed that it was a bit cold in the house! Not unusual because the kitchen is always cold (I have to have the whole kitchen insultated). But then I noticed that it was cold throughout the entire house. The upstairs is usually warmer than the downstairs but not yesterday!

It felt like there was a window or door open somewhere (the temps are in the 30's to low 40's range) so I'm checking doors and windows - even the ones in the basement. They were all closed and secure. Okay so the next thing was to check the thermostat - which is set to 69 degrees. The temperature of the house was 65 degrees. So I'm thinking to myself that maybe it just hadn't "kicked" in yet to warm up to 69 degrees. So I go upstairs for the night.

I notice that it is getting colder. The air feels cold and everything - like the furniture is cold to the touch. (Do you know how it feels to have to sit on a cold toilet seat - LOL!) I thought maybe the problem could be with the radiators so I decided to "bleed" one - a lot of air did come out but after that nothing because it remained cold to the touch.

I look at the thermostate (actually its a thermoter-like thing that's shaped like a clock) and it says 60 degrees!

So now I go down into the basement to check the boiler. It looks alright to me. I thought that it could be a simple case of the pilot light being out - but the pilot light wasn't out.

Since by then it was around 9:30 at night I couldn't call the people that installed the boiler (which I was able to get with a grant and didn't have to pay a thing for them to come out and look at it) so I had to wait for the next day. (Note here: I am so grateful that this occured on a weekday instead of the weekend!)

I called the people up and they sent a guy out that looked at it.

Guess what the problem was?

It seemed that the guys that installed the heater put a mismatched connector to one of the lines! The new guy replaced the connecter and now the house is slowly but surely warming up!

Thank Goodness!

The Big Switch To Digital TV!

I have to remind myself about this!

Before it kicks in February 2009 I will want to be ready!

First some background information:

One February 17, 2009, all full-power television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting in analog and switch to 100 percent digital broadcasting.

Of course I hate that we have to switch at all! I like things the way they are however if I want to watch TV then I am going to have to comply!

Now if you have cable tv or satellite tv then the change won't affect you.

If you don't have the above then you are either going to have to get a new tv or you are going to have to get a converter box for your analog tv. The government is offering coupons off the full price of the converters.

Now here is the situation in my own particular case!

My tvs have satellite / Direct TV - so it shouldn't be a problem for me. (Although I have to say that I want the converter boxes as a backup!)

I do have a TV in one room that's not hooked up to Direct TV so that's one discounted coupon that I can use.

I can use the other discounted coupon (every household is allowed 2 coupons) for the very, very old tv that's in the basement. That TV is so old but it still works!

So I hope that your household is ready for the big analog to digital changeover.

---

I should also mention that you shouldn't be confused by the terms "high definition" and digital tv. You don't have to have high definition tv but you will have to have a digital tv (or digital converter box) before the digital tv kicks in February of 2009!

On My Wish List - Bose Radio

Odd as it may seem I don't have a stero in the livingroom. There is a big screen tv and beside it a bookcase-like shelf to hold my VCR tapes. I have a small radio plugged into the outlet but I would like to have something more permanent and I was thinking about getting a Bose radio.

They do seem kind of pricey but I still think that I want one. I have been watching them on QVC and the sound that they emit is supposed to be very good!

However other than the picture that you see above I would perfer mine in black because that goes more with the color of the livingroom.

If you have a Bose radio I would love to hear your comments about them and whether or not you are happy with your Bose radio.

Dish TV

I love being able to have Dish TV! It is an added expense and another bill to pay but I love it! Because I don't keep "normal" hours I don't have normal TV watching hours - plus I tape a lot of things and watch them at a later date.

One of my neighbors has both satellite TV and regular cable TV - wow! I aspire to that one myself!

Having all those channels has really spoiled me to the point that I just can't see myself not having it!

There is a big battle going on between cable and Dish TV - they both want your business and they don't mind saying bad things about each other. I even had one guy from my local cable company knock on my door and talking to me about getting cable again. It seems the company wants people to subscrible so badly that they are sending their people door to door!

I also know that a lot of people can't afford to have it and I am so grateful that I do have it. Mind you there are still some things that I watch on my local TV channels but its nice having the choice of what I want to view!

So Dish TV goes on my list of expenses that I want to enjoy!

It's Cold!

Not only is it cold outside its cold INSIDE!

That's because the house that I live in is about 100 years old and it still has its original windows! So when its windy the house definetly FEELS it!

One of the problems lies with the window in one of the upstairs room - actually its the room where my computer is. It seems that the outer window has slipped some and while I can pull it back up it will slip down again! Another contributing factor is that there is a crack in the window. "Handyman" person that I am not I admit to you that I have duct tape on that crack!

Now I have been told that replacing the window pane is an easy enough job but since I have no experience with doing it before I'm going to have to find out how to replace the window pane!

All the windows need to be worked on but I like the thought that the windows are still the original ones and I'm going to have to figure out how to get them repaired but that they remain the original windows. However I do know that if they are beyond window repair I can always have the new windows look like the original windows.

I bet you a contractor would love to get at doing this work!

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.

The Nerve!

The previous owner of this house passed away and that is how I got the property. In the mail came a letter addressed to me starting with

"May I offer my condolences on the passing of....................................."

The very next sentence says that the reason they are contacting me is that they understand that the property may be coming up for sale. (I don't know where they got this "understanding" because I never once wanted to put the property up for sale!) The writer of the letter says that he is looking for property in the area and would be interested if it became available - if not now - then he would like to be considered in the future in case it does come up for sale. He offers to purchase the property as is and that he will pay all cash and that he will close the sale in 30 days.

I was insulted by the letter and of course that could have just been that it reminded me of the passing of the previous owner. I know that there are a lot of people out there that would be glad to get an offer like this in the mail but I'm not one of them.

Expenses - Getting New Locks!

It's better to be safe than sorry and I was afraid that I would lock myself out of the house! The whole thing cost about $175 but it dawned on me that it was well worth it! I think the lock on the door was as old as the house itself! The cost included the installation, the service call and the extra keys.

I would have to put this under "emergency" expenses because it was something that I didn't plan to do. So its probably a good idea for you to have an "emergency" expense set aside because emergencies will come up!

*** Article: Every Day That The Furnace Works Is A Good Day – By AlanDetwiler ***

"The things that make our lives better -- our homes, food, clothing, andour families -- should make us feel good by just knowing we have them. Butthose important things likely have been a part of our lives for a longtime. Human nature turns our attention away from the familiar. So weseldom feel very happy about what we have. But if something important tous is taken away and then is somehow recovered, we feel joy andappreciation.Too bad we humans can't feel so fortunate about things before they aretaken away. How great we would feel about our health, our abilities tomove around, our mental abilities to reason and remember, and the numerousother things that are out of our minds just because we take them forgranted. Shouldn't we make 'asset awareness' a higher priority in ourlives? What better way is there to get more out of life? That little bitof wisdom would make us happier if we could just get ourselves to put itinto practice.My furnace stopped working late one evening last winter when thetemperature outside was heading toward the lower twenties overnight. Therewould not be a furnace repair shop open at that time of day. I have quitea few tools, am mechanically inclined, and have some knowledge of how thefurnace works. So I went down into the basement and started removing thepump/blower assembly from the oil-burning furnace so it could beinspected. When the mounting bolts were removed and the assembly takenout, several small pieces of shattered plastic could be seen lying at thebottom of the combustion chamber. The plastic shaft linking the motor tothe oil pump had shattered into many small pieces. There would be no heatin the house overnight and probably a good part of the next day.The temperature in the house had dropped into the lower 60s around 8 p.m.when I noticed the furnace was not coming on, as it should. By 10 p.m.when I had discovered the root cause, it was in the mid 50s. Fortunately,I have a lot of extra blankets. I took three, folded each in half for atotal of six extra layers and put them on the bed. I put on a coat, asecond pair of pants, heavy socks, a knit hat, and knit gloves and went tobed.I was quite comfortable that night. The next morning, the temperature inthe house was 48 degrees F. I was dressed warmly and was reasonablycomfortable as long as I kept moving quickly and didn't slow down. Theurge to stay warm felt like an overpowering concern. A call to the nearestfurnace repair shop (about 10 miles away) gave me the good news that areplacement part was in stock. The $12 price seemed like a real bargain toget back a heated home again. Just after noon I had completed the repairjust in time to eat lunch as the house warmed up to the balmy 68 degreeswhere the thermostat was set. What luxury!We have so much. We heat our homes. We provide ourselves with food andother necessities. We have many luxuries and creature comforts. Every oneof those good things should be celebrated and enjoyed. All of what we haveis special -- the newly acquired, the familiar, the big/important things,and the little things. It is special to be able to prepare a plate of foodfor supper, take it out into the yard, and sit down in the sun and eat it.If that doesn't seem special, visit a nursing home (most of us will livein one some day). Most of the residents there are wheelchair bound. Theyeat in their rooms or in a large dining hall with other residents. Thoseare their only two choices.When I walk out onto my lawn with my plate of food, I am going to enjoyit. I hope I always remember -- every day that the furnace works is a goodday.

About the Author: Alan Detwiler writes about things to do to have fun.

His website is http://www.leisureideas.com

The Kitchen Sink Is Still Clogged.......

And I found out that while the water is slowly draining down the clog the pipe in the basement is pretty much rusty to a fault!  So far I have duck-taped it hoping that THAT will help.

The piping system probably needs an overhaul but I want to take my time with this and get someone reliable to do the job - plus I have to set aside a budget for it.

Well the heater came on for the first time this season

I still had the windows up!

For some reason I just walked by the radiator and felt that it was warm. The heater hasn't been on since - I believe - May. The temps are supposed to go down into the 40's tonight and I'm sure that the heater will kick back on again.

Like they say the seasons are changing!

I found where the kitchen sink is leaking to

It's not a pretty site! The pipe is leaking in the basement and the pipe is in back of another pipe which makes reaching it quite difficult. I know that I am going to have to replace the pipes because they have been there for a while now. But at least when I have them replaced I'll have a warranty and will know that the pipes are new.

Now I got to find a reputable company to do the job.

The Kitchen Sink Is Still Clogged.......

And I found out that while the water is slowly draining down the clog the pipe in the basement is pretty much rusty to a fault!  So far I have duck-taped it hoping that THAT will help.

The piping system probably needs an overhaul but I want to take my time with this and get someone reliable to do the job - plus I have to set aside a budget for it.

Bee In The House!

I just got finished killing one of the biggest bees I have ever seen!  It looked like a woolly mamoth kind of bee from back in the prehistoric days!  What gets me is how did it get in the house?  And I don't think that I even want to know the answer to that!

Wish List - A BIG Window!

Although I'm very happy with the house that I live in, one of the things on my wish list is a very, very big window so that I can enjoy both the sunrise and the sunset. 

I do have those views now with some of the smaller windows in the house but someone recently mentioned about it and it made me think about having one myself.

Well the kitchen sink is still clogged up but......

The water is draining down although it is draining so slow.  I finally managed to get some unclogging product from the store but I really should get the Liquid Plummer brand.  I have been plunging the drain ever so often and the water is slowly going down.  I'll have to wait and see.

I miss being able to use the kitchen sink!  It's where I wash my hair (which is probably one of the reasons why it is clogged now!)

I do have a garden!

But there has been so much that I have had to do that I haven't been able to get out into it.  You know what that means don't you - WEEDS!  A few days ago I was pruning the hedges in the front.  I'm also pruning away some of the weeds that are around the house as well and as you can well imagine if you don't take care of them the weeds grow and grow - which is what they did!  They even managed to find a crack and grow through it so that there was growth INSIDE the windows!  The weeds are growing so tall that they are starting to reach my second story window!  As the weeds continue to grow their branches get thicker which makes them harder to cut!

I have a lot of work ahead of me!  It's been so hot and humid that I haven't been out as much and then it starts to rain which makes the weeds grow more!  But I am determined to have a Martha Stewart-like atmosphere - you know with the birdbath (already got one of those) and the windchimes (got a set of them (sharks) hanging already) and just have a pleasant little outside area - with a garden!

Weeds!

Late in the afternoon (when the sun was going down) I continued to clear the weeds from one side of the house.  They had overgrown so much!  Plus there's a rosebush there that is at least 20 years old.  I should have took a picture of it so that I could post it here but hopefully I will remember to do that the next time!  Anyways the rosebush had grown so much that it was bent over and touching my neighbor's lawn.  Today I managed to cut it back but I still have a ways to go!  The weeds have grown thick and the area is kind of on a slope so getting around it ain't easy.  I have made progress though and it shows.  I may have to call a tree service to get rid of the thicker weeds which have grown into small trees!

The weeds grew right through the window and that was what I heard when the wind was blowing strong.

Hopefully this will serve as a lesson to those of you that don't know and the lesson is that if you don't get rid of the weeds they will grow and grow!

Well the kitchen sink is clogged up!

This just happened today and I'm hoping (actually praying) that the water will go down!  I'm in an anxious state right now because I surely don't have enough money to pay a plumber!  I don't even have enough money to by any LIQUID plummer! 

Drafty House!

Don't get me wrong I love my older house but when its windy outside you can feel it inside.  I don't know why but the kitchen gets the coldest.  Again I don't know why?  The back door has one of those "slips" underneath the bottom and the windows have no areas where the wind is coming in.  Unfortunately there is a hold in the wall closer to the diningroom so that might be one of the reasons.  I want to patch it myself so I'm going to have to learn more about that.  Another contributing factor could be the radiator.  There was a time when the kitchen had no radiator at all and the new one that was installed is smaller than the regular cast iron radiators.  I have been told that a difference can be felt but I can't feel it.  Maybe I blocked it out?

This is the beginning of March and the warmer weather should be coming soon so that gives me some time to plan what I am going to do.

I Hate Mortgage Companies!

I HATE mortgage companies!  Now-a-days it seems that a mortgage is bought and sold so many times and with every new company that buys it comes a whole new barage of paperwork!  The only good thing is that the property taxes are part of the mortgage payment.  But lately I have been getting the feeling that its not even worth going through all the hassle if you have to constantly deal with whoever is holding your mortgage note!  I am soooo tempted to find a way to pay it off and just set aside that money for the property tax payments that come twice a year.

Yay! I don't have to buy a new VCR!

Had this VCR that didn't have a remote!  Thought I would have to buy a new VCR and thank goodness I got one of those universal remote thingies!  This was bugging me so much 'cause I couldn't operate the VCR and more importantly I couldn't record anything!  Now that I have the remote and have since used it I can record once again.  My main reason for wanting to record is now I can record something and then watch it later (and skip over the commercials!)

But I see that they have TV/VCR (and /DVD) combos too so I want to get one of them to replace one of the TVs that isn't working too good.

Paying Taxes! - A Necessary Evil BUT!

I found out something very interesting about the local tax that I have to pay in my area.  It's bad enough that this tax has to be paid but to add insult to injury it seems that it would be better for one if they are very careful as to how they fill out the forms.  I'm speaking specifically of the quarterly returns that have to be filled out with "estimated" income.  There is a minimum amount that is exempt but lets say that you made under the minimum for that quarter but you want to list it on the quarterly (dare I say be a good citizen and all that).  It turns out that ANY amount that you list as income for that quarter is subject to the tax - regardless of the amount (even if its below the minimum!.  Let's say for example you list a small income source of say $50.  Even though $50 is below the minimum amount subject to the tax if you list it on your quartely you will have to pay the tax on that $50!  Then when you file your yearly that tax amount that you paid will be refunded to you (and not in a very fast manner!). However if you just put $0 (because the amount is under the minimum) then you won't have to pay a tax on that $50.  But you will have to report the $50 for the yearly return but since its under the minimum you won't have to pay a tax on it.

I Can't Believe that the boiler is leaking!

Remember I mentioned that I was able to get a new boiler.  It was from a grant program that provided free repair or replacement and my boiler was in such bad - or should I say that it was just old - condition that they replaced it free of charge!  But when I went down to the basement (for something else) I noticed that there was water on the basement floor - something I thought that I would never see again.  Well I was a little bit rattled by that but I should be grateful that I was even able to get the darned thing for free.

At first, after seeing the puddle of water I kind of panicked wondering if something was going to "blow up" but I do remember the previous boiler when it leaked (and man did it leak!).  But just to be on the safe side I'm going to call the place and ask if there is something that can be done.  This boiler is only a few months old and I surely don't want anything to be wrong with it!

It's not only cold but its windy too!

One of the problems with living in an older house is that you can feel it when the winds are blowing strong!  Right next to me I can feel the cold air from the window.  Of course the window does have a crack in it that should really get fixed and that would probable help my heating bill as well.

The Snow is coming!

How glad I am that I still have some rock salt left over from last time!  Just as it started to snow I went outside and spread the salt.  We're getting a lot more snow though and even though spreading the salt helped at first the new snow is covering it up.  Since tomorrow is Sunday there is not as much of a rush to shovel it up but shoveling I am going to have to do!

Thank goodness I'm pretty stocked up as far as necessities are concerned so I won't have to go out traveling no time soon!

Weird messages on answering machine?

I guess anyone that has an answering machine has gotten a weird message left on theirs at least one time or another.  I don't know if they did it on purpose or if it was just an accident but it was a very weird message!  There was a lot of background noise and other peoples' voices could be heard in the background and to tell you the truth I couldn't even understand what the person was trying to say.  They probably don't even know that they dialed the wrong number.

I just got my heating bill today!

I can't believe that its so high!  It's over $200 and that is a lot!  I so need a fireplace (actually more than one) so badly.  Last month the heating bill was higher than this one!  I know its February and I know its winter but this kind of bill is really so high!  I try to conserve and stay on a budget but I just cannot turn the thermostat down any lower!

I'd be curious to hear about high others heating bills are and how they compare to mine.  I'm in the Philadelphia area by the way.

Speaking of raking up the leaves........

I'm reminded of how much other "yard" work there is to do.  Not just the backyard but the front of the house too.  Most notably there are still leaves that have gathered in the "crooks and crevices".  There is also the clearing away of overgrown weeds and being able to cut down the weeds that have turned into little trees.  Also people seem to love throwing their trash just any old where - something else that I have to clean up.  I wish I had a video camera posted by the window so that I could catch them in the act!  I would post it online for all to see!  Well anyway I have a lot of clearing up to do so I see a lot of filled up trashbags in my future.

The Grant Came Through!

The heater was replaced with a brand new one!  And best of all I didn't have to pay ANYTHING!  The men came and examined the old heater and determined that it was too old and too damaged (water was leaking from it everywhere!) to repair so I got a brand new one!  They had a heck of a time getting it down the narrow steps of my basement (remember its an older house) but they managed to do it with the help of a long rope!

So now it sits in my basement humming along while outside the temps are in the low 30's with snow (and ice) on the ground and more snow is expected (1 to 3 inches!).  I am soooooooo glad to have this because I've been told that this kind of job might cost upwards of $2,000.00 or more - money which I sorely did not have! 

What a very wonderful (early) Christmas gift!

Raking Leaves......

The area where I live has both loose leaf and bagged leaves pickups.  Thankfully this isn't something that we have to pay for which is a good thing because I have a big tree in the front of the house and boy does it shed!  I don't mind raking them as long as I'm in a good mood and I do like the way it looks in the fall.  So I managed to have the leaves ready to be picked up - which is saying a lot because last year I just was not in the mood to do it but more importantly I had other things on my mind.  So this may be a good sign of good things to come - I certainly hope so!

I guess I should include the car as well

I think having a car (or not having one - as the case may be) is important enough to include with all that having a house involves.

I was going over a past list of repairs (and repairs needed) and was just frustrated over the number of them.  Replacing the battery, engine repairs - not to mention the "regular" things like paying for gas, the yearly inspection and the like - that is a LOT of things!

But I have come to the conclusion that having a car is necessary and all those things that go with having one have to be tolerated - even expected.  It would be nice though if I had a car emergency fund!

My 2nd choice of residence.....

Confessions Of A Homeowner!

Don't get me wrong I love where I live but if I had a choice for a second home it would be near the ocean. Here is a link to a blog from a guy that lives near the ocean and I am so jealous.

http://spaces.msn.com/members/seasidelife

He hasn't posted for a while but the pictures are gorgeous!

The furnace? It ain't!

Oh well the furnace is not working.  Actually just to make sure that there was no gas leaking I called the utility company to check it out.  He did detect a small leak and shut off the system.  (Now this was a few days ago).  Now it's in the 50's and I have on a tee shirt under a long sleeve shirt under a sweater.

Repairing the furnace isn't going to be cheap in fact I have a call pending just to see if I can get a grant to have the furnace repaired.  Cross your fingers for me!

Heating Woes!

Besides the fact that the price of heating is going up I have a "little" problem with the furnace!  It seems that the relief valve is leaking (again?) and I now have to get a hose so that I can connect the hose to the valve so that the water can drain directly to the sink.

There is the problem of getting a new furnace - I shudder to think about how much THAT will cost but as for now I'm going to solve one problem at a time.

Repairs! Keep A List!

As I mentioned before the TV in the livingroom wasn't working.  I thought it would be a good idea to call the guy who did some electrical work on the house before.  Unfortunately it was a while ago since I last used him and when I finally found his card (Thank goodness I saved it but it took me a while to find the card!) his contact numbers were no longer good.  I couldn't find him in the phone book but I did find him after doing a little Internet investigating.  I'm going to call him tomorrow to see if he still does electrical work.

Although it might seem like something that's obvious you really should keep a current list of the work that's been done on your house because you never know when you may need more and/or similar work done.  I know its a hassle and its just one more thing to do but in the long run it will save you some hassle.  It's also a good idea to know whether or not they are still in business so that in the event that they are not you can start to look around (or better yet ask friends and family) for another repair related repairman.

We used to have a man that did all the repairs - just a general handyman - but he died and as often happens you don't think about having another repairman until an emergency comes up.  So its better to be prepared BEFORE something goes wrong!  Believe me its a lesson that I have learned!

Jealous Of My Neighbor's Garden?

Of course I am.  From one of the upstairs bedroom I can look right down on it and see the tomatoes that he (and his wife) are growing.  Am I jealous?  Of course I am!  Goodness knows that I have enough room for an outside garden but I have been busy with work and more specifically making my quota.

I have decided that I am NOT going to get upset but what I am going to do is work in my garden even if its just clearing the overgrowth away while I plan for next season.

Is there anything that can be planted so late in the year?

The Bees Are Back!

I thought that hopefully I wouldn't have to get rid of the rest of the cushions on the porch but now I know that I have to because the bees are back!  I going to have to take care of this problem the exact same way that I took care of it before and that is to wait until the weather is cooler so that I can get rid of the cushions.  This time I am just going to get rid of the rest of the cushions and get porch furniture that - I hope - is bee-proof!

Bugs, Bugs, Bugs! - Where are they coming from!

Of course it must have something to do with the warmer weather but they are just driving me crazy!  It seems to be more worse inside the house than outside of the house!

Unsolicited Solicitations - Not!

I don't know about you but I plan to stay in my house for a very long time.  I have put so much work and effort into my home that I am not about to give it up without a fight!

Because of the work I do and the experiences that I have had I have specific plans as to the "financial" aspects of my home.  I want to pay off the mortgage - especially since I don't like the mortgage company that I have (the mortgage note has changed hands at least 5 times!).  Of course when I do pay it off there will be the matter of the property taxes that have to be paid annually but my plan for that is using the money that I used to pay for the mortgage.

I have no intention of taking out another mortgage on my home.  That's why I became rattled when I got an email from some place in Texas (I'm in PA) that wants me to sign up and get a lower interest rate on my mortgage.  What especially angers me is that their email to me included my exact name and address!  How did they get that?  Probably from some mailing list or something.

This is all fine and well for those that want to partake in such a service but for me I have my own definite plan!

Living Room - Big Screen TV Problems! Yikes!

So I'm watching tv in the livingroom last night and for no reason it just clicks off! Ok no problem I'm thinking. I have to get up and turn it back on but it will be worth it. So I click it on and it just goes right back off again! So now I'm thinking "Great! Now I need a new big screen!" I'm hoping the problem will go away because I just cannot afford another big screen TV.

Since I'm such a pack rat I found the original receipt and found out that it was purchased back in 1997. So I'm begging everyone that has a big screen older than this to let me know that this is just a temporary problem and that all will be well again!

The Air Conditioner - Another emergency problem solved - thank goodness!

As hot as it has been in the area all week the air conditioner blowing out hot air was NOT a welcomed thing. Come to find out that the filters needed cleaning out - which I did myself - and now I have another "thing to do" line to put on my maintenence schedule. But at least the problem is solved. Cold air is blowing again!

Getting around to the garden - FINALLY!

Well I finally got around to "digging" out the garden!  I'm determined to have one even though I'm starting late - which is better than not starting at all.  I started yesterday while the weather was still so hot but like I said I was determined!  I haven't figured out what I'm going to plant and the weather forecast is for rain all this week so I want to get something in the ground now.

Since I just started to clear out the garden I still have a ways to go and I'm going to need plenty of those heavy duty trash bags and the heavy duty gloves but at least I can watch my garden grow as I'm clearing out the rest of it.

Dreamhouse?

How close am I to living in my dream house?  Well I'm kind of close.  About the most difficult is not being near the ocean and having an ocean view - oh well, guess that will be my 2nd house.

There is the point of having a fireplace but with enough money I can have that built in.  I love the area where I live and don't even mind all the fix-up and maintenance that I have to do.

The only thing that is really bugging me right now is working on having enough money to satisfy me!

Cable Channels

I get basic cable and one of the channels I don't get is SoapNet.  Now if you have to ask just go to my webpage about Loving-The Soap Opera at:

http://members.aol.com/MartinM377/loving.htm

and you'll see that I have a big interest in soap operas.  But its just not worth it to pay the extra cost for this.

See my previous post about my cable bill going up.

Oh to be fishing..........

Just visiting some posts and someone mentioned being able to go fishing now that the weather is getting warmer.  Oh how I envy them.  I LOVE going fishing.  Since I'm in the Philadelphia area I'm going to have to start getting everybody's recommendations for good fishing holes!

Along with spring comes......

the insects!  Mostly I'm talking about BEES!

I just saw a HUGE one flying around the inside of the window!  It was gigantic - bigger than a quarter!  When I was down in the basement yesterday one was flying around!  They are so huge!

Another tax?

Just got this little newsletter for my area and they are talking about a new tax that started this past February.  It sounds a lot like a local tax that is already levied in this area and I'm wondering if its an additional tax!  Like I need to have to pay another tax!

The Cable bill has gone up!

Just got my cable bill for the month and it has gone up to just over $50.  I had always allotted $50 per month for the cable bill which now means I will have to adjust my budget or just make more money!

Since I live in the Philadelphia area my cable company is Comcast of course the very BIG conglomerate I like to call them.  I have the choice of staying with Comcast, getting a different cable company or getting a dish.  I was without cable for awhile and that whole trouble I went thru with having to get an antenna and getting it adjusted right really turned me off of the idea of going without cable.  Now I may have to think about it more.

"House Hunters" is going international!

This is one of my favorite shows!

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_hnt