Thursday, June 2, 2022

no AC and a shopathon


So, yeah, the AC quit cooling last Friday as reported, guy came out and got it working again until Tuesday when it quit cooling again. This time, bad news, the compressor is dead but it would be the next day before he could tell us if the part was under warranty (which expires next month), if it was available and/or when he could get it, and how much. Great. An immediate trip to the Evil Empire, the only place in town that sells window units, and we had a 5,000 BTU window unit which we installed in the window of the combination living/dining room. At least we had one cool room now. So, labor to just replace the part (which is under warranty) and coolant...$1,500 and it would be two weeks before he could get the part. Or we could replace the entire 12 year old outdoor AC unit with new; 3 options ranging in price from $3,500 to almost $5,000...one less efficient, one pretty much what we have now which he could get in a week, or one that is more efficient and could install in a day or two. We decided on the third option since it will supposedly reduce our electric bill for only $700 more than option 2, comparable to what we have now. Of course, a 'day or two' on Thursday afternoon means Friday or Monday. So excuse 1, excuse 2, excuse 3, they'll do their best to make it late Friday but having been self employed for over 40 years we know all those excuses. It means Monday. Of course, the most expensive route is the one they can do right away. Just call me sucker. In our defense, temps are mid to high 90s for the foreseeable future. And besides, 12 year old unit. If we opted for the repair it could conceivably have to be replaced in the next year or two anyway.

Spent the morning at SHARE as I do on Thursdays, it was really slow, maybe 10 or 12 clients for food. Worked on the wax box for a couple of hours in the afternoon. This inlay is going to be very fiddly even after I supposedly simplified it some. Hahahahahahaha. I'm having to adjust my mental image to correspond with what I'm able or rather willing to accomplish.

And I finished my watercolor of the yellow trumpet flower unless I decide to do a background. I'm undecided at this point.



Tomorrow is going to be a long long day. I have my follow-up for my toe and since I'm going to pass through the Shopping Mecca in Rosenberg on my way back I have a list of stores and items that have been piling up so I'm going to try and get as much of that done as I can before I throw my hands up and head home. Besides the doctor's appointment, I need to stop at Spec's (liquor warehouse, self explanatory), Michaels Craft Store (watercolor supplies), Lowe's (pond pump since the one in Big Mama's pond quit working a week ago), Academy (exchange some yoga pants), and maybe Famous Make Shoes (need new sandals). And maybe Target to look at some drapes for the big bay window in the living room if we're going to be streaming shows in the hot afternoons.



31 comments:

  1. Oh, the pain of appliances. Which always break down under stress, AC in heat, furnace in winter cold. And juggling the costs. I sympathize.

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    1. I know you've been through some home owner woes yourself this year.

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  2. Oh my Lord! This is a lot, Ellen! We finally got our lemon of an AC replaced last year. It's been such a relief. And honestly- at this time of year if an air conditioner goes out for you or me, we're going to do whatever it takes to get cool again. That's all there is to it.
    Love the trumpet flower. The leaf is especially fine in my opinion.
    If you get through all those errands tomorrow, you're going to deserve some cool air and a large drink.

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    1. Thanks. I thought the leaf came out pretty good myself. I got through my errands, every store! But they weren't all successful though I did get the two most important items (and some of the smaller items)...liquor and pond pump so a large drink is assured.

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  3. Your painting is absolutely perfect and gorgeous and so well done! LOVE IT! I suppose it is worse to not have AC than it is to be without heat in winter up here. We can oalways add another layer, that is the beauty of being cold all of the damned time.

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    1. Thanks! I don't know about the cold vs the heat. My blood is pretty thin. I can put on enough clothes to start sweating but my hands and feet will still be cold.

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  4. You are going to have to fashion some sort of swamp cooler like we did in the old days with fans and a block of ice. Keep cool. Love the watercolor.

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    1. Oh yeah. We had a swamp cooler when I was a kid, big wooden tower that water ran through with an attic fan. Then one night the attic fan shorted out and caught on fire so my parents switched to window units.

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  5. I feel bad telling you that we have yet to turn our air on! The evenings and mornings are cool and breezy, then when the sun hits us, and the temperature rises the ceiling fans are handling it nicely. I know this won't last. After hearing your story, I think we might need to turn the air on to make sure it is still working!

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    1. Yes, well, you have far more colder weather for much longer than we do.

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  6. Wow, you sure are the best of them all.

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  7. You really need air conditioning where you live!

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  8. That watercolor is gorgeous, Ellen! What will you do with this when you finish it? Glad you can get a new A/C that will keep you cool for years to come!

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    1. Thanks Ellen. Don't know what I'm going to do with it. Wait til I do a few more and then get them framed maybe. Maybe gift them to people since I don't have any kind of venue for maybe selling them.

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  9. I hope you get the air conditioner problems all worked out. Ninety degrees is way too hot.
    I love that watercolor you are working on. So beautiful.
    Hope your shopping spree is delightful!

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  10. Yeah - I would have gone for the more expensive one too. Especially if I lived in Texas! And that is a LOT OF SHOPPING! I'm getting the vapors just thinking about it. Ha!

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    1. I persevered! Didn't get everything I went after but got most of what was on my list. No new sandals though.

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  11. Sorry your AC went to hell in a hand basket. When David and I were renovating the house back in 2003, We were wondering if it would be cheaper to have central AC installed. First we had to figure out what our bill for one would be. Well, our neighbor kind of helped us out by buying and having it installed in their house. Now the thing is, they have the same type of house as we do. A shotgun style from the 1920s. Well, it cost them close to $15k to have the central AC installed. They gave the little window ACs to their grown kids for their homes. I said you should keep one window unit installed in the bedroom just incase the central AC goes out. They laughed. Well it's been 17 years since they got the AC unit and about 9 breakdowns later they wish they never thought of having it ever installed.
    1st: Every bill for repair has been close to almost $3k and up.
    2nd: Their monthly electric bill is close to $2k because of the AC alone.
    3rd: The yearly spring maintenance is so freaking expensive.
    They have not broken even in the costs so far. We have window units in the bedrooms, living room and TV room and only need to use the AC units when we are in the room. That means that the AC in the other rooms are off but the house stays nice and cool. Our electric bill is only $120 if we use city electric. otherwise we have no electric bill because of the solar panels. But that's beside the point. The maintenance is zilch. We haven't bought a new window unit for almost 13 years and they have more than paid for themselves over and over again.
    Oh and that water color of the trumpet flower is gorgeous. You should do a couple more and make it a set and then frame them. You could give them as gifts. This one is that darned good.

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    1. We talked about just switching to window units which is what we had for over 40 years in the Houston house and space heaters. But then we wondered if we would still be able to use the furnace for heat cause we def did not want to refit the house for space heaters with propane. But this one little window unit is pretty noisy. We paid $7000 for the new central air (air & heat) 12 years ago and we've only had one repair for around $500 in all that time. We do have them come out and check the system twice a year for a nominal amount. If your neighbor's electric bill is $2K a month that's outrageous. We haven't had a monthly electric bill over $100 for the last two years but we keep the thermostat at 78. Your neighbor must keep that house pretty damn frigid. And thanks for the compliment on my painting.

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  12. It is always something! Sorry about the air conditioning going out again. Last year, before we got to Spokane, they were under heat domes and since it's generally temperate here, no one had yearly service done on the AC. Things were dire for awhile for the citizens.

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    1. Yep, the downside to home ownership. This and plumbing.

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  13. I was faced with similar, and did what Leanne did, I decided to go with window units! Its way cheaper, if one goes out I can go buy one and install myself...I can purchase one per year and not come close the $1,500 repair bill I have 3 and one is in the guest room and I do use it sometimes if it's extremely hot...I decided the whole house thing is not affordable! And it's cheaper to run the window units they are pretty quiet. There is draw backs but so far its the best solution...In the last 6 yrs I replaced only one of them $129. The way I see it, a central air unit last about 10 yrs...I can't do $5 grand every 10 yrs.

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    1. We lived with window units (and space heaters) for over 40 years when we lived in the city. This house came with central air. This one little window unit we're using now is pretty noisy and we already have a hard time hearing (or rather understanding) the TV (thank goodness for captioning).

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  14. I feel your pain, execept I think I'd prefer your pain. My car suddenly needs a repair to its cooling system (radiator, etc., not AC) and the $50 part is (1) on backorder, (2) not yet manufactured, (3) caught in supply chain hell, or (4) yet to be determined. "They" say it may be three or four weeks before my car can be fixed. How am I going to get to work, the grocery store, etc. ad nauseum? Well, they don't offer loaners, but they'd rent me a car for $80 a day. I rarely swear, but a word or two did cross my mind. The good news is that I've found a way to work for at least another week. Not being able to drive is driving me crazy. I can't afford a rental, that's for sure -- especially when I don't know how long I'd need one for.

    I will say this -- I love the watercolor without a background. That's just splendid.

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  15. Your Trumpet Flower is beautiful--it reminds me of the huge plant my mother had on the side of her house. It had to have been 8' tall! Thanks... stay cool! (pun intended! LOL--lesser of three evils for sure)

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  16. Hopefully, your shopathon went smoothly and the toe doctor is happy. And your watercolour is beautifully done.

    Wouldn't it be great if you could use the hot weather to run an AC? As a weird kind of revenge on it? I reckon with your amount of sunlight hours you'd only need a small PV panel, put it anywhere on your property and run the cable underground to your house. You may even have enough energy to store for night time. We can do this and it's not half as hot and sunny here.

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  17. How long has Big Mama been alive, anyway? I know you've had her as long as I've been reading your blog, and that's quite a few years now! Bummer about the a/c. An a/c repair (or certainly replacement) is never a small thing. The watercolor came out really well!

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    1. 32 years. My son was 11 when he fished a 50¢ (remember those?) sized red ear slider out of a pond on a golf course behind my parents house. He just turned 43. She's gonna outlive us at this rate.

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  18. What will you do with that beautiful watercolor?

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    1. I don't know just now. Maybe when I get a few more I'll frame the best ones and hang them or give them away.

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.