One Last Outdoor Chore

I finally got around to the last remaining outdoor project on my list. I'm so happy it's finally done. A couple of months ago we got a bunch of red concrete pavers to put on the floor of the tin shed, so the lawn mower doesn't sink into the sandy floor.

Why the tin shed has a 6" deep sand floor is another story entirely, and it is not my fault, and it would take so much work to remove that it ain't gonna happen. Let's not talk about it any more, okay?

So the man who fixed my lawn tractor this year told me that to keep it's underside from rusting, it needs to be protected from ground moisture. It is protected by a roof, but not from ground moisture. The stupid sand-over-dirt floor is rusting my mower. Not to mention that dealing with the mower while perpetually ankle (and axle) deep in sand is a big-time drag.

I bought a plastic tarp and the pavers, and they sat on the pump house where I unloaded them for at least 2 months. I think it was summer. I've just been "too busy" (forgot/avoided) to get them set in the sand. I had a spare hour of daylight yesterday, and so I went for it! (And I remembered to wear gloves, so I still have fingerprints!!) So here is a photo of where the pavers were dumped for months...

(As you may have noticed, I am bad at raking leaves.) There's no photo of the tin shed floor completed. Sorry, it was dark. It is a lousy job, uneven. I was in a hurry, and I really don't care how imperfect it is. It's going to shift with the tractor rolling over it anyway. And it could be redone - they're just sitting on top of the plastic, on top of the sand.

This is my most boring post/project yet! Sorry. I will try to do more interesting things in the coming year. Oh - I forgot.... I will do a "year in review" post soon. I've been saving up the weirdest-ickiest-creepiest stuff that dates from before I started this blog. This stuff is the reason that I started this blog. You all are in for a treat!

Out With The Old, In With The New

Don't you love it when a major appliance breaks right before Christmas? So I've had to buy myself a new dryer. Bad timing for this sort of thing. My present to myself....
The old one was dying a slow death, and finally announced it's departure with fiery finality. The start button just couldn't get the motor to kick in. Then the button gave up too, and died. Then the big, stinky cloud of smoke started, coming from the drum. I flung the wet clothes out, to save them. (It was all the underwear I own, of course.) I unplugged the dryer, and dragged it away from the wall, to save the house. The smoke kept coming for quite a while. Stink-eee!

I do try to fix my own appliances, so I did what any self respecting DIYer would do - I hit the internet. My absolute fave for troubleshooting appliances is the Samurai Appliance Repair Man at http://fixitnow.com. The forum there is a great place to get expert advice, fast. Just post your make and model number, and problem, and actual repair persons will give you great advice, and diagrams!

Anyway, the forum search indicated that the motor was shot, and costs well over $100 smackeroos, plus shipping. And that assumes that there isn't anything electrical that needs replacing. That's a problem, because I don't have, or know how to read, a meter.

My sister wanted me to get a second hand, reconditioned dryer from a business that she has bought from. I did try to, but they were closed, although it was an hour before the posted closing time. So we went to Lowes for prices there, and then to Best Buy, which was having a sale. A pretty good sale. I bought an Inglis (a Whirlpool Corporation) washer. The drum is flippin' huge inside. I think I can fit everything I own in one load. I'm very happy so far.

I feel bad for the old one. It was my close friend for many years. I am making our breakup as gentle as possible, though. Meet my new plant stand....At least I didn't leave it in the front yard for the winter. The neighbors would not be amused.

Ho-Ho-Hum.

Only minor news on the home front lately. I cleaned the gutters for the final time of the year. Yeah, it's not exciting, I know. They really needed it though. But leaf muck isn't photogenic, so no photo. But it did remind me of an ongoing problem...

I have vinyl gutters, made by Genoa in the 1980's (I think). Dad put them up when they were a new and exciting product. They are much easier to install deal with in our opinion. You can take sections down or apart whenever you need to lean the ladder on the roof or whatever, with no problem. There is a weak link in this chain, however. The neoprene seals in the joint pieces have worn out and are cracking and falling apart. The end result is that many or most of the joints now leak horribly when it rains.

I've looked on the Genoa website for replacement neoprene seals, but they aren't mentioned in the catalog. I am tempted to just put caulk in their place, but then you can't take it apart afterward. The only other option is replacing EVERY JOINT PIECE in the gutters with a new one. Special order only, of course. Costs too much to do right now. I may just fire off an email to the company with my stupid question. I know they'll just tell me to get new joint pieces. Anybody have any experience with repairing Genoa vinyl gutter seals, or any ideas for a slap-up repair?

Ho ho hum. Not very Christmassy here yet. We had a death in the family last week. The office Christmas dinner was on Sunday night, and it made me want to get the house ready. The Christmas tree isn't even decorated yet! *** Insert mild Christmas-panic here ***.