Jimbo's Journal

Vacation was good, but I'm glad to be home.

More later after I settle in a bit.

I lost power for about half an hour.  While I wasn't looking forward to the drop in temperature (electric baseboard heating) it was actually kinda peaceful.  I lit a couple candles, had my laptop playing music and read a bit of The Invisible Man.  I don't spend enough time in quietude (no tv, especially).

Kitty was a bit perplexed at first, but she soon went about her business as usual.

12:45pm

I have no hot water.  I call the plumbing company.  They are going to send the guy back out here.

*sigh*

2:05pm
He gets here and discovers that a wire has come disconnected out of a wirenut.

I woke early to go to the bathroom.  I stepped on the carpet in the bathroom ,and it was wet.  First instinct: cat peed on the rug.  Wait.  It's TOO wet.  Sure enough, my water heater burst/rusted out.  Water is everywhere (because the drain in the closet is essentially useless.  The condo assoc has been commenting in the newsletters for ... years? that water heaters that are X years old must be replaced or else any damage is the property owner's responsibility and not the assoc.  Of course, I did not replace mine.  Mine downstairs neighbor came up and said that water is coming through her ceiling fan.

Today is our Christmas party lunch at work.  And I may not even get to make it.

Additionally, we got PELTED with snow, which will just make EVERYTHING take longer.  No plumbers are open at 5am, and the one that is doesn't go by hourly rates, but must come out and check and make an estimate.  Which of course will be delayed by the snow.

Fuck, fuck, FUCK!

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Plumber showed up
7:30am

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$1005.00
(-$30.00 Coupon - woohoo)
8:10am

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Christmas Lunch for work was cancelled (to be rescheduled?) due to the weather.
So I am not missing that.
8:30am

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Old junk unit is removed
8:45am

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New unit is being installed
9:10am

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Turn breaker back on and finishing up
10:10am

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Done
10:35am

I have two rugs on my bathroom floor tile.  The rugs have that rubbery underside to prevent slip.

1) Is there a good way to clean such rugs? 

B) The tile under the rug has turned yellowish.  Is there a good way to clean this?

The roads totally sucked this morning.  They had a layer of packed snow as a base, and that layer was all broken up, so it felt like driving on a gravel road or a washboard.  I heard on the radio that it was "confirmed" that the N & NW suburbs got the predicted 8-14 inches of snow, and they even mentioned Woodstock.  Now I didn't get out there with a tape measure or anything, but it doesn't seem to me like anywhere near 14 inches (I find it hard to believe if we even got 8 inches).  It had pretty much stopped snowing by 6-7pm.  Now maybe I didn't get the brunt of it because my parking lot is blocked off by 3 story buildings (edit: and I don't really have to shovel except for any small area of drifting or piling in front of my garage door and occasionally the building entry door), but even the roads out of town this morning didn't seem drifted very bad.

Driving home last night, though, was not very fun.  First I got stuck trying to get out of my parking space at work because the plow had done a shitty job and made a pile behind everyone's cars.  I thought I could just bust throught it; I couldn't.  Close to white-out conditions on Rt 14 between C.L. and Woodstock, couldn't tell where the  side of the roads were.  Amazingly, I didn't see any people in ditches.

edit#2: Maybe I'm just in a better mood than most, because others are coming in saying things like: "MAN! I should have stayed home today.  No one knows how to drive!" and "Rt 31 totally sucks!" Maybe I just don't see the point in bitching about it ..... how unlike me.  ; )

Next Saturday is Groundhog Day, and everyone is invited to my place for festivities.  Weather looks to be 20º-28º (which sounds really warm right about now).  Anyone who is planning on coming, just please let me know.  

Cleaning is progressing slowly but surely.

I am planning on having (probably) Italian Beef sandwiches, chips/dips, assorted other snacks, and I'll have a small variety of soda and maybe one of those Heinekin Draughtkegs©.  But if you want something specific, either let me know or feel free to bring it.  I'm probably going to try to make a white chicken chili, but I haven't had time to try out any recipe.  If you want to bring your own chili or other dish, just let me know.

Original announcement (including official schedule) 

Start time: 11am (or whenever anyone wants to arrive - if earlier, let me know)
Anyone needing directions, let me know so I don't have to post it here.

 I got a call end of Dec. from the condo assoc. that my garage door opener was not working properly.  I finally got around to checking on it, which involved changing the extension cord (had one of those hanging work lights) and testing it.  And it turns out that yes it is not working correctly.  Though strangely it had been ok (not great) before the assoc "inspected" it.  Well, to replace the cord I used my 2-step indoor step ladder/stool, and I accidentally left it outside the garage.  And OF COURSE that's an open invitation for someone to just take it - "if someone left it out, they must not want it, and therefore it is rightfully mine."  Assholes!  So now if I want to use my garage, I have to open it manually, and I need to get my opener fixed and I'm out a stepladder.