Oh,The Fun I Have

So damn annoying. I'm distracting but have three projects that will probably still get done in Aril.

I'm distracted by a string of events. First, while I was sitting and talking with someone we heard a little tiny electric alarm screaming from somewhere toward the back. Turns out my heart/defibrillator monitor was signaling it had now power. It had had power an hour earlier, but now it didn't. And then I noticed the modem for my internet had no lights.

The guy I was talking with just happened to work electric, he went to check the breakers and one breaker seemed to be out. He changed some of my extension cord wiring to a different circuit and I had power to the heart monitor and modem, but not to the back of the house. No lights, no outlets.

The broken breaker was old, no longer manufactured. He found on up in Henderson, near the Virginia state line. Got it, brought it down and installed it.

More beeping. The stove got power back and was giving a signal E9 - E9 - E9 on the front panel. We found the manual online and E9 meant the circuit controller board in the head of the stove was out. Unplug it and plug it back in to reset the board. Did that. E9 - E9 - E9 with the attendant beep beep beep beep etc.

Okay, dead stove. Annoying, but I have a microwave, hot plate, and George Foreman grill. I'll be able to heat food.

The outside, not too bad. Dirty, but ...

Now, the week before, while I spend a few days in bed and on reduced activity to get rid of the first case of pneumonia I've had in my life (knocked me down almost three weeks), my fridge died. So I had to throw out 10-12 cubic feet of FOOD. And in my family (raised by Depression survivors) throwing away food is the very worst.

Not to mention the smell.

Got help from the place where I got the fridge that had just died to find out they didn't deal with fridges any more because they are too much trouble. But they came up with a tall mini fridge so I had a place for my insulin and some canned diet soda, and maybe two frozen entrees. Survivable. And maintains my good deal with their ability to do business like grown-ups. Cool.

I send begging letters and a couple of people put up $3500 for me to get replacements. Groovy.

Got an offer from a church thrift store - "a deal" $60 for a two-door and I was assured it worked and might need "some cleaning." I paid gas money and another $20 for delivery. They managed to cram it into the space - I mean tight. And I was told to let it stand to get cold while they took off.

The inside - mold, filth and health warnings.

It stood and I went to check it. I looked inside and it was more than just "some cleaning." It was near crime-scene pathology with mold and smears which I suspect came out the wrong end of more than one species.

And it never got cold. Freezer didn't freeze. Refrigerator didn't refrigerate.

Never.

While that little slice of heaven, discovered when I went to take a shower - I had no hot water. And it got hot yesterday and - no air conditioning.

I suspect it all goes back to the working on the breakers - the breaker for hot water heater, stove, fridge, outdoor A/C unit, are all in the same place.

But the guy who worked on the breaker originally can't come down here again to fix it - or even see what was wrong.

So now I need to pay a real electrician to check my breaker box. At real electrician rates. Which will hopefully restore my hot water (I'd like to do laundry, for real) and air conditioning ('tis the season).

And find a Fridge.

And find a Stove.

I don't know how much more fun I can stand.

With all this, I'm still on track to get three pieces out in April.

I'm just sweating for my art.