Author: anthony Page 59 of 80

I got a notice from my mortgage company that my payments would be going up based on the changes in the escrow account. I could either let this increase my monthly payment to cover the shortage – or I could pay the lump sum. They couldn’t explain why it was going up, but it was so that’s the way it goes. Annoying. I wrote a check last night and dropped it in the mail today. I think I should get some kind of gold star for always paying my mortgage early, but that seems to go unnoticed at the bank.

Next, I was in Sears the other day and they were having a final clearance on winter items. Though I’m not usually much of a bargain hunter, this was too good of a deal to pass up. I got a warm coat for $9.99, two thermal shirts and a pair of gloves for $1.99 each. I was considering a new coat as the winter was winding up – whenever THAT IS in Ohio – and I really like that style of shirt. And the gloves matched the coat, sort of. I wasn’t exactly thrift shopping, but it was a really good deal.

Finally, we keep the office where we work pretty dim as far as lighting goes. And the employees are pretty dim too! (Ba-dum-bum – thank you, I’m here all week). I’ve got a hanging lamp over my desk instead of the fluorescents to help curtail migraines and since this wouldn’t be enough to keep a plant alive, I’ve amassed a nice collection of fake plants.

I decided to add to this by making a terrarium with some miniature trees and fake foliage. I don’t have a really good camera or webcam, but a sort of panorama shot from above does the trick. I considered leaving a space open in the middle for a mini-zombie or a flying saucer, but I had enough trees to fill it all in. Besides, that would have made it a terror-arium and I’d have to explain the pun all the time.

I co-hosted game night for some friends on Saturday. Ended up being 18 people – including my cat (who was remarkably okay with the mass of people). We played games, ate pizza and chicken, and some of the younger guests did some coloring. And the after-party clean up only took about 1/2 an hour. Which was kinda of amazing. It was fun, but I was stressing about the event for several days beforehand. Now that my house and I have been initiated, I think I’ll worry less about the next time it comes around to me. Big thanks to Jim for co-hosting and helping me keep things on track.

On Sunday, I helped two of my friends move their family to a new and much bigger house. The bulk had already been done, but there were still beds and furniture to move. It took a good part of the morning, up and down stairs, but we got everything they wanted to move for the day loaded up. Then it was on to the new house to help unload. One of the last things I did was help set up the “big girl bed” for one of their daughters so she could get a much needed nap. Kind of a nice way to know that I helped them really settle in.

On an unrelated note, I was in Sears recently and some guy’s voice came over the loud speaker (emphasis on “loud”) and proclaimed that in 2 minutes they would be giving away super sharp paring knives in the housewares department to everyone over the age of 21. I know what he said because he was loud and repeated himself in a slooow and boooring monononotone. Two minutes later, he was back on the air to let us know we needed to head on over to housewares to get our free super sharp paring knives. Instead, we left before everyone in Sears was armed.

Finally, the recent “heatwave” had me in a springtime mood and I got out and mowed my yard and did some weeding. I didn’t switch out the storm windows for screens, but I did wash and put away the comforter on my bed. A sheet is usually just enough for me from spring to fall.

And that was a mistake. The cold came back and the last couple nights have been really uncomfortable. Do I turn up the heat? No, haven’t done that all winter. Do I get the comforter back out? No, I washed it and have it put away – feels like admitting defeat to get it back out.

Instead, I’ve bundled up before going to bed and generally not sleeping well. I thought my stubborn-ness would be enough to keep me warm, but it’s not working. Thunder(cat) has been trying to help, but I can’t get him to sleep on my always cold feet. He either gets right up next to my head and purrs loud enough to wake the dead or he snuggles in at the crook of my arm. Which is nice, but “My arms aren’t cold, Thunder(cat)!” He doesn’t care because he’s a cat.

If it gets cold again tonight, I’m getting the comforter back out – which means that tomorrow night should be a heat wave.

Eh, life in Ohio.

Busy day at work, then off to the doctor. I amazed the people in the waiting room with some origami, then did the weight and blood pressure thing with a super cool and nice nurse. Top notch. The doctor came in and asked me some questions, then they had me do the BP again – laying down, sitting, and standing. Then they did an EKG. It took far longer to get set up than to actually run and I joked with the nurse about the sticky sensors and chest hair. She said she hoped they would stick without having to shave patches of my chest – they did.   The doctor came back in after the test was done and said everything looked fine.

So:

I have a little fluid in my ear. Might be an ear infection or may just be residual pool water.
My BP, pulse, and EKG were fine.
No other symptoms except a headache that won’t away. The doc prescribed an allergy med to see if that helps and an dizziness medication called Antivert (which sounds like a fictional Star Trek particle)

He also said I should get blood work so I went down the hall for that. The tech sat me down and folded down the arm of the chair on one side so I could rest my arm. She drew the blood and even though I’ve given blood tons of times, this time made me dizzy. She looked at me and asked if I was okay. I told her “No, not really. I came in for dizziness and just had a wave of it again,”

She hopped up, folded down the other arm of the chair (so I didn’t fall out) and told me to just take a moment. She left small room and then came right back with a cold can of coke for me. It was the nicest thing anyone had done for me all day and even though she was just doing her job, it was very kind. I drank some of the sugary soda and did feel better. She gave me a smile and sent me on my way.

Next stop was the pharmacy and that did not go as well. I had wandered around for a bit after turning in my Rx, then headed back to the counter. The pharmacist announced my last name as she put the meds in the “ready to go” basket (I just made up that name). The techs didn’t hear her or were too busy. I stood there, waiting, when my phone rang. It was an automated message from the pharmacy that I was standing in to tell me that my Rx was ready. Which I already knew and I had been waiting on. The message told me I could stop by and pick it up at my convenience.

In my head, I shouted back at the computer: “I’m standing right here, dumbass!”

But of course I didn’t say it out loud. One of the techs wandered over and then finished the transaction – and I was on my way again.

I’m better, I guess, this evening. Very tired, not 100%, and still slightly wobbly in the head. I’ll start the meds tomorrow and see how it goes. I’m guessing it’s a minor ear infection or allergies (though I’m otherwise fine) or some kind of perfect storm of too much exercise and caffeine and not enough food.

I’ll keep track of this and the doc said he would call if the blood work showed anything – and that I should come back next week if I’m not better.

I’ve some issues with my blog recently, hence the lack of posts. Couple newsworthy items:

1. My cat is awesome. I had some people over and demonstrated how he comes when I call “Thunder(cat)! Hooooooooo!”  He’s still a Little Furry Bastard at times, but he’s MY Little Furry Bastard.

2. I’m hosting a game night this Saturday. First time I’ve hosted a party at my house and planning the food and entertainment – and getting all the cleaning done – is going to occupy much of the rest of my week.

3. I’ve had some recent issues with dizziness recently. Over the past few months, I’ve had a few dizzy spells – usually after a fast swim. They would pass quickly and I didn’t think anything of it.

Yesterday, I got a little dizzy at work. It was near the end of the day and it was 80 degrees in the office. Figured I’d feel better after my swim. In the pool, I stopped at the shallow end and was panting after a fast lap – and got a little dizzy for a moment. Figured I needed to slow down and regulate my breathing a bit. After the swim, I got dizzy while I was rinsing my goggles.

(I just accidentally typed “googles” there.  Geek!)

Figured I had just worn myself out – though it lasted a little longer than previous ones.

Now, at this point, someone who is not an adult male would have started to see a pattern. But, even with all this evidence, I pretty much just dismissed it all.

Went out to eat last night and got massively dizzy after ordering my food. To the point where I would have fallen over had I tried to stand up. It got slightly better, but I was still somewhat dizzy for the rest of my meal. Never passed out, but not from lack of trying. By the time I was done and had to go to the bathroom, I was mobile and able to walk a straight line. I got a ride home and was pretty much recovered before bed – though I could feel myself putting forth more effort to stay balanced.

This morning, I called and got an appointment to see my doctor today. I’m feeling much better – but it’s worth checking out. I’m guessing it was too much caffeine and too much effort in the pool along with overheating in the office – but I thought I had enough to eat and I stayed pretty well hydrated yesterday. There’s also a lingering, low-level, headache that won’t quite go away. So, ever so slightly worried and a trip to the doctor is a good idea.

I’ll update after my doctor visit this afternoon.  Until then, plenty of water, sugary snacks, a fan on full blast, and hopefully a quiet day at work.

Earlier this week, I attended a training session called ALiCE – Alert, Lockdown, inform, Counter, Evacuate. It’s meant to help people deal with an active shooter in a public environment, like a classroom or office building. I was a little concerned when we started out that it was creating an environment of fear – just like the TSA does – but this was informative and I think useful. We ended up being empowered to more effectively deal with a problem like this – if it does come up. We talked about throwing items, creating barricades, jumping out windows, and taking down the attacker. It’s not we were suddenly turned into bad-asses, but I think we were all a little more confident at the end.

They also talked about how faculty can observe and report student behaviors to try and prevent this from happening in the first place – but they weren’t able to come up with how to report strange behavior from a colleague. I mean, I work in IT and we’re all a little “off” – but we had one guy that used to have animated conversations with people that weren’t there. He left the department a while ago, but it would have been nice to maybe have him talk to a real person at some point.
In other news… Yesterday, I decided to reset my network at home. Fortunately, I wasn’t alone – I had my faithful assistant Thunder(cat) on hand to help out. He tried to eat my ethernet cable, went after the trackball like it was his job to kill it, and tried to tip over the monitor. It sounds bad on paper, but he’s a cat – these kind of things are really in his wheelhouse. And I only had to call him by his nickname – LFB, Little Furry Bastard – twice last night. Which is down from how it usually goes.

We got the router reset and a new password added and got the devices back online. To celebrate, I had a cookie and Thunder had a tuna flavored snack.  I think he wanted the cookie as well, but I’m taller and not afraid to use that to my advantage.

He’s a good cat and a lot of fun.  I know that he’s plotting to kill me at some point, but he seems pretty cool about it and I figure we’re good until he decides it’s time for the final showdown.

Living in Ohio, chapstick is nearly as essential as air and a series of jackets on hand to adapt to the endlessly variable – but usually cold – weather.

However, I’m really bad about keeping track of my chapstick. I either lose it or accidentally destroy the tube long before I use it all up. Or occasionally both when I leave it in my pocket and send it through the washer and dryer.

This chapstick – or “lip balm”, to be precise – was lime flavored. And that delicious smell/flavor encouraged me to keep track of it .  The label wore away from repeated handling, but the contents lasted. I don’t know how long it took me, but I managed to finish it. The lip balm is now below the level of the rim and will no longer rise when the end is turned.

It’s done. I finally finished a full tube of lip balm.

Just goes to show you what you can accomplish when you put your mind to something.

I haven’t posted about my swimming in a bit, but I hit a couple of milestones. Last week, I hit 50 miles for the year – which is not too shabby. And on one of my laps – at the end of my swim – I timed myself and did the lap in 40 seconds. Which is kinda awesome.

Last weekend, had a game night with some friends. We played Phase 10 – which is too damn close to Shanghai Rummy for my taste. I was a good sport about it, even when I got skipped multiple times and ended up losing badly. Very badly. I even got past one of my friends being a sore winner. 🙂

While were playing a game and enjoying some fruit salad, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I registered what it was, then re-registered it, then turned back to the table. The conversation was as follows:

Me: “Is there something in the fruit?”

Everyone else: “No”

Me: “Because I just saw the cat out of the corner of my eye and I thought it was a raccoon,”

Everyone else: (pause – then burst out laughing)

In my defense, the cat was raccoon colored and about the same size. I didn’t have anymore fruit, though, just in case.

In other news… I took the day off today to take my cat to the vet. Thunder is doing well, but I wanted to meet the vet and have all the paperwork filled out in case I needed to bring him back in an emergency.

Thunder didn’t like the car ride and barely tolerated the vet. And he hated getting his claws trimmed. We finally pinned him down and got them done, but he wasn’t amused.

He meowed – loudly – the entire way there and the entire way home. Fortunately, I think we’re still friends. I can’t find his collar though. He had it on this morning, but then it was gone when we got to the vet. I guess he got it off somewhere around here, but finding it will be a challenge.

This afternoon – after some more video games – I’m having lunch with the Ladies From New York. Haven’t seen them in a bit and it will be nice to visit with them.

With all the tools ready, it was time to bite the bullet and make the first cut. As soon as the saw cut through the pipe wall, a flood of extra filthy water rushed out. I stuck it out and finished the cut. The lower part of the pipe, still attached to the old sump pump, lifted out easily and I got it drained. Once it was on the work bench, my faithful assistant Jim and I locked onto the pipe with the pipe wrench and…

…it turned easily. In moment, the pipe was loose and then free.

We took a closer look at the pipe and saw that a threaded one way value assembly had been attached to the pipe. I couldn’t have removed the pipe since it was all one piece and what I’d thought was a sliding coupler was fixed in place.  Easy enough to see now that I wasn’t upside down with my head in a hole of full of dirty water.

I got the pipe cleaned up, took the old sump pump outside (banished it, really), and measured the connector piece to determine how much to cut off. My assistant and I had some trouble with this one, but finally made a decision and I got the pipe cut. A little seal tape on the threaded end and the lower pipe was on the shiny new pump. And the careful use of a screw-driver had the connector on the other end.

This time I was able to use a bucket to bail out some more water, then lowered the pump in and with some swearing I was able to force the connector in place. The screws on the 0-clamps were tightened, more water was added (just in case), and pump was plugged in.

The pumped kicked on and in moments, the water level in the sump was lowered back to normal. I watched as the water trickled back in and marveled as the pump kicked back on to take care of that once the float had risen high enough.

No leaks, nothing broke, no flood. It was, in a word, success.

BUT AT WHAT COST!?!!?

Well, about $127 for the sump pump, $10 for the connector, and about $20 for the wrench and saw.

I put the cover back on, but didn’t put the lattice up yet – just in case. (I do that a lot, don’t I?) The bathroom took a while to clean, but once the floor is dry it will be back to normal.

I sort of expected to have a flash of light and a shower of coins once I leveled up in my plumbing skills, but I just fixed some tea and settled in for the night.

I’ll check this again before I go to bed, but I’m pretty confident that everything is okay. If it wasn’t official before, it is now.

I’m a homeowner.

I took my shower and bailed that hole again before I went to bed at 10. Couldn’t sleep – worried about the hole filling up and flooding the basement while I slept. I got up again at 11 to check on it and bailed more water. It seemed like the flow had increased.

Back in bed, I set my alarm for 4 am and eventually fell asleep. I woke up before the alarm went off and headed back to the basement. Back to bed and then up at 6 to bail again. I had a little breakfast and then got into work around 7. At 11, I went home for lunch and more water bailing – and got a good surprise. The water hadn’t risen as much as it should have based on the flow of water in. I suspect that the pipes leading in were having an impact and that it was “filling” even though the water wasn’t halfway. I took the level back down – just in case – and headed back to work with some relief. Not relief to be back at work, mind you. Just relief that a flood was less likely.

After work, home again and more bailing. Then it was off to home deport for a new pipe wrench, a coping saw (since I couldn’t find mine) and the all important rubber coupler. I was really dreading this part – once I cut the pipe there was no going back. And if I couldn’t get the end loose from the sump pump, I was going to need to get a new adapter or threaded pipe – and then there was going to be pipe cement and more swearing in my immediate future.

Would things work as I’d hoped?  Were the former owners of my house jerks with the pipe cement?

The moment of truth was fast approaching  – as was the point of no return.

It started with a noise I didn’t hear. The sump pump in the bathroom in my basement has a particular noise as it cycles and pumps water out of the sump hole. I was using the bathroom – and reading a really good book – when I noted that the pump hadn’t run in the time I was down there. When I was done with my task and at a good stopping point in my book, I investigated.

Which was no small feat even by itself. The former owners had covered over the sump pump area with a decorative outdoor lattice – and about a billion screws. Okay, maybe a million. I got all the screws removed, removed the lattice, and removed the sump cover.

Full of water.

And because I’m a geek, I first tried unplugging it and plugging it back in. Just in case. No luck, though, the pump was dead. I unplugged it for the last time with a heavy heart – this wasn’t how I wanted to spend my Sunday.

I rolled up my sleeves, got a bucket and a red solo cup and started bailing. Bucket after bucket of some really suspect water came out of that hole and all the while I’m seriously thinking:

“Okay, this is just about the time in a horror movie when something intensely horrible is going to come slithering out of the filthy water, grab a hold of me, and pull me down to a watery grave.”

So, as a precaution, I had them keep a transporter lock on me at all times. The first sign of trouble and I was ready to beam my ass right on out of there.

Fortunately, the bathroom is well lit, the hole wasn’t that deep, and it was still daytime outside. I managed to work my way steadily down to the inflow pipe and see what I was up against.

The old sump pump was corroded and the inflow to the pump was clogged. I noticed the water was warm too – I’m guessing the pump had overheated when it got clogged.

I sent my Dad a text:

[non-flood sump pump problem. Please call and advise]

He called me a little later and we talked a little about what I was up against. I’ve inherited my Dad’s dislike of plumbing, but he had some good suggestions and I had a plan.

With the sump now slowly refilling with water and the model number in hand, I headed to Home Depot. I found the section, found the brand, found the model number… and the shelf was empty. I swore, then found a cashier and had them call for help. The staff person that answered the call scanned the barcode on the shelf and announced that they had 39(!) in stock. He got a ladder, found the pump, and in no time I was on my way.

After a few more errands, I headed back home and bailed out the sump again. The next step was to remove the old pump. Except that it wouldn’t budge. At all. I even borrowed a wrench from the neighbors with a smaller handle and was pretty much in the sump hole trying to get it loose.

No luck.

So, plan B. (oh, at this point it should be noted that the help videos online for the pump were crap).

I would need to find a rubber connector, cut the pipe to get part of the pipe and the old pump out, then hopefully remove the pipe from the pump and install the new one.

But it was getting late and home depot was closed. I now had a slowly filling sump hole and no way to get the rest of the parts I needed.

A sense of doom settled over me and I prepared for the long night ahead.