Things Keep Breaking
September 18th, 2015 · 2 Comments · Posted in Blog
Marylin Monroe once observed how brilliant we’d all be if we could just remember everything that entered our brains. Similarly, I can’t help feeling how much more money we’d have in the bank if things didn’t keep breaking.
For instance, a new feature in our basement has been a rather large puddle of water. I figured it was just the condensation running off the big tank that pressurizes the water from our well. But then I noticed a drip coming off one of the couplings that connects to the water line that runs up the hill to the hydrant in our back pasture. We tried to tighten it, only to find that the brass coupling has a crack in it. Until our well driller gets here to replace the coupling, we have no water to fill the trough for our livestock on that part of the property. The well guy says that ever since they took the lead out of couplings, they just don’t make couplings like they used to.
Similarly, the rubber plunger inside the hydrant in our raised bed garden has completely failed, meaning we can’t turn off the hydrant. Instead, every time we want to use water in the garden we now have to turn it on (or off) using the shut-off valve near the pressure tank in the basement. Happily, though, the hydrant we replaced next to the main paddock is working great. Moral of the story: don’t bother with cheap hydrants.
Meanwhile, our electric dishwasher died. We now wash and dry by hand, just like your grandmother used to do. Post-meal cleanup has become a time for family bonding. My wife now plans to remove the dishwasher and use the hole between the base base cabinets for storage.
We continue to replace our Ford F150 pickup truck one piece at a time–or not. The latest thing to go was the tailgate latch. I’ve replaced it with bungee cords so that I can close the tailgate. But now there’s also something wrong in the steering column. Some time ago the red arrow that indicates which gear you’re in shifted to the right so when you think you’re in reverse you’re actually in park. Now the key doesn’t want to come out of the ignition switch when you turn it off. I’m not sure what the work-around for that is. The leading edge of the door on the driver’s side is still badly bent, but it was the only way I could get into and out of the truck after a big wind caught the door and miss-aligned the hinges.
The zipper fell off my favorite jacket. Not tragic, exactly, except I’ve had that jacket for years and really like it. Can a zipper be sewn back on? They just don’t make clothes like they used to. Remember when pants pockets were deep enough the change didn’t fall out of them when you sat down? Or you didn’t end up with holes in all your pockets?
We just spent more than $2,000 dealing with a malfunctioning air conditioning system in one of our rental apartments back in D.C. Turned out to be a leaky evaporator coil. The freon kept escaping, costing hundreds of dollars, and the system is only four years old. Checking with the Better Business Bureau revealed numerous other homeowners who’ve experienced the same problem with that particular manufacturer. Our newest mission is trying to get reimbursed for the labor costs incurred in replacing the coil. Getting texts from tenants in the middle of the night on weekends is now our worst nightmares.
We continue to battle every medical bill we receive because they’re always wrong. Who has time for a day job when you have to deal with the American health care system?The latest was a real hoot: a hospital bill for $25 to cover charges that had already been paid by the insurance company, as indicated right on the bill. When I called the billing department at the hospital the woman told me “throw that in the trash.” Computer error.
And then there’s my own computer, which seems to be on its last legs. One minute it’s crashing, the next minute it’s working fine. I never know what will happen from one day to the next. I spent more than $300 recently replacing the hard drive, with many trips to the Geek Squad. Now I’m getting blue screens telling me there’s a problem with the memory. If that goes, it’s time for a new computer. I’m told that because my Acer computer is five years old, it has reached the end of its life span. That’s how well built computers are, I guess.
I could go on, but you get the picture. Life seems to be one long series of adjustments. Just when you think you’re getting ahead, something else breaks and pulls you back to reality.
Hi Ed
You may be able to get replacement hydrant parts and repair it without digging up the hydrant (yes, we have done that too—if you fill the hole with pea gravel, it’s easier to dig out next time). Also, if you are really attached to your jacket, check out Ruby’s Nimble Thimble in Greenwich. Terry rescued my favorite farm jacket and it looks and works better than ever. As for the hens, we find we have to lock them in a new house for a couple of days before they understand that it’s home.
Got to go wash the dishes (by hand). See you around! DJ
Great tip on the jacket, thanks