All posts by Duf

Saturday morning a plumber was at the door bright and early to disconnect the plumbing in the kitchen and master bathroom prior to the cabinet rip out. I was up early anyway clearing everything out of the cabinets and off the counters which gave me flashbacks to the chaos I felt shortly after moving. I simply reminded myself it’s part of the process and things will be back to normal sooner rather than later. The plumber had his girlfriend/wife sitting in the passenger side of his van the entire time he was working which was a bit weird, but ok. Once he finished up a couple hours later he made the call to the cabinet installer to let him know it was his turn.

When the installer showed up I was actually out to lunch with Christine but I was able to get them access to the house by remotely opening the garage door with my phone. When I got back they were actively ripping the cabinets out. I evidently had formed an inaccurate timeline of what was going to happen. I thought they were ripping out the cabinets and installing new ones the same day. Carlos told me they would just be ripping out the old stuff that day and the cabinet install would continue on Monday/Tuesday. The window of chaos may last longer than I originally expected.

When they were done I was left with a barren kitchen and master bath sink area. I have all of the stuff that used to reside in there scattered across other storage areas and portable tables. It’s quite the mess. The only working sink inside the house right now is in the guest bathroom so I am cleaning dishes and brushing my teeth at the same spot. Sure it is logistically inconvenient but doable.

I kept myself busy as the work progressed. One of the things I did was unbox and set up my new Prusa MK4 printer. This printer has a bunch of new tech that impressed me enough to pull the trigger, despite 3D printing getting a lot less time and attention in my life than it once had. In the span of 15 minutes I had the printer up and running. The initial test print I did of a rocket engine was flawless.

I also started working on some of the few remaining boxes I have in the garage. Most of it was stuff that was hanging on the walls at my old place. I got a lot of it hung but there were a few additional casualties when I evaluated if I really needed certain items any longer. I still am in the mindset where I am able to discard things that I have had for a long time without major trepidation.

Saturday night I once again hit the bar at Carrabas for dinner. The bartender there, Helen is great. She remembers my name, my drink order and typical menu items. She is from Ireland and seems like a very nice woman. I brought home the extra spaghetti with the intent of having it as a warm up meal. That plan evaporated when I stupidly left the container in the Tesla overnight.

Sunday morning I slept pretty late thanks to Unisom. After a lengthy bill paying session I loaded the EX30 into the back of the Tacoma to drive out to my old stomping grounds. I parked at the new park and then rode the wheel into the swamp, a staple test in all of my demo wheel evaluations. It was stupid hot with temps creeping into the 90s but I had a great ride. Despite it’s weight the EX30 felt quite comfortable on the swamp trail with it’s suspension doing an admirable job of eating up the bumps. I saw 7 or 8 gators but they were all down off the trail path instead of walking right at me as happened last time I was there.

Christine came over later in the afternoon. We grabbed dinner down by Bayfront at a great Mexican place. She is a lot of fun and makes me laugh, a lot.

Last night there was a powerful thunderstorm that rolled through that had Elsa freaked out. She just kept roaming the room trying to seek safety. She eventually wound up in the master closet. This morning I stuck around the house until the cabinet installers showed up a bit before 9. They dropped off all of their tools first and then had to go run to get the actual cabinets. My remote garage door capabilities combined with Ring camera surveillance will be coming in handy.

Yesterday my Prusa MK4 arrived. Yes despite me doing NO appreciable 3D printing since the move I bought Prusa’s new flagship printer because it seems awesome. With my new bench space reality I am going to need to have to unload one of my existing MK3’s to make room, which is fine. So although the printer arrived I did not even do as much as cut open the box as I had other things on my plate.

The plate was filled after getting a message from the countertop/cabinet place that they will be there Saturday to start work on my project. They will be replacing the cabinets in the kitchen and one of the bathrooms during the day. After the cabinets are installed they make a template to create the quartz counter tops which should come next week, hopefully.

So of course to replace cabinets you need to take everything out of your old ones, which I got a good head start on last night. I felt very fortunate I bought that stand alone pantry for the kitchen as it works great to store the cabinet items temporarily. I have the kitchen cabinets about 2/3 empty. I will do the rest before rip out starts Saturday. I’m excited to see the transformation.

The weekend is shaping up to be busy thanks to the renovation work but it’s the kind of busy that I don’t mind.

Yesterday my new microwave oven was delivered. Since I am getting new cabinets sooner rather than later I didn’t see the point in mounting it. Instead I unboxed the new unit and placed it on the fold up table I currently have in the kitchen. I should be able to use it unconventionally until it is conventionally installed.

For the majority of the last couple years when I stared out into my personal horizon it was filled with dense fog that obscured my view and stormy waters that have been very challenging to navigate at times. However recently that view has cleared and the water has softened. It’s a very pleasant change.

I mentioned yesterday how expensive my first quote was for gutter installation on the house, $4800 and change. Later yesterday I asked how much of that cost was the leaf guards. I was shocked when the guy said $2000. Based on that information I am considering just going sans leaf guards and just clean the gutters out a couple times a year. I had a second company quote me and it was a few hundred less than the no guard number from the first company.. I am going to get one more quote before making a decision but I am pretty sure I will just skip the guards. I could always install something myself if need be.

Yesterday I closed on the sale of my remaining Lehigh Acres property. The process was stupid easy, puts a nice little chunk of change in my bank account and releases me from paying property taxes on the worst investment of my life any longer. The funds will help offset the even larger chunk of money I am spending with these cabinet/countertop upgrades.

I played volleyball again last night in tough conditions, severe wind. Playing volleyball with gusty winds is very frustrating. I struggled all night with passing and bump setting. The highlight was I had 2 or 3 of my best hits since returning to volleyball. These were hard driven balls, one going off an old guys forehead, which I felt bad about. Although the conditions were challenging I still enjoyed my time playing which is all that matters.

As I mentioned last week I was doing an experiment with sleeping in the middle of my bed to see if doing so continued to diminish the amount of sciatic pain I have in the morning. Well the short answer is, yes. Every morning since making this change I have had only minor pain in the area. It makes it clear that not only do I likely need to get a new mattress but also a solid platform instead of the box spring base I have under my gel infused mattress currently. I like not getting stabbed in the right ass cheek repeatedly for the first 15-30 minutes of every morning.

This morning I had someone come out to quote me on gutter installation. It was the same company that did the gutters on my old house after I had the roof replaced. I once again was treated to sticker shock. The quote was for almost $5000, almost double what I was expecting. Now my quote included getting leaf guards installed on the entire gutter because of the three big oaks around the house but still, I thought that was a pretty ridiculous number. I am getting other quotes for sure.

I did a member only live stream last night. I would show you, but you aren’t a member . 🙂

On Saturday I slept in until after 8AM, a Unisom side effect. Once I shook off the cobwebs I got busy. I detached the chain rail from the motor of the old garage door opener to make it more manageable to throw in the back of the Tacoma. I also lugged the old microwave out to the truck as well for disposal. Elsa and I made the hike out to the recycling center near my old house to dispose of the items in their metal waste dumpster, free of charge.

During the afternoon I worked on hanging numbers on the garage, it looks like after the house was painted numbers were not reinstalled. The dense concrete beams that compose the top of the garage openings were too hard even for a brand new masonry bit to put much of a dent in. I got them installed but I am going to need to add some silicone to the fasteners to make sure they stay put. I also installed my two Ring cameras I bought, one in the north side of the back yard and another pointing at the driveway. With six cameras in total now I feel pretty secure in saying nobody can step foot on the property without my knowledge.

Saturday afternoon I shot a quick video regarding another Tesla accessory that was sent to me for free for evaluation. It was a set of console kick covers designed to protect the sides of the footwell from whatever may get spilled there. Install was easy and my foot well now is basically bulletproof.

Sunday I did my customary bill pay session. My wallet and email were stuffed with credit card receipts for house related purchases I have been making (mostly). My next credit card bill is going to be astronomical but just think of all of the Amazon spiff points I will be earning.

I spent a good deal of time trying to clean up my smart home configuration. I had things from my old house still in there that were causing issues so I did a spring cleaning of smart switches/lights to hopefully make things easier moving forward.

During the afternoon I went out to do a speed run on the EX30, using the greenway path near my house. It’s a pretty good spot to do so as long as I can time it when there are not other people around during my high speed passes. On my last run I got up into the mid 40’s, more or less matching my highest speed ever on an EUC. The EX30 is a very good wheel.

The rest of my Easter Sunday went very well. Remember when I said 2023 is going to be great for me? I think I just might be right.

Yesterday I had the first substantial rain at the house. It gave me an opportunity to see why I want to have gutters installed. The water run off pounds the ground around the house since it has no gutters at all. I think I will also bite the bullet and have gutter covers installed for the entire length as the house has three large oak trees around it. Oak tree leaves were my gutters arch enemy at my old place.

After work I went to Home Depot to buy the replacement microwave oven. I got the same size and cubic capacity. I was asked if I wanted to pay to have it installed or to have the old unit disposed of. Doing those two things would have added over $200 to the cost so I said no.

I never have installed or removed a microwave so I thought I would be proactive and pull down the old one last night to get my feet wet. It was a very simple process, removing two screws and then catching the unit as it drops down as it pivots on a rear mounting plate. My hope is I can use the same holes/mounting plate since I am putting another LG 2.0 cubic footer in there. The new microwave is supposed to come next Wednesday. I am thinking of just leaving the new unit unmounted because when the new cabinets come shortly it has to come down anyway. I can set up the microwave on one of my portable tables in the mean time.

Last night I also installed my new air grills in the main living space. It’s a minor change but a welcome one. Every time I used to look up and see the original cruddy/rusty vents it bothered me. Replacement took all of 10 minutes and that little visual wart has now been removed. Two more Ring cameras arrived yesterday which I will look to install this weekend.

Speaking of the weekend I have some disposal tasks, namely ripping apart the old garage door opener/rail and grabbing the old microwave to take it to recycling. Other than that I hope to just indulge in whatever I feel like.

Here is a real quick thought about life. Sometimes you need to abandon doing the nice thing for the right thing. I normally have a lot of stretch in my internal rubber band, but when it finally snaps back any future stretching is much shorter if presented with a similar situation. I have learned that one of the most valuable traits a person can have that is in my inner circle is honesty. If I don’t feel like I can trust you, I don’t feel like I need you around. Keep moving and learning.

Yesterday was a perfect example of why I am loving my new normal. During the afternoon I was able to clear out the spare 6 foot workbench that I no longer have a good spot for. I gave it away for free and was not even required to be home for the process. Instead I had the man text me when he was at my house which then allowed me to open the garage door remotely while monitoring everything he did on the camera. As soon as I saw he had both pieces out the door I closed it behind him, easy.

When I got home last night I didn’t have anything pressing that had to be done so I decided to do something I would like to do instead, play pickleball. I had already played during my lunch hour but I felt good enough to go play some more. One of the guys I knew from volleyball mentioned the group that he plays pickleball with on Wednesday nights so I figured I would join them. It’s only 5 minutes away.

We were getting ready to play when the NPC police showed up asking if everyone had their membership card. I did not, I have been playing for 18 months without one. However during prime playing times (8-12AM and 5-9PM) they are more strict about it. At first the woman was being pushy about it, saying we aren’t allowed to play without it. I told her firmly that I will finish my game and then go get the card. She said “ok, but just ONE game”, lol.

The “membership” thing at the county pickleball facilities has always bothered me because it is a county park, paid for with county tax payer money. Charging an additional $55 a year to this company that has a pro shop there and “manages” the courts always annoyed me. However since I live there now and presumably will be playing a lot it made sense to just drink the Kool Aid and sign up.

After getting my card I wound up playing with different people. We switched around partners a bit but then I wound up playing with the only woman out of the four. We stuck together for something like 5 games as we were determined to beat the other two men, one of whom was a skilled 4.0 player. The beat us pretty easily the first 3 games but we managed to squeak out a win in our fifth and final game which was satisfying. I wound up playing a total of two hours plus in the session.

Afterwards I didn’t feel like cooking so I stopped at an Italian place on the way home and enjoyed a margarita pizza with a couple beers at the bar. I wound up in a long conversation with an older woman who works for the sheriff department. As I walked back out to the car I soaked in a feeling of good fortune that I am now in this situation, where options are nearly endless and the future is full of possibilities.

Yesterday I finally found a place to install my garage door opener. The first couple I tried said they wouldn’t install an opener that they didn’t sell me. I was given an install window of between 2 and 4PM. At about 3:20 I had not heard from anyone so I checked to see what the ETA was. I was told someone should be there within the hour. I said I had a hard out at 5:45, they said that was no problem.

Well of course he didn’t make the 4PM window, he didn’t even make a 5PM window, he showed up about 5:30, 15 minutes before I had to leave. I didn’t read the guy the riot act, I know when you are later in the day you can be victim of any prior delays in the prior calls. I used to deal with it when i fixed PC’s so I generally am understanding. However I did tell the guy I had to leave in 15 minutes. I asked if he was ok finishing the work without me there, he said it was no problem.

Based on surveillance it took him only slightly over a half hour to complete the swap which seems crazy but when you do these all the time I guess it is to be expected. He did tell me that if he took the old opener and rail it costs an extra $70 disposal fee. I told him I would take care of it so I now have the old equipment on the floor of the garage.

When I got home within 15 minutes I had the opener attached to my wifi, camera configured and the Tesla trained to open and close the door. I love being able to manage and monitor access to the house this way, you never have to wonder if the garage door is open or closed or who is there.

The reason I left at 5:45 was to play volleyball. I again had a pretty good session. One game I served something like 10 or 11 points in a row. I also wound up eating the most sand so far. I had sand everywhere. With higher humidity returning the additional sweat adds up to a lot more corn dog effect. It was fun. At this point I feel like one of the regulars.

I forgot to mention that my attempts to reset the microwave were fruitless. So I can look at a minimum of $200 to fix it or get a brand new unit to replace the 7 year old appliance for $400. Guess which option I am taking.

Ever since I switched the blog to require registration to read I have a nice and tidy audience although I am constantly having to go in to clean out garbage registrations from bots. With the audience being small and presumably familiar with my history I feel more able to speak freely although of course there are certain lines that can’t be or at least should not be crossed.

Ever since I split with Cindy some 20 months ago at this point (wow), I have been struggling to figure out how to navigate life as a reasonably content single person that still is open to bringing a partner into their life. It has been in a word, hard.

My people pleasing nature has backfired on me repeatedly over my lifetime and still does today, over a half century into my existence. In those last 20 months there have been a couple brief attempts at getting relationships off the ground but they never got enough altitude or velocity to stay in the air.

Aspects of these experiences have made me even more cautious and skeptical about women. My ability to trust has been impacted significantly. My desire to go through the process to filter through the bullshit and get to who a person really is, is waning. Yet I know with a real partner, life can be awesome. However, you need to be able to make your life awesome on your own as well. I will continue to push myself into uncomfortable places to get there.

When a person tells you who they are, listen. When a person shows you who they are, believe them.