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.
Yesterday I met up with the installer from the counter place. He took very comprehensive measurements and was helpful in giving me some options/suggestions regarding the install. I also had him measure the bathroom cabinets. I think there is a strong possibility I will have them do them as well with the same cabinet/counter materials to have consistency in the house. I’m excited to get it done.
Last night when I got home I went into task tornado mode. I had ordered a replacement air vent that I wanted to put in place. Several of them look pretty shitty so this was going to be my test subject. Of course, I ordered the wrong size as I based it on the outside measurement instead of the hole in the drywall, my bad. I left the ladder out to install the replacements in a few days.
I then installed an adapter for my Ring doorbell cam. The doorbell placement is on the wall perpendicular to the front door so your field of view sucked, basically the opposing wall. This adapter mounts behind the Ring and allows you to rotate it up to 55 degrees. Install took maybe 15 minutes and provides me with a view where I can actually see who is at the door easily.
My final task was flipping around one of the replacement light switches I installed. This one was in the guest bathroom. Somehow I was asleep at the wheel when I put this one in and mounted it upside down, making it operate differently than every other switch in the house. After removing 4 screws and a 180 degree rotation things were back in order.
My microwave stopped working yesterday which seemed odd. I had my cleaning crew in there yesterday so my first thought was when they were cleaning the microwave they inadvertently hit some buttons they shouldn’t have. Basically when you go to heat something the light turns on and the timer starts to count down but nothing else happens. The turntable doesn’t spin and you don’t hear the magnatron either. After doing some research this morning I am wondering if somehow they activated “demo” mode which could show this behavior. I will try to do a reset tonight, I’m hoping the fix is that simple. I had to prepare my meal on the stovetop last night, gasp…..
So as I mentioned several times, my sciatic pain has been really bad for a number of months. The absolute worst time is getting out of bed in the morning when searing pain makes it hard to even walk. Over the weekend for some reason a thought came into my head. Could this be bed related?
My bed has always felt comfortable to me but at this point it is 7-8 years old I imagine. It’s one of those gel infused foam mattresses. I always sleep on the left side of the bed even when it’s only me, out of habit I guess. The idea that came to me was trying to sleep in the center of the bed where bodies typically have not been. Every night I have done this I have woken up each morning with next to no sciatic pain, wow. My unproven theory is the years of laying in the same spot has compressed that area to a degree where it allows my back to shift into a position that causes the sciatic inflammation overnight. I am going to keep sleeping in the middle of the bed the rest of the week. If I am still waking up without the pain it seems clear it’s time to get a new mattress.
On Friday afternoon I called a countertop place that I was familiar with. I wanted to get some numbers from them to do the work in the kitchen which was obscenely overpriced by FHIA. When I called the woman asked if I had some pictures of the kitchen. I sent her the Zillow link which she said was great. To my surprise less than an hour later she was able to send me an estimate just based on the pictures. The difference was staggering.
Unlike FHIA who was only going to reface the cabinets this was for brand new shaker style cabinets with a quartz countertop. The quote was 13,900 for everything, including a new stainless steel sink. It was less than half of the FHIA numbers. I was excited by this and arranged to stop over at this place on my way home so I could see the cabinets and quartz surface which both looked great to me. I paid a deposit to set up installation which will likely occur in less than two weeks, instead of the two months FHIA was talking about. I was thrilled to get what I actually wanted for a number inline with my mental estimate.
Friday night on my way home I got an urge to go out and see Shazam 2. Just for the heck of it I texted Monique to see if she would want to go on short notice. I was surprised she was good to go. I picked her up a little after 6, we grabbed a quick meal at Panera and made it to the theater a little after 7. We once again went to the Naples Hollywood 20 which is much nicer than it used to be prior to it’s post Hurricane Irma renovation. The movie was entertaining, along the lines of the first film. The Shazam take on super hero life is more light hearted than most. I’d give it a B+.
Saturday morning I slept late thanks to a delayed bed time and Unisom. I did not roll out of bed until 8:30, crazy. I did zero yard work as my lawn crew was there knocking out the mowing and weed whacking as scheduled, it’s amazing. Instead I ran to get some groceries and Costco. At Costco I went a little nuts, buying two pair of LED sconce lights for the exterior of the house as well as a new smart garage door opener, more on this later.
When I got home I turned my attention to my big to do for the day, a range test on the EX30 EUC I am evaluating. A subscriber made an interesting suggestion that I ride the wheel from the new house to the old house and back. That sounds like quite the haul but when I did the math it was totally doable with the large battery this wheel has. I headed out after eating lunch.
The 65 mile ride was long. In total I was on the wheel for over three and a half hours. It was cool taking a path that was much more diverse in terrain and visuals. I literally rode all the way to my old house. I saw they added a couple chairs to the front landing and I saw what almost looked like jet ski’s on the side of the house. Both sheds were open and the tractor was out in the yard. I thought to myself about how much work they had to do and then compared it to my new normal. I can’t say I felt like I missed the house but it was weird seeing the place I have lived in since 2001 with another set of human beings in it.
Saturday night I played pickleball with a woman I met from playing volleyball. We went over to the East Naples park which was surprisingly empty. We had to play singles for a little while before we could even find anyone available to play doubles. It was fun, she is competitive like me. We stopped after a couple hours as the bugs were really getting bad.
Sometimes I forget just how many things are different where I live now. Taking Elsa for a walk from the front door of the old house was a no go with no sidewalks and traffic flying by on a narrow street. On Sunday I leashed her up and took her around the neighborhood. It was great. As we walked I really appreciated being in this scenario and wondered why I waited so long to pull the trigger. I really don’t think I could have picked a better spot for me to land.
A good portion of the day was dedicated to getting the new LED sconce lights hung. There were a few technical challenges along the way but I was able to plow through them. I love the way the new lights look. They are also “smart” and have the ability to display any color I want which could be cool around various holidays. I got a great deal on them from Costco.
I also was able to get the mystery switches on the far wall of the garage figured out and replaced. One of the switches was a three way which controls the overhead fluorescent light in the garage, the other controls a side light which did not work. I replaced that side light with one of the new sconces as well, a sweet upgrade.
Last night before bed I hopped on the One Wheel and rode some of the streets around the neighborhood. They were basically empty allowing me to do big slow carves back and forth as I admired the homes around me. Did I mention how much I love where I live now…..
