Monday, September 28, 2020

Internet still down

Austin, Technician #3 and the "special tool"

The internet is still down.

We are on the third technician.

The first one showed up and said "I found the break but I don't have the special tool to fix it. I called my associate and he will fix it. He is working another break-down but should be here in a couple of hours."

The second guy showed up and checked it out. "The break isn't where the first guy thought it was and I don't have the special tool I need to find it. I am calling a third guy."

The third guy showed up.

"Do you have the special tools you need to find and fix the problem?" I asked.

"Sure do" he said as he pulled a shovel out of the back of the truck.

Yes sir. The 'special tool' was the shovel.

Dowry

The official blogging chair for the ERJ blog
 

I don't share this information very often, but Mrs ERJ came to our marriage with property. Indeed, she came with a genuine, La-Z-Boy recliner.

Over the years, I succeeded in wrestling it away and making it my own.

The years have not been kind to this chair. Teenage children dropped into it and so on. The wear-and-tear was undoubtedly exacerbated by the anomaly in the gravitational field immediately above the chair. I swear, settle back into this chair and it is like fighting Jupiter to get back out of it.

This is the second set of springs I replaced so I am getting 13 years per set of springs.

I probably should have stretched the springs more because the chair now has a beer-belly.

As you can see, it was not laparoscopic surgery. I suggested that Mrs ERJ not repair the incision. Perhaps I am anthropomorphizing my old friend, but it looks like it is smiling. Mrs ERJ thinks that is silliness and quickly set about stitching the gash together.

Recreational plumbing

Does anybody want to guess what these came from?

If I didn't know better, I would assume that Mrs ERJ is enjoying this holiday from the internet. With nothing better to do, I am fixing things around the house that need fixing.

After putting the fixture back together, Mrs ERJ gave the fixture a little nudge and asked, "Is it supposed to rock like that?"

I made an unhappy face. "No."

"Is that a problem?" she asked.

"Only if raw sewage leaking across the floor is a problem" I replied.

Rocking it a little bit more, she saw the floor breathing. "Is the floor supposed to be doing that?" she asked.

Very unhappy face. "No."

She batted her baby-blues at me. "But you ARE going to fix it, right?"

Then she added "It doesn't have to be today.

7 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Good guess. Toilet tank-to-stool bolts.

      The new bolts are stainless but it looks like I will be replacing the stool as well the floor and underlayment. I detest round toilets and will replace it with an elongated one.

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    2. We like the elongated ones, and we went with the ADA height toilet during our last change.
      Details on the new toilet available on request.
      Buy a second cheap wax ring because they are really handy for wood screw lube.

      Delete
    3. I was going to say "tank-to-bowl bolts", but I have an unfair advantage-I worked in a plumbing supply warehouse for a while during my younger years.

      If you haven't purchased yet, I can recommend the Eljer line. I put in Eljer Titans some years ago, and they're great. Rarely have a flush issue. Biggest thing is to be sure you have enough drop from the toilet to the sewer line, or they don't flush right. Next biggest thing is to be sue they don't use a pressurized tank, because they're a pain to flush if the water goes out. On the Titans, you can just fill up the tank with water and flush away.

      Delete
    4. how much drop do you recommend? I'm about to install new waste pipe. Thanks for the tip!

      Delete
  2. the rusty picture looks like old abandoned gate hardware.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a marriage that's been around the block and is stronger for it. Coming up on 41 with the lady of the house and I.

    ReplyDelete

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