BWW Project 25-3 Kitchen Ceiling Light

 BWW Project 25-3:  Kitchen Ceiling Light

There is a big ceiling light containing two curved flourescent tubes in the kitchen.  The condenser is weak and sometimes we have to jiggle the switch multiple times to get it to fire on.  The outer shell is cracked as well.  It throws out quite a bit of light, though.  Time to replace it.

Cathy ordered two LED ceiling lights, one for this purpose and the other for the living room which is very dark and which has a covered box in the ceiling which I tested and found controlled by a wall switch.

I didn't have a ton of energy today, but I tackled the kitchen light.  It went quite well.  The old shell came off with no problems and once I disabled the circuit, all I had to do was remove four long bolts that probably went up into anchors above the drywall.  Cathy will have to fill those holes in and paint.

The frame came down, then, and I undid the wire nuts to get it completely off.  The new light was hooked up, the wire nuts tucked up into the box, and the backer tightened up to the ceiling very nicely.  The light turned on when energized, and has a four position switch for brightness and tone, which Cathy can click to her desired setting.  The globe twists onto pegs which hold it in securely.  

March 2025 Weight, BP, meds, Exercise, etc

 March 2025 Weight, BP, Meds, Exercise, Etc

DATE        Weight           Meds                            Exercise

3/1            196.8            Ca-D3-Pr-AB                

3/2            196.4            AL-Ca-D3-Pr-T-AB

3/3            198.4            Ca-D3-Pr-AB                                                                                *

3/4            196.8            Ca-D3-Pr-T-AB

3/5            196.8            Ca-D3-Pr-AB                                                                                *

3/6                                Ca-D3-Pr-AB                                                                                *

3/7                                Ca-D3-Pr-T-AB                                                                                *

3/8                                Ca-D3-Pr-AB                    Kayak 79-min                                        *

3/9                                AL-Ca-D3-Pr-AB                                                                            *

3/10                                Ca-D3-Pr-AB                                                                                **

3/11                                Ca-D3-Pr-T-AB                Biked 8.5 mi

3/12                                Ca-D3-Pr-AB

3/13                                Ca-D3-Pr-AB

3/14                                Ca-D3-Pr-T-AB

3/15                                Ca-D3-Pr-AB

3/16                                Ca-D3-Pr-AB

3/17        198                AL-Ca-D3-Pr-AB                                                                            *

3/18        197.5                Ca-D3-Pr-T-AB                                                                             *

3/19        198                Ca-D3-Pr-AB                                                                                    *

3/20        198                Ca-D3-Pr-AB                                                                                *

3/21        196                Ca-D3-Pr-T-AB                                                                                *

3/22        197.5              Ca-D3-Pr-AB                                                                                **

3/23        198                AL-Ca-D3-Pr-AB                        lots of hot sauce                        *

3/24        197                Ca-D3-Pr-T-AB                       5 a.m. very unstable and floundered

                                                                                        around. Dry heaves                        

3/25        196                Ca-D3-Pr-AB                                                                                    *

3/26        197                Ca-D3-Pr-AB                        Hiked 45-in                                        *.

3/27        197                Ca-D3-Pr-AB                                                                                   *

3/28        196                Ca-D3-Pr-T-AB                    Kayaked 90-min                                **

3/29        197.5           Ca-D3-Pr-AB                                                                                     *

3/30        196.5            AL-Ca-D3-Pr-AB                                                                                *

3/31        197                Ca-D3-Pr-AB                                                                                    *

AVGS    197.1            (missed no doses)                Paddle = 169-min

                                                                                Bike = 8.5 mi

                                                                                 Hike = 45-min                                    .8

                                    Tamsulosin 9/31 days = 29%

BWW Project 25-2: TDY Sara & Aaron's old house mud room ceiling

BWW Project 25-2:  TDY Sara & Aaron's old house mud room ceiling

Sara & Aaron bought new house and are moving into it.  They are going to sell old one and are in the throes of fixing up all the things that need doing before listing it.

One is the mud room ceiling about 8 X 10, where I had installed four can lights but which was half drywalled and the other half open.  Aaron had originally said "why do it when I am going to pop the mud room up another story.  Now that plan has changed and it needed finishing.

Aaron decided it would be easier to put bead board up and cut out for all four lights as it would be to drywall half of it and do all the mudding and finishing.  

We had to drive all the way to Beloit to get 5 sheets of bead board and busied ourselves with other little nit pickey tasks for the rest of the first day.  Cathy and I arrived in the morning of the second day and she and Sara worked on painting and scrubbing while Aaron and I hit the project.  

In my present medical condition I am limited in energy but we did pretty well.  

Of course you have to have a problem.  We were pretty careful when we nailed the bead board to the ceiling, to get the wires for the can light inserts inside the can, but of course one strayed outside the edge of the can.  Now when Aaron used my roto tool to cut the holes around the cans, he zipped this feed wire off and it stayed above the ceiling.  

I nipped off the wire inside the can and added jumpers to make them long enough to cram up in the can if the light had to be removed.  Flipped the switch and, wouldn't you know, Murphy's Law crept in and no light.  There is a little wafer up in there but it looks only like a connector of some kind to me.  We fobbed it off for another day.  I will learn what I can about it and bring more electrical tools and probes before we attack it again.

BWW-Project 25-1 Opening Up House for Season

 BWW Project 25-1  Opening Up House for Season

We stayed a night with no heat because I had difficulty lighting the furnace.  In the morning I tried more to no avail.  Called a heating guy and learned that I just wasn't giving it time to go through it's checks before igniting before I shut it down and started over because I felt gas wasn't getting to the valve yet.  Actually, somewhat different than our old place, once the switch is turned on, the fan comes on and clears the plenum.  Then it shuts off and a smaller blower fan comes on.  At this point I wasn't seeing ignition, so I shut it down and tried again.  

What I needed to do was let it cycle through its internal checks for a few more seconds and then it calls for gas and the ignitor goes on.  The guy checked and cleaned everything to make it somewhat worth the call.

We then drove up to Door County to stay overnight and meet with daughter and son-in-law and see grand daughter in high school play.  It was great!

We came back to a warm house and the city came the next day to put the water meter in.  This turned into a problem as did our internet router not working.  We went downtown and got a new router and that cured that problem.

I had everything pretty much prepared for the water going on, but unfortunately, problems come in threes.  There is a low spot in the basement line going under a cold air return plenum and up to the downstairs bathroom sink.  Water collected in it and froze, pushing an elbow apart.  

I fiddled with this plumbing nightmare for a day and a half, ultimately replacing the elbow with a Tee which a valve was attached for draining that low spot when buttoning up the house for winter.  Everything was tight, although a little sloppy, except for one joint to the valve, which leaked.  I tried putting flux into it and it would not take solder.

I went and got some epoxy which I hoped would bond to the fitting.  It did, and very nicely.

However, even after I left it dry overnight to cure, when I turned the pressure back on, things were fine for a short time and then water seeped through and started dripping.  I put a tub under it to catch the drips so I can live with it until I have the energy to cut it all out and redo it.

The only other easy fix problem was that the screens on both upstairs water spigot got loaded up. It was just a matter of twisting them off and blowing all the crud away, washing them good and twisting back on again.

Feb 2025 Weight, Meds, Exercise, etc

 Feb 2025 Weight, Meds, Exercise, etc

Date            Weight            Meds                            Exercise                a/c

2/1            199.6                Bi-Ca-D3                Bike 9 mi                    **

2/2            197.2                Bi-Ca-D3-T            

2/3            197.8                Bi-Ca-D3-T            D Boat 60 min            *

2/4            196.6                Bi-Ca-D3-T            Bike 9 mi                    *

2/5            196.8                Bi-Ca-D3                 Kayak 60 min            *

2/6            197.2                Bi-Ca-D3-T            D boat 60 min            *

2/7            197                    Bi-Ca-D3-T            

2/8            198                    Bi-Ca-D3                StaBike 10 mi            **

2/9            198.2                Bi-Ca-D3-T            

2/10            197.6            Bi-Ca-D3-T                D boat 60 min            *

2/11            197.6            Bi-Ca-D3-                    Bike 9.5 mi                **

2/12            198.8            Bi-Ca-D3-T                Kayak 90 min            **

2/13            198.8            Bi-Ca-D3-T                D boat 60 min            **

2/14            199.4            Bi-Ca-D3                                                        *

2/15                                    Bi-Ca-D3                                                    *

2/16                                    Bi-Ca-D3-T

2/17                                    Bi-Ca-D3                                                    *

2/18                                           Ca-D3-T                                                *

2/19                                       AB-Pr-Ca-D3                                            

2/20                                    AB-Pr-Ca-D3-T                                        **

2/21                                    AB-Pr-Ca-D3           StaBike 9 mi

2/22                                    AB-Pr-Ca-D3-T                                            *

2/23            196.6                AL-AB-Pr-Ca-D3                                        *    145-87-58  diarhea

2/24            194.8                AB-Pr-Ca-D3-T        StaBike 9 mi            *    132-86-66

2/25            195.2                AB-Pr-Ca-D3            Bike 8.5 mi                *    138-84-72

2/26            195.8                AB-Pr-Ca-D3                                                *

2/27            196.2                AB-Pr-Ca-D3-T                                                   129-79-71

2/28            197.2                AB-Pr-Ca-D3                                                        115-71-79

AVG            197.3                Bi = 16/18 for .89%    Bike = 55 mi        alc = 26 for .9              

                                            Ab= 10/10 for 100%    Paddle= 390 min            136-81-68

                                            Pr=10/10 for 100%

                                            AL=1/1 for 100%

                                            Ca=28/28 for 100%

                                            D3=28/28 for 100%

                                            T=15/28 for 54%                       

Florida Project 25-5: Close up house for the season

 Florida Project 25-5  Close House for the Season

A very attenuated winter in Florida this year because of my medical problems.  I was lucky to get to go at all, but didn't need radiation, so I could take pills and get labs done at the VA in Florida as well as Madison.  We went down, opened up, and had as much interaction with our clubs and friends as possible.  I got some biking in, some dragon boat paddling and steering in, some kayaking in.  I flew north for one medical appointment and got one set of lab work done at the VA clinic in Tavares.  

Since I was changed from Bicalumide to Abiratazone, I continued to improve, but we felt that it was best to come north in March and be seen regularly by my doctors than to push the envelope.  If I am under control in the fall, we are hoping to return for a normal winter in Florida this next fall.

Closing the house up means getting the air conditioner serviced, setting the humidistat properly to keep the humidity low, putting Damp Rid around the kitchen and bathrooms, setting a ceiling fan in the living room on a timer, setting a floor fan in the hallway on a timer, to periodically draw air from the back bedrooms, shutting off the feeds to toilets and placing cling wrap over the tanks and bowls, turning off the water heater, and refrigerator.

I also turn off the feeds under the kitchen sink.  We don't turn the main water off because of the lawn sprinklers.  Those are up to snuff and the controller set for twice a week, providing it doesn't rain.

We never took the outside furniture out of the shed, so I put the bikes and trash bins in there.

We put bedding, pillows, and a lot of clothing into plastic bags, push the air out, and seal them.  This helps a lot.  Dawn and Pete check weekly to see that it is cool inside and that the air has not failed.  Cathy got a guy to check the bushes a couple of times and make sure they aren't out of control.

Lamps unplugged, batteries out of remotes and clocks, etc, shades down, and extra food items and our two plants packed into the car.

Lock her up!  Off we go.  See you next fall.

Florida Project 25-4 Sprinkler System Repair

 Florida Project 25-4:  Sprinkler System Repair

Lawn sprinkler system repair is an annual project.  Something always needs work every year.  This year the trucks that dragged the downed water oak from the pond (wish I had a picture of it in the pond) drove between us and the neighbors and branches or something broke off one sprinkler head altogether.  Others get old and fail or partially fail, bugs crawl into them looking for water, geckos crawl into them looking for water, etc. 

I bought a new head and glued it onto the stem of the one that broke off.  Other than that, I switched two front ones for better coverage.  We also had installed, a rain detector which disables the timing system if it has rained, thus conserving water.  The guys that installed it put it right over our BBQ patio and the wire is not hidden, but that is an easy project for me next winter when I am stronger and we have, hopefully, a more normal calendar down south.

I purchased one more head and screwed it on on the side toward the clubhouse and improved that coverage 100 per cent.  When the installers were testing the detector, they looked at them as well and unscrewed one and cleaned it out.  We set it for twice a week, and 20 minutes on each of three zones, which is the summer routine.