New Stuff

Ok...I'm just plain slack. I haven't posted anything for some time. But I do have an excuse. I suffered major trauma on one of my morning walks. Something weird happened to my glasses and I could barely see through them. So I took them off when I walked, which was ok on the beach but was not ok on the road. I kept catching my feet on rocks and stumbling until eventually I took a major fall. Yeah, I know....dumb as a box of rocks.

But I was making arrangements to get new glasses ( which I now have) and even tried to get athletic shoes unsuccessfully until yesterday. So now I have my eyesight back and new shoes to walk in...no more excuses.

I also bought a bicycle. Well, it's not a bicycle like when I was young. It has shocks and 18 gears and it's red. I bought a rack to put on the back and installed my old saddlebags that I had converted to use with my horse a few years ago. I installed a light, a rear reflector and purchased a lock. Again, good to go....almost. My buddy Jesus, who has an identical bike informed me today that the gear changers are substandard and need to be replaced with Shimano. I have organized that.

I also got a new ice making machine. I have had a countertop model for a few months and it has been an outstanding piece of kit. Unfortunately, it self-destructed recently and ceased operating. Fortunately, I had a friend headed for the "big smoke" and he was able to procure a replacement and it is now churning out ice cubes just like the old one did. I have my life back!

I also got a wall fan. I installed it in my mini-gym and it makes an incredible difference when I work out. I purchased a ceiling fan as well...one with lights. I plan to install it in the kitchen directly over the island. I need more light there and the cooling effect of the fan will be welcome. The trick now is to pull together all the parts necessary to drop the fan two feet from the peak of the roof. I know how I would do it and where to get the hardware if I were still in Canada but these exercises are always more challenging here. I consulted with my contractor buddy, Okie Dave, today and he will assist me with this project.

Today's challenge was the repair of the return line to my swimming pool. For some mysterious reason, the pump appears to have simply spit out the threaded connection to the return line. The return is a small manifold that allows me to return filtered water to the pool or to purge it if I think it contains usavoury elements. My intention was to replace the entire manifold. However, when I consulted the Water Board's field technician, my employee and friend Juan Carlos, he discouraged me from doing so and, instead, recommended cutting the feed and, by scoring the remnant that resided inside the connecting Tee into small slivers and popping them out with a screwdriver and hammer, I could salvage the two valves and the Tee, having only to replace an elbow and union. Yeah, easy!

So that is how I spent a goodly chunk of my Saturday. The good news is that the repair has been made and the pool is operational again. I was able to vacuum it today and to infuse algaecide - regular maintenance. Altogether, a good day in the rainforest.