Air Conditioner

Our house is a little over twenty years old. Needless to say, so are the furnace and air conditioner. At what point will they need to be replaced? Maybe soon.

Today I had a technician service the air conditioner. I wanted to do this before the weather turns very hot in case there is a problem. Where possible, I would rather deal with the ounce of prevention than the pound of cure. Mom has expressed concern many times about how ugly our outside unit is. I am more concerned with how mechanically sound it is and how well it operates, but of course there is some correlation. It looks ugly because it has been exposed to the elements for so many years. And because it is so old, it is increasingly likely to malfunction.

And this may be the year. The technician said that he didn't see how the compressor had lasted so long. He also said he did not think it would last the summer.

So, do we gamble? Or do we bite the bullet and make the change while the weather is still pleasant? The neighbors on both sides have replaced their AC units in recent years. It really doesn't stand to reason that ours will last much longer. Perhaps we could get through one more season. This would give us time to plan for the expense. On the other hand, a new air conditioner would make a nice gift for Mother's Day, Father's Day, my birthday, and our thirtieth anniversary!

Did you know? An air conditioner is basically a refrigerator without a box. A refrigerator removes heat from an insulated cupboard to keep food cool or frozen and pumps the heat into your house. An air conditioner removes heat (and humidity) from inside the house to keep it cool. The cold air you can feel flowing from the ductwork is the result of heat being transferred outside. Evaporation and compression of gasses (like Freon) are responsible for this heat transfer. As the gas compresses, it liquifies and becomes hot (drawing heat from the house). Then it is circulated outside where the heat is dissapated. As it returns to a cooler gaseous state, it is circulated back inside to pick up more heat and repeats the process. So your refrigerator creates more work for your air conditioner, and your air conditioner creates less work for your refrigerator!

The beginnings of modern air conditioning go back to the 1820s, where experiments with compressing and liquefying gasses demonstrated the ability to cool air, and to the 1840s and the process of creating ice. The first modern air conditioner was invented in 1902, so the basic technology is over 100 years old!

Hey, Old Paint!

This morning I got up very early and started moving things out of the front bedroom. Yes, I finally have begun the painting project so Mom can consolidate her things from downstairs and the small upstairs bedroom into one room. Between the ugly green carpet (what were we thinking???) and the even uglier green paint Lindsey chose for the walls, we have to do something. We aren't in a position just yet to replace the carpet, so we are going to repaint the walls.

Covering a dark color with something lighter is difficult and obviously requires more than one coat. I am starting with a coat of primer and will see if a single primer coat will be sufficient before applying the new color. I'll probably have to apply either a second coat of primer or two coats of the neutral (beige) color Mom chose for the room. I'm not sure what I am going to do about the places on the ceiling where the roller slipped and left bright green spots. Perhaps we will pin up some of Mom's photos as part of her decorating scheme.

Mom bought a six foot by nine foot beige area rug for the room. I believe she thinks she will have enough stuff along the walls that the area rug will cover the rest of the green carpet, so no one will even know it is there. Gee, this sounds just like when Lindsey was here. No one ever saw her carpet, either.

Enough, already ... Uncle!

The weather forecast here is for snow

so it is time for a sun dance

Come on, spring!

This little piggy ...

Well, the soaking worked and the toenail came off. Let the healing begin!

Toe: A part of the foot used to find furniture in the dark. (Rilla May)

A couple of weeks ago my big toe was smashed while playing basketball (I know, I know ... I'm too old to be doing this!). Later in the day I noticed that my nail was floating on its bed, so I figured I would eventually lose the entire nail. And I am half right. As it turns out, the nail is loose all along the back, the left side, and most of the base of the nail. But it is still attached at the front and on part of the right side.

Now what do I do? I trimmed away most of the nail, but have this crescent-shaped piece that won't let go. I don't dare rip it off because it will hurt like ... nail! I guess I will try soaking it (while I watch the NCAA finals basketball championship tonight) to see if I can coax off the remaining piece. I can't believe I might have to go to the doctor to have the last small piece of the nail removed.

Mom's tongue is very sore from her valiant efforts not to say, "I told you so!" She got a little queasy when I showed her my toe. So out of respect for Emily I won't post a photo here.

Quick Trip to Utah

Last year about this time I was bumped from an overbooked flight and received a travel voucher good for one year. I was thinking I would have to let the voucher expire unused when suddenly there arose a need and the opportunity to go to Utah. I jumped at the chance!

Travel vouchers don't qualify for the best airline routes, so my itinerary was not the most convenient. But it was still better -- and less expensive -- than driving. I flew from Des Moines to Cincinnati, where I had a long layover before the second leg to Salt Lake for a scheduled 9:30 PM arrival. But when I checked on my seat assignment in Cincinnati, the agent put me on an earlier flight and I arrived just after 7 PM. (Why didn't they offer me that when I booked my original flight???) On the way home I was scheduled to leave SLC at 9:30 PM, fly to Las Vegas, then to Atlanta, and arrive in Des Moines at 11 AM the next day. But the first leg was delayed and I didn't get away until 12:30 AM. Fortunately, I was able to bypass the leg to Las Vegas and go directly to Atlanta. I didn't get home any earlier, but had a simplified route.

I thought I would enjoy spring in Utah, but it snowed on three different days while I was there. In loading furniture into a pickup truck, I slipped on some ice and fell hard on my elbow. My forearm swelled up to a scary size and turned wonderful colors. When I got home, Mom was not pleased to learn that I hadn't gone to see a doctor. One week later my arm is still very discolored, but fortunately is not painful. We'll see how I do in basketball tomorrow.

I'm grateful I had the opportunity to spend time with my family. I was rather transient, sleeping in a different home each night. Thanks to everyone for making me welcome! It was fun to play with the grandchildren, pick up a few books from the clearance table at the LDS book stores, go shopping, attend Hanna's baptism service, and do a few "fix it" chores. I even enjoyed soaking in the jacuzzi at Mom's house ... how relaxing! And I was able to visit the Timpanogas temple, which I had not previously seen. The snow-frosted mountains in Utah are very beautiful. I think I'm a little homesick!

My next trip should be to welcome a new grandson in July. I can't wait ...