5 thing Friday - fixing and learning things, laundry nook, easy meals, PT, walking

One evening around midnight Bubbie and I were confounded over a chirp in the hallway.  I had assumed that Hubby took the battery out of the carbon monoxide detector years ago when we got a new combo detector hooked into the home alarm system. 

Apparently not.  Since I didn't have a 9V handy I just removed it for the night so we could sleep.  And it got me to thinking about all of the little things I have had to resolve over the last four years.  I have learned how to do far more than replace batteries and light bulbs and I am still learning.  I would love to pass on what I know to my kids, who were also never taught some of these things.  After all, Bubbie panicked a little, thinking it was alerting us to a problem.

This is what ChatGPT suggested when I asked it to redecorate my laundry nook.  It looks very similar to what I already have!

I shopped my house and found these two baskets which originally held DVDs in the den bookcase.  I pulled that small plant out of the front room.  And I bought a reed diffuser to gently scent the area.  Once I repaint (using the same basic color) and remove the door track hardware, I will call it done.

But as of right now, the part to fix the washer is on order and will not get installed until next week.  Its a good thing I have three weeks' worth of scrubs to wear.

I am still loving dinner salads with a nice glass of kombucha.  This is on regular rotation in my menus because even if I am back to cooking, I don't want to do it every day.

Sometimes, you have to let someone else do the cooking, and that's OK.

Even if it means you sit quietly in your car at a park, or an abandoned carwash next to the food trailer for breakfast tacos.  Its all good!

Physical therapy kicked my rear this week and yet I still found time for my walks.  Its hot, humid, and fairly terrible.  But I feel strong and heat acclimated and no way am I going to stop pressing on.  And I have even done my exercises at home, though I am sore.

Hooray for a dear friend and her helpful hubby who gave up some of their Wednesday evening to help me with the switch to the new disposal.  Even though I want to be as independent as I can be, its helpful to be shown how to do something.  Its like being taught to work a puzzle and it feels so good to learn these things!  I know I will not always be able to get it on the first try, but I am willing to learn and I think that philosophy will help me in many ways.

Happy August!

Gina

Little project: sprucing the laundry nook

My laundry room is a "nook" located in the hallway that separates the living space of the house from the bedrooms.  This has never been an ideal spot for it, but it was better than it taking up space in my small kitchen or stuck out in the garage.

These bi-fold doors, when open, were hard to navigate around when you travel down this hall.  And the dryer had to be situated just right to allow the left door to open fully while still allowing you to get the dryer open without banging it.  Oy.  Last week when I took them off to investigate the washer leak, I thought "I really don't want to put those back".  So I didn't!

I might as well spruce up this area - its been awhile.

At one point I was storing Christmas bins in here.  I had even added a container for my own powdered laundry detergent.(which I do not make anymore)  This shelf was packed up to the ceiling!

Eventually, I just had miscellany up here and kept it as neat as possible, but it always looked so junky! As the years have gone by, I am putting fewer things out for the holidays so I was able to get rid of a lot of it  Recently I moved the rest to my office closet.  Hooray for unclaimed closet space!   

I had painted the whole area a sandy beige and added some pretty things just to make it nicer to look at when the doors were open.

It worked like this for a long time. But now I favor a more minimalistic look and after all, I am only doing laundry for little ole me.

So here it is now, everything off of the shelves.  I pulled this "art" out of the living room - it looks better in here.  I just need to add a silk plant, maybe some decorative pieces.  Not a lot.

I think I will leave the color the same.  I will fill some nail holes and add a new coat of paint to freshen it up.  And I'll keep the tension rods which create a space for hanging things to air dry and storing extra hangers. 

I plan on adding a simple burlap curtain and giving it a deep clean.  I have already removed the adhesive shelf liner and may just paint the shelves.  I don't want to reinvent the wheel here, so I'm not going to change out the light fixture, which is functional.  It will be a pretty space for me to do my laundry.  And maybe by Friday, the washing machine leak will be a distant memory.

Gina

Project fail: leaky washer

On Monday I noticed a soggy area right along the edge of the laundry nook and had to remove the doors so I could pull the washer out to investigate. 

That can't be good.

I hate these bi-fold doors.  They are a pain in the rear to take off and put back on, and they are hella heavy.  I set them out in the garage - just in case I decide to put them back one day.

I pulled out the washer/dryer file and read that you're supposed to change the intake hoses every 5 years.  Since the machine was bought in 2017, I knew that hadn't been done.  So I ordered the hoses from Best Buy and made a plan to replace them the next day, hoping that would fix the problem.

Spoiler alert: it did not.

The instructions seemed straightforward:  unplug machine, turn off circuit breaker, turn off water, remove hoses.  Reverse steps.

You can see the calcium build-up in the old hose on the right.  I scrunched myself down into this space and tightened everything up - even checked the drain hose.  All good.  Time to turn the water back on and flip the circuit breaker.

And just to be sure - I ran a short rinse cycle.  You guessed it - water leaking out, but it wasn't coming from the intake hoses. Luckily I was standing by with the shop vac.  A neighbor gave me the name and number of someone she has used for such problems in the past.  So I cleaned everything up, pushed the machine back,  and set a fan up to dry the carpet the rest of the way.

I can't put the doors back on yet anyway, since the repair guy is coming next week.  And I got to thinking, this area could use a major refresh.  There is so much stuff in here!

I emptied the shelves and made a plan to repaint them, add a lazy susan for the small supplies like stain stick, bleach tabs, and fabric spray, and just pretty it up in general. I went through the decor and some of it landed in the Goodwill pile, the rest to the closet in the office.  I pulled the miscellaneous stuff off the walls (decorative plates and such).  Gone are the kids' art magnets, too.

And now I have a clean slate to work with.

And I may just do another of these tension rod/rings/curtain panel set-ups.  It will be easier to open the dryer all of the way and make the hallway seem less like a tunnel of doom.  I might even use burlap which is so easy to work with and relatively inexpensive.  All in all, not a total fail I guess since  I learned how to switch out those hoses!

Ooof.  Happy Friday. Glad this week is over.

Gina

What the week holds, and prepping myself

This week has all the potential to be a booger and I am going to resist the negative bias of my brain and instead, look for ways to move through it gracefully with more positivity.  On the schedule are:

*mowing, edging, trimming of shrubs, cleaning up the patio area

*a dental appointment 

*Two physical therapy appointments

*on-call hours

*a somber anniversary

*a mammogram

*a Drop-In concert

*extra hours at work, followed by

*a full weekend shift

Somewhere in there I also want to add a mani/pedi, reading and puzzle time, and walking - full on self-care.  And of course I will feed myself well, hydrate, and get good sleep. I've got my planner filled out and I'm ready to go!

How do you tackle those full weeks without feeling the burn?

Gina

5 thing Friday - crockpot pork, new ladder, daylight bulbs, sewing, gin

 Its been a long week.

On Wednesday, I bought a few groceries, and as per usual, I looked at the marked downs in the meat department.  I found some boneless seasoned pork ribs for $3.91 after markdown and partner card (thanks, Scout!)  Popped them into my crockpot for about 7 hours yesterday - no need to add liquid.

They came out tender and juicy and I managed to get 5 meals' worth out of them, plus the stock they created.  Boneless pork in the crockpot is one of those good things in life. With the shredded meat you can do tacos, sammies, soup, a dinner salad...the meat is so tender and delicious!

Said pork on a salad of romaine and avocado with balsamic dressing.

I grew soooo weary of trying to use the heavy as crap giant ladder that Mark bought just before he died.  So, I finally bought my own ladder. (no idea what I will do with the other one)  This one has two top step platforms and a task tray you can hook on.  I already love it and have many projects in mind where it will come in handy. 

Yes I did try it out to see if I could use it to paint in the front rooms and den. I just need to work on that fear of heights I have.

While I was in Home Depot I found some small daylight bulbs for the fan fixture in the sewing room.  How did light bulbs become so expensive?!  These were $6 APIECE. But I can tell the difference in visibility.

They add much needed light on sewing and craft projects.

Like these bookmarks I made for the reading library in our work breakroom.  "Leave a book, take a bookmark".  The last batch lasted about 2 weeks.  I spent $4 on interfacing and 74 cents on ribbon.  It will take me quite some time to use up all the fabric scraps I have.

Yesterday evening I went to a gin tasting featuring Hendricks Gin at Total Wine that was actually quite fun.  We got a welcome cocktail, then got to mix two of our own.  They also had fruit and cheese trays with my current obsession - Manchego.

The woman seated in front of me was solo, too, and very fun and friendly.  I was kicking myself for not hanging out with her for a bit. She looked about 10 years older and maybe a widow, too.  Note to self: getting out there requires that you put some effort in!  There's always next time.  First day of PT today for my shoulder - wish me luck!

Gina

Big project: painting the sewing room

Last week I spiffed up the walls in the sewing room, kinda like I did for the office.  Not using a terribly different color, just giving it a refresh. After a few years, all of my paint for touch ups had bit the dust.  But I wanted to keep a neutral color.

I settled on "Spiced Vinegar" by Glidden.  It didn't look all that different in the can, but it did dry a shade or so darker than the previous sandy color. Since my dental office rescheduled me, I figured no time like the present. 

 Within an hour I had the paint bought and the room as empty as it needed to be for the task.  One wall down and I was starting to question the color! (to the left is the new one)

As it dried it looked super blotchy, but I ignored that and pressed on!  I only put one coat of paint on since the color was so similar.  I used a roller for textured walls and got good coverage.

(I really need some daylight bulbs in here!)

The darker areas in this photo show the true color.

It evened out, but took a bit longer to dry for some reason.  Could be the high humidity we've been having.  But when it was mostly dry to the touch I went ahead and put the outlet covers back on, and moved furniture back in place.

I think it only looks like it has a yellow tint because of the lighting.  I could be wrong.  In any case, it took me less than 3 hours start to finish and around $40 and it's DONE.  No more nail holes or scuff marks.  Before I get the carpet replaced, I will go around in each room and spiff up the trim and baseboards.

With the overhead lights off, the walls are a soothing light brown.  This room looks fairly empty but it is the perfect space for creative projects!

Gina 

5 thing Friday - concert, deck, pastimes, music, paint plans

 At the end of June I went to another concert:

All three acts were so good!

{The Hip Abduction, Stephen Marley, Stick Figure}

The music had everyone dancing and singling along the whole time!

It was hot out, but we haven't hit those 100 degree days yet, so it was tolerably in the low 90s.  The Girl took me there AND picked me up with a snack and a bottle of water.  I still ended up walking what felt like miles and was on my feet most of the time.  I was pretty tired the next day but it was worth it!

This deck is the source of some aggravated shoulder issues recently.  I should have just power-washed it to begin with, but no, I scrubbed it TWICE with some deck cleaner, then sealed it.  It came out looking blotchy, even though it is clean.  Next June: power-washing, not scrubbing.  I gave the chairs and table a spiff with black spray paint, and called it done.  I am literally the only person who sees this.

Learning something new, too.  I've been catching up on my reading and focusing on eating more healthily.

Multiple attempts at getting the turntable hooked up just left me frustrated, so I scrapped that idea and bought something to listen to tapes and albums with.  {it also has a radio and CD player, but I will rarely use those} This is where the TV used to live - there are assorted stereo components down below.

I added a tap light on an auto shut-off timer, some command hooks for the album cover of what is playing, and some small baskets for 45s and record-cleaning supplies.

The sound quality is just OK, but I having fun tripping down memory lane with some of my old vinyl.  I just close up the cabinet when I'm done.  The TV went to live in a closet until I decide to get rid of it forever - I literally never watch TV.

I finished up puzzle #2 and am diligently working on #3 and meanwhile, found another three puzzles at Half Price Books. Its a nice calm activity while I listen to music and enjoy the A/C.

The next big project is painting the sewing room.  It should take me about 4 hours total, including moving things, painting, spiffing up the trim, and moving everything back.  The color I chose is about one shade darker than it is now, called Spiced Vinegar.  I also put up the memo board you see.  Its been a lovely space to craft some things lately.  The long hot afternoons were made for creative pursuits!

Gina