Rejected

As I write this late at night in the Man Cave I was reminded in no uncertain terms of just how screwed up 2020 is. On a positive note the refrigerator repair guy was in yesterday and returned the kitchen refrigerator to functional status. There was a lot more work, including spot welding, involved but he volunteered that he had a lot of experience replacing the compressors on LG fridges, just so you know. If you’re looking for appliance repair, I cannot recommend Advantage Appliance Repair highly enough. I found them by googling appliance repair in my area. Fifteen minutes after doing that I received a call and a same day visit from a tech. That same tech returned yesterday and completed the repair after receiving the needed parts. It was just a great experience with them from start to finish.

Very Happy Abuela Yesterday

BR3 Seems Comfortable

Of course, this being 2020, I still can’t use the fridge for 24 hours until it builds back up to normal ops. I’d taken a half personal day from work and since I had a couple hours of daylight left I dashed out to get my car inspected. It’s a ten year old Camry that all I’ve ever done is change the oil and since it was making some odd noises over the last few weeks I knew I could be in trouble. Turns out, I was. The car was rejected for a muffler leak. Since daylight was available I journeyed up the street to Meinke and a few hundred dollars later I had a new manifold pipe welded on. I hope to get back for a re-inspection on Friday to get the dreaded “R” sticker off the car. I feel like Hester Prynne driving around with that thing on the windshield.

BRS Bonding with Sister

Two Beautiful Gals

My Favorite Panamanian continues abuela duty for the BRS and BR3 up in New Hampshire. The new playground in the back yard has the BRS’ full attention along with too many of the neighborhood birds who decided it needed a dash of white added to the slide. One of the highlights of the day was a FaceTime call with the FBR who tried to teach the BRS how to spell her name. According to my wife, it was beyond cute.

Playing with her Video Pad

I had my own call with the FBR which was totally engaging. She’s still in a talkative mood and seems concerned about my geographic bachelorhood. I even got a detailed video tour of a newly acquired toy castle, complete with dragon. Her former child care provider saw her admiring it and gave it to her. I was instructed in each of the facets of her castle along with a promise that I would be allowed to play with it when I can visit her again. She then inquired about the status of one of the toys we keep here to insure I was exercising proper stewardship over it. The two videos below were posted by my daughter yesterday recalling a time just a few years ago but certainly called for some misty eyes when viewed. I finally figured out how to get these bigger videos on the site.

A new muffler pipe and refrigerator compressor weren’t my only acquisitions yesterday. I am now the proud owner of a spline tool. I’m going to be replacing the screens on the exterior windows, hurrying to get it done with minimal supervision on site. I watched some “how to do it” videos on line yesterday while the fridge guy was at work. I learned what a spline tool was and decided I had to have one, especially if I want an acceptable result from my screen replacement efforts. The spline tool is used to press down the spline which is the rubber keeper on the outside that keeps the screen in place. It will get me out of the Man Cave for a spell where I finished yet another puzzle along with the next two Rambo movies.

My Spline Tool

Latest Puzzle Completed

Rambo March

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn