Did you read that little rant about the morning lost to getting our dryer back up? Well, everything said to check the power supply, as a dryer takes two circuits and one can still power the machine but isn't enough to heat it up... We did check the circuit breaker and found all the switches in the "on" position - nothing tripped.
When Bob plugged in the loaner dryer this morning it didn't get hot either.
He turned off every circuit in the breaker box, and it still had power.
So we went hunting for a second, previously unknown box. It was outside, on the back of the house, and a fuse was blown.
That's right, folks, we went for several days without a dryer, took dirty clothes to my parent's house to wash, and wasted a whole day trying to not be frustrated at policy because we dumb.
Friday, 31 December 2010
Thursday, 30 December 2010
my food philosophy
I've been reading a few opinions on food, and decided to articulate what I think is "healthy." Mind you, I don't actually eat like this, but I think I *should*.
Most healthy (and to be consumed in great quantities): things you grow yourself. Local, fresh, organic fruit, vegetables, and grains.
Next: things others grow. (organic fruits, vegetables, and grains)
Next: Things you raise yourself. Animals and their by products like cheese, eggs, honey, and meat.
Next: things others raise. (Organic, free range.)
Next: any of the above categories grown or raised in a non-organic way.
Next: Things you manufacture yourself. This would include things with bought ingredients like bread (made with yeast), other baked goods (made with sugar and other additives), pickles, etc.
Worst and to be consumed in limited quantities: things others manufacture. This would include boxed food, cake mixes, candy bars, jelly, ketchup, and other canned or prepared foods.
Ingredients that should be avoided altogether are high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
What's your philosophy? Do you live by it?
Most healthy (and to be consumed in great quantities): things you grow yourself. Local, fresh, organic fruit, vegetables, and grains.
Next: things others grow. (organic fruits, vegetables, and grains)
Next: Things you raise yourself. Animals and their by products like cheese, eggs, honey, and meat.
Next: things others raise. (Organic, free range.)
Next: any of the above categories grown or raised in a non-organic way.
Next: Things you manufacture yourself. This would include things with bought ingredients like bread (made with yeast), other baked goods (made with sugar and other additives), pickles, etc.
Worst and to be consumed in limited quantities: things others manufacture. This would include boxed food, cake mixes, candy bars, jelly, ketchup, and other canned or prepared foods.
Ingredients that should be avoided altogether are high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
What's your philosophy? Do you live by it?
my new diet
Yep, here we go again. My new diet has a twist. It starts "now" in the Biblical continuous present tense. Not yesterday, tomorrow or Monday, but "now."
The rules are:
1/2 Texas grapefruit before breakfast (I'm not torturing myself with Florida's - when I can't get grapefruit I'll do oranges)
salad with protein or homemade sandwich or wrap for lunch (with fruit if possible)
1/2 grapefruit before dinner, which should contain a broccoli or other brasaica (Sorry, that isn't in spell checker)
candy should be limited to the limit that I wouldn't lie about in an anonymous confession.
I take an Omega 3,6,9 supplement (from Sam's; made of fish oil, flaxseed oil, and a few other things like evening primrose), and when I remember I take Gluclosamine with MSM. I bought some ground flax seed and will start implementing it into baked goods.
I'm also trying to stand rather than sit as much as possible.
Yes, it's pretty simple and not a huge change, but I feel like I'm making a positive change FOR my health instead of sabotaging it as usual. The rules have to be pretty flexible considering how often we eat out.
The rules are:
1/2 Texas grapefruit before breakfast (I'm not torturing myself with Florida's - when I can't get grapefruit I'll do oranges)
salad with protein or homemade sandwich or wrap for lunch (with fruit if possible)
1/2 grapefruit before dinner, which should contain a broccoli or other brasaica (Sorry, that isn't in spell checker)
candy should be limited to the limit that I wouldn't lie about in an anonymous confession.
I take an Omega 3,6,9 supplement (from Sam's; made of fish oil, flaxseed oil, and a few other things like evening primrose), and when I remember I take Gluclosamine with MSM. I bought some ground flax seed and will start implementing it into baked goods.
I'm also trying to stand rather than sit as much as possible.
Yes, it's pretty simple and not a huge change, but I feel like I'm making a positive change FOR my health instead of sabotaging it as usual. The rules have to be pretty flexible considering how often we eat out.
catch up
Due to my bad memory and time/space constraints, I will try to keep this short.
In the last 6 weeks since I stopped blogging, we've:
Been to Springdale/Fayetteville about a zillion times (45 minutes each way)
Been to Oklahoma about a thousand times (3 1/2 to 6 hours each way)
Fixed the van twice (once at a body shop, once in my Dad's driveway)
Spent thousands of dollars (New washer and dryer, new lens, utility trailer, groceries, eating out, Christmas, TV, deposits on utilities...)
Broken several things (my old comic books, Mom's dishes, my new dryer)
Finished Bob's VA disability Dr appointments
Brought home the Mini
Joined a church (founded by Bob's great uncle, a local non-denom)
Tore down a wall and built a floor for the new master bathroom
Negotiated a sale of Grandma's stuff (they should get the last load today)
Acquired a kitten (a cousin knew a guy... We think it's a she, about 10 weeks old, grey striped, tentatively named Tiger)
Attended two Thanksgiving feasts
Hosted a Christmas celebration
Planned and prepped a New Year's Eve/Cedwryck's birthday party for tomorrow.
I think that's about it.
In the last 6 weeks since I stopped blogging, we've:
Been to Springdale/Fayetteville about a zillion times (45 minutes each way)
Been to Oklahoma about a thousand times (3 1/2 to 6 hours each way)
Fixed the van twice (once at a body shop, once in my Dad's driveway)
Spent thousands of dollars (New washer and dryer, new lens, utility trailer, groceries, eating out, Christmas, TV, deposits on utilities...)
Broken several things (my old comic books, Mom's dishes, my new dryer)
Finished Bob's VA disability Dr appointments
Brought home the Mini
Joined a church (founded by Bob's great uncle, a local non-denom)
Tore down a wall and built a floor for the new master bathroom
Negotiated a sale of Grandma's stuff (they should get the last load today)
Acquired a kitten (a cousin knew a guy... We think it's a she, about 10 weeks old, grey striped, tentatively named Tiger)
Attended two Thanksgiving feasts
Hosted a Christmas celebration
Planned and prepped a New Year's Eve/Cedwryck's birthday party for tomorrow.
I think that's about it.
in which I begin again
More to come, but today was one of THOSE days.
We had a plan. It was simple, really; get up and go shopping. But first I called the service department of Sears to come fix my brand new dryer. The over the phone diagnostic wasn't working, so they scheduled an appointment. In two weeks! Or, since it was less than 30 days since we picked it up, he suggested we could return it. Great. We couldn't find the receipt, and wanted to know if a replacement was in stock, so called the store. Except they aren't in the phone book (???!), and when I did get the number, it's long distance plus they don't open til 10am.
We managed to still be home at 10, so I called. The customer service guy who answered said the receipt wasn't a problem, but before I could ask about a replacement he transferred me to the appliance sales lady. She was with a customer but promised to call back. Finally (about 10:30) we got a call, but she hung up before I answered. By 11 we decided to go for it.
First stop lunch (of course!). Chick-fil-a was good but expensive. Then to Sears where the return guys were eager to whisk the old dryer away in exchange for a piece of paper, which we then took over to the appliance section. Only one person working today, and she was busy, so we waited. When she came to us she remembered the phone call, and said she'd called again after we left. She was rather put out that we'd brought the thing back in, saying she might have been able to get a tech out sooner, but that bridge was already burnt. So after an hour of paperwork and a conference with a couple of managers we went home with a cheap discontinued dryer on loan until our replacement arrives on Jan 8. We have an order for the new one labeled COD (cash on delivery) that is supposed to make it come sooner, but worries me a bit that they might forget we've already paid and they are supposed to cancel the COD and let us have the thing without paying. Anyway, I'm glad that I was able to stay calm and polite throughout the experience, and that it all finally worked out.
We remembered something else we needed while there, and bought what they had. I was pleased to learn upon checkout that it was half price.
After that we went to Sam's where I got some groceries and the children didn't break anything (that I know of). When we left, we forgot to get gas so had to turn around (not the easiest thing at that highway junction), and when we got back there were 4 cars in line at the diesel pumps. But two of them pulled out, and then the guy in front was done, so Bob pulled around (there are two pumps in each lane) and backed into the spot. But he backed too far and bumped into the guy behind us. The guy had a few choice words to share, but decided there was no damage so no problem.
On the way home we stopped at Sonic for dinner, where I forgot to order William's food, but they added it on with no trouble. There is a minor spill near the rear van door.
Bob was to preach tonight at church so we had to get home in time to find his Bible.
Hmm. On writing it down, it doesn't sound so bad! You have to add in the imagination: 7 excitable children, achy knees and fingers lifting a dryer, wet clothes draped across the living room, piles of boxes everywhere, worry and frustration... Speaking of which, we "lost" the new cat for about an hour. Not good on the nerves. She turned up sleeping behind a dresser.
So anyway, it's midnight-thirty. But I hope to get on tomorrow and do some short catch-up type posts to get this blog rolling again.
We had a plan. It was simple, really; get up and go shopping. But first I called the service department of Sears to come fix my brand new dryer. The over the phone diagnostic wasn't working, so they scheduled an appointment. In two weeks! Or, since it was less than 30 days since we picked it up, he suggested we could return it. Great. We couldn't find the receipt, and wanted to know if a replacement was in stock, so called the store. Except they aren't in the phone book (???!), and when I did get the number, it's long distance plus they don't open til 10am.
We managed to still be home at 10, so I called. The customer service guy who answered said the receipt wasn't a problem, but before I could ask about a replacement he transferred me to the appliance sales lady. She was with a customer but promised to call back. Finally (about 10:30) we got a call, but she hung up before I answered. By 11 we decided to go for it.
First stop lunch (of course!). Chick-fil-a was good but expensive. Then to Sears where the return guys were eager to whisk the old dryer away in exchange for a piece of paper, which we then took over to the appliance section. Only one person working today, and she was busy, so we waited. When she came to us she remembered the phone call, and said she'd called again after we left. She was rather put out that we'd brought the thing back in, saying she might have been able to get a tech out sooner, but that bridge was already burnt. So after an hour of paperwork and a conference with a couple of managers we went home with a cheap discontinued dryer on loan until our replacement arrives on Jan 8. We have an order for the new one labeled COD (cash on delivery) that is supposed to make it come sooner, but worries me a bit that they might forget we've already paid and they are supposed to cancel the COD and let us have the thing without paying. Anyway, I'm glad that I was able to stay calm and polite throughout the experience, and that it all finally worked out.
We remembered something else we needed while there, and bought what they had. I was pleased to learn upon checkout that it was half price.
After that we went to Sam's where I got some groceries and the children didn't break anything (that I know of). When we left, we forgot to get gas so had to turn around (not the easiest thing at that highway junction), and when we got back there were 4 cars in line at the diesel pumps. But two of them pulled out, and then the guy in front was done, so Bob pulled around (there are two pumps in each lane) and backed into the spot. But he backed too far and bumped into the guy behind us. The guy had a few choice words to share, but decided there was no damage so no problem.
On the way home we stopped at Sonic for dinner, where I forgot to order William's food, but they added it on with no trouble. There is a minor spill near the rear van door.
Bob was to preach tonight at church so we had to get home in time to find his Bible.
Hmm. On writing it down, it doesn't sound so bad! You have to add in the imagination: 7 excitable children, achy knees and fingers lifting a dryer, wet clothes draped across the living room, piles of boxes everywhere, worry and frustration... Speaking of which, we "lost" the new cat for about an hour. Not good on the nerves. She turned up sleeping behind a dresser.
So anyway, it's midnight-thirty. But I hope to get on tomorrow and do some short catch-up type posts to get this blog rolling again.
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