All posts by Rivergirl

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Water heater hell.

32 Comments

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After 5 days of heating water on the stove for sponge baths… life was pretty bleak. (not to mention stinky) But our plumber came through and replaced not only the malfunctioning control board but the two elements as well. For free! I’m not exaggerating when I say my first shower after the repairs was longer than most sexual encounters. (I’d say it was more enjoyable as well, but feelings might be hurt.) Life was good! For 3 whole days….

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Until the hot water ran out and the unit was flashing another error code. F3 means compressor failure…. which didn’t sound good at all. After hours on the phone with our plumber, the FW Webb supplier and the Bradford White manufacturer… it was determined to be programmed incorrectly and was quickly resolved. Yay!

But no. It was also revealed that Webb had taken a water sample because the destruction of the elements was so severe and unprecedented there had to be an organic cause.

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These were the results, which I don’t claim to know anything about. Yes, we have high iron. Our whole area does because we live on clay near the river. Naturally the plumber and supplier are saying we need a whole house filtration system which will cost somewhere near $5,000. If we need it, fine. But I wanted a second opinion and fired off a copy of the results to our next door neighbor who is high up in the state water department. He’s basically drinking the same water, so if he says we need one I’m more apt to believe it. His wife sent me his response…

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Ok, so they have moderately hard water. This may cause premature failure of the heating element. If they have a lot of calcium buildup inside the dishwasher I could see this being an issue in the hot water tank, or maybe they notice etching on their drinking glasses. The pH and hardness are safe to drink, no issues there. The pH along with the hardness can result in scaling within anything that has hot water touching it. Meaning pipes, fixtures, heating elements. Do they notice these things?

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We yanked out the dishwasher when we moved in, but have no etching on our glasses. We’ve never had trouble with our water, and we’ve lived here almost 20 years. The plumber came back yesterday and took more samples. Said they need to find out why those elements burned out so quickly. (because you know they’re not going to admit it was a faulty unit) Our neighbor told us to send along those results as well. It pays to know people.

And in case you’re wondering?

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Lord Dudley Mountcatten was not inconvenienced in the least …. and probably wonders why we don’t just lick ourselves clean.

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I must be getting old.

28 Comments

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I don’t yell at children to get off my lawn, but I fear it’s just around the corner. Why do I think this? Because the other day when I was reading an article online I saw this…

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And my first reaction was disgust. I not only wanted to seat that little boy properly at the table…. but felt a serious need to slap the pleased, over indulgent smile off his mother’s face as well. Harsh, I know. But I was raised back in the Mesozoic era with something called manners. Please and thank you, no elbows on the table. If my mother had seen me with my knees on a chair, face down in a plate of food? She would have snatched me bald headed.

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Junior eating a funnel cake with no hands isn’t cute…. and trust me, it will not serve him well in the future. Neither will the belching or farting you find so amusing. No joke, we once had one of these grown up children at our dinner table. When he was finished eating, he took off his shoes and started cleaning his toenails.

Not cute. Not at all.

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I had to.

24 Comments

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I mean really, how could I not?

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I broke down and ordered a sampler pack of perfume from a French company that takes themselves as seriously as I do. In other words, not at all.

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They embrace the bad reviews of their products and even use them in their advertising campaigns.

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And since I value a sense of humor above all else, I can’t imagine I’ll be disappointed. But don’t for a minute think is a gimmick. They don’t exactly give their stuff away.

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I Am Trash is one of their most popular fragrances. A revolting name, but an interesting idea.

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The ultimate in recycling. And as long as stray dogs don’t start following me down the street? It should be fun trying.

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Catching up with backyard visitors.

10 Comments

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Just some random photos I cleared off my camera the other day.

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This was the last sighting of our blue eyed fawn from last year.

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Photos were taken in January and though we’ve seen some full grown deer this month, it’s hard to tell if he’s among them.

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Can you see the visitor in this pic?

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It’s a Red Tail Hawk who uses our backyard as his hunting ground.

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Close proximity to the bird feeders makes for some tasty dove nuggets.

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He’s a young hawk and is still mastering his technique.

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While it’s hard to see piles of feathers litter the ground, these birds of prey really are fabulous creatures. And if he swoops down and claims a certain red rodent….. I can’t say I’ll be heartbroken.

😈

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And you thought yesterday’s Cosmo selection was bad….

34 Comments

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The April issue of Cosmopolitan was chock full of ridiculousness, some of which I shared yesterday. But there was one more (helpful?) article that deserved attention… and a blog of its own.

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Are you awake yet? Good… please continue.

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For once I’m glad to be in the minority. Thankfully, smart phones had not yet been invented during my years on the dating scene … but if a guy I was seeing had mailed me a Polaroid of his pecker back then? I think I would have died laughing. Alas, times have changed and the dick pic is probably here to stay. So for the sake of any single male readers who happen to drop by, here are a few hints to get the most out of your … um… personal attributes.

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Think how much easier Anthony Weiner’s life would be if only he’d had a subscription to Cosmo.

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Are they? What gives it away…. The One Direction poster in the background or that pair of Chelsea boots under your bed.

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Best. Advice. Ever.

Trust me fellas, no one wants Cockzilla.

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Toys.

24 Comments

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Lord Dudley Mountcatten loves to play.

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Which is why we have an entire drawer dedicated to cat toys.

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He loves his toys long and hard … and his favorite mouse is looking a little worse for wear these days.

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But then so am I, so I shouldn’t judge.

His favorite new thing to do is carry a ball to a spot under the coffee table….

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And then wind himself around a leg.

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He goes around and around in a circle and it’s quite comical to watch.

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Until I took a closer look and realized most of the coffee table legs now look like this…

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Sigh.

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Cosmo Hell.

24 Comments

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The April issue of my (is this awful gift ever going to end?) Cosmopolitan subscription is here and as usual, it’s filled with things too ridiculous not to share.

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Fashion… or do designers just have twisted senses of humor? Tough call.

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This months quiz was pretty lame. And in case you’re interested…

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This next one made me laugh as well as cringe.

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If that doesn’t make your eyes roll, nothing will.

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I don’t know about you, but I neither have.. nor need… to bathe my crystals.

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Is it any wonder this country is going down the proverbial drain?

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Date ideas seemed like an interesting read and a good way to see how things have changed since I was on the market back in the dark ages of the 80’s.

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Mario Kart can improve your sex life? What am I missing here….

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Wow. I know I’m middle aged, menopausal and not as hip as I once was (the casual use of the word hip proves the veracity of that statement even more than the scrunchie that’s currently holding my hair back) but cutting each other’s toenails on a date? That makes me very glad I’m old, happily married and way off the singles track.

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A spring resurgence.

14 Comments

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This time of year brings the return of warmer temperatures, green grass and two of my favorite things.

They’re baaaaack!

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Well, at least one of them is. Our first returning woodchuck has made an appearance in the back yard. Let the games begin.

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And speaking of games….

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Red Sox baseball is back and available for viewing in the newly used to be a barn filled with crap remodeled man cave.

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Yes, watching my favorite team at my beloved Fenway Park while perched at our private bar sipping a cocktail is the very definition of sweet.

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The first few games? Not so much. Pitching will be a problem this year and getting swept by the Orioles on our home turf was depressing to say the least. But we whooped Florida and swept Baltimore in their home park. Life is good.

😉

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