Friday, October 25, 2013

Friday Mishmash

Our weather finally decided to give us fall temperatures, in the form of cool mornings and evenings - daytime, it's still getting up into the 80s, but that's OK - we Texans need to ease into the cold weather gradually after spending so many months in the the heat.  One Texan who is not appreciating the cooler temps is Paco - you'd think we moved to the Arctic Circle with the way he's been acting.

Case in point:
I walked into my bedroom to see that he'd cast aside my pretty pillows and tucked himself behind a sham...and he looked quite peeved that I'd discovered him, too!
Last Saturday afternoon, "watching" the A&M football game with Jeff (really he was sleeping, but woke up when he heard the camera come on...that's my dog, always ready for his close up).
Yesterday morning - please note the blue dog bed behind him.  Wasn't cozy enough, apparently, so he settled into my blanket when I got up to get more coffee.

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For all the ripping that is done on modern technology (there's such a thing as overshare, people)(of course I'm not talking about YOU)(or you), it sure came in handy earlier this week.  Our dryer made a "crackle crackle pffft" noise when I tried to start it, and then we got an error code on the display, which translated to "you need to replace this $200 control panel" - ugh.  I know I'm not the only person who cringes at appliance failures, but I swear, they only come at inopportune times (or maybe my whole life is inopportune?  something to ponder).  Jeff ordered the part, but since he figured the thing was broken anyway, he might as well open the dryer up and see the problem.  Quite easy to spot - that would be the burnt mark where the solder joint failed:
Yeah, that burnt mark should not be there...

He emailed the picture to my dad, who said that Jeff could solder it himself along with a bunch more technical jargon that I read as garble garble chicken pox, but Jeff understood enough of it, and after a phone call with my dad, broke out the soldering iron and fixed the dryer!  Woohoo, $200 saved!  And technology, in the form of a digital camera (on a phone, no less) with instant access to the picture (no waiting to develop film), email that allowed him to send the picture instantly (no having to put something in the mailbox and wait for it to be delivered), and heck, let's toss in free long distance for the consultation phone call (because not too long ago, long distance was expensive and not something you just did at any given moment), got our dryer back up and running - OK, the human part completed the circle, but sometimes it's good to step back and be marvel at the fact that we live in modern times...and yes, I do feel like Jane Jetson.

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Knitting!  I've been rolling along with the sweater - so much so that one morning I woke up with sore hands, which meant I might have actually knitted a little too much the previous day.  But knitting the body of a sweater takes a lot of time, and doing it seed stitch takes even more time (remind me to not pick this stitch for a garment ever again).  Here's the progress:
Making progress!

(Here's last week's picture, for comparison)

And because knitting round and round and round and round of seed stitch was beginning to make me batty, I started a hat - what can I say, I had the yarn and I needed something that was different AND would be finished in the near future:
My mom gave me this yarn last Christmas along with a hat pattern, but I ended up not liking the hat when I was partway through it so I frogged (unraveled) it.  Liking this one a lot more - no specific pattern, I'm just making up the stripes as I go along.  Cute, eh?

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Our running club has 9 miles on tap for the half group, and 19 for the full group - holy cow, can you IMAGINE running 19 miles for a training run?  I can't, and that is exactly why I won't be running a marathon.  My plans are to do some walking and a bit of easy running.  Nothing extreme, nothing that might make me backslide in my hamstring recovery...but I need to get out there for a little bit, at least.

Have a great weekend!

17 comments:

  1. WAIT there is a WORD WHICH MEANS UNRAVELING?!
    Im appropriating that.
    my DAY *frogs* quite frequently.

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    1. When you unravel a knitted project, you "rip it" out - which sounds like ribbit, which lead to the term "frogging"...but hey, use it as you like! :)

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  2. My whole life is inopportune too so I completely understand. Paco is too funny - a true Texan lol!

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  3. Haha Paco! (He looks so big in the recliner pic.)

    Jeff's repair is pretty amazing! And that post will probably end up helping someone else. Y'know, if someone is searching "crackle, crackle pfft" online. Haha!
    I rely on my Dad for advice for these kinds of things too, although my hubby & I just replaced a dishwasher handle with a bit o' initial help from engineer son, & a lot of internet research by me. (bc let's be honest-figuring out exactly what part is needed to fix problem, & what part number for my model is a big part of the battle!) I was so proud of us, but I think this board y'all fixed takes the prize. So he could return the part or cancel order? Usually that's a no. Well done Jeff!
    Happy weekend, Chrissy

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    Replies
    1. LOL, I guess I should have put that it was a Whirpool Sport Duet dryer in the post, just for search purposes! Nice job fixing your dishwasher handle!!! Anytime we can fix something without a repairman I feel a huge victory, too!

      We were able to return the part since it was unopened. :)

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  4. My kids have long made fun of me when I get "knitting injuries". That looks like seed stitch? It is slower and more finger-labor-intensive, but it sure looks great when done. Love your Paco pics - our Wally, who originally hailed from the Dominican Republic, is also rebelling to the cold by burrowing down under sheets, and I believe trying to actually get under our bodies.

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    1. Hey, between puncturing my finger with a lace-tipped needle (more that once, I'm sorry to report) and the repetitive-motion stress, I have to say that knitting isn't for sissies!

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  5. Paco HAS to be 95% dachshund!! Only 5% for the ears and the long legs, right?

    As far as I'm concerned, you saved $600. Because I probably would have replaced the whole dryer!! Very very cool that Jeff can do such fancy repairs!

    The sweater is going to be so beautiful! Smart of you to do another project in between. Its probably good for your hands too? And look at you, knitting without a pattern! Woo hoo!!

    Note to self: today is Friday. Shelley's blog says so.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I think you are right on the dachshund part - definitely with the snuggling into blankets thing!

      LOL on buying a new dryer. Although that was Jeff's first question - how much a new one cost. When I told hime $600-800, he started looking at how to fix it!

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  6. Yay for pet photos! They do know how to enjoy life, don't they?

    Sometimes I find it hard to remember life before the internet.

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  7. I'm a bit like Paco with this cooler weather!

    I love technology for the *helpful* info (not the TMI). When I was pet-sitting last month, the homeowner's dishwasher refused to come on. The start light blinked 8 times and then nothing. So I googled "start light blinks 8 times" and found out that it was some sort of control panel and that there was a work-around for it involving unplugging it and then plugging it in again. Worked great. Homeowner reports that it's been working fine for them. Whatever. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How cool that you fixed their dishwasher - they don't need to know exactly HOW, just that you did it. :)

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  8. Is there anything more sexy than a handy man? And, I bet he takes you out to dinner with the $$$ saved. Lucky girl.

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  9. My daughter has a 10 pound Boston Terrier, and she's been shaking for weeks and always wants to be held because she's so cold. Guess what she bought the dog? A snuggie! Not kidding, and the dog couldn't be happier to run around now that she's warm!

    Have a great weekend Shelley - and isn't it handy to have a handy husband? My husband likes to call himself the Maintenance Man at our house because I am clueless!

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  10. Sweet puppy! My two don't seem to mind the cooler temps. Dogs are too funny! Great job with the sweater! It's really coming along! Hope you had a great run! I once said the same thing about full marathons...and I've completed four of them since! Haha!

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  11. Oh my: Paco is too adorable. I don't think he should move to Holland if he's cold now already. I think if you would bring him over for a visit you first have to knit a warm suit for him LOL.

    I'm lucky to have a very handy hub. He can fix almost everything in our house. Except for the freezer that died about 3 weeks ago. He said it isn't worth repairing this one. We still have to buy a new one. Maybe next weekend because I have a little freezer above my fridge but I'm beginning to miss the bigger one.

    Love the knitting projects, look great.

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  12. Ill take those 80 degree days!!! I need to slowly acclimate too!!!
    Great job Jeff!!! Saving 200.!!! You da man!!

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