Sick, Ticked, and Crazy

It is cold and I am sick. The three day weekend became a five day weekend because I am sick with a horrible cold. I finally went to the doctor yesterday and got meds only to find my doctor is no longer with the group. Now I have to find a new doctor and my insurance comes up for renewal/change in June which means I may have to find a new doctor!

They need to come up with something in this country whereby insurance companies and doctors cannot refuse patients. You should be able to see a licensed physican without having to get approval from the insurance company. Perhaps the government should come up with a cost sheet that restricts all doctors to the same basic charges and insurances companies as well.

This crap of having to change doctors every time your company changes insurances companies is stupid. I have had three doctors in 8 years, two of those in the last 4. It stinks. And now, none of the doctors I had are on my plan. So I have to start over and in June, if we change insurance companies, I will probably have to change again.

Obviously, when I am sick is not the time to discuss this stuff.

I started a fourth blog! How crazy does that make me. Of course, this one and one of the other's, Dark Mountain, have languished a bit. I keep the Yahoo 360 pretty busy but I started this forth one, Hidden in the Mist. It is a book that I started last year as some flash writing. I just started writing what came to mind. Got about 20 pages in and stopped. I don't really care for the story but suddenly, in the last month, more of it started pouring in and I started posting in on the 360 site. Next, I found a way to post a novel on blogspot that I kind of like. So, I am doing it.

Just cause.

Why don't I send my writing off to publish? Mainly because nothing is finished yet. If I get some good feedback maybe I will. I have actually got three things started. I have one with nearly 50,000 words and another with 33,000. And I am getting better at just doing it. I feel better about it. I think the NaNoWriMo thingy helped me get focused on the writing. I realized a lot of things about how and why I write. And I learned that I procrastinate when I get stumpped instead of pushing on. I have received some positive feedback on 360 with the current work but it isn't done yet and even when it is, it will require re-writing and editing. And I still don't actually like the story. That is crazy to me. But you know, I am actually felling good about the writing and just doing it is such a good feeling. Publish. . . whatever.

Lipstick, Lies, And Letters

I got another one today. You know, one of those warning letters from your friends, family and foes who want to see you die. It was warning me about the dangers of lead in lipstick. Apparently, lead in lipsticks causes cancer.

I truly appreciate the consideration of those who send me these emails. They are concerned for my welfare and safety. Except for the foes, they have other reasons. But honestly, I just wish they'd check out these things first, before forwarding it to me. It would save us both a lot of trouble. I will give you links further on that you can check if you don't believe me.

Let me just put the concerns to rest first. This is one of those false reports. It has a teensy bit of truth that is blown into a epidemic.

I will also alleviate any concern for my specific welfare. I don't wear lipstick. Constantly wearing lipstick actually makes your lips become paler. It acts as a sunblock. Sunlight is what puts the color in you skin and lips are skin. Of course, you should wear protection on your mouth to prevent windburn and sunburn if you will be out for extended periods of time but if it is ruby red lips you want, light is what you need. And it doesn't wash off.

Other things can also drain color from the skin. Extended prison stays will wash out the complexion and probably lips as well. I think they do give you an hour a day in the yard but I don't know if that is enough to make a difference. If any of you have this information I might actually like to know this. It would make a lot more interesting blog entry. Perhaps someone can weigh in on prison makeup tips.

Of course, if this little story were true, not wearing lipstick may have been the smartest thing I've ever done! Lead is not known to cause cancer but lead poisoning actually causes severe mental retardation in children and can cause other serious health issues in adults and children. But lipstick, well I suspect you'd have to consume tons to get a blip on the screening.

You can find it out for yourself, of course. I am including the link where you can verifiy this and all other urban ledgens and internet myths. www.truthorfiction.com or www.snopes.com Please pass these links along to your friends. I am sure they are sick of these chain letter as well. I also did a search myself and came up with this result page http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-msgr&p=lipstick%20and%20lead . I found several interesting comments on this but ultimately, it is false.

Happy Holidays!

I've been very busy on the My Yahoo 360. Posting nearly every day and the traffic is up. I am off for a four day weekend and then I work three days and am off for another four day weekend. Yipee!

Drop over to My360 page for a visit. The link is at left.

Hope you all have a merry christmas!

NaNoWriMo of 2006 Ends

November was a busy month. Holidays and novel writing and family crisises all in one month make for some interesting times.

As you can see from the previous post, the National Novel Writing Month has ended. I did not make the 50,000 words in 30 days. But I came close. It was a lot of work and you can read my blog at http://360.yahoo.com/a_dixiegirl_in_indiana if you want to get the full account of the trials and tribulations of a writer living life and trying to write. There is of course another shot at it next year. And I think I do want to try again.

I did get a lot of good material for a novel so it was not a loss in any way. I learned a lot about writing and about me. So, drop over to My 360 and read up on how it went. You can also read an excerpt from what I wrote at the NaNoWriMo website. That link is here: http://www.nanowrimo.org/userinfo.php?uid=152098

Honestly, I love the format of Blogger but I like the traffic potential of 360 a lot better. Since May of 2006 I have had as many hits to my 360 blog as I have had in a full year of Blogger. So, I don't put as much on here as I do on the Yahoo 360. You are welcome to drop in over there. I am keeping this going for a bit longer but writing two blogs is just nuts if they are basically the same.

I haven't done much about the second blog. Too busy to deal with it at the moment but the NaNoWriMo has be a little more excited about my work. I am trying again to get organized. Need space and quiet and with six people in the house, that is not happening soon. Hope they can all get their own place soon.

Well, my break is over and I have to get back to work. More later.

How to Install a Faucet

Oh, the plans of mice and men... and women. I missed church this morning. We were up until after midnight trying to install sink/new faucet. My toothbrush was lying in a chair somewhere in the living room when I had to go find it to brush my teeth!

There is a story here, you know, that answer all the questions and puzzled looks you all have on your face right now.

Why so late putting in a faucet? Why a sink for a faucet? Why in a chair?

You see, somewhere in a mid-sized town in Indiana lives a family who do a lot of their own repair and remodeling on their house. There lives a man, and woman and two sons, one daughter-in-law and one adorable grandchild (photos are in albums)  in this modest ranch on a wedged- shaped lot near the railroad. Usually, it is the woman who leads on repairs with a whip at hand.

In this house, there are a bath and a half. Everyone bathes in the full bath. But the half bath belongs to the woman and she uses the full bath to . . . well, bathe. The sons also use the half bath for brushing teeth and other personal business.

For some time now the faucet has had a drip. The woman has commented on this and on the inching up of the water bill. In recent weeks, an attempt was made to replace the washer but apparently washers for this particular, relatively inexpensive Wal-mart faucet don't exist. (This is from the man of the house, you understand and may have no basis in fact.) So, it was reasoned that a new faucet was in order.

But it didn't happen.

For weeks.

Suddenly, the woman notices that, with the attempted repair, the drip is now a trickle and as this is the hot water side the water bill is now expected to become a six figure digit. The woman becomes more vocal but still doesn't use the whip. She does, however, point out how much this is going to actually cost the males in the house in the long run.

Numerous attempts were made to shut off the water at the valves under the sink. The woman and man have installed shut off valves all over the house with each plumbing job because when they moved in there were NONE! However, time has worked its vicious way with the knobs on said valves. In addition, the cabinet under this sink is small and they are in the back corner of the cabinet and difficult to reach so that a wrench can't be used. So, the water had to stay on.

And so it ran.

A plan was made to fix this issue with a brand new faucet on December 2, 2006. The day arrived. The woman even took the spouse, one son, her daughter-in-law and grandchild to lunch at their favorite Mexican restaurant. She went and bought a faucet but at Lowe's this time. However, it was nearly 6 by the time all the necessary running of Saturday was done. But that was plenty of time to install a simple faucet, right?

The sink in this bathroom was installed in the countertop from the bottom with clamps holding it level with the counter top. This is a most inefficient method to install a cast iron porcelain covered sink, by the way. They are very heavy, although this particular sink was very small, say a gallon and a half capacity. The area under it was extremely small and the bathroom itself is about the size of a 4x4 closet. However, the family actually has that special wrench to remove faucets from tight places.

The project begins. . . at 8:00 p.m.

The spouse begins to remove the clamps. Wife ask why? Obviously, spouse says, so I can put in the faucet. Wife says, "If you remove the clamps before you remove the plumbing, the sink will fall and you won't be able to do anything." After much arguing and waving of the whip, spouse relents. Wife points out that all plumbing work on this sink in the last 20 years has required removal of counter top with the sink attached. Spouse then relents amid vocal protest but with eyes on the whip.

Wife and spouse remove counter/sink. . . after he has shut off all water and disconnected all water lines and drains. Wife says, "I'm sick of that stupid sink. Every time we have to do anything in here we have to take the whole thing out." Faucet was replaced in the past, twice. And the weight of the sink, with the weight of the counter, is that of spouse. Or thereabouts. And this couple is not getting younger or stronger.

She eyes the cabinet and uses her personal measuring tape. She says, "Get the sink that is on the shelf in the garage." Remember, this is a family who does their own remodeling. They never discard any item that is still useful and may potentially be needed. There are two perfectly good bathroom sinks in the garage. One was purchased with a used cabinet and since it is an iron porcelain covered sink in great condition, it was kept. The other is a ceramic sink that doesn't need a counter and that was removed when a new cabinet was needed in the full bath and the old sink would not fit the cabinet. Fortunately, a lovely PLASTIC sink came with the new cabinet! We will not go over that particular repair project. Wife was NOT happy replacing a lovely ceramic sink with a plastic sink. However, she always has her eye on a bargain and saw the day when she would put the lovely ceramic sink in her bathroom and remove the ugly PINK mutation installed in her bathroom by some misguided soul in the past life of the house. So, it went to a safe place in the garage.

The lovely sink was brought out and cleaned up and set on the cabinet. The fit is just a little tight but by knocking out two back braces it dropped in. Yes, there is still support for the ratty old cabinet. We know what we are doing. Sink is removed and faucet put on and the flexible waterlines put on (another touch we have added everywhere). Then ceramic sink is placed in the cabinet. It is now after 11:00 p.m.

Spouse begins to connect water lines and a sound is heard from the nether regions. It sounds like, "Hoses are too short."

I hate it when that happens.

The ceramic sink is thicker than the counter top and bigger than the other sink so the water lines are about two inches too short. A conference is held.

Lowe's is closed. As are all plumbing stores. Spouse says, "I will have to go to Wal-mart."

Wife looks at daughter-in-law and says, "This is how every project goes in this house. Now you know why we hate starting them."

It was noted that spouse will take an inordinate amount of time to search for needed waterline and the family had not had a meal since 2 p.m. Number 2 son (#1 has been out for the evening) is convinced to go with spouse. He will drive spouse to Wal-mart and drop him off. #2 will then go purchase sustenance for the family at Sonic and then pick up spouse on the way back. It actually went smoothly. Food was not stone cold.

Unfortunately, Walmart did not have longer hoses.

It is now midnight. Family are fed but there is no water to bathe. They can't turn the water back on because they can't cap off the supply lines and the hot and cold valves don't work. Hot water valve knob is broken and post is rounded off. And you can't get a wrench back to it. Spouse goes back to Wal-mart to get something to cap the lines. He comes back with two plain brass faucets. There are no caps at Wal-mart. Wife doesn't think it occurred to him to buy valves to replace the old ones. She doesn't mention it because by now, she is not feeling very good and to do so would simply make everyone grumpy.

Spouse connects water lines to brass fixtures and water is shut off. However, wife's toothbrush is sitting in a chair in the living room along with everything else that was on the counter before it's demise. Ceramic sink is sitting in the living room floor with a new faucet attached. And then it was noted that the cold water hose was leaking. A bucket was located and place with hose hanging in it for the night.

Every toilet in the house has been without water for over four hours. . .two toilets, five people. You can do the math here. The family manages to get all the bathrooms functional and take their baths.

It is now approximately 3:00 a.m. and wife finally heads to bed. Just before she turn in she checks the leaking cold water hose. She studies the bucket, and check behind the drain. She sees the cold water shut off valve still has a knob. It is located directly behind the drain pipe and is nearly impossible to reach with a sink installed. Wife reaches down and turns the knob. The water shuts off. Leak fixed. She slept well.

Sunday morning dawned but no one saw it. Spouse is on his way to Lowe's for a longer hose.

I hate it when that happens.