02 January 2017

Chores at Three Degrees

After a hearty breakfast, I headed out to a local hardware store - and then another - looking for a cabinet door pull in antique or oiled bronze.

The door to the small crawlspace under our stairs on the lower level is half-height, but had no latch or knob. It's a friction fit, but that made it more difficult to open. So a drill and a collection of #6 machine screws in varying lengths later, the pull is installed.

Then I mounted a new thermometer on the deck, as the old one seems to have lost its flexibility. No matter how cold the night, it never read below 10°. So that's done, although I have to admit that the new one is harder to read. It can't possibly be my eyes or bifocals, so it must be the thermometer's fault, right?

Then I made the kitchen more quiet. Seriously, the three-lobed cam on the bottom of the self-closing 'fridge door had cracked (a common problem) and produced a loud pop every time the door was opened or closed.

But Amazon came through yet again, and after emptying all the shelves in the door, I took it off. Turns out the cam I ordered was too long, but the right diameter. So about 30 seconds' work with a hacksaw remedied that, the new cam was tapped into place, and the door reattached.

So not a bad way to start the day, doing minor chores, and making me feel productive. It's not exactly a remodeling project, but minor maintenance can make a good home feel even better.

Now I need to re-visit some promises I made about continuing the Team Frostbite/MHI fan fiction I started oh-so-long ago. We'll see how far I get before anything else gets added to the "honey do" list.

Y'all stay safe and warm out there, friends; thanks for stopping by.

9 comments:

John in Philly said...

MHI fan fiction?
Starting 2017 with an excerpt would be awesome.
Sounds like shameless begging? Thirty seven years of marriage to the same woman has taught me many skills.

Rev. Paul said...

John, welcome aboard! Here's the URL for the last chapter I published, with links to all the others.

http://www.mooseintheyard.com/2015/09/chapter-8-dish-served-cold.html

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

I find those to be the best sorts of days Reverend: small chores to keep the hands and mind occupied while not being too drawn into them, followed by writing. And food.

SENIOR said...

I really hate having to find things that match up. You know, our fridge door is starting to make some noise when you open the fridge side. I just bought the thing less than a year ago. Hope it is a simple fix.

Rev. Paul said...

Agreed. I didn't realize it had been over a year since the last installment, but 2016 was a VERY busy year for us. I'm looking forward to re-reading what I'd written before ... and then writing some more.

Rev. Paul said...

Sorry, Senior - almost missed your comment. Amazon has a feature where you put in your reefer's model # & they'll tell you if the part you're researching will fit. And the one I got is an original factory part.

LindaG said...

And you get to see all you accomplished.
I know what you mean about bi-focals. They give me trouble sometimes, too.
A blessed week to you all.

John in Philly said...

Note to self, if picking an alternate universe to live in, skip the one that contains MHI Alaska! Great writing.
Hope your muse returns.
I am old enough to remember an article in one of the outdoor, or gun, magazines that covered the wolf guns. (I think they were M1s)
Thank you for brightening my day.

Rev. Paul said...

Linda, it's true that minor chores provide quicker feedback. And satisfaction, we hope. :)

John, thank you for your kind words. I suspect I'll be at it again, before much longer.