Surprise!

A day in the fast-paced, non-paying world of dryer repair.  Or, as it is known in some circles: another test of your marriage vows.  ;-)  Yes, I'm kidding - we have worked together most of our lives... we should be able to tear apart a dryer (as in: the drying unit of the washer/dryer) and still be nice.

Joan did the research.  Our dryer is making an awful grinding noise and smells like burning lint.  There are some "typical parts" that may be causing the problem.  YouTube is your friend.  Our best guess was a failed bearing.  She ordered replacement parts for the bearing, the belt, a pulley tensioner, and a couple other things.

Those parts are due to arrive on FedEx today... time to start taking this thing apart.

I have no doubt that your are thinking: "Why don't you just call an appliance repair person?"  Thanks for asking.  Not one single time have we had a satisfactory appliance repair since we've lived here.  For the record, we haven't had a lot of appliance repairs.  But the few that we have had have been: guy comes in and makes a mess taking things apart.  Not sure of the problem, but "will order the parts."  The parts will cost 4 times as much as if you buy them yourself.  No idea when he will come back with the parts, but when he does, they won't be the right part.  More waiting.  When the parts do finally come in, you will sit at home waiting for them to show up, and it will be hours after they originally told you.  The bill will be a service call, inflated repair hours, and a 4 times markup on the parts.

My first thought was: buy a new dryer.  Joan was convinced that we could fix this.  So, I watched the YouTube video, and the guy took apart a dryer, replaced the parts, and put it all back together in about 15 minutes.  I knew it was unrealistic when there was no swearing in the video.

Dryers are not generic.  Each model comes apart in its own specific way.  It took us about 45 minutes to get the top off the dryer, but we did so with no swearing or torn up skin.  The rest of the disassembly was pretty easy.  When it came time to remove the drum, the problem was glaringly apparent: the spring wire heating element had come off an insulator at the top and the spring wrapped around the ball that the dryer drum is mounted on... this could have become an electrical fire problem, but Joan caught it making noise right away.

Looking into the disassembled dryer...

Oh-oh...

There's the problem...

That wire is supposed to be curly all the way across.

No, we didn't order a heating element replacement part.  But, we did get one ordered today.  So, just like with a repair person: we are waiting on parts.  We will replace what we do have parts for, since we have this all apart.  In the meantime, we'll slide the gutted dryer back into its cabinet so we don't have to live around it... the house is small and the laundry cabinet is between the living room and the bedroom... and more importantly: the guitar room!  Oh, and a couple bathrooms.

Joan went to work on vacuuming 15 years of wayward lint before we replaced anything.  We have a bowl of screws and fasteners... I hope in two days I can remember what screw went where.  There are a few electrical connections to re-connect.  But, when all is said and done, the really important part... "You'll have a like new dryer?"  No, we did the job together while being nice to each other.  And, we learned what goes on inside a dryer when you close the door on it and press the start button.

We have a couple hours into it today; probably a couple more when the other replacement part comes in.  But, we are not charging ourselves a service call or an hourly rate.  The parts will be around $100.  No mess.  No one gouging up paint or woodwork.

I'll let you know how it all works out in the end.  And, if it doesn't go back together, we'll go washer/dryer shopping.  ;-)

A recording kinda day...

The rain that was predicted to hammer us today stayed a few miles off-shore... we caught a break!  Two more days of gray skies, probable precipitation, and decreasing winds, and we may see some sunshine!  I am more than ready for that bright shiny orb.

With no other chores today, I had some time to try some new recording techniques; foremost: using the Zoom H4n Pro's stereo microphones plugged directly into the Canon G3x camera.  Here are some examples...

A couple Beatles covers...

After a late lunch out, I made one more video - this time, using the Zoom H4n Pro for its multi-track recording capability, and adding bass and percussion to the Jimmy Buffett cover (again)...

That's the reason for the "clap" at the beginning of the recording... only took me about 50 "minor adjustments" to get the audio and video to line up.  I did blend the separate tracks in Audacity before syncing that with the video.  Glad this is for the fun of it and not my day job.  ;-)

It's official: the Emerald X10 has elevated itself to "favorite" status.

And, my thanks to Joan and Rufus for their patience today.

Intimidating...

Not me - I'm a pussycat.

This summer, while walking Rufus, I had a lady tell me that he is "intimidating looking."  Rufus?  The sweetest boy cat ever?  Nahhh!

Well, from this low angle, he can come across like a house lion...

It isn't like you'd normally see this snarly face...

Yeah, that wasn't a snarl - that was mid-yawn.  He's a sweet boy.  Just look at that sweet face...

Pulling strings...

Nothing to do with having connections... today, it was time to restring the new X10 with my choice of strings (Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze, if you're keeping track).

This morning, Joan said, "What do you feel like for breakfast?"

"How 'bout I take you out?"  It is another gray drizzly day, so I figured this might be our only outing.

She said, "Pier 19?  They have that Monday Special you like."

I'm in!

I cleaned up (she was way ahead of me), and we went out into the wind and rain.  Downright fugly as we drove across the causeway... this is a good day to not be on the water.

When we got to the restaurant, I took this photo looking out the window...

Besides the wind and rain, it looks to be about 2' chop with a period of 1 second.  It was pounding enough that you occasionally feel it in the restaurant (that is on a pier).  I had a nice view, though...

Breakfast was tasty.  No other running to be done, so it was back to the house.  I got things set up on kitchen island, AKA: my guitar work station...

No, our countertops are not aloha themed - that is a cushy blanket on put on the countertop to protect the guitar.  Before you can put on new strings, you have to take off the old ones... that was the plan.  The reality: the batteries in the power-winder had corroded...

Yeah, cheap-ass dollar store batteries.  I took a few minutes to clean up the battery compartment, put fresh batteries in, and went to work...

That power-winder makes short work of this task.  With the strings off, I cleaned up the fretboard and looked everything over.  I haven't had individual saddles on an acoustic before - I didn't realize there is some movement on them until the string is tensioned across them.  Tiny screws on each side of each saddle to adjust the height.

New strings on, it sounds and feels better.  Well, to me... I think most guitar players have their preference in strings.  Tuned up and "played them in"... it always takes a while for the strings to settle.  Took it back into the guitar room and plugged it in; I was curious to see how these acoustic strings would work with the humbucking (electric) pickup - sounds great!  And way less "squeek" as I move my fingers up and down the strings.

Yes, it is possible to like this guitar even more.  :-)

Rainy days and Sundays...

If you said, "The Carpenters, 1971," we have to delete 500 bonus points from your account - that song was "Rainy Days and Mondays."

But, it is a Sunday, and it has been gray all day.  No hard pounding rain, but an on and off drizzle; more on than off.  Looking out from the deck...

Raindrops on the water and water pooling on the boat cover.  So, not a good day to get out and about.  But, when the going gets wet, the tough stay inside and eat.

I don't often post images of food.  I had mentioned to Joan a post about "lasagna soup" that I had seen on Facebook.  She did her own take on that...

This may be the best single item meal I've had in a long time!  She makes great lasagna - this is the "soup version" of that.  And that pull-apart roll has been stuffed with cheese and herbs.  My belly is full, but I am drooling just looking at this photo.

The perfect comfort food on a dreary ol' day.

And I hepped...

If you said, "The Shake 'n Bake commercial from the 60s and 70s," you get 50 bonus points.

Joan wanted to bake something.  I am all in on this.  She looked through her cupboard and said, "I have everything I need to bake chocolate chip cookies... except the chips are the mini-size and I don't have many, and we need some butter."

Being the helpful baking assistant I am (and by that I mean: she bakes it and I eat it), I offered to run to the store for her.

She said, "That would be helpful - you could take your scooter."  See, I am "helpful," and there's a chance I may get to the store and back and not get rained on.

To Wally World via Vespa.  No crazy drivers tried to take me off the road all the way there and back.  Yes, one in a row!

Walmart wasn't packed; I was in, got the two items, self-checked (didn't get an employee discount), and back out in about 4 minutes.  A new world record!  (The crowd goes wild!)

A bit cool for a t-shirt and shorts on the scoot... no scolding, I had on a helmet, gloves, and real shoes... but, it felt great to sneak in another scooter ride before Mother Nature unleashes again.

:-)

Here fishy, fishy...

No, I have not developed an interest in fishing.  Nor eating anything fishy.  Friends Mike and M.J. asked if we wanted to go to the "boat show" being held in the South Padre Island Covention Center this weekend.

Sure.

You have to go into it understanding that this isn't a "boat show"... it is a fishing show that has a few fishing boats on display.  On the bright side, they offered a senior discount, so it was only $3 apiece instead of $5.

Heading over the causeway, you can see that the weather is not "tropical sunny skies"...

No rain, yet, but a very light mist on the windshield.  We pulled into the Convention Center parking lot - not a big crowd, so we were able to get a close parking spot...

Yes, a completely candid shot, that Joan didn't know I was taking.  Or, perhaps "Let's get inside before it starts to rain!"

There were a few boats...

These are what fishing boats look like down here - mostly flat bottom for fishing in the bay.  There were also booths with people selling "stuff"...

Mostly fishing related stuff (knives, fishing tackle, etc).  One booth selling scented candles (presumably to get rid of the fishy smell?).  A car dealer, and some art and clothing stuff, as well.

Even stopping to look at each booth, we covered it all in about 45 minutes.

Then, off for lunch at (what else?) a restaurant that specializes in fishy stuff.  Those three had fishy food, I had beef.

A pleasant distraction on another gray day.  The next front is supposed to move in this evening - it isn't supposed to drop temperatures like this last one, but is going to bring a lot more rain and wind.  So, the second norther of the season - I really hope this isn't an preview of what the upcoming season is going to be like.