86 hours without electricity

In August of 2003, while working as a piano store manager, I saw the lights dim for about 30 seconds, then flicker, finally failing entirely, unaware that I was experiencing the first moments of a blackout that covered much of the northeastern United States and parts of Canada.  The area on the west side of Cleveland where I was living and working saw its power restored within 24 hours.  Many others experienced a far longer period without electricity.

Almost exactly 20 years later, just after midnight on Friday, August 25, 2023, I was awakened by a howling noise outside our home in South Euclid, Ohio.  Noticing my electricity was out, I looked out my bedroom window and saw branches on the two large oak trees on our front lawn bending with the wind in a manner I did not know was possible.  Unaware that tornado warnings had been issued locally, I took no special precautions, but went back to bed, confident that power would be restored in short order. 

When I awoke again shortly before 5:00am, I looked out my window again and saw darkness.  Grabbing a flashlight and stepping outdoors, I spotted our recycling bin upended on my neighbor’s property.  I gathered the scattered recyclables, returned them to the bin, then returned the bin to its proper resting place.  Branches of varying sizes were scattered throughout the property.  I heard a work crew nearby.  Following the sounds, I saw they were dealing with a fallen tree one block over.  Walking back to my own street, I saw a tree leaning on a power line. 

Clearly, this was no ordinary storm. The Cleveland area received a record number of tornado warnings within a short space of time – with several touching down and one causing extensive damage in Cleveland’s Midtown district.  Our area is used to winter challenges, summer heat, and seasonal thunderstorms – multiple tornadoes, not so much.  As I wrote in an email to a young relative: Some people will just say “Oh, the climate has always been this way.”  But I am more and more inclined to believe that Mother Earth is pissed-off at us humans, and I don’t blame her.  Beyond a doubt, we are the primary cause of climate change.  Tornado warnings were almost unknown in our area – but we’ve had several in the last 10 years, last night’s caused a lot of damage, and the number of severe storms has increased exponentially.

After Dan left for his job, I headed to my employer’s campus to work (I’ve been largely working from home since the early days of COVID).  As information came in about the extent of the storm and blackouts, I decided to book a hotel for Friday night.  But I was hopeful, as the total number of customers lacking power had gone from over 224,000 without power at 8:00am to 160,000 by 4:00pm.  After work and before heading to the hotel, Dan & I spent about an hour cleaning up the yard.  Fortunately, there was no damage to the house – including to our new storm windows.  A few days before, a major rainstorm confirmed that our street’s newly refurbished water runoff inlets were functioning well, with none of the flooding on our street we’d become accustomed to after even small rainfalls. 

After awakening in our hotel room Saturday morning, Dan & I headed back home to see power was not restored, largely as I expected given that I was following the outages listed on First Energy’s website.  I took advantage of the relative quiet on our street to make some piano recordings – fortunately, my old Mason & Hamlin upright does not require electricity.  

Piano by candlelight

We spent the rest of the weekend seeking out places to go where we could pass the time in relative comfort: walking in some parks, dining at restaurants, seeing a film – while periodically checking to see if power was restored.  While driving around, we saw the damage in Midtown.

Damage at the Dunham Tavern Museum

  

I also perused social media, posting information where useful, and observing posts and comments from various people.  A long-held belief of mine was confirmed: An appallingly high percentage of people have no idea how the world around them works.  I saw posts blaming the mayor of my municipality and those of other municipalities for everything from the time they were without power to the presence of flooding.  In our area, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is responsible for maintaining the sewers; if your street floods, contact them.  If your local creek floods, well, that’s what creeks do when it rains, and if you made the decision to live next to a creek, that’s on you.  If your power hasn’t been restored yet, the mayor has no control over that.  For what it’s worth, I will comment that the South Euclid services department was at work clearing branches as soon as the weather had cleared; further, the city advised that people could come to city hall if they needed to charge their devices.   

I have no complaints about the line workers from First Energy who worked long hours to get power back online – to say nothing of the many workers who came from outside of Ohio to help.  They worked their butts off.  The problem, as it often is, stems with poor management, from the CEO on down – which puts profit over providing a service which people rely on.  They did not prepare, and their communications were poor.  For example, I signed up to their automated system so I could be informed when my power was restored.  Within a few hours, I received multiple communications giving conflicting information.  First, I received a text that power would be restored by 2:00pm Monday; a half hour later, another text stated the power would be restored by 8:00pm Wednesday – followed by an automated phone call stating the same; 40 minutes later a further text stated that power would be restored by 4:00pm Monday, followed by another text 20 minutes later that power had been restored.  It had been out for 86 hours.

Make up your mind.

Here are some lessons learned from the past week’s experience:

Northeast Ohio’s tree canopy needs to be better managed, especially in more densely populated communities.  Our tree canopy is a wonderful thing – relatives and friends who have moved out of state have told me how much they miss it.  The two oak trees on my property, which I spend plenty of money to keep trimmed, provide enough shade to keep my electric bills at a reasonable level.  But in communities such as South Euclid, trees should not be permitted to grow without a plan for management – especially those trees which are near homes or power structures.  The repair of our localized loss of power was delayed because a large tree fell onto an unoccupied house, taking down several power lines and a transformer with it.  

Tree damage at a nearby house

The other item is something I’ve believed for years: The United States should embark on program to upgrade, modernize, and protect our energy grid from hazards including weather events and hacking.  Wherever possible, utility lines should be moved underground.  A colleague of mine did not lose power, largely because her community is newer and their power lines are underground.  Those of us who live in older communities, and who pay the same for electricity, should enjoy the same reliability.  The nationwide migration of utilities underground would be a massive undertaking, but no more than the building of the Interstate Highway system or the infrastructure created during the New Deal.  It would require cooperative efforts from Federal, State, and Local governments along with utility providers.  The biggest obstacle is the lack of leadership in both parties to lower the hammer and make it happen – because an effort of this magnitude would require at least partial public funding, which would require a tax increase on the wealthy.  So, a project such as this, which would have the added benefit of greatly improving aesthetics in our neighborhoods and commercial districts, will likely not happen in my lifetime. 

As I said in the email to my young relative: Our climate is changing.  We’re not going to be able to conserve our way out of the climate crisis.  We need to be prepared.

Life During COVID-19

 

In my 53 years, I have witnessed the advent of AIDS, the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, the end of the Cold War, three major recessions, and 9/11.  Along with those momentous events, the COVID-19 pandemic will be remembered as a defining moment.   For those of us who will have grandchildren (I won’t), it will doubtless become the subject of “where were you when” questions.

COVID has received virtually non-stop coverage on the news.  Even though it has brought a lot of personal inconvenience, including having to cancel a planned vacation in Mexico, I have been fortunate, so far, in that there have been no COVID related deaths in my immediate family – although so-far three friends of mine have lost family members to the pandemic.  

My spouse Daniel was doing contract work out of state which ended in March.  We mutually decided he should cool his heels before seeking another job – which is in health care and entails increased risk.  So there has been some reduction of income but we’ve been able to weather it.   

To the best of my ability, I do my part to prevent the further spread of COVID:  I consolidate my shopping trips, wear a mask in public, avoid high risk areas – particularly bars, and per my employer’s mandate, have been working from home since late-March. 

During my first few weeks working at home, I felt rather lost.  In time, I learned that replicating my normal work routine as closely as possible brought structure to my day.  Waking around 6:30, I have coffee, walk the dog, then catch the news until 7:20.  Then I shower, shave, and dress – more casually than for onsite work, but usually with a work-branded shirt to remind myself I’m on company time.

One of my many Progressive shirts.

Mason patiently awaiting the end of my work day.

Following the end of my work shift, I focus on home related tasks – which can range from house work, to yard work, to trimming my dog’s nails.  Since I am home virtually 24/7 (meaning the use of my car has dropped dramatically), I decided to move several home renovation projects to the front burner.  The first of these was having the roof fixed over the house’s extension.   

That done, I decided to address a dual issue with the house: the lack of proper back patio space, and with that the lack of a back entry area that could serve as a mud room – in particular the latter has been a problem especially during rainy or snowy weather as dirt and mud are tracked into the house.  The patio was completed two weeks ago – along with much needed tuck-pointing of the house’s chimney.  The additional area incentivized me to repair some old patio furniture I’ve kept stored in the garage for several years – nothing major, just two chairs and a small table.  So far, the two chairs have been “de-rusted”, cleaned, and painted.  The table, which has a marble top, will be more of a challenge.  But even though the table isn’t fully restored, it’s useable. 

The mud room is something I’ve been wanting to have done for several years – I first drafted preliminary plans and went over them with my father (a civil engineer) before he died in 2016.  (I also drew up plans for a smaller front foyer, but have decided to hold off on that for now.)  When you have a 78-year-old house and have no intention of moving, you tend to think long-term.  I expect work on the mud room to start in August.   

That will probably take care of home renovations for this year, and will be the last project that does not fall under the umbrella of maintenance.  But I will doubtless find other ways to keep myself busy until restrictions are lifted.

A New Kitchen for an Old House

Even before we purchased our home eleven years ago, Daniel and I knew the kitchen would eventually have to be renovated.  It lacked a dishwasher.  The refrigerator, while functional, was small – fitting the latest Costco purchases into the freezer was a challenge in space utilization.  Then there were the counters: one was laminated wood; the other a weird plastic-like laminate in an indescribable color.  Over the years, we made small changes.  We added a dishwasher in 2013, and replaced the range in 2016.  Time and experience allowed us to determine exactly what the kitchen needed to be brought up to its potential – within the limitations that our 1942 house would allow.  First, space needed to be allocated more efficiently as expansion was not an option.  As it was, the kitchen lacked a logical flow.  The food preparation area was on the opposite side from the stove – not optimal for getting food from place to place.  Previous owners had installed a bulky faux antique phone which prevented us from being able to open one of the cabinet doors.  Above the stove was a tacky looking fluorescent light fixture that wasn’t a good fit for any era. 

The food-prep station, opposite the stove. 

                                                      

Note the bulky phone and small fridge.

The stove area.

Our goals were: configure the new cabinets so a modern fridge could be installed; open up counter space so we could fit our coffee maker, toaster, and other small appliances as needed; improve the flow by placing the preparation area nearer the stove.  Plus there was the “look” we were after: as the kitchen sits between the vibrantly colored dining and family rooms, we wanted as neutral a look as possible, and quickly settled on greyscale. 

As friends had warned me about how they tend to show fingerprints, we decided against a trendy stainless-steel fridge.  Plus, as our cabinets were going to be grey, we wanted a white fridge, which would not only provide a nice contrast, but match the other appliances. 

After shopping around, we decided to go with Northeast Factory Direct for the cabinets. Their designer, Alicia Kondrich, was able to translate my ramblings into a mockup that allowed us to visualize the kitchen’s ultimate state.  The quote for the cabinets was very reasonable – far less than the cost at a standard retail outfit would be, yet with the features expected in a modern kitchen: soft close drawers and cabinets, solid wood construction. 

With the cabinets decided, the next step was countertops.  We knew we wanted granite, so Alicia referred us to Bradley Stone.  Their representative showed me a generous selection of stone, and we settled on steel grey. 

Deconstructing the kitchen turned up some interesting things: the faux antique phone was covering a nook on the wall (there are several of these in our home, including in each bedroom); the cabinets were directly connected to the wall and most likely original to the house; behind the backsplash were the remains of the original plumbing – at one point the kitchen had a farmer’s sink.  The crew also made an alarming discovery: a hastily patched electrical fix in which a line was run over a wall to make room for another outlet, the cord attached to the wall with a nail – thus our kitchen renovation revealed an existing potential fire hazard and the reason that running the dishwasher and microwave caused the circuit breaker to trip.  Within one workday, the old cabinets had been removed and the new cabinets installed.  

The demoed kitchen…

…and discovered cubby

The next morning, a representative from Bradley stone came to do the final measure and very thoroughly went over the options and what would need to be completed before the installers came.  That evening, our new fridge was delivered and installed.

New kitchen sans countertops.

There followed two weeks in which we had limited use of our kitchen – no countertops, no sink, no use of the dishwasher.  We made do by using plastic plates and cutlery, eating easy to prepare foods, and going out to eat.  This did not help with my diet.  But once the countertops and sink were installed and the plumbing hooked back up, we now had a fully useable kitchen. 

The Bradley Stone installers.

The final phase was painting and replacement of the flooring.  Certa-Pro’s crew, who did an excellent job on our living room, hallway, and 2^nd bedroom in 2016, took care of our kitchen.  

The vinyl flooring had held up fairly well for the 30 or so years it had been there, but the base was creaky and the look was dated.  We went with Shaw Flooring through our local Costco and decided on Markarian Pine vinyl to replace it – both durable and in sync with our color scheme.  Once the installers arrived, there was yet another archaeological discovery: underneath the vinyl was a linoleum floor – probably from the 1960s.  The new floor is not merely attractive, but quiet and has a soft feel that’s welcoming to bare feet. 

The new floor.

Our now complete kitchen is a pleasure to cook in – and we’re already becoming more adventurous in our cuisine.  This was the most complex and – aside from the garage – our most expensive renovation.  It’s unlikely it will ever pay for itself in terms of overall home value.  But the cost and the disruption were entirely worth it.  We love our new kitchen.  

The completed kitchen.

2017 in Review

To put it mildly, 2017 was a challenging year.

Nationally, the most noteworthy event has been the inauguration and continual dysfunction of Donald J. Trump as President.  I will not waste space recounting every one of Trump’s lies, outrageous tweets, bad appointments, and bad decisions.  Trump is not worth my time, other than to say that by mid-February, my first thought upon awakening was commonly “What stupid thing did Trump do overnight?”  I’ve since found the best way for me to cope with the stress of a dangerously demented President is to adapt an air of detached bemusement – and occasionally fire off brazen tweets which, surprisingly, have not gotten me blocked. 

I have had more than enough to deal with otherwise.

I slammed into my 50s with an almost simultaneous diagnosis of high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and an inguinal hernia.  Surprisingly, dealing with the hernia was considerably less complicated than the apnea: I was diagnosed, surgery was scheduled, performed, and I recovered.  Sleep apnea was first suspected by my doctor in February.  It was not until June that I was able to undertake a sleep study, another month to get the results, then a dental consultation in October, fitting for an oral appliance in November, which I finally received in December.   And American politicians have the gall to warn about the dangers of universal healthcare by trotting out waiting times in the UK and Canada!  Of course, none of these politicians have ever had to deal with private health insurers or providers.

Prepped for the sleep study

2017 marked nine years since Dan & I bought our home in South Euclid.  On the home front, we only undertook one project this year – a new fence.  2018 will bring a small expansion – a small mud room leading to the back door.   There was a time, mostly 2009-2011, when I worried moving here was a mistake.  But 2017 saw continued evidence of a renaissance in our city.  The newly rebuilt shopping center and Mayfield and Green Road opened to 100% capacity and brisk business – so much so that the parking lot had to be expanded.  This is on top of Oakwood Commons and the newly renovated Cedar Center North - both of which are well filled and busy. 

2017 is also the year South Euclid city council began work on a new, comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance.  City Council, for the most part, have courageously stood up to the bullying tactics being carried out by the local Catholic Church – including an outrageous web posting I previously blogged about.  I am hopeful the ordinance will be passed in early 2018.

2017 was not all gloom & doom, nor hell-fire and brimstone.  Dan & I enjoyed our first ever cruise in March, and had a brief but eventful visit to LasVegas in September.  We have tentatively signed on for another cruise in 2018.

And there will be other events on which to report.

Home Projects - bathroom

The Hippocratic Oath cautions doctors to “do no harm.” I wish home renovators, from Do-It-Yourselfers to professionals, were required to take such an oath.

Our home was one of the last houses begun in South Euclid before the United States entered World War II on December 7, 1941 - and was completed in 1942. From then until VJ day in 1945, very few private homes were built in the United States. Following the war, the baby boom led to a need for many houses in a limited timeframe, which led to the suburban housing boom. Frankly, the build quality of those rushed houses was generally lower than their pre-WWII counterparts.

There are a number of advantages to living in an older home. For one thing, an older house has stood the test of time. Pretty much every natural event that can happen, has happened: Severe thunderstorms, minor to moderate earthquakes, severe heat and cold, along with huge piles of snow and ice – our house has withstood it all. True, even the best built houses are not immune to the ravages of time, and our home has its share of character lines. The hairline cracks in our plaster walls remind us we’re not the first family to live here. Nor do the many changes made to the house over the years, including a 12’x16’ extension built around 1970 which serves as our media room. Unfortunately, not all of the “improvements” were satisfactory. The damage a succession of owners has done to our home, under the guise of improvements, makes the damage wrought by nature pale by comparison.

For example, the bathroom. Our home has only one, and it has required more attention than any other room in the house. As originally built, the bathroom had a toilet (American Standard, Cadet model, with the year 1939 stamped on the underside of the tank lid), one sink, and one bathtub – no shower. When we moved into the home in fall 2008, the bolts that hold the toilet tank onto the bowl had rusted and a small amount of water dripped from the tank onto the floor, and the mechanicals were worn down resulting in an improperly seal for the valve flapper and a noisy, leaky tank. That was the first item we fixed – with new bolts and new innards for the tank. Same toilet, new parts, with quiet operation and no leaking. Further, we were able to make it more water efficient by simply adding a filled bottle to the tank. Over the sink was a mirror hanging from a peg, covering a hole in the wall where the medicine cabinet should have been. Correcting that was the next step, and fairly easy.

Rusted light fixtures above the sink were activated by a wall switch – but there was neither an outlet nor a vent fan. Since experiencing an electric shock in childhood I’ve avoided working with anything electrical. I made sure the power was turned off, gritted my teeth, and installed new light fixtures. But left the installation of the vent fan and a new outlet to our neighborhood repairman.

But the bathtub was the real challenge, and it was nearly six years before we got around to fully correcting the numerous issues. At some point, a previous owner added a shower to the bathtub, along with plastic tile cut with an X-acto knife, poorly fitted around the glass block window – so that when warm the tile separated from the glass block, causing water to leak down the wall. This left a lovely stain on the living room ceiling, which is beneath the tub. No amount of caulking or duct tape could reliably seal the tile, and it was so tacky looking.

Part of being a successful homeowner is knowing whether a job is a DIY candidate, or whether the professionals need to be called in. Repairing a toilet, I can handle. Installing a medicine cabinet, check. But I knew the bathtub/shower renovation was beyond my DIY abilities. After checking several options, I settled on Cleveland Glass Block. After viewing their brochures and speaking with their consultant, I made it clear I did not want a “modern” looking bathroom. Instead, I wanted to make the bathroom appear as if it always had a built in shower, with subway tile to near the top of the stall. A classic look suited for a home built in the 1940s. Cleveland Glass was able to walk us through the process of what would be done and how long it would take. They suggested replacing the existing glass block with a new, better sealed version; also, the cupboard door was in poor shape and needed to be replaced; finally the whole room would be brightened up with a coat of lighter paint.

The process of re-tiling the wall was the most time consuming. The old tile was removed, as was much of the degraded plaster. New plumbing was installed allowing for new faucet controls and a higher showerhead – I frequently bumped my head on the old one. New drywall was installed, and the tile was then meticulously placed and grouted. We had our choice of grout colors, and opted for a traditional off white. After the work was completed, we had to wait for two days before we could use the shower. Fortunately, we have gym memberships. The final product was worth both the cost and the wait.

Fitness Update: The revenge of Christmas dinner

Despite the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I have been managing to keep up with my workouts. I worked out every day this past week, including Wednesday which I usually skip. I even managed to get in a Christmas Eve (well, the afternoon of Christmas Eve day) workout at Progressive’s gym, which was nearly devoid of people. I wish I could say I was being as vigilant about the diet end of things. Between the food offered at various project and seasonal work events, and the treats shared by coworkers, I’ve put a couple pounds back on.

Dan had to work overnight, so while he slept Christmas morning, I began work on dinner: Candied Yams and Stuffin’ Muffins (muffins made of stuffing). After he awakened and we opened presents, Dan made Pasteles and arroz con gandules, and we washed our meal down with coquito. A traditional feast, but one that mixed several traditions.














Making the Stuffin' Muffins - note the time on the stove.

12/24/2011 214#

Staycation renovation

I was on staycation last week, watching Mason and the house while Dan traveled to his brother’s place in Virginia. Although I was sick with a sinus infection for all but two of those days, I took the opportunity to get some work done in the house: I removed the carpeting from the upstairs hallway. Taking out the layer of tan, shag carpeting, I found remnants of bright orange shag underneath it, along with the carpet pad. I also found evidence of some sloppy tile work in the threshold where the bathroom meets the hallway. The entire job would have been done in three hours if not for that sloppy tile work. As it was, I had to neaten that up, buy a new threshold cover, and fit that to the door frame. But it was worth it. The existing floor has been preserved by the carpeting and looks better than the bedroom floors – which have a bit of wear.







I also considered taking out the carpeting in the family room, but there are two obstacles which make that impractical. For one, the existing wood floors are poor quality and would have to be heavily renovated or covered with better hardwood. Also, the family room is an addition to the house (added in 1956, according to records) and is built over a crawl space that vents to the outside – so the floors would become very cold in winter. So, we have decided to replace the existing carpet.

Dan returned on Thanksgiving day via Akron-Canton airport. We stopped at the Waffle House in Green for our Thanksgiving dinner. Surprisingly good – and no clean up on our part.

Mailbox

Our house was painted last June. But already there is some peeling on the front of the house. I guess that’s the hazard of having wood siding and temperatures that range from the 90s to below zero.

I peeled off the loose paint and repainted Thursday, with a second coat on Friday. I also decided to do a little restoration of the mail-slot. It was covered with at least four layers of paint (from the outermost layer in: blue, grey, red, and white) and its texture was no longer visible. Worse, after the mail was delivered, it sometimes stuck in the open position.

I took the covering off the outer wall, which was not easy since the bolts were almost fused to the nuts. Using a method I learned when fixing an apartment in 1989, I put the covering into boiling water, which caused the paint to soften and come off more easily. It took two rounds of boiling and scraping to get all the paint off. After that, I used steel wool to remove smudges and a bit of polish to brighten it up.

 Now, the slot, which I suspect has been on the house since it first went up in 1942, looks as it should. Not brand new, but not dirty either. The letter M (which either stands for the old owner’s name or for “Mail”) is clearly visible. And when the carrier drops the mail down the chute, the slot closes with a resounding klang, which always gets Mason’s attention.

Painting and dining

An eventful week passed that found me feeling defeated one day and accomplished the next.

Much of the week, I was feeling the effects of a tendon strain that seems to be turning into a chronic condition. I have come to the conclusion that I must indefinitely suspend strength training on my legs (at least my upper legs), but I can continue working the elliptical machine as long as the resistance settings are not set too high. Tuesday evening, things were painful enough that I took a Flexeril and Vicodin and within an hour I was a zombie.

I spent much of the rest of the week trying to regain enough focus to do my work and put together plans for the weekend. The major item on the agenda was painting the dining room, which I’ve been wanting to do for ten months. (The previous owner killed the first floor with beige, and I decided to paint the dining room a shade of red to break things up.) Friday evening, I felt well enough to tape off the moulding and, with Danny’s help, move the furniture out of the way.

The dining room last November. Nice but rather plain.

Saturday morning, I had to get some more masking tape to finish off the moulding, fill out some areas with spackle, and then I went to work painting, starting with the areas around the trim.

By 1pm, the first coat was completed. After relaxing for a few hours, I applied the second coat, and the dining room was done by evening. Unfortunately, as I was removing the masking tape, some layers of paint on the trim came off, so I will have to repaint the trim eventually. It’s not a high priority for now. The room now has a more vibrant look, contrasting with the mellow ambience of the living room. The darker color also highlights the artwork.

Mostly finished, with the masking tape still on the trim.

Sunday morning, my alarm went off at 6:25 as usual, and Mason was there to enforce it. But as he was licking my face, I told Mason it was “quiet time”, and he promptly laid down and let out an exasperated sigh. He let me sleep in till 8am. After a quick glass of OJ, I took Mason for a ride to my buddy Stan’s house to pick up a Star Trek cookbook for a party we’re having next week. After we got back, Danny made waffles and we relaxed between folding loads of laundry. At 4pm, we had Zsolt over for drinks and dinner in our “new” dining room. It was a pleasure sharing dinner with a friend, especially one who was open to Mason’s exuberant affection.

Zsolt dances with Mason


Zsolt and Mason, last November

Home Improvement

Danny and I began work on the exterior - our summer project.  We're keeping the wood siding for now.  We plan to keep the colors mostly the same, except the grey shutters will be painted Navy Blue, as will the trim around the door.

Front of the house.  I took down the eagle - multiple layers of paint obscured the details.  After the house is repainted, the eagle will be restored and remounted.


The North Wall.  This is the unfortunate view people heading down the road have when approaching our house.  Since it's the tallest house on the block, the wear is painfully obvious.



The South Wall.  This will be the first section to be completed.  The branches from a small tree rubbed against the front corner.  The tree was severely trimmed last week.



Preparing the south wall.  Work had to be abandoned Saturday due to high winds. 

2008 in Review

If 2007 was a year of preparation, 2008 was the year events came into fruition.

Of course, the news event that most people will associate with 2008 is the election of Barack Obama. I intended to vote Democratic, as I have in nearly every election since I came of age. But I struggled with who to support in the primary. (For the record, I don’t have a good record for picking the winner in the primaries. Some of my previous selections: 1988 - Jesse Jackson; 1992 - Jerry Brown; 2004 - Howard Dean). After much internal struggle, I decided to support Obama in the primary due to his consistent opposition to the Iraq war. If Hillary Clinton had come forward earlier, and said “I was wrong” about her 2002 vote, I may well have supported her. But she didn’t, so I selected Obama, despite his weaker position on gay issues. In the end, he won. Time will tell if he merits reelection.

Danny and I did not take a joint vacation in 2008. For me, there was only a brief trip to Florida for my niece’s high school graduation.

Careerwise, after years of attempts, I’ve finally been relieved of my phone job, at least temporarily. I’ve enjoyed my new position, testing our new policy servicing system. It’s scheduled to roll out in April, at which time I may have to return to the phones. But I’m hoping to spin it off into a permanent position in my new department, and my new manager seems eager to help.

In August, after months of scouting the market and saving money for a down payment, Danny and I made an offer on a house. After some negotiations, the deal was finalized, and our loan was approved mere days before the economy suffered a ground quake. For someone who’s used to stumbling while reaching for the goal, it was a rare moment of serendipity in my life. Between the deflated housing market and low interest rates, we secured a very good deal. Buying a house is a major hassle, and I don’t plan on doing it with any regularity. Unless we have a massive increase in income, or leave Northeast Ohio, Danny and I plan to remain here until we retire. The house was built in 1942, and many of my plans for 2009 revolve around sprucing up the exterior, and, of course, buying furniture!


But for me, the greatest event of 2008 was adopting Mason. Indeed, one of the primary reasons for getting a house was so I could get a dog. Ever since my childhood, I’ve related to dogs on a level where I often encounter failure with humans. I’ve wanted a Labrador for over 20 years. Mason is not purebred, but I’ve learned the benefits of mixed breed, or All-American dogs, and I couldn’t be happier with him. He sits by my side as I type this. All too many people treat pets as toys. But I’m always cognizant that Mason is a living creature. It’s a major responsibility, but I welcome it. In less than two months, Mason has taught me so much. Dogs don’t spend time worrying about the future or fretting over past events. They live for the moment, and Mason is helping me to do that. Theologians debate whether animals have “souls.” Although I’m not particularly spiritual, when I look into Mason’s eyes, I know he has a soul.


Mason on November 3rd.

Mason on Christmas day

On to 2009!

Danny & I quietly enjoyed our first Christmas in our new home, with our new addition, Mason.  Our friend Zsolt was ill and had to beg off. 

After we finished opening our presents, I took Mason for a walk.  Then we crashed on the sofa for a nap.


Since 1978, it's been my Christmas tradition to go to a movie.  Danny and I went to see Marley & Me.  I don't care what the critics say, this was a wonderful film.  Word of caution, if you go to see it, bring some Kleenex.

Danny and I have been incredibly busy. The house is now more or less in order. Repairs needed to get us through the winter are complete, I bought a snow blower, and the Xmas decorations are up. The only item remaining on the agenda is to buy a medicine cabinet for the bathroom and replace the rather tacky option by the previous owner (he simply hung a mirror over the hole in the bathroom wall).

 

Instead of Xmas presents for each other, Danny and I each got something for the house. I bought the Washer/Dryer which was installed the day before we moved in. Danny got a 47” LCD TV last weekend. I think I’m going to indulge in some couch potato-hood this winter. 

 

The rest of the past month has been taken up with work and Mason. He’s growing by leaps and bounds, both in physical size and behavior. Mason weighed in at 14 pounds at the veterinarian’s office on Monday. He’s very smart and is mostly housetrained, although he has had a few accidents (such as last weekend when our friend Zsolt visited and Mason wet himself with excitement). He’s also freakishly neat. I’ve noticed that he places his toys back in his cage after finishing with them – often in the same spot in the cage where they were before. Although friendly, Mason is now basically a toddler, and is in the “terrible twos” stage of behavior. For the last week, he has been rebellious and testing the limits of what he can get away with. Danny and I try to be patient and give him an activity to appease his restlessness, or put him in a restricted area for a time out.

 

On the work front, things are proceeding apace with our project. Our team had a very heavy work load, so we were given a two week extension to complete our testing – which ends today. Despite the extension, not all our tests were completed, mostly due to system outages and tests which had to be listed as invalid. Management has asked us to divide into two shifts: one starting at 6am, the other at Noon. So, beginning next week, I’ll be setting the alarm for 4:30am. It actually works out well for me since Mason won’t be alone at home too long. Amusingly, I discovered a few weeks ago that I went to high school with one of the members of my team. Same school, same year. But she and I didn’t share any classes, apparently.

 

Danny and I have been appalled by the economic news, but I have not been especially surprised. America has been living a debt heavy lifestyle for too long, and the chickens have come home to roost. I really think that GM in particular has dug its own grave. Carrying eight brands of automobiles with that duplication of models (like the Pontiac G5, which is a rebadged Chevy Cobalt) was recipe for disaster. Troubling is GM’s apparent plan to ditch Saturn, one of their only brands to show any innovation over the past few years. I’m aware most Americans are opposed to any bailout of the Big Three. And as a Honda driver, I don’t see myself driving a Ford, GM, or Chrysler anytime soon. But we can’t afford to lose this industry, as clumsy and idiotically run as it is. I think the government should place them in receivership, and a reformer should be appointed who would have broad authority to nullify union and dealership contracts and reorganize the companies. GM should drop the Buick, GMC, and Hummer labels, and sell Daewoo. Saab and Saturn should be spun off into their own, independent, companies. Ford should eliminate the Mercury brand, sell Volvo and sell their stakes in Mazda and Aston Martin. Then Ford needs to learn marketing, build fewer models (one compact, one midsize, one luxury car model) and not change the model names every three years, which is confusing to consumers and annoying to dealers. (Honda and Toyota know how to market autos. Civics and Camrys have been around for decades and have a defined image). I don’t know enough about Chrysler’s situation to comment, but the PT Cruiser I had as a rental a few months ago was a total piece of crap.   


I've been following President-elect Obama's handling of the transition, and I've been very impressed.  He's picking strong leaders for the Cabinet, although I don't agree with every one of them on every issue.  Hillary Clinton at State is undoubtedly his most controversial pick so far.  But most Americans don't appreciate how incredibly popular both Clintons are world wide.  Hillary can help America restore its image as a leader rather than a bully.  I must also admit, to my surprise, that President Bush has been handling his end of the transition with a graciousness sadly lacking during the bulk of his reign.  By the way, this whole "smooth transition of power" thing is rather new.  The first president to pledge one was Harry Truman, who knew something about assuming power under difficult circumstances. 

 

Neither Danny nor I face an immediate threat to our jobs. Progressive is in pretty good shape (in fact, we seem to have profited from AIG’s troubles and have 337,000 more policies than a year ago), and people will always need health care – so Danny’s job is safe. Still, I have decided to reign in my furniture purchases for now, so the house will continue to have one empty bedroom and a partially furnished living room.

 

Time to enjoy the weekend…

Adventures in Commode Repair

Back during our house hunting days, Danny and I spotted a house on a nice quiet street. The home, built in 1922, was beautiful on the outside. The inside was another matter. Several of the rooms had been remodeled, but each change was done in the style of the respective era: so there were 1970’s kitchen cupboards and avocado green appliances, a 1980’s fireplace, and 1950’s bookcases. It was atrocious. As it turned out, the house had serious moisture problems in the basement, so the question of that house became academic. But I determined that if Danny and I got an older house, we would try to keep it true to the period. (Within reason, I’m not doing without TV or the Internet.)

The house we bought was built in 1942. There have been several changes, including the addition of a gas fireplace about six years ago. But much of the house is unchanged from the original construction. One of the original pieces, as it turns out, is the toilet. It’s an American Standard Cadet, and the date stamped on the underside of the tank lid indicates it was built in 1939. Our hunky inspector, Greg, noticed a leak which he indicated was coming from the connection between the toilet and floor. Greg explained the procedure for fixing it, and since the seller was already taking care of some electrical problems (to the tune of $1,400), I agreed to repair the toilet.

As it turned out, the leak was actually coming from the connection between the tank and the bowl. The bolts holding the tank in place were badly corroded and needed replacement, and upon inspecting the mechanism, I determined that the parts would need to be replaced. A simple repair, I figured. I had no idea what I was in for this past Sunday.

I soon discovered a large amount of sludge between the tank and bowl, so the tank had to be removed and cleaned. It took over two hours to remove the tank, including over one hour just to unscrew one rusted bolt. I had to hammer in a screwdriver between the tank bottom and bolt to hold it in place (which was risky because I could have cracked the porcelain) while I twisted off the nut. Not a pleasant experience.

Once the tank had been removed, I carried it down to the basement and discovered the part that covered the vent was sealed tight, which made a replacement tank an easier option. However, we were unable to find a tank that fit our older toilet. So, we had to find a wrench large enough to unscrew the over 3” wide mechanism. As it happened, there were several trips to Severance Town Center Home Depot over the course of that Sunday, and I want to take this opportunity to point out that the staff at that particular location are neither knowledgeable nor helpful.

After much grunting, sweating, and straining, I was finally able to remove the part by using the wrench while Danny simultaneously held the other end and the tank itself in place. We then thoroughly cleaned the tank interior and exterior with bleach and an SOS pad. It shone like new.

Before reinstalling the tank, we painted the area behind where the tank sits that the previous owner had skipped - - fortunately, he’d left the spare paint behind. Carefully, I added piece by piece of the new mechanism while Danny handed me the parts, and after a few adjustments, our “new” commode worked perfectly: quiet, efficient, and no leaks.



Time spent on project: 8 hours

Cost of replacement mechanism and tools: $50

Satisfaction due to not having to call Joe the Plumber for help: Priceless

Home Sweet Home

After a lot of struggle, frustration, and exhaustion, Danny and I have finally completed the move to our home. We got access to the house on Saturday at noon. As soon as we entered the living room, Danny and I shared a celebratory kiss.

We had already bought supplies at Costco and unloaded them from the car as soon as we arrived. Although the interior was basically ok, there was a lot of leftover dog hair, so I got to work on the floors. Despite the dog hair situation, Danny and I still want to get a dog of our own and have been checking out shelters.

On Sunday, Danny experienced the “joys” of yardwork while raking the entire front and back yard. We discovered a lawnmower in the garage but haven’t tested it to see if it works. If so, I may give the lawn a quick mow before winter sets in. We also met our immediate neighbors, Loraine, a nice older lady, and Paul, who has a dog (we’ve heard the dog, but haven’t seen it yet) which barks every time we close our car doors.

Monday was installation day: we had the cable set up and the washer/dryer installed. I was worried the latter might not fit down the narrow stairwell to the basement, but the movers were just barely able to squeeze them in. The house (built in 1942) has a laundry chute, a great time saver. We had considered spending the Monday night at the house, but with the movers coming early Tuesday morning, decided to head back to the apartment for one final night.

Tuesday was a frustrating ordeal, mostly because of continuing problems at Richmond Park Apartments. The elevator nearest our apartment hasn’t been working for ten months, so the movers had to haul our stuff all the way to the central elevator, which caused considerable delay. It took until 4pm for the delivery to our new place to be complete. And then there was the dilemma of unpacking. Danny and I did all we could before collapsing in the evening.

We awoke early Wednesday to pick up Zsolt for his trip to the airport - - he’s heading to Japan to play some concerts. Zsolt treated us to a comforting early morning breakfast at First Watch Café (we all ordered the same thing) before we battled rush hour traffic. After dropping Zsolt off, Danny and I headed back to the apartment where we left a few items behind. I plan to head there again on Saturday to do a quick cleanup and finalize our departure.

Over the past few days, I’ve reviewed a few small problems which will require attention soon, including a repair to the toilet that I plan to take care of this weekend. Although the house doesn’t appear to be a money pit, as an older dwelling it will definitely be a work pit for the foreseeable future. Ah, the joys of ownership...