4-Year Plans, Repairs, and What's Next

This morning I got to spend an hour at the HS with the oldest son, as we met with his counselor and planned out a tentative 4-year plan for his classes. Surprisingly, though he has been struggling with homework (read: being lazy and doing it) he opted for continuing the Honors level classes. The Wife and I had discussed it this weekend, and I let it be known today that if he felt he needed to drop to regular level classes in order to keep an acceptable GPA for college, he had that option. Either way, the classes that he picked/planned out are all changeable as the year for them approach. I admit I was surprised he said he wanted to keep the Honors classes after issues already this year. Either way, there wasn't much input needed from myself, as the counselor did most of the talking.

I still need to get the plumber out here. I guess after looking at the pipe issue with the one shower, we discovered that one of the lines from the water heater has a 'very corroded elbow joint'. I put that in quotes, as they are the words of the Wife. So, another issue just got added to the list for the plumber to fix when I get around to calling them. Looks like it may be Wednesday before I get time for them to come though, as tomorrow I feel I will be without a vehicle most of the day. The Wife's van is due at the dealership in the morning, which means she will have my van. Preacher Tom is picking me up, but I will have him drop me off at the MIL's so she can do her usual Tuesday grocery trip, then I will be stuck there until they say the van is ready. As I need to be back at her place when the younger sons are released from school, it is just easier to hang out there for the day, I guess. I am not looking forward to it, but I do have my Kindle to read at least.

Most of this week is free, though there will be some rehearsals for the church play that two of the boys are in, plus the performances over the weekend. We are down to two weeks to try to get some shopping done for Christmas - if we have any money left after the plumber.

That's all I got for today.

PeacE

Time To Call It Quits

I wrote earlier this morning about the issues I am having with things around here. First, the damn toilet. The floor flange is broken now. It is an older home (built in the early 60's) so the piping is like cast iron. The flange is not bolted on (as is the norm for home nowadays) so it will need to be cut off from what I understand. I thought maybe a thin newer one over it, but, no bolts to hold it in place, and the piece that broke off is big enough, I can't just do a partial. Added to that, there is concrete flooring, that someone evidently had replaced this piece before, as it was all filled with plumbers putty and nothing to bolt into to hold anything in place. I went and removed the tank from the toilet to replace the flush valve. I just cannot get the holding nut to turn, without turning everything. I am guessing it is going to need to be cut off. Then, in the other bathroom, the piping to the shower head is leaking when on. Thankfully, the piping is exposed from the back side which is in our storage room, so access to it is available. However, it is metal piping, and I have no clue as to what to do to fix it. All jobs for a plumber. So, now I have to figure out a time that the Wife or I will be home for one to come by. Added to this, the van is going to the dealer again for the radiator leak on Tuesday, and both Monday & Tuesday I have other running that needs to be done.

I'm fucking done. I am frustrated beyond anything I have been before. I'm sore from trying to get shit to work and moving and up/down on the knees, my back hurts. I just feel like everything is going wrong. Makes me feel like just leaving the house and going drinking. But I know I shouldn't.

I just don't know what to do at this point. Or rather, how, and when.

Sigh

PeacE

Where's the Brighter Side?

Some days you feel like you just can't win for anything. Yesterday was one of those days for me. I need to still work on the toilet, as I didn't get around to it. I went to take a shower in the master bath. Lo, and behold, I now have a leak from the shower head piping, at the wall, and it runs down the wall. It all just keeps adding up. I'm frustrated, pissed off, and feeling like I am in over my head. I will be taking a look from the backside of where the piping is, which happens to be a storage room area, so there is a good chance that the wall will be open so I can get to the piping without tearing into drywall. And here's to an easy piping fix, where I won't need to call a plumber. In the mean time, while knowing the seal for the toilet isn't right, discovered the new flapper for the tank isn't seating properly due to "wear" on the valve it sits upon. Which means it needs to be replaced. So, now the tank needs to come off, travel to Lowe's again for the right part (taking it with me) then can re-seat the toilet bowl, hopefully getting the seal right, refit the tank and attach, and be done with the shitter. When I run to Lowe's, hopefully I will have a good idea of what I will need to do about the shower head pipe leak, and be able to get those parts as well.

Already my day sounds full of stuff I don't want to do, but obviously needs to get done. Here's hoping no emergency calls for a plumber are needed. I guess if I think hard and positive enough about it, the brighter side of things would be that with these repairs, there should be no need to worry about these items for at least a few good years....

PeacE

Let's Talk About the Shitter (Again)

So, I am pretty much done with my crapper seat. I went out yesterday morn, got the required materials (and then some). By the time I got home, I just didn't feel like messing with it. I recalled the Wife mentioning something about it running all the time, from the night before, and that the flapper didn't seem to be seated well. Sure enough, the thingy that it rests upon was a bit rough and pitted. So I read up on it, and feel that it is now beyond the simple step of a little sandpaper to smoothen it out. Which means, I will now be adding the removal of the tank, and replacing that wonderful piece of shit that I can't remember its name.... The only possible good news out of this, is, by taking the tank off, it'll be easier to set the toilet base and ring with it off.

Tonight the oldest son has his Winter concert. Joy. I know I should sound more excited, or at least caring. It just ain't happening this morning. I'm thinking another 60 minutes of sleep would do wonders.

PeacE

It's Round Three, and I am Losing

I am beginning to really hate toilet repair. What started out last Sunday as a simple wax ring replacement, has turned into a shitty (not quite literally) nightmare. Sunday was round one, and I made the mistake of placing the ring in the wrong way. Which of course, made it so there was no seal, and water leaked from around the base again. Starting round two, I thought I was better prepared. Got another wax ring, this one the extra thick wax, watched some videos and read some places about how to do things properly. I had the knowledge and the materials. Everything seemed to go right, and within 30 minutes, everything was done. There was some seepage from under still, but according to some of what I read, maybe letting it set overnight would be good. Yesterday morning I flushed her a good 3-4 times, and everything seemed okay. Come evening, one of the boys used it ,and suddenly, there was a flood again. I am almost at my wit's end about this, and ready to throw in the towel to get a plumber. However, I must give it that third try. Getting ready to head to the Lowe's to get yet another ring, and a few extra things: plumbers putty, caulk and some washers. If this idea does not work, it will be time to get professionals in here. I may wait until tomorrow to do the actual work though. Today feels a bit busy.

So, today being the typical Wednesday, the time schedule for the schools are different. I never understood why one day of the week they get out like an hour and a half earlier than usual. But that means I have to readjust my time to get things done. Topping that off, this is our last regular night of our pool league season - of which I am fairly glad. Being captain of the team has been somewhat stressful due to the lack of commitment from one player. Again I am waiting til a decent hour this morning to call him to verify, once again, if he will be there tonight or not. After tonight there are a couple weeks of little tournaments they do, that I won't be going to, and then the awards night, where basically all we are getting is a small amount of team money, and 2 players on the team get a 1st & 2nd little trophy/plaque. I have one of each from previous years, and will not be getting one this year.

I guess I should get my shoes on and head over to Lowe's to at least pick up the stuff I need. I have a small weakness though when I go there. There is a McDonald's right outside it, and I do love me some sweet tea with a couple sausage mcmuffins in the morning....

PeacE

Are We Looking At A Possible SuperBowl?

I have never been a big sports fan. Football, baseball, basketball, hockey... it just doesn't matter. Yeah, I have picked out a team to be my 'favorite' in each sport, but that doesn't mean I enjoy them. Well, most of them. I detest basketball, and I come from a state that it is supposedly so sacred......

What I like about sports, is the camaraderie. No, not the shit you share with some no-name just because you are both wearing the same team's colors, but the actual "hanging out" with the buds, watching and cheering on the team. I got to do that last night with my buddies Jan & Don. And even better as that the Redskins won! If it weren't for them being there to watch the game with, I probably would have cared less, and just waited until this morning to check the scores. I just cannot watch sports by myself.

So, it has been a crappy start to the week. I had to redo the wax ring on the toilet, as I had put it in the wrong way the first time on Sunday. I blame the instructions on the box, as they were wrong. Yeah, how can they be wrong if it is their product? Easy, when the damn thing is made in some other flipping country, and the word choice/phrasing is atrocious. Either way, whereas Sunday it took a couple hours, yesterday afternoon it only took 20 minutes. However, after getting it completed, and doing those first couple test flushes, I still had a small amount of water leaking from under the toilet. I am sure you can imagine, though not really wanting to picture it, of me standing on the toilet, kind of bouncing, to try to get it to "set" into the wax better. Next test flush, less water, but still some seepage. I decided to let it sit overnight without use to see if it is just a matter of the stuff needing to set. I worry about going in to test it this morning, so I think I shall wait until after I go to the MIL's. Which I don't want to fucking do this morning.

Which throws me into another bitch fit. I am just so tired of doing this shit, of having to go to the MIL's to sit with the FIL. Selfish, and a bit rude of me I am sure, but I wish he would just die. I have no personal grievance against him, just this vegetative state he is in is not helping anyone, and is nothing more than a hindrance for everyone... definitely a damn inconvenience for me, since I am the one having to spend all the time there to "give the MIL a break". Fucking bullshit is what it is.

And people wonder why I drink.... This is a contribution to the reasons.

PeacE

Things Just Going to Shit

Saturday wasn't too bad of a day. I got some shopping done. That's quite a bit considering I hate crowds as much as I do. Though, I do admit, there were too many Indians around. By Indians, I mean Native Americans. I swear, there were busloads of them at every store I went to. Either I just shop at the wrong stores, or their government checks came in and they were buying out the places. I actually did even see one bus of them unloading. At least they go back to the reservation. Them damn illegals don't go back to Mexico.

The Wife made her pilgrimage up north and back just fine. Well, except that I noticed her van is leaking radiator fluid again. Looks like we'll have to get it in to the shop. I am thinking of trying to get it to the local shop rather than the dealer, as I wonder if this may be a more routine thing, like a hose, than necessarily a major part. If it turns out worse, we can take it to the dealer. Just the hassle of it all is gives me the wearies.

Saturday also brought me a leaking toilet in our hall bath. Right from the base, so you know it is a wax ring issue. No big deal, right? I got up Sunday morning thinking it might take an hour to fix, but within 15 minutes, I knew it wasn't. One of the nuts attaching it to the floor was corroded, and not enough room to get a hacksaw to it. Went to Lowe's and home Depot, to see about a nut splitter, but both guys in their tool dept had no clue as to what I wanted. One even looked it up on the internet to see what it was. Ended up buying an attachment for the drill, and a metal grinding disk, which worked fine. Got the new ring on, set the toilet, replaced the innards of the tank (which needed done also) and turned the water back on. Flush. Water leaking worse than before. Sigh. I give up. Might be calling the plumber today...unless I get a wild hair up my ass and decide to try it again. Maybe get another ring? I dunno.

So my week is starting out like crap. After all, I bee up since just before 4am.

PeacE