That day I had several client site visits to make, not to mention proposals and other deliverables due. I slammed as many of them as I could before leaving that morning, saving time by not taking a shower. I simply threw on a baseball cap and figured I’d explain my dishevelment to my clients when I saw them. I made quick work of my client visits and at the last one, I asked my client if he knew of a good plumber. Since my client runs a property management company, I figured if anyone knew of a good plumber, he would. Recommendation in hand, I was out the door and on the phone.

The person I called came highly recommended and after a quick conversation, he told me that what I would need is a new water heater. 45 minutes after my first call, someone was there at the house to take a look and see what the problem was. The problem was simple – I needed a new water heater. 2 hours and $850 dollars later and I had a new gas water heater installed and heating away. I was absolutely stunned at how fast they got it done and was quite pleased with myself for how smart I was in choosing them.

But Wait… There’s More
Tired and a little stressed out from all the excitement from the day, I walked inside the house and noticed that it wasn’t all that cool. The air conditioning was just cranking away, but I checked the thermostat and it read 87ºF. Crap. The air conditioning was out. This happens every year and after a charge of coolant, we’re good to go for the most part.

Someone did some work for us last year, but didn’t finish up and so we have a credit with him. I called this person first in the hopes of getting a refill for free. After not hearing back by the next day, Holly got on the phone to call around and find someone that could come out that day. It was Friday and the temperatures were reaching the low 90′s, so I was ready for some relief.

One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating ended up coming out. I ran though the litany of how our system “operates” and after a few tests, it turned out that compressor was bad. Our system was hanging on by a thread as it was, so sinking more money into buying a new compressor didn’t make much sense. So we had no other choice but to bite the bullet and get a new system at the tune of $6500.

More Elbow Grease Needed
Pretty tough couple of punches over a two-day period, I must say. We thought the water heater was bad, but the heating and air conditioning system blew that right out of the water. Which, speaking of water, I still had to clean out the garage due to the river that ran through it on Thursday. Things had to be dried out and since the garage was a huge mess to begin with, it meant having to truly clean it and not just move things around.

I got things dried out on Thursday and Friday and then on Saturday, I made good headway in actually getting it cleaned. Of course, this is all on top of Holy Week, getting our taxes done and helping Holly with her children’s choir, “Kidz Jam”, as well as all the various and sundry tasks that have to get done each day.

Excellent progress has been made thus far, including getting a new shelf installed, peg board in place and my work bench back in order. There’s still plenty to do though, but it’s mostly organizing and putting away. All the cleaning and project type stuff has been finished.

With my tax forms completed today, I’ll be able to turn my focus back to the garage to wrap things up over the rest of the week.

Still No Air Conditioning
On Saturday, the installers arrived around 3pm and although they made every effort to get everything installed, there were some unforeseen snags that kept them from doing so. Our old concrete base wasn’t big enough and the duct work needed a new part, just to name a few of the problems they ran into. They were very apologetic about not being able to finish, but promised to come back today.

So I’m now on day 5 without air conditioning and I’m ever so thankful for the ceiling fan in my office. To hell with the designers on Trading Spaces and their habit of always removing fans. If I didn’t have mine, there’s no way I would have been able to get anything done. Every afternoon the sun just bakes the back of the house, where my office is. It’s a real scorcher.

I’m also happy to report that at 11am, the One Hour Air guys showed back up this morning and have been working ever since to finish up the install. The condenser unit is all setup and they’re in the attic now putting in the heating unit and reworking the vent and ducts. I don’t think I’ll be complaining about the stress of my job after seeing these guys work their butts off like they have today.

Still Looking On The Bright Side
There’s no doubt that the past 5 days have been very stressful, but at the same time, Holly and I have managed to keep a smile on our faces and take it in stride. We’re thankful that we either had the money, or the credit to get the work done and that the right people for the job were there to do the work.

Last night we were sorting through statements for our taxes at 2am and making each other laugh with the stupid stuff we say to each other. I figure if we can still laugh we’re doing all right. There have been a lot of blessings that have helped ease the burden and it gives me pause to realize just how lucky I am. That’s right – I’m lucky.

Fast forward to several hours later when Gail and Holly are trying to describe how this oil lamp worked. Although they tried to explain it, I just couldn’t get my head around how this thing worked exactly. Mike and I both scratched our head a bit and figured we’d go out there ourselves and see them first-hand since Holly was so enamored with them. Lucky for Holly and I, we didn’t have to wait because Mike and Gail bought us one as an early thank you gift!

Now that I had one in hand, I could get a better sense of how this thing worked, but first I had to try it out for my self. We followed the instructions, waited for the wick to get it’s fill of oil and then lit the top of the lamp. After 4 minutes or so, we blew it out and then took a step back as the room began to fill with the most wonder scent. It was heaven.

So What Is An Effusion Lamp?
Effusion lamps were invented over 100 years ago by a gentleman by the name of Maurice Berger in Paris, France. Maurice invented the lamp for hospitals with the intended purpose of purifying the air and making the air smell better as well. Figuring that people could also use these lamps in the home, Maurice Berger patented his invention and created the company Lampe Berger to sell the lamps.

Unfortunately, Lampe Berger lamps are rather expensive, so it wasn’t until the patent ran out in 1998 that other companies were able to create similar products and begin marketing them. This dropped the price down considerably, since Lampe Berger lamps started at around $100 a piece. Now days, you can get effusion lamps for as little as $25, so their popularity has grown since more people can afford it.

So How Does It Work
For starters, effusion lamps use a high-grade alcohol based fuel that contains a fragrance. It’s not an oil based fuel, so it burns cleanly and supposedly destroys odors and purifies the air.

The second piece to this unique lamp is the “catalytic wick stone” that tops the lamp. You light the lamp to heat the stone for a few minutes and then when you blow it out – that’s when it begins to work. There’s a great image that illustrates the whole process at this link.

The end result is that you can scent an entire room in about 30 minutes. Odors will disappear, the air will smell cleaner and have a fantastic scent to boot!

Where Do You Get Them?
As you might imagine, there’s a whole world of lamps and fragrances to choose from. On one web site alone I found over 150 scents to choose from. Our favorites right now are “Red Currant” (also sold as “Something In Red” by La-Tee-Da!), Ocean Breeze, and Orange Cinnamon. The best part about all the fragrances, is that you can easily switch from one scent to another. Just pour the un-used portion back into the container and fill with the new scent!

As for the lamps themselves, Courtney’s Candles & Creations carries a wide selection of La-Tee-Da! lamps, as well as others. The lamps that we own are made by Aromalytic and can good deals can be found at Creeds Online.

Please bear in mind that I can’t vouch for any of the companies I’ve listed. Both of our lamps have come from “Cherie’s Unique Decor” at The Factory.

Both? You Mean You Have More Than One?
Caught that reference did you? Well, it’s true! After using the one that Mike and Gail got us so much, I decided I could use one just for my office. I ended up getting the Classic Glazed Cobalt on Saturday. Think that’s bad? Well, Holly has her eye on a Vogue Confetti model in purple for our bedroom.

Give one of these effusion lamps a try in your home and you too will see just how hooked you can get. You’ll swear off other air fresheners, Febreze, and plug-ins all together. These things are THAT good.

Since last weekend was such a success, I guess I felt the need to “kick it up a notch” as Emeril would say. On Saturday I rented a power washer and a big honkin’ trash pump for Mission: Pool Cleaning. If you recall from last year, cleaning the pool is a major pain in the rump. I had vowed to never let it get dirty like that again, but at the end of the season she simply got away from me. Holly and I went on a short vacation and when I returned, the pool had a green cast. I tried to pull it back, but there was no use, so I let her slide into sludge pond mode. After keeping the pool pristine clean through the Spring, Summer and most of Fall, it was a real shame to lose it at the end.

Since I’ve cleaned the pool 3 times now, I’ve developed a routine. First you pump as much water out as you can. That translates into ankle deep water, which you then have to bail with a bucket by hand. When you’re no longer able to fill half of the bucket, in comes the shop vac to suck up what’s left. Although it’s nice to have a machine suck up the water, you still have to dump a super-sized bucket of green super funky water over your shoulder, so it’s no picnic. With the water out, it’s now time to fill bag after bag of slimy leaves and decomposing matter. When all the solids are removed, it’s time to scrub down the entire vinyl liner with Tilex and a hand brush. Lastly, you rinse with fresh water and then shop vac that out and you’re finally ready to fill.

Saturday
I was not looking forward to this project, but I wanted to get it out of the way so that I can focus on other, more exciting projects. As I stood in the Dixie Rents office, the thought occurred to me, “there HAS to be a better way.” So I talked to the manager a bit about what I was trying to do and what I’ve used in the past. When he mentioned a gas powered pump, my initial thought was that it was way too expensive, but when he said that it would pump close to 200 gallons per minute, I said “Sign me up!” Turns out it was only $30 more per day, so it wasn’t a pocket book killer getting the larger pump.

When I got home, Holly helped me get the pump out of the truck and load it onto a piano dolly. It was too heavy for me to lift by myself, but with Holly’s help, we were able to drag it down the hill to the pool. With everything connected and primed, I cranked the motor and stood back in amazement as water shot out of the exhaust hose into the field behind our house. Since the pump doesn’t actually submerge into the water and the intake hose is round, it meant that I could walk away and let the pump do it’s trick. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of having the right tool for the job, and this pump was just that – the right tool.

I had also rented a power washer. Based on my previous experience, I had many hours to work on other things while the pool was drained. My intention was to use the power washer to clean the deck. It’s a project that I got about half way through the first stage over a year ago. My thinking was that the power washer would bring me back to where I was when I stopped cleaning the deck. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the results I was getting, so I had to abandon the project. Yet all was not lost! There was plenty of other things that needed cleaning, so I began spraying the driveway and walkway at the front of the house.

I was just done with the steps when I decided to check on the pool. As I made my way to the back, I was expecting to see maybe one quarter of the water gone, but much to my surprise the pool was almost drained! :O I tag teamed between blasting the driveway and checking on the pool until it was done draining. With complete shock and awe, the pool was drained in less than two hours. Not only that, but the water was lower than it had ever been with the other pump. Needless to say, I love this pump!

Holly was out running errands, so I finished up the driveway and also cleaned all the outside furniture to try and make full use of the power washer. With Holly’s help I hopped in the pool and sucked up some more water with the super pump. When all was said and done, that pump had taken out enough water so that I didn’t need to bail! Absolutely amazing. We returned the rented equipment and after a long stop at Wal-Mart, it was too dark to do anything else, so the next phase of the pool had to wait until the next day.

Sunday
Although I was very tired from all the work on Saturday and even though Daylight Savings Time went into effect that morning, I couldn’t wait to wake up. Why? Because I decided to kick off Daylight Savings Time with an inaugural bicycle ride! I’ll save my comments about the ride for another entry, but I will tell you that it was a lot of fun and it felt great to be riding again.

When I made it back home, I fired up the lawnmower and mowed the yard, including the hill. I didn’t use a bag this time, but it was still hard work due to that darn hill. I only mow it twice a month in season, but the pitch on that hill feels like I’m trying to mow an alpine cliff. There wasn’t time to do much else before church, so I hoped in the shower, dressed in some of my “skinny clothes” and headed off to Mass.

After a quick lunch, it was time to tackle the pool again. With my mother’s help, we were able to finish cleaning the pool in about 2 hours. Including the draining, the entire project only took 4 hours. Last year it took 6 hours just to drain it! It was still hard work, so my goal to actually winterize the pool this year still stands. The pool project went better than expected, but winterizing would still be much easier.

This weekend was another gang buster of productivity and I’m ecstatic with the results. The only downside is the state that my body is in right now. I may not have worked out at all last week, but you wouldn’t know it from the way I’m walking and groaning. I’m sore all over, but it’s a good kind of sore. It’s the kind of sore that reminds you off all the good work and success of a completed project that makes it feel somehow worthwhile. I hurt. I’m tired. I’m a “weekend warrior.”

Cleaning out the pool this year was a bit of a journey, as such, I created a Travelogue for it. It was simply too long to try and post here. To read all the gory details, please select this link. There is also a photo gallery that goes along with it. Warning, these photos are pretty nasty.

Guest Bathroom Vanity

The new light fixture is actually an outdoor lamp typically found on a barn or garage. Since the accent tones that we’re using are a natural metal, this fits in nicely – not to mention that it was cheap! The only downside is that it doesn’t cast enough light to illuminate the entire room. So, that means having to wire another light fixture for the room.

Speaking of lighting, Holly just fell in love with the lava lamp and just HAD to put it in the room. I don’t know if it’ll be a permanent accessory, but it’s fun.

Next on the task list – laying tile!