A/C Issues

So, I'm reading my niece-in-law's blog who is having all kinds of issues with her A/C breaking down during brutal heatwave and decided it was appropriate for me to post the issue we had with our A/C this weekend.

I had kissed Phil good bye on Sat. a.m. as he headed out to the golf course with him all set to be coming home on Sat. night to an empty house cuz I was heading to the lake to keep cool until Sunday afternoon. Well, it worked out that when he got home Sat. night at 7:45 p.m. (never checked his cell phone for my message) that I was there. He was surprised and relieved that I was there to help him put in our new A/C window unit that was just too cool (no pun intended) with a remote control. Oh, joy, another remote to try and keep track of. Anyway, I proceed while he's in the shower to get the living room set up to move the A/C into the window. The preparation consisted of breaking apart our sectional to clear the path and window for the A/C.

So, the new unit is so light he can carry it himself and place it in the window. Okay, so far so good so I proceed to the kitchen to get something to drink and all of a sudden I hear a crash. I run into the living room to see Phil hanging out the opening of the window where just a few minutes before our A/C had been. I'm trying not to burst out laughing at the expression on Phil's face which was between a deer in the headlights look and the look of disbelief and anger and frustration as he's hanging out the window. He then proceeds to head out to the yard to pick up the A/C while I am now peering out the hole in the window watching him pick up the unit and trudge back into the house with it. Dirt is falling all over the freshly vacuumed carpet and all. He tries to put the unit back in the window and as he's getting it set I look to see he has it in upside down! Yup, that sucker was upside down and he starts to object in earnest until he sees the power cord is facing up rather than down. He turns it over and now it's back in position but then I notice that my Torchiere floor lamp is in pieces.

Phil: "how in the hell did that break?"
Daina: "must have happened when you tried to catch the A/C as it fell out the window."
Phil: "I didn't like that lamp anyway."

Well, the lamp broke but at least the A/C works. And, I've had the best time telling this story! Ain't life grand?!

Happenings in NH

Well, I haven't blogged in a while so now it's time to catch up with one big post. So, here goes...the biggest news of the spring has been the birth of my niece, Olivia. She was born at 9:33 a.m. on Saturday, April 19th. This happened to also be the day of my niece-in-law, Erin's bridal shower. So, at around 5: 30 a.m. I got a call from my brother stating that they were on their way to the hospital and he would be in touch. By, the 3rd call I was on 2 phones...house line was my brother calling me to tell me that the C-section was beginning and my cell phone was my sister who I was happily updating on the exciting news. So, off I went to the hospital with a pit stop on the way to my sistah-in-law, Rochelle's to drop of my bridal shower gift along with directions to the restaurant where the shower was being held. Once at the hospital I stayed until we were sure that all was o.k. with Marcie and Olivia before heading up to their house to get Olivia's room ready. She was a few weeks early and well the room was painted but there was a wall paper border to hang and a changing table that needed to be brought down from the attic. Marcie's mom, Gail and I went to town and got the wall paper border hung on Sunday and the room all prettied up for Olivia's home coming.

Next, we went to Daytona for vacation with our friends, Pat & Charlie and had a great time relaxing in the sun. We stayed in a very nice resort located right on Rte. A-1-A on the beach. Could really get used to living down there during that time of year.

Next, we came home to find out that Mom finally finalized her purchase of the lake house. Finally she's the sole owner and we can now enjoy hanging out at the lake house without any doubt that it's finally her home.

Next, start of golf season and gardening season just in time for Memorial Day celebration up at the lake house. Bill and family arrived with their friends, Mimi and Rick with their two boys and we had a grand time enjoying the lake, grilling on the deck and hanging out at Mom's.

Next, finish planting the flowers around the house and some of the veggies. Mulch ordered and septic tank pumped...check and completed.

Now, this weekend, it's another trip back to the lake house.

Pictures of Snow Pack!

Here's a picture of the deck on the house up at Sugarloaf...the snow piled up is what has slid off the metal roof this season so far.





































Here's a picture of the snow bank in front of our house from all the snow we've had to shovel off the roof. Notice it's up to the height of our porch railing?!
Crazy!!

So, when do you think we'll be seeing spring flowers?

Spring Is On Its Way?!

Well, it's been a while since my last post and the only thing that's been worth posting lately is about all the snow we've seemed to keep getting blessed with. We're more than blessed up here in the North East. In fact, we've got too much. We're up to almost 96" for the year and we've got another month to two months of winter left. Yes, I know that spring comes in March but believe me we've had snow on May 18th before. No, I'm not kidding! Just ask our family...Donna and Wayne's wedding day was May 18th and it literally snowed that morning.

Anyway, we went skiing this past weekend and it was incredible. So, I'm thankful for the snowfall to have made such a great ski season so far.

Now, back to the shoveling part. It's so bad now that my mother's house up in Laconia is literally snowed in. There's nothing but snowbanks surrounding the house.

Our house has so much snow that we've had to close down on side of our cal-de-sac because the plow truck just can't squeeze through the opening any more. After arriving home from our ski weekend we had to unpack the car start shoveling and plowing which included a 2 hour shoveling stint on the roof. This makes trip number 6 up on the roof for me anyway, number 2 for Phil but he had a broken thumb. The snow bank in front of our house from the snow that has been shoveled this whole winter off of the roof is not up to the railings of our porch. Good thing about this is that the deer can no longer eat our evergreen bushes.

I'll be attaching pictures soon. Right now, I've been too busy to get them downloaded to post. But, for those of you that have visited our house I think you can imagine it.

We have a 1/2" ice expected with tomorrow night/Wednesday's weather that's coming. Then a break on Thurs. only to have another system coming on Friday and more snow showers on Sat.

I think at this point, I'd like to be visiting that damn Puxatuney Phil and give him a piece of my mind. :-)

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Well, if it's not snowing, sleeting or freezing rain...it's windy and freezing out. Today at the top of Mt. Washington it's -20° and the wind is blowing over 100 m.p.h. Yesterday we rec'd another 5" of the white stuff which was quite the work out shoveling. No need for Curves up here. Just keep on shoveling and you'll either lose the weight or die tryin. It was the nice heavy stuff that the minute you laid the shovel to it...it just stuck all together making bit clumps. Nice Snowman building snow or making snowballs. We've got another storm on the horizon for tomorrow afternoon into Wed. which means that there's just no rest for the weary. Sunday there's yet another storm on the horizon. Boy, this year is sure making up for the past 2 lack luster snow years. Now, if we could just get it to go further north. Let's just hope that we don't have a rapid meltdown or hip wadders are going to be the fashion statement for spring up here. Mud season ain't going to be pretty.

THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR

Well, it's the morning after the Pats losing to the NY Giants in what can I say...Patriots fashion. Yes, we wrote that play and it was executed beautifully by Eli and Plaxico. Hats off to the Giants! They played their hearts out and just seemed to have wanted it more. We will be back next year better and stronger and who knows...the Pats just might go undefeated again. Then again, maybe not. But all that matters is that its a great sport and there's always next year.

The good news is that on the 14th pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report down in Fl. to begin spring training. Let's Go RED SOX!!

Winter Kids

This week has been pretty hectic with having Martin Luther King Day off so I've not been able to make a blog posting until now. Anyway, last weekend, a group of us that couldn't ski on Sat. due to being restricted on the level of ski pass we purchased got together in the afternoon to go on a hike through the woods with snow shoes otherwise known as snowshoeing. Phil managed to ski and snow shoe on Saturday.

It was a really nice hike and humorous at times because out of the 9 people and 2 dogs snowshoeing, I was the only one out of the lot that had the classic kind of snowshoes. Everyone else were wearing the new shoes with metal tracks on the bottom. So, needless to say the steep hills that they were hiking up and down were quite the challenge for me. Thank goodness everyone was patient. While darkness was approaching all of us made it back to the starting point o.k. and in one piece.

I now know though how our ancestors felt trying to ski with the leather straps and wooden planks with only their poles to guide them down the steep inclines. Technology is an amazing thing!

However, I'll be purchasing a new pair of snow shoes once the annual sale starts up at our local winter sports outlet. Time for the old fashioned ones to be mounted on the wall.

I did get some really nice pictures while we were hiking along the Carrabassett River. I've posted one of my favorites from the trip. Enjoy!