Monthly Archives: May 2015

Eight Do’s and Don’ts for DIY Garbage Disposal Replacement

If you have ever owned a home with a garbage disposal in the kitchen, then you know they don’t last forever and will eventually need replacing.  The person at Home Depot said they last about 10 years.  We’ve been in our home for 14 and we just now had to install a new one.  We don’t know how long it was in the place before we moved in.  A mid-range new unit runs over $100.00. ($149.00 to be exact.)  If you are anything like we are, you will want to save on the installation if possible.  My husband and I spent some time replacing our garbage disposal yesterday, and I wanted to share a few things that we learned in the process. .

1. Watch this video before you start. Make your husband watch it too. If he is anything like mine, he will not want to but he admitted afterwards that he was glad he did. It gives you a list of all of the tools and materials you will need in order to install your new unit.

2. Look at the unit you will be replacing and how it is connected. Determine the correct size of the unit you will be replacing before purchasing a new one.

3. Will you need to purchase an installation kit as the video says? Don’t let the salesperson at your local home improvement store talk you out of it if you think you need one. If you end up not using it, you can always return it. It will save you a trip to the store in the middle of the process.

We purchased our new disposal without doing any of this beforehand and it resulted in two trips to Home Depot while we were installing the new unit. The first trip was for the salesperson to talk my husband out of getting an installation kit, and the second was actually to purchase the kit. What should have taken an hour at the most, took four instead.

4. Read the installation instructions that come with your new unit. Again, your husband won’t want to do this, but trust me…he won’t be sorry if he does.

5. Do not believe the person at Home Depot when he says it will be simple. In theory, it is, but you know the person that made the video I shared used the art of editing before he posted it! Duh!

In retrospect, the most difficult part of the installation was hanging the new unit.  They are heavy and neither my husband nor I were able to hold it up in place long enough in order to connect it.  I have no upper body strength, and my husband has a physical condition that prevents him from lifting his arms over his head.  Just as I was admitting defeat and calling my son for help, my husband gave it, one last shot and got it connected.

6. Learn to cuss. As a young child, I used to watch my father do things around the house like work on plumbing, etc. Things always seemed to go better when Daddy cussed. I tried this myself once and it worked. I think my husband  cussed just as the disposal unit finally slipped into place.

7. Maintain a sense of humor throughout the process.

So, four hours, a migraine and a stiff neck later, I have a new garbage disposal!  We saved at least $100.00 by installing it ourselves.

8. I almost forgot to mention one last thing we learned while replacing our garbage disposal and you should remember while you are replacing yours. When the old unit is disconnected and the new one not yet attached…remember…DO. NOT. Turn. On. The. Water! Unless, of course, you mean to mop your kitchen floor in the process.

So here is my creation for today.  It uses an oldie but goodie stamp set Thoughts and Prayers.

All Occasions Class Thinking of You

Hope you enjoyed your visit here today.  Until next time…

Happy Stamping!

Josie2

 

 

 

Scared to Death!

 

WARNING:  Some people do not like to think of the prospect of death.  If you are one of those people, you may not want to read this post. 

In a few weeks, I will undergo a medical procedure known as Cardiac Ablation. Cardiac ablation is a procedure that can correct heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias).

According to the Mayo Clinic, ablation uses long, flexible tubes (catheters) that are “inserted through a vein in your groin and threaded to your heart to correct structural problems in your heart that cause an arrhythmia. Cardiac Ablation works by scarring the tissue in the heart that causes the abnormal heart rhythm.” In my case, the arrhythmia to correct is Atrial Fibrillation.  I have had this condition for several years. Until the latter part of this past year, I have taken medication for it and it has not been an issue.  During my routine yearly visit with my cardiologist this past December, I learned medication was no longer in control of the situation.

About a month ago, I wore a heart rate monitor for about 30 days, and it was determined that I am in A-fib 26% of the time.  Therefore, the doctor wants to do this procedure on me.  If it works, I will no longer have to take any type of heart medicine or blood thinner.

I am scared to death to do this!  As is my standard modi operandi (M.O.), I have been trying not to think of how frightened I am.  I am frightened of “biting it” during the procedure.  Moreover, by my thinking, if I allow myself to feel this way then it inevitably will happen.  How silly is that?

As I was stepping out of the shower this morning, I realized I needed to go with my emotions and not be afraid to feel. In experiencing my fear, I realized I am not afraid of dying.  I am afraid of what will become of those that I hold so dearly when I am gone.

Okay, so I am not one of those people that are so self-centered that I think my husband and children won’t be able to live life without me.  I know life goes on, but especially for my children…who will be there for them when they need that “motherly love”?  I DO know there is no love like a mother’s love.  I believe a mother’s love is the only true UNCONDITIONAL love we will ever experience.  Will they know how much I loved them?  Will it be enough to get them through to the end of their lives?

I experienced the devastating loss of my father in 2004.  I still have my mother. At age 58, I am not yet ready to envision what life will be like without her.  I still call her every Saturday to check in.  I continue to enjoy hearing how proud she is of me and my sister.  I still like to hear her words of encouragement when I need them.

If I die, who will do this for my children?  Yes , they are grown; ages 30 and 28.  They still have a long way to go before they are settled in their lives.  Who will encourage them?  Who will tell them how proud they make me?  Who will love them to the moon and back?

Garth Brooks said it best in the lyrics to his song If Tomorrow Never Comes.

If tomorrow never comes

“Will she (they) know how much I loved her (them)

Did I try in every way to show her (them) every day

That she’s (they’re) my only one

And if my time on earth were through

And she (they)must face the world without me

Is the love I gave her (them)  in the past

Gonna be enough to last

If tomorrow never comes.”

I have come to one conclusion.  I WILL NOT BITE THE DUST!   Not yet!

On to happier thoughts!  Here are some cards I’ve been working on with a few retiring products.  Hope you like them!  Until next time…

Happy Stamping!

Josie2

Thank you w ith b&w banners

Everything Eleonore Thanks

Everything Eleonore Get Well

#HappyBirthday!

I’m calling this post #HappyBirthday because that is the sentiment on the card I am sharing.  This is a card for my husband’s upcoming birthday.  I can hear him now when  he reads it.  He will say something like, “Pound sign, happy birthday. Huh?” LOL!   Then I will have to explain.  Before he retired he was a software test guru for Boeing, but he is totally out of it as far as social media is concerned.  And for him, the # is still the symbol for the pound sign or the board for playing tic-tac-toe.

I am positive the only reason why I know about wiki’s, blogs, Facebook, twitter… all of that stuff… is because of my recent teaching experience and my daughter.  She keeps me updated.  My son, on the other hand, is probably the only 28 year-old on the planet that doesn’t have a Facebook page.  His philosophy is there is nothing he feels he needs the world to know.  In a lot of ways, you have to respect that mentality because how many people air their dirty laundry on Facebook and get themselves in trouble?

So here is the card I made for him.  I love this stamp set!  If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you.  A special thank you goes out to my sister who is an avid follower and commenter.  If it wasn’t for her I would think no one reads what I write here.  She is one of my biggest fans!  She even made a display board for the cards I’ve sent her over the years and has it hanging in her family room.  Seems I’m gonna have to send her a few more because some of the cards are from when I first started and are UG-LY! 🙂

Gary's Birthday

If you notice, I’ve made this  card with soon to be retired Sweet Taffy Designer Series Paper.  If you are interested in either of these things, you need to hurry and order them before supplies run out.

Until next time…

Happy Stamping!

Josie2

 

 

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