Category Archives: humor

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

 

 

 

The Bagger Chronicles; Part I

It seems the last two months have been a whirlwind of activities. I haven’t had much time to stamp, and I have missed it quite a bit.  I’ve thought about it every day.    The whirlwind  started with our first time trip to Cancun, Mexico the week before Thanksgiving.  Remind me never to take a vacation immediately before a major holiday again.  We returned home the Monday just before Thanksgiving.  I was fortunate in that I didn’t have to prepare Thanksgiving dinner as we were invited to a friend’s home for the event.

Shortly thereafter, Christmas preparations began with decorating, baking, and shopping.  It seems we always make such a fuss for such a short amount of time.  But, Christmas was excellent this year.  We  were lucky to have all four of our collective children home for the holiday.  Only one, my daughter, lives out-of-town and she was able to be here.  She doesn’t live that far out-of-town; she’s only a two-hour drive away in Ft. Collins, Colorado.  I was able to spend four entire days with her, as her boss allowed her to work from home one of the days, so she worked from my home.    Unfortunately, she had to return to work early the Friday after Christmas, so she had to leave here by 2:00 p.m. on Christmas day in order to miss the snow storm that was due to arrive.  As it was, she hit snow just 5 miles north of Denver and had to spend the last hour of her trip driving in it.

Something else was thrown into the mix to make life a little extra hectic around the holiday.  I started a new part-time job as a bagger at one of the local military commissaries the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  For those of you that don’t know, a commissary is a grocery store on a military installation. Only active duty or retired military personnel and their dependents are allowed to shop in it.  Government employees work in them as cashiers, butchers, etc.  Only active duty or retired military and their dependents can be baggers.  Baggers work for tips only.  My husband put his name on the waiting list to be a bagger about a year ago.  He thought it would be a good thing to do to keep himself busy since he retired from his civilian job.  It has been 10 years since he retired from the Air Force.  He started bagging in September. After his first day of work, he came home with $60.00.  I said, “Hey, how hard can it be?  It isn’t rocket science.  Put my name on the list.  I want $60.00 a day for bagging groceries too!”  So¸ he put my name on the list.  I didn’t expect to be called for about a year.  But, the phone call came the week before we went to Cancun.

It is low stress, and those bags and buggies don’t talk back like kids (or parents and principals) do.  LOL!  How hard is it to bag groceries?

You would think it is simply putting groceries into a bag, but did you know there are thirteen rules on the How to Bag Groceries hand out presented to me at New Bagger Orientation! In addition, there are 34 items on the Line Procedures and Bagging Rules to Promote Equality for all Baggers handout.  (Recently revised on September 19, 2014, so I know it is current).  Moreover, I had to sign a Commissary Bagger Independent Contractor Agreement and the Defense Commissary Agency’s Bagger Standard Operating Procedures before I could start working.  So is it NOT rocket science?

Some of the baggers I am working with have spent years perfecting their craft.  Some have bagged for 10…No…20 years!  I am not exaggerating.  It is out of the bag now!  Commissary bagging has been the life work of many.  Imagine…20 years bagging groceries!

That is all I am going to write about this for now.  Some of my experiences as a Commissary Bagger would, according to my children, make an excellent Will Ferrell movie.  You will just have to wait until next time before you learn any more about my bagging adventures.   I am sure you are waiting with bated breath.

I got the inspiration for my card from December’s My Paper Pumpkin.  It’s a Valentine Card that uses a few new things that you will be able to order when the new Occasions Catalog goes live next month.  It is a pop up shaker card.  I think that’s what you would call it.  The stamp set I used is in the Annual Catalog and it is called Groovy Love.   I used the new Confetti Heart Border Punch and new Stacked with Love Designer Series Paper Stack that will be available in the Occasions Catalog on January 6th.  It looks as if I punched some confetti hearts out of white paper, but I didn’t.  You are just seeing the backs of some of the ones I cut using the Red Glimmer Paper.   Hope you like my creation and you enjoyed your visit today.

2015 Valentine

Until next time…

Happy Stamping!

Josie2

Google is a Verb and Other Random Thoughts

So, I need to come up with something thought-provoking to write about, but I have not a clue as to where I should begin.  I have even googled topic suggestions for my blog, but none of them seem appealing to me.  One possible idea is to write about something controversial.  Gun control is a provocative subject.  Should I write about that?  Maybe one day I will.

About that word google, isn’t it funny how Google started out to be the name of an internet search engine, but now it is a verb as well?  Now it is something you can do.  It’s a verb as in, I googled on Google.

Or,  I could write about my goals.  Two of my goals are to get one million followers on my blog because my writing and my stamping creations are so awesome.  People don’t have to follow me just because I am an excellent stamper.  They can follow me because they enjoy my writing as well.  Did you know that I have always wanted to write a book?  Don’t know what I’d write about though.  That is another goal I have, and that is to write a book.

Have you ever typed with your eyes closed?  You really need to know where the keys are; otherwise,  you might not be able to read what you’ve written after you open your eyes. That’s what I did here.  I typed with my eyes closed, but you wouldn’t know it because I spell checked before I published.  That’s what my students used to do, you know.  They would type their papers with their eyes closed, and they DIDN’T spell check.  At least that’s what I think some of them were doing by the looks of some of the papers I used to get.

What could I write about that is funny?   People like to read funny stuff.  I know! Having kids is like having pets.  At least, that’s what a childless couple with four-legged “children” would tell you.  And they believe it too!  Sorry, I don’t mean to offend any of you out there.  I have had pets, and I can see where they might get their reasoning, even though I don’t think there is any comparison between having children and owning a pet.

Here are nine ways owning a pet and having children can be similar.

First, both pets and children are usually brought home when they are babies.

Second, both have to be house broken.  That is, dogs need to learn not to pee on the floor and so do kids.  Dogs need to learn to go outside to the bathroom. Kids need house breaking as well as they must learn how to behave inside the house vs. outside.    You could say you do that with dogs too.  For example, some people don’t’ let their pets or their kids on the furniture so you have to teach them not to jump up on the furniture. The kids, not the dogs. (JK—the dogs too!)    Some people will let their pets sleep in bed with them, but not their kids.  Go figure!

Third, pets have their very own food and water bowls.  Some people do the same for their kids.  When my kids were babies, I had a special warming plate that I used for them to heat up their baby food.  I also had special plastic bowls, plates and cups for them to use so they would not break if they fell on the floor.   Heck, we even buy our pets and kids (at first anyway) their very own special food.  Then the kids transition to regular food.  Some people give their dogs people food.

Fourth, a fenced in back yard is nice for both kids and dogs.

Fifth, both need to have their shots, although some parents would argue that vaccinations cause Autism… in children, not animals.  (I know, Autism is not funny.  Please don’t think I am making fun of it.)

Sixth, both kids and dogs can go to day care.

Seventh, both pets and kids will throw up in the most inconvenient places

Eighth, both children and pets can go to school.  Dogs go to obedience school.  Kids can learn obedience in school as well, but it is better if their parents teach that.

Ninth, leashes are useful.  Some people leash their kids, but not their animals.  Some leash their animals, but not their kids. I leashed both because I have had both.  Either way, leashes are a good thing when you have pets and children.  Oh, Lord!  The comments I am going to get after saying that!

Enough said about that! Today I have two projects for you.  The first is June’s Paper Pumpkin.  I created a little table centerpiece with some of the pin wheels that came in the kit this month.  The second is a simple little card I made.

June Paper Pumpkin

Chal Talk For You

Hope you enjoyed your visit today.  Until next time…

Happy Stamping~

Josie2