Potty time (4/30/2023-5/5/2023)

How does one log work days? Many trips to Home Depot each time you uncover a new problem. Each trip spent wondering around looking for something particularly hard to find. Helping the other shoppers who are doing the same. The Ocala Home Depot I now frequent has a lot of employees ready to help.

My big project for the day was to solve the toilet leak. I thought I had it with a new shutoff valve and tank line, but it was the PVC source side of the valve that was leaking. Another trip to get that fitting (plus a spare) and some PVC cement. A thin nearly useless shelf from the sink continues just above the tank, leaving just short of 30.5 inches for a toilet. Standard toilets are 32 inches tall, so I decide to buy a tank flush kit to replace the power flush that isn't working. Cheap enough to try. Eventually the swap is done and it's adjusted as well as I can get it. But the flush handle needs to be different and the old one is rusted in place. However when flushed by hand it' yeilds a weak flush, seems like the toilet is designed for the power flush system.... The good news is the water leak is fixed and I can now turn the water main back on. Looking forward to washing my dishes, clothes and taking a shower.

Interleaved into the toilet work I got four other projects mostly completed. Glued up a damaged door jam, and cut new trim for it. Worked out how to put a security plate over the damage. Also cleaned up down tree limbs in the yard and trimmed a palm growing into the walkway. The surprise was learning to screen two windows. That turned out to be really easy and both rushed screen installs worked on the first try. Total time for two screens taken out of the windows stripped down, rescreened and returned to the windows was far less than an hour. The other big chore now completed was to wrap up the bed and prep it for disposal.

The weather has been decent for me. We get occasional rain, and it's getting upto 80F each day. But there is a nice breeze most of the day, and it's nice in the evenings. I sweat plenty when working, but I do that in NH when it's warm too, I;m as sweater.

Just talked with my step brother, and we've decided to hold off on the truck rental until after he arrives. Then he can help me load and unload the bed, couches and toilet. Yup, that job was so fun I'm to go buy a new toilet and start over again tomorrow.. I don;t feel these work days are worth blogging. If I have more to say I'll just extend this one a bit more.

5/1/2023 Monday

Performed the full toilet purchase and swap. Much easier than the tank flush mechanism swap out. Made even easier because the local shutoff valve worked and nolonger needed to be repaired.

Rescreened another window and touched up the light post and metal bench paint with the rest of a spray can I found in the garage.

Finishing up early for the day I did what any 55+ guy would do, went out for an early bird dinner. Southern Pig & Cattle has some great baby back ribs and the best beef stew I ever had. Finished the day watching a Nexflix movie and starting a new series. Felt good to relax a little.

5/2/2023 Tuesday

Only thing on the agenda for today is an Orlando airport pickup. Google maps says it's one hour twenty minutes taking the $6 toll route. The toll-free route was 2.5 hours. Since I had the time I went toll-free.

I stoped in a town called Dora for a great cup of coffee. Nice little town wedged between two large lakes. More hilly than normal Florida. The towns a bit upscale for my tastes/budget, but it was a good place to wonder away some of my extra time.

Google maps proved very annoying by at least once ever 10 minutes of my 2.5 hour drive suggesting a "faster route" and making forcing me to click "no thanks" in order to maintain my toll-free path. That got annoying. I stopped to look for a solution twice, but found nothing.

Airport was busy. They flush the arrival pickup parking to make room. So it took two attempts to complete the pickup. Mostly because they announced the wrong bagage pickup for the flight. Takes longer to find your bag where it isn't.

5/3/2023 Wednesday

My sister and her husband arrive today. It will be nice to see them again. Seems like everybody wants to go see the Dali museum.

5/5/2023 Friday

A few days of packing up things and deciding what to transport back North. My step mother had good taste in funature and decorations, so all of us felt like someone should take the furnature, lamps and art, but we all need nothing more in our homes.

Eventually my step brother decided the items to head North exceeded the space in the car, and he rented a U-Haul and car trailer. That help to transport the bulky items to the local landfill. What trip to a tropical resort area would be complete without a dump run? Not just the local publically sanitized transfer station near the residence, but the big landfill operation making trash mountains. It's an ugly place. Inhabited by those doing all the messy jobs, and more buzzards that anyone would like. Another sobering look at where all of our prized posessions eventually end up.

Finally U-Haul of possessions was heading North. Some boxes and furnature destined to add more to my personal hording problem. Not sure exactly why I keep things like I survived the depression. I've always assumed that my parents behavior just rubbed off on me. But I just don't like throwing away items that I might need later. So my collection of crap just grows.

Left behind my sister, her husband and I went back to their campground to play a card game. First time I rode my bike since arriving on Saturday. We made plans to head south in the morning to see the Dali museum. Riding home just after 11pm I think that I saw more bikes than I have during the day. It was a wonderful temperature to ride, and far safer on the nearly empty streets