What a difference a year makes ....

Yes, it's cold outside.  But it isn't too bad

And keep in mind what it was like a year ago

January 29, 2009 about 3:30 PM.  Customer called, he HAD to have gas TODAY.  His tank was dry, his furnace wouldn't light, everything was going to freeze.  I drove close to 30 miles to get to his narrow uncleared driveway.  Started up the hill and the truck slid off as I was crossing the culvert.  Rather than slide it all the way to the bottom I called for a winch.  Art tied on to the truck, pulled it back on the drive ... and it slowly slid off the other side.  Notice the cable to the top of the tank in the second photo?  Art was a bit concerned, just because the outside tire was clear off the ground.

While we were waiting for the wrecker to come pull the truck out I walked up the hill to find 30% in the tank.  Customer went in the house and reset the furnace and it lit up.

Weather outside today is chilly, but a lot better than a year ago.

So how do you read an electric meter ?

We got the electric bill for Gramp's for December the other day.  I thought 6510 kilowatts was a bit excessive.  To the tune of $545 excessive.  But we had run the grain bin fans and Stirators quite a bit, so it wasn't a BIG surprise. I was getting ready to mail the check when I realized there was an E in the box that says READ. OK, so what does that mean?  On the back in very light lettering it explains the meter was estimated.

ESTIMATED!

So I called Ameren and griped.

"No problem, sir.  We'll send a man out to read it."

The bill says estimated present reading 23626 so I decided to go read it myself

Now, if  read it correct that is 18089

Just to be sure I Googled reading an electric meter.  I found this page:

http://www.glps.net/meterread.htm

Hmmm... OK, the bill says previous reading was 17116, my reading is 18089.  That's still 5537 kw from 12/5 to 1/21.  So I turned off everything I could find.  Came back 2 days and 1 hour later to read this

I think that reads 18195.  So we used 6 kw over 2 days with everything turned off?  I know, that 's only 125 watts an hour for 49 hours.  Still bothers me.  So I got to checking everything.  The barn fuse box is turned off, the bins are all off, the crib is off at the fuse box, nothing plugged in in the shed, can't find a thing in the house ... even unplugged the garage door opener ... took the fuse out of the furnace.  The only thing I know of is the doorbell transformer and the water pump.

Anyway, enough pondering for now.  Later Y'all

David and Jerry Clower

I don't have time for a proper post, but thought you'd enjoy this.  David is staying with G'ma for an hour or two.  Grandpa introduced him to Jerry Clower.  He loves him!  He's not a blonde lady singing, but he is fun to listen to.  People laugh and clap and Jerry makes funny sounds. David just loves it.

Gotta run

You're where?

Just a quick post while the better half is getting around.  We are getting ready to leave the Radisson in Madison ... say that quickly 3 times.  See it at http://www.radisson.com/madisonwi   We came to Wisconsin to pick up some parts for a truck.  I bought a "wet kit" (Power Take Off, hydraulic pump, tank, hoses, and connections) for the Kenworth for the price of just the PTO. So we brought some stuff up for Jim and made one trip out of it.

We had a bit of time between picking up the stuff and Jim being free so we wandered Wisconsin a little.  Drove past a restaurant I wanted to try but was wrong time of day.  It was a Thai/Italian place.  Interesting combination.

Sue bought a couple sweaters at a resale shop in Waterford.  We stopped and walked around Cambridge a bit and ate dinner at a bakery there.  Then on through Whitewater and Fort Atkinson.

We got to Madison mid afternoon and found a hotel with an indoor pool

OK, so maybe that wasn't a priority.

Anyway, we are getting ready to head south.  Maybe we'll thaw by the time we get home.

Yes, it's 4:30 in the morning ...

I know, 4:30 is time to get up.  Dan Gard got up at 4:30 every day and he probably lived a lot longer than I will.  Normally I'd be asleep but I keep listening to everyone in the west half of the county getting paged out to a structure fire and can't rest. So what has been going on?

There is a farmer from Springfield coming to look at the 8630 Monday.  I need to plug it in on the way to Mom's so it will start.

Speaking of Mom's, anybody want to do some plumbing?  I was unclogging a drain ... got it free .. but now I have to replace  one of the baskets in the sink.  I guess if you are going to start doing plumbing the first thing Monday is when to start.  Give you all week to run after the one part you forgot each trip.

I spent some time in the church nursery Sunday.  I watched the boys while their folks listened to the sermon.  David impressed Grandpa.  He took a Fisher Price Ferris wheel (well, it started life as one.  A few important pieces have been removed by hard working kids) sat it on the table and proceeded to drive.  As you can tell by the photo, he's going to be a race car driver. 

 

He did something else that impressed Grandpa (OK, so it isn't difficult)  There was this Fisher Price phone (red and white thing in the next photo) the handset was missing on.  He sat it on the table, then went back and found the handset and plugged the cord together.  I know, it sounds simple.  But to me it shows a lot of development.

You'll notice there are not any good photos of Adam.  He wasn't standing still long enough for my phone camera to focus.  Here is one from home last week.  Same problem.  He's just too fast for the camera.

I need to list this lathe on ebay or AgTalk Classified's or something.  We don't use it, don't really know how.  It was Dad's toy.  I'm sure as soon as we sell it we'll need it, but right now we need the floor space worse.

But that may have to wait until later this week.  Current plans may be to go to S Wisconsin and pick up some truck parts I bought online from a farmer.  Right now we are waiting on confirmation of delivery times and directions.  Anyway, it's now 5, nobody has been paged out for half an hour, so I'm going to try and rest until it's time to get up

Happy New Year!

It's a new year, new beginnings, and it's COLD! Oh well,I guess it's that time of year.  Started the year out meeting Ron, Pat, and Vera at Chilton's Restaurant for breakfast.  It doesn't get better than that!  I tried doing paperwork today but just couldn't get in the mood  Maybe tomorrow.  So I did some more handyman stuff around the house.

Yesterday I finally wired the light in the new closet, put up shelves (Hey! It was still the same year.) Today I put up a new shelf and towel rack in the new bathroom.  Next project?  I finally have permission to solidly bolt the washing machine to the floor. Ever since we built the new bath/laundry room the washer has taken to walking around.  Not all the time, but enough to be a problem.  I have leveled and checked and adjusted and come to the conclusion the problem is the floor itself.  It gives just enough to be a problem.  I've been saying the only solution is bolt it to the floor so it can't move.  Management has finally agreed.

Hey!  We've been watching a good movie. I checked "Moonlight and Mistletoe out of the library. Very Good.  And my battery is going.

Later Y'all