One of These Things Just Didn't Happen

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

The T&P Valve Adventure

Since the Casa del DeDay went up for sale, my new motto is: If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, and if no one can see that it’s broke, leave it alone until someone starts making noise about it. This seemed reasonable to me. Even though that meant that this weekend when we changed the clocks, I wouldn’t be doing all those fun things that goes along with it. You know, like exercising the breakers and draining off five gallons out of the water heater and tripping the T&P valve. Nope I wasn’t going to do any of that. Really I wasn’t.

Only, the T&P valve had a leak going on. Of course.

It probably was leaking for the last six months, only it was winter so the air was real dry and it would evaporate as quickly as the drip would drop. That was a good system as far as I can see, but then when spring rolled around the air wasn’t so dry, so the drip built up to a puddle. This was less good. So I had to replace the T&P valve, which isn’t any big bigness since I’ve done it before.

I was thinking ahead and had my new T&P valve in my hot little hand before I started doing anything. I was ready. I had all my tools, all my parts and I was ready to go. Only the new valve wouldn’t thread into the water heater. I don’t know why. It was the right size and everything. I know, I checked. Only it wouldn’t work. Crap. So with the old T&P valve still out of the water tank I hied myself off the the hardware store for a new and different replacement valve.

OK, looking back, I know this was a mistake. But how could it be? I mean I had the water turned off to the water heater and that meant everything would stay where it was while I went off in search of a fitting valve. So what could go wrong? As far as I could tell the water seeped back down the pipes back into the water tank and overflowed onto the basement floor. Crap. So I set a new land speed record for replacing a faulty T&P valve and then ShopVacced the basement. It was the first time I got to use my squeegee attachment, so at least there was that.

Now, you’re probably asking yourself how something as simple as a T&P valve could fail in the first place? For that, I only blame myself. Last time I checked it to make sure it worked freely so my water heater wouldn’t blow up (always a good thing in water heaters, the not blowing up) a big chunk of lime snuck in under the seal and let it drip. I’m not 100% sure since I’m not going to send the old valve out to the lab, but it sounds good so that’s my theory.

The new valve is working fine.

Haircut for Two

After we went house hunting yesterday we were in such a good mood we got haircuts. Both the Little Woman and I. I went first and got an indifferent haircut quite quickly. With my hair, this is about the best outcome I could ask for. The Little Woman wasn’t so lucky. Her haircut took a real long time and it didn’t turn out so well. Actually she hated it.

I’ve banned her from BoRics for the rest of her life. Now she’ll have to start making appointments at the nice place down the street.

Jounce Run

Since things were slack I decided to run Bettie out to the Kretzel Habs for the big Jounce Run they were throwing. It was all expo, so there was no purse which meant it was just a bunch of us putters out there. Mostly us putters. Ol’ Shimmy brought out Aureate Eventide, so we were all out-classed right there. Who’da know you could gonk out an old inner-system mail truck into something so sleek and sophisticated? It was honorific just to run with her. And the MacSwaazi Brothers showed up. All eight of them. All eight of those non-related, non-MacSwaazi progenied non-boys. Since they were only running their sled Screaming Mimiand their jitney Wim Wam the third place spot was up for grabs.

There were a few other ships of note. The *Looking Around 10101-1100,**Child of the Stars,**The Righteous Shall Have the Strength of Twenty For Their Purity,*the *Sledge,*the Wolfgang Glitterati, and the Bimini Bonefish. Shedran brought in the Sgian Dhubut I didn’t recognize her at first. She was completely corked like she was going Sundiving or something. Inertial dampers out the wazoo and then the extra mass tanks to drive 'em all. It was something to see. Not something I’d want to push around, but still something to see.

I did pretty good on the Pilots’ Scramble so I got the #5 slot for the get-goes. Early enough not to let my nerves get me, but late enough to see the course run a couple of times. And what a course they had set up too. A full Astor League set-up. Sheesh, there was a Jinks, then Swivels, a Drunken Sailor, Shippy Deehaws, the Out Run, Turnabout, the Back Run, a mock Asteroid Belt, a double Ying-yang and a Corduroy Backside to finish out the course. Three Sams just gave it and went home looking at the course.

Just so the course itself wouldn’t be the show, there was also the full compliment of drobs: slicks and drags in the Jinks and Asteroid Belt, boggies and bendies all over the Drunken Sailor, lamprey sparkers, screamers, blinkies and blinders through the Deehaws and both Runs. Blimps, little old ladies and wig-wags wherever they’d do the most good. It was scorchin’!

Bettiewas a little over-eager on the outset. I had her stripped power-wise, me in an e-suit and the grav down to nothing, all the plant’s output straight to drive, scan and weapons. She was a little bouncy til she got her legs under her. But that was just in the Jinks, so you couldn’t tell. I almost got tagged by a slick right up against the wall, but a wide pulse and it was dust. All my hand. Really. The swivels were swivels, what can you say? Bettie’sa little sludgey through those but she kept her head up. This was my worst stretch as figured. Then the shafting boggies massed me going into the Sailor. Blast and flare, what else is your choice? It set me good for the twist on the Deehaws. Except for the blimp. T’cha! Right in the sweet path. As always. At least it wasn’t a little old lady and you can wash them. The Out Run was wide open. Once I got my head up again the drobs couldn’t touch me. You can’t burn what you can’t catch. Although you can scream ahead. Like I didn’t see that coming. Turnabout was my big show. I was pure. A here-to-here micro-jump with a here-to-there at best cycle rate and I was back. Beep the wig-wags, I was never there. By the way, that was my last here-to-here. Ever. I swear. The screamers were set on me for the Back. Had to fly by sight. No screens, no forecast, just flat out burn. Took down six marker buoys so that explains my standing at the end. Oh well, there was no purse anyway. And the MacSwaazi Brothers were in a good mood at the Pilots’ bar. Tell me that wasn’t worth the trip out. The Belt had my dampers screaming, but I came through clean. Down to no torps, but it was all sims so I wasn’t out any Guilders. Everything balances. Except the Ying-yang. Bumped a little old lady and a blimp but didn’t feel it. Sometimes it’s just that way. The Backside had everything in the cabin rattling. Good thing it was in thin there so I couldn’t hear it. Got some wrench time coming to me now. Oh well.

Came in twelveth out of a total field of twenty-six. The Righteous Shall Have the Strength of Twenty For Their Purity didn’t even come in. Ha! Popped his shake-box on the back end of the Swivels. Had to be dragged back. Double ha! Didn’t get smacked by a MacSwaazi this time either. All in all a good day Out.
-Rue.

2

C’mon, Rue, we all know there’s no such thing as a T&P valve.

If you’re going to have contests then you’re just going to have to make them trickier than this

3

Yeah, I agree with Shibb - especially that detail about buying exactly the right part and it doesn’t work? Sheesh. And do you really expect us to believe that you’ve never used the squeegee attachment on a Shop-Vac before?

Hey, you mentioned some possible inducer work on Bettie in the last thread, how’d that go?

And I hear you on the indifferent BoRics haircuts. My husband gets a really simple cut so he’s always happy, but I assumed that they could manage a “bob” style of haircut properly. What’s so hard about basically cutting it so it all hangs at one length, approximately jaw length? The last time I was there, the stylist really rushed it (didn’t do it in layered steps like previous ones had - put the hair up, let some underneath down, cut, then let another layer down, repeat a couple times), and combed so hard that she scraped the heck out of the tops of my ears in the process. I’ve been seriously thinking about going to a more expensive salon that I liked, just because I know they spend a lot of time on you and are careful.

4

Personally I have trouble with the whole BoRic’s thing. Is this like two guys who own a hair salon? Cause if it is, then they’re obviously straight guys and who in their right minds is gonna let a straight guy do women’s hair? I say they’re obviously straight guys cause gay guys would come up with a whole lot better name than BoRic’s. It would probably have the work “Chic” somewhere in it for starters. And say something about being stylists. And, I think your wife is smart enough to not let two guys named Bo and Ric anywhere near her hair.

So that’s my vote on the thing that didn’t happen.

5

Oh, I can see that Shibb and Wea… I mean Ferret are too smart for me. You might be too smart for somebody Swampy, actually I’m sure you HAVE to be too smart for SOMEBODY, but not me! Ha ha!

The inducers are fine Ferret. Bettiesays “thanks for asking”. But once I got into those, well then you know how the buffers are right in there too? And then downstream you have the magnetic baffles? Well, the inducers were a quick two hour job including the alignment and ballancing, but it was two weeks before I closed the hatch on engineering that job. Sheesh. But it sure did look purdy when I was done.

The Little Woman is about “smart enough to not let two guys named Bo and Ric anywhere near her hair” Swampy. But now I’m definitely smart enough not to let her even think about it. It works out for everyone that way.
-Rue.

6

Gee, Rue, I thought maybe the thing that didn’t happen involved the grocery cart, the fire extinguisher, the fuzzy slippers, and the macaroni salad. So was that just a dream, or did I really see you outside the firestation Friday night??

I’m so confused!

7

This is one of those Rue threads where I’m going to have to use my brain more than usual, right?

Really, now. Did you have to start in with the pop quiz first thing on a Monday? I’m at work right now and I’m supposed to be using my brain for other things.

I’ll guess… the haircut thing. The haircut story is the thing that didn’t happen. How’d I do?

8

I have absolutely no clue what you were saying in the last third of your OP. I am completely confused. But it sounds good! :smiley:

I woulda had to go with the T&P valve thingy. I mean, the only thing I could come up with that contains a “T” and a “P” was “Toilet & Paper”. Sounded fishy to me…

9

This is what looked suspicious for me:

Really now, Rue. Evaporating even as it drips? How dry is the air in your house anyway? It’s got to be the T&P valve. Got to.

10

[sub]what’s a t & p valve?[/sub]

11

i dunno

12

The T&P valve Puddin’ is the valve you have on your (well not actually “your”, but you know what I mean) water heater that keeps the tank from exploding. Say your thermostat goes haywire and that makes you water heater heat water like crazy. This would turn your water heater into a giant pressure cooker with no food inside. Just bubbling, boiling water. Until the pressure go to be too much and the whole water heater just goes kablooey! and explodes. So you see, the T&P valve is your best friend. At least up there among the top 25 or 30 or so.

I think I was unclear there Welbs. (And I was a little glib when you said you were trying to quit smoking. How’s that going? You can do it!) The water would drip out onto the floor, but that drip would evaporate before the next drip would drip out. So at most we had one drip of water on the floor. Who’s going to notice one drip of water on the floor? Especially when the drip is behind the furnace anyway.

Or maybe the basement bears were licking it up. I don’t know, but that sounds like something those pesky basement bears would do.

Last third Skerri? My post only has two thirds, a quarter and three eighths. I don’t know WHAT you’re talking about.

Don’t use your brain Ex! It’s just not worth it. Just put down “Paraguay”. Not like knock the contry, but use it as your answer.

I don’t want to talk about the firestation Snickers. (Can I still do that? Call you “Snickers” now that your husband is around here somewhere? Well, I will until I hear different.) The lobster tank is still giving me nightmares. I just don’t want to talk about it.
-Rue.

13

OOOoooohhhhh,
Temperature & Pressure relief valve!!
Thank goodness for Google.
Ya’ll are on your own for the play-by-play.

14

Rue,
I’ve never been to the “corner of S & W Ohio”, but here in the high desert of northern Nevada, my little home hygrometer is currently registering 30%–and we had snow flurries yesterday!
I have no problem believing in a drip that evaporates almost before it hits; in the summer, when our temp gets close to 100, and humidity is about 10-15%, you can get out of the shower and almost be dry before you reach your towel.
Our water also has a high mineral content–very alkaline; things crust up in the pipes and peel off causing problems down the line. Have you tried a filtering system? There’s a pretty good initial outlay, and regular maintainence is required, but eventually you spend less time dealing with plumbers, pipes and parts.

As to (what I think are) gaming references, all I can do is stick a finger up my nose and say “Huh?”
–Alan Q

15

How 'bout a hijack?

I heard this morning on the very discerning radio station I listen to that over a billion poptarts are consumed each year and that’s enough to reach halfway to the moon. Who got paid for figuring that out? Some engineer that has obscure food dimensions in a notebook on his book shelf? Or did he just buy a box and measure the tart with his scale? I can assume that the Poptarts were put end to end long ways so as to use the least amout of tarts in order to get to the moon. Well I’m gonna give my kids more Poptarts. After all I want to support the space program and just halfway to the moon isn’t going to cut the mustard. I wonder if astronauts eat Poptarts with their Tang.

16

Oh c’mon, Rue! I suck at math! Don’t make me bust out the graphing calculator to try to figure out what you’re talking about! :stuck_out_tongue:

:smiley:

17

Yuck. Poptarts.

Cat update: grumpy. He’s got a plastic cone-collar-thing on. We can’t take it off or he’ll lick his stitches, which the nice vet said was very bad. So he’s wearing a collar.

It’s still freaking snowing here, too.

18

Here in the MidWest we get humidity in “blankets” Alan. The only place we get down to 30% would be actually in an oven. And then it’s a little iffy.

As per “gaming references”, nope. Sometimes you just gotta let your Muse move you. Or me anyway. You don’t need Muse movement if it doesn’t appeal to you. It’s your call.

No! No hijacks Copper! Ever! I mean it. (Yeah, let’s see how long I can live with that rule.) PopTarts and Tang is best if you dunk 'em.

If you have the graphing calculator, you might as well use it Skerri. And show your work on a separate paper.

When Lucy got spayed, she didn’t get an E-collar. (Short for Elizabethan collar, it’s got nothing to do with the 'Net.) She was doing OK until she started licking her stitches. She pulled 'em all out in like 5 minutes. She wound up all right, she just had an ugly scar going on for a while. But that healed as she grew and now you can’t tell. Not even when you “beep” her belly button. She likes that.
-Rue.

19

My kitty was a boy kitty, but he got all his boy-kitty bits cut off. So now he’s probably a “she”. No, I don’t mean neutering, I mean all his boy bits. So he has to wear the collar.

No, I don’t think he was a girl cat trapped in a boy cat’s body. No, he hasn’t started wearing dresses.

20

Please don’t hijack this yet.

See, the problem here is, it’s that I’m not naturally funny or clever like Rue. I have to think about these things. I have to take my time, think, compose, and then present.

Case in point, the Rue thread to which Rue linked in his OP. How’s that for crappy grammar and mixing cases? Click the link and read the thread guys, that’s classic Rue.

That thread just wore me out. There I was, giving Rue unsolicited advice when he was talking about tricking out the Bettie. I was trying to be consistent, and preserve the continuity of the the little universe we invented there.

It wore me out. I’ll get back into it, but I have some other stuff to deal with right now and I really need to read the old thread again so I know where to take it up.

Like I said, I’m not naturally very funny or clever.

I ran out of emboldination.