Bogie, are you keeping statistics?

Bogie has contended that the old adage about "bad" things happening in threes seems to hold true for her household. I have a mild example of its holding true outside the Bogie household.

1) Monday, 1/12/2009 - Hunky Husband replaced the upright vacuum that we had used but 11 1/2 years when the brush stopped turning and I determined that it was probably a faulty brush motor. Getting into the motor was too much for me--plastic shell that is dark green and the detail of which I cannot see. I said, "Psoirue9i749p8 jd !", and walked away. Here is the new one!

2) Wednesday, 1/14/2009 - I replaced my mattress that I had purchased in Florida in 1981, when it became obvious that, despite my religiously flipping and turning the mattress, the springs were well into the process of working their way through the padding. Here is a photo of my old mattress...for me to remember it by! The new one isn't nearly as pretty, and it's several inches deeper. I like my old one! In shopping, my attention span is about 30 seconds, so I told the guy I wanted the firmest mattress that would fit my bed--delivered--and called it quits!                

3) Thursday, 1/15/2009 -  The hot water heater is being replaced because I heard the sump pump actuate at 5:00 AM, and was awake enough to realize that an outside temperature of 9 degrees should preclude sump pump actuation through receipt of precipitation. The water was from a burst hot water heater. I promptly cut the gas and water supply. Here's the old heater with hose attached to fully drain it before our plumber (Greg, whose father Max was "our" plumber, starting in 1963) returns with the new one! 

ASIDE (to Bogie & Dudette): Your dad is thinking of you. I had (at 7:30 AM) ordered a 40-gallon heater to replace our current 50-gallon heater on the theory that we were wasting energy heating more water than we ever use. I changed the order to a 50-gallon heater when Hunky Husband fretted about your having a problem selling the house (should we have a beer truck run over us, crank into reverse, and repeat the process) with a mere 40-gallon heater. I'm sorry. What was I thinking? (That you could have the heater replaced, if needed? That a buyer's failing to bid because of the 40-gallon heater was being silly?) By the way, the new water heater doesn't look enough different from the old one to rate a photo.

Anyway...our smattering of snow (about an inch of wonderfully powdery stuff!) is being well tracked by the plumber and mattress deliverers.

While we are here, I will honor our sump pump installation for handling the emergency until I could take care of it. The pump that you actually see is the auxiliary pump that is actuated by the honkin' big battery to the right of it. If we lose electrical service, the battery is supposed to be able to drive the aux pump in intermittent operation for at least 8-10 hours. The big T-handle-looking thing at the lower right hand corner is our manual shut-off valve handle to prevent sewer back-up into our house. Yes, there is a code-required back-flow valve in the sewer line; but, such valves have been known to not work properly (especially if they're not well maintained), and I insisted upon the manual. Our builder missunderstood my intentions and installed only the manual valve. Fortunately, before we moved in, we cleared up our communications. They had to break into the concrete floor to install the back-flow valve; thus, a sheet of plywood covers the area.

Comments

[Kay Dennison]

Three disasters like that would have me in serious financial panic mode. How great that you were able to expedite things quickly.

I got a new mattress last year -- a fat one -- and, in mid-dithering about the price, I stopped and reminded myself that this was the bed I was probably going to die in. I stopped dithering and handed over my debit card. The down side is that queen size sheets don't fit it well because the mattress is so fat.

Oh well.

[Cop Car]

Kay--I cut the cost on the mattress by buying, only the mattress and retaining the box springs that had come with the old mattress. Yes, the new mattress is much fatter; but, fortunately, the sheets that I bought 9 years ago were made to accommodate. (Last night was my first night in trying to get used to my feet not touching the floor when I sit on the side of the bed. Bummer!) My bed is the standard double size. Since I live in our "guest" room (we've just the two bedrooms), there really isn't room for a larger bed--and I don't need a larger one.

When the salesman told me that there is a 15-year warranty on the mattress, we laughed that it would be a toss-up as to which of us expired, first. BTW: I went to a mattress store that had been very giving with the people who were demolished by the Greensburg KS tornado in 2007--and--told the salesman why I had come there. He was pleased to hear my reason for coming to them and assured me that the owner was "just that kind of person".

You are correct that we are very fortunate not to have to worry about a bump in our expenses. (Heck! After all of those years of saving, we have to spend it on something. *grinning* Would that you and others had no need to panic.)

[bogie]

A couple of thoughts:

What are you thinking - spending our inheritence on a mattress, merely to be comfortable while (of all things) sleeping? Hey, just because you are supposed to replace a mattress every 10 years (reagardless of the "warrantee") - you got a lousy 27-28 years off of it.

A vacuum lasting since 1981. Let's see, how many have I gone thru since 1981; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - and I currently have two becuase one has been in the shop a couple of times.

[Joy]

I swear that's how it goes CC. That's what happened to me too. Only it seemed to be more than THREE things with me. I had many repairs done after my husband passed away over three years ago. New furnace pump and pipes, my freezer motor, new bathtub, painting, fixed my dryer, replastered wall in my lving room (twice) from water damage, my roof over the office (on-going process), etc. I thought it would never stop. Believe me, I'm not made of money....it HAD to stop. I hope this is it for a while. I actually will be needing a new mattress sometime in the future...but I'll hold off as long as possible.

I'll tell you one thing...you sure learn a lot about this stuff when you need to...whether you like it or not. You certainly know what you're talking about.

[Darlene]

I have an Electrolux vacuum cleaner that is 40 years old and still going strong. Before I broke my hip I was shopping for a newer and lighter one that was self propelling.

Fortunately I didn't buy it because I will probably never do my own floors again and my cleaning woman has her own.

But last year was one like yours. I was told to cheer up, things could always get worse. I cheered up and, sure enough, they got worse. ;)

[Cop Car]

Bogie--Hmmm...let's see...your inheritance was cut by about $800, this week...plus accummulating interest (unless you can talk Dudette into sharing part of her inheritance with you). I'll see if I can get on as a Walmart greeter to earn it back for you. BTW: The vacuum had only lasted 11.5 years. I'm guessing that we've gone through about 8 vacuums (including the 3 that we still have and not counting handhelds). On the other hand, Elder Brother and Expert Seamstress got rid of their original vacuum cleaner (from the 1950s) when they moved into the house where they now live, in Loveland. It has a central vacuum system--which they really like for its quietness.

Joy--Yes, I read of your "endless" stream of projects that sucked up your money after your husband died. That would be disturbing!

Darlene--My folks had an Electrolux that they used for about the length of time that you've had yours. They are bulky and heavy. If I were the one who uses the upright at our house, I would probably have bought an Orick, this time.

All--As I wrote, above, I consider our three events to have been mild. Our events pale in comparison to what others have gone through.

All--How about that Airbus 320 ditching in the Hudson? Wow!!!! Skill and luck paid off in the form of 155 lives saved. Imagine what would have happened had the river not been handy!

[buffy]

I was amazed and astonished by that Airbus 320 making it down safely, AND the fact that help arrived in time to take everyone off before it sank. When I saw a picture of the pilot, I was reminded of the pilot who saved a hundred people or so in that horrible Sioux City crash where the plane cartwheeled. As I recall, in thanks for his incredible piloting, they retired him right on time. I bet we loose this pilot, too. What do you think about the mandatory retirement age? Is it a good thing, or not?

As for things coming in threes, I suspect you're right. I have a number of things that I have to play catch-up on, including all the faucets, but the heating service man said we can expect our furnaces to go sometime soon. We've made it to and past 19 years, so I suppose that's reasonable, but THIRTY would have been even better.

We have a new roof (and will have to get new gutters and sofit and fascia before we sell the house), a new water heater, a new dishwasher, washer, drier, refrigerator, heating units on both ovens, two vacuums and we need to replace the microwave, because the start button doesn't work (thank goodness for re-heat, popcorn, and one minute buttons!).