A Little Too Confident

I’ve probably told this story before but there was a time when I’d try most anything. Once I moved into a house and the cabinets felt greasy and no amount of cleaning would clean them so I unscrewed all the cabinet doors, took them outside, soaked them in something the guy at the paint store said would strip them and then I could restain them. About the time all that crud started bubbling off, along with the finish, I thought . . this might not have been a good idea. It was a lot of work and I would never do that again.

Then once, my stove had the clock and some buttons on the front behind a little glass cover but crumbs had gotten in there so I decided to take it apart and clean it but I didn’t have a screw driver so I used a butter knife, which touched something it should not have touched; scared me half to death, ruined all the electronics on the stove . . well, basically ruined the stove which kinda gives me an idea of something I might should try here <G> but we had to call an electrician to do something because the stove plug in the wall wouldn’t work either.

So . . Vince is gone. I’m on my own. I put together the lap frame for cross stitching. I can do anything, right?

I’m having trouble with the breaker to the central vac. I thought at first it was when I used the vac with the dishwasher on, though nothing else appears to be on the breaker with the vac. That wasn’t it. I thought maybe it was the dryer. Nope, not that either. This morning I thought it was the central heat so I turned it down to 63, ran out and flipped the breaker. Vacuumed the family room. Great. It worked. Vacuumed the bedroom. Still working. I’m really good at figuring this stuff out! Then I went to flip the little sucker thing in the bathroom because I trimmed my hair this morning (not so good at that!). It was dead. Went out, flipped the breaker again. Ran back inside, ran the sucker thing in the bathroom. Dust mopped the kitchen, sucked it all down. I haven’t been back out there but I’m guessing the breaker has turned itself off again. I’ll leave it off til I vacuum again.

I do have a decent upright vac that I bought to vacuum the sewing room because I won’t use the central vac with all the pins that end up in there. Ask me how I learned that lesson!

So, I’m thinking . . if I put that lap frame together, I should be able to change a breaker. I’m thinking you should be able to pull the bad one out like a plug in the wall and plug another one in. I called Vince. Remember Vince is Sicilian and the language . . whew!

Me: You know I’m having trouble with that breaker to the vac.
Vince: Call Jeremy and see who he recommends for an electrician and get them out there.
Me: Why can’t I just buy a breaker and put it in myself?

Not even a good idea! I got a 20 minute lecture on safety and dangers of electricity. It wasn’t as if I just tried it . . that’s why I asked first. If he said “No, dear . . that’s not something you should do!” then I would have said ok.

Vince: Just call the electrician and get him out there.

I’m not calling an electrician! I’ll use the vac I bought for downstairs til Vince gets here. Anyway, I really want a few more lights in the sewing room but, of course, they’re right above where tubs of yarn are stacked to the ceiling. So I have a little . . a lot . . of work to do before I get lights added. Maybe adding those lights and getting a new breaker will be incentive for me to do something with all those tubs.

I told Vince . . if I had a major problem, I’d call an electrician but for a breaker to the central vac . . no . . I can live without that for a few months.