Day 4 - No A/C

 

The lack of air conditioning in our Florida home has now stretched into day 4. It took until Day 2 (Tuesday) to realize that the system was not functioning which added a day to the entire problem. The weather has been cooperating and it remains comfortable inside. The indoors temperature climbed to 77 degrees yesterday and with the ceiling fans it was not uncomfortable. 

Thankfully, we have ceiling fans in every room except the kitchen. 

I called the HVAC service company twice yesterday. I was advised that they had put out an emergency order for a replacement. Later I was told to expect the new unit on Friday because a the replacement was being shipped from Lennox because they did not have a system compatible with mine in stock. If that is the definition of an emergency, I am sure the patient would have died! When I put the system 2 years ago in and purchased the additional service plan I was promised not to be without air for more than 24 hours! So much for promises.

We will see how today goes. The outdoors temperature is expected to rise to 83 degrees by 3 PM. We are cooling the house with the morning outdoors 70 degree air in preparation for the hot afternoon. Fortunately, we have friends who have offered us a place to stay if the house becomes too uncomfortable. 

Sadly, we have been through this before. Funny, in over 21 years in Maryland we were never without heat or A/C for more than 24 hours. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Broken HVAC

The Offending HVAC
Tequesta, FL
December 14, 2022

 I cannot escape broken HVAC systems, it seems. The system cooling (and very occasionally heating) our Florida home developed a leak in the coils. Turns out it is not a simple fix where it can just be welded. No. The entire coil needs to be replaced!

This is not the first HVAC system I have dealt with this year. Before we sold the house in Maryland we replaced one of the HVAC systems. So it seems that 2022 is the year of the HVAC system.

Turning to my Florida situation, the real rub is that I replaced the entire system during September 2020! Yup, you got that right.  Brand, spanking new inside and outside system and now it has a major freon leak in the coil! Wow! Great construction Lennox!

The good news is that the system is still under warranty and I also have a service plan. That means, hopefully, my out of pocket cost will be $0. The downside is that we do not currently have A/C in the house. For the first night since we have owned the place we slept with the windows open. The temperature went down to 69 degrees and so we are getting by without A/C--as long as it remains cool. Ceiling fans are saving the entire situation.

Hopefully, it will be repaired today!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Along the River

Jupiter Lighthouse
Jupiter, FL
December 12, 2022

 Chris and I enjoyed a mid-December Monday in South Florida. The temperature never rose above the mid-70's and it was in the mid-60s when Chris and I started our morning bike ride. We rode a pleasant 15.47 miles and enjoyed the start to the day. 

As the day progressed and we finished addressing Christmas cards, we decided that rather than go to the beach for Happy Hour, where we knew the wind would be cold, we would head off to one of our favorite watering holes, The Square Grouper. And it was a good decision. 

The evening was very pleasant, even a bit cool, but sitting along the bank of the Loxahatchee River with the scene filled by the Jupiter Lighthouse was a perfect ending to the day. It was perfect because as we rode our bikes we crossed the Loxahatchee River or one of its branches multiple times and here we were relaxing along the banks of the river not far from where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. I could see the rough ocean waves at the mouth of the inlet from where I was sitting. 

With the Winter Solstice just over a week away, on December 21st, the sun set shortly after we arrived at the Square Grouper. I watched the reflection of the lighthouse change as the sun sank lower to the horizon. It made for an early evening as the temperature also cooled with the sunset.

Chris and I were going to play golf this morning, but I woke to a malfunctioning air conditioning system! Ugh. I replaced it two years ago. Fortunately, it is fully covered and should be returned to full operating function later today. 

Always something. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

A Year has Passed - Remembering Mom

 

Mom

It is hard to believe, but a year has passed since Mom moved-on to her new and permanent address in heaven. 

She may be separated from us, but she is certainly not forgotten. 

My Mom was a wonderfully witty, smart, inquisitive person who pushed me and my siblings to achieve our goals and find happiness. She brought love to our family every day. 

I am comforted by knowing that she is free from the cruel disease that robbed her of her life, her relationships, and her independence. 

Chris and I miss her every day and give thanks for the the woman of faith that gave so much to so many. Our entire family misses her and she is never far from our minds and memories.  

Mom and Me

We love you Mom.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - December 12, 2022

 

1. It is Monday again. It is their second Monday of December and there are two Mondays remaining in the year. Important safety tip: There are 13 days until Christmas!

2. Family NFL Report. It was a mixed week for the family teams which went 2-1, with one team on a bye.

   Ravens (9-4) edge Steelers (5-8), 16-14

   Cowboys (10-3) squeak past Texans (1-11-1), 27-23

   Commanders on BYE

3. I set a personal distance record yesterday riding my bike. I managed 24.32 miles in 1h 53m 11s. I have logged over 80 miles for the month on just five rides. 

Sailboats Pass on the Horizon
Jupiter Island, FL
December 11, 2022

4. Not having any interest playing in the 4 PM NFL games yesterday, Chris and I escaped to the beach to enjoy the sunset. I have to admit, it was very cool. Almost cold at 76 degrees. The wind off the ocean was cool. We watched to sailboats pass each other on the horizon until the sunset. 

5. Chris and I took a drive last evening to look at Christmas decorations. Some people really do the lights up in an over-the-top manner. But, I was a bit surprised that there are fewer Christmas decorations that there were Halloween decorations.

6. Another week in the sun and warmth of South Florida and then it is back to the north to enjoy the warmth of family and Christmas!

7. Today in History. On December 12, 1980, American oil tycoon Armand Hammer pays $5,126,000 at auction for a notebook containing writings by the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci.

The manuscript, written around 1508, was one of some 30 similar books da Vinci produced during his lifetime on a variety of subjects. It contained 72 loose pages featuring some 300 notes and detailed drawings, all relating to the common theme of water and how it moved. Experts have said that da Vinci drew on it to paint the background of his masterwork, the Mona Lisa. The text, written in brown ink and chalk, read from right to left, an example of da Vinci’s favored mirror-writing technique. The painter Giuseppi Ghezzi discovered the notebook in 1690 in a chest of papers belonging to Guglielmo della Porto, a 16th-century Milanese sculptor who had studied Leonardo’s work. In 1717, Thomas Coke, the first earl of Leicester, bought the manuscript and installed it among his impressive collection of art at his family estate in England.

Slowing Growth Edges Out Inflation as Top Concern - The Wall Street Journal

Utility Bills Rise as Americans Pay Off Storm-Recovery Costs - The Wall Street Journal

Ukraine launches missile attack on Russian-occupied Melitopol, explosions reported in Donetsk and Crimea - CNN

China scraps virus tracking app as country braces for Covid impact - CNN

The Fed will raise rates again. But it's playing with fire - CNN

Nigerian Army massacred children in war against Islamist insurgents, witnesses say - Reuters

U.S. opioid crackdown hampers some patients' access to psychiatric drugs - Reuters

Queues form at fever clinics as China wrestles with COVID surge - Reuters

South Korea urges China to support dialogue with North Korea - S.Korea ministry - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Back on the Streets

 

Looking North from the Loxahatchee River Bridge
Tequesta, FL
December 10, 2022

One good thing about being back in Florida is that I am again out on the streets on my bike. I have ridden the past four days and logged over 55 miles. Yesterday was a light day in that I only rode just over 12 miles. But, it was still a great ride and the weather was perfect. 

Friday's Ride
Tequesta, FL
December 9, 2022

I miss my truck, though. We left it in Maryland when we flew back to Florida for a couple weeks. We will fly back to Maryland for Christmas. The plan is to drive back to Florida after Christmas. The flying saved over 30 hours of driving! Not having the truck, however,  limits my biking to the local area and Chris and I cannot load up and head off to other places for biking. I have a number of routes and variations that I can ride starting from my house, but with the weather so nice heading off to some distant places is fun as well. 

Chris has become very good on her bike and rides with me almost every day. We are routinely riding 14-16 miles, with the obvious exception of yesterday. 

There are many more miles ahead of me and I am hoping to do a longer overnight ride this summer in Maryland.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Decorating for Christmas in South Florida

 

Poinsettias in the Garden
Tequesta, FL
December 9, 2022

It has been since I went to college at the University of Miami during the mid-1970s that I have lived in South Florida during the Christmas season. 

I have always enjoyed the Christmas light-wrapped palm trees, but this year I have noticed a different outdoor decorating aspect: poinsettias!

The poinsettias are everywhere in gardens. They are primarily used as border color, like impatiens and pansies are used during other seasons. They are stunning because of the bright red color.

And because I grew up in the north I always thought poinsettias were strictly indoors plants--of course I did; freezing temperatures kill them.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friends

Finnegan and Riordin Together
Tequesta, FL
December 6, 2022

 

I love the line from Ghostbusters where the end of time is being described and the character played by Bill Murray says: "Dogs and cats living together."

Actually, dogs and cats can live together and even thrive and like each other. 

Case in point, shortly after our new sofa arrived Finnegan and Riordin napped together. They were trying out the new sofa for sleep-ability. It passed the test. 

Finnegan has been growing into his new role as the primary dog in the house. With Makayla's passing he went from auxiliary dog to primary dog and I have noticed that is behavior has changed. He is more affectionate towards me. 

I can't believe that it is Friday again already. Christmas is creeping up on us.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

New Furniture - Unveiled

The New Living Room
Tequesta, FL
December 8, 2022

It arrived the other day--our new furniture.

The gray sectional sofa that I dubbed the Great Wall of China is gone! When fully together, the three pieces were exactly 10 feet long! I sold it in one day on Facebook Marketplace. I was happy to see it go to a nice young couple because it was in very good condition and only lightly used.

Accent Chair
Tequesta, FL
December 8, 2022

The new furniture opens the room, displaces the former darkness, and the sofa is a reclining sofa that took over two months to receive. We also bought a new carpet and an accent chair. 

I believe that we are finally achieving the Coastal look that we desire for the house. 

It guess the delivery was an early Christmas gift. It was the reason we returned from Baltimore after Thanksgiving. And it was worth it. We get a chance to get the arrangement just right.

I wonder what we will do today?

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Back to the Beach

Arriving on Jupiter Island Beach
Jupiter Island, FL
December 6, 2022

 We felt we just had to go to the beach last evening to enjoy Happy Hour. And we were not disappointed. 

It was a beautiful evening with the sun setting and the moon rising over the ocean amidst the reverse sunset. 

Moon over the Atlantic
Jupiter Island, FL
December 6, 2022

The temperature was a moderate 79 degrees and the winds were light. There were a couple drones flying over the beach, reminding me that I have not flown Radio Flyer in a few months. I guess I will have to charge the batteries and get it out for a flight.

The moonrise was beautiful to watch as it cleared the clouds and the colors of the reverse sunset deepened. 

Chris and I along with a friend enjoyed talking, watching the osprey, and listening to the crashing of the waves on the beach. It is, after all, why we moved to Florida. 

The sunsets here are beginning before 5:30 PM and continue for about 30 minutes. In some respects the reverse sunset is almost as fun to enjoy as looking west into the setting sun. The color palette is more subdued.

Here's hoping for another great sunset tonight!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL