Remember I'm not in the USA now:
1) The radio with the bad on-off switch. The first time I plugged it in, it didn't go on until I moved the power-slide switch back and forth several times. Points to a dirty switch. it turned off after an hour or so, then on after an hour or so, then off again. Other times it turned off by itself and it still pointed to a dirty switch.Landlady game me permission to use her WD-40-like spray.
Took the switch handle off and the switch itself was to the side and sideways of the hole, even harder to spray. Need to check if can has plastic tube. It does, but want to look on the web and see again and first hand what WD-40 has to say about cleaning contacts.
Later, radio plays for at least 3 hours, but when it stops and I try to turn it back on, no matter how I do it, no matter how slowly, quickly, or how ofte I slide the switch, I see not even a flicker from the power light. Later it goes on by itself.
So I think it is not the switch but it is overheating or something similar, something electronic, not electric. Rare with transistor equipment. So I can't fix it.
2 Toilet. Was able to tighten toilet bolts. From above with a screwdriver, no less. There was a brushed chrome silver dollar size cover that rotated away to show the screw head. No need to tighten from underneath, which is bad enough with my own toilet, but disgusting with someone else's.Here is my last email exchange with landlady:
I wrote:
Perhaps she didn't read this email either, even as short as it is, because I went away for 3 days, arrived back around 6PM, just in time to arrive at the apartment almost the same time, but she had a plumber in the car/truck downstairs she said. And what was the plumber there to do? Change the toilet seat. I knew he was in the bathroom, but I left them alone for 5 minutes. He was already working on it when I looked in on them. So it's too late to get her money back. It was too late by the time he arrived.
The new seat is just like the old seat, meaning the plastic sleeve on each side could be retracted and the seat changed without touching the bolts. But the new seat is not as good, because there is no screw with which to tighten its mounting to the toilet from above. So she spent who knows how much and got worse than she had. (the old seat looked just about new to me. )
I havent' said a word about this to her and neither she to me. I'm not going to rub it in.
Later she told me she doesn't read my narratives about my trip but she does read the emails sent only to her, just not right away.
I wonder what she'll think if she ever reads the email.
**I checked what to do here, in the thread entitled How do I do the opposite of oiling? and Derby suggested silicone sealant. Thanks Derby, but I dont' think that woulld have work with the enormous leverage the seat has on its hinge, and Idont' think one coudl get the sealant into the crack between the sleeve and the rod. or the sleeve and the seat hardware. Plus I was reluctant to buy a whole tube and just use a dab. Unlike you and me, she'll never use the rest.