I can't really justify that [dado set|jointer|router|digital camera] with all this medical debt heading my way, but I decided damn if I was going to just hand them every dime I have, wind up broke, and still end up owing them thousands besides. Might as well take care of some household stuff that needed doing while I could afford to do so. I guess this seed got planted when my dryer blew up last month.
I replaced our brain damaged thermostat with one of those newfangledy digital deals, which took care of one big annoyance. Next up, the hot water heater. I noticed that it had finally turned 30. It was still working, but after 30 years, I figured it was only a matter of time. The top has been crusty with rust for years now, and I've been kind of holding my breath every time I looked at it, hoping the tank wouldn't rust through before I could do something about it.
So I got a super deluxe ultra floofy top of the line replacement. The heater had a main shutoff, and one each for hot and cold coming off to feed the washer. None of these three valves worked, and one of them had a broken handle, and a horked up handle holding screw. So while I was going to be knee deep in a mess, I went ahead and re-did the whole works with new materials and new valves all around.
I spared no expense, and cut no corners. I took measurements, measured twice (measured twice incorrectly, as it turns out, but that's a different story), made a detailed drawing and an itemized purchase list. I got everything I needed, then spent six tedious hours painstakingly cutting and reaming and deburring and polishing and shining and spiffing and test fitting the crap out of everything, then I finally had it all together, hooked up, and pressure tested after the seventh hour. Another half hour or so, and I had carefully fitted insulation and taped all the joints, and had done the spiff damn biffiest job of installing a water heater anyone ever saw.
It was kind of a nice day today, coldish, but above freezing, and sunny. I wanted to spend some time outside, but I spent my entire Saturday working on this damn water heater. SWMBO, meanwhile, was with Mom all day, shopping and playing cards and stuff.
She came home, looked at my work, and had the audacity to bitch about the mess in the laundry room. I asked her what she thought of my eight hours of labor, and, for that matter, my $500, and she said, "Hrmph. It's a water heater. Does it work?"
SHEESH! That's why I say wimminz is ungreatful. She shouldda said "It's great honey. Nice job. Here, have a beer, then let's go back to the bedroom."
Instead, she went in the living room after a hard day of playing cards and shopping, and fell asleep on the couch. My Score Factor is a whopping 0, and I had to get my own beer. Sniff.
Oh, and I have a headache too. Hrmph.