The microwave tech from Stan’s showed up right on time. His name was Steve, I think. I had to rip a cabinet door off to access the power cord so he could dismantle the unit without fear of electrocution. I would have done it without unplugging it. That’s just the way I am because I have good insurance. The diagnosis was a bad fan motor so it’s down hard. Now we need to wait while a new motor is shipped from China, or maybe El Paso, so the tech can install it. To do so, he said, will require me to rip off another cabinet door so he can access the screws that keep the micro from falling on the stove below it. That part of the cupboard, in case you’re interested, was made unusable because I had to modify the space and couldn’t find a cabinet door to fit. So, I used two small ones, for which I didn’t have hinges, and just nailed them to the frame. I don’t think Diane was a fan of that nifty move. Might have to rectify that since the doors will be off. I guess I could just make a single door out of a chunk of plywood.

I went to Comcast to get another cable box to replace the one I turned in a few weeks ago because we didn’t really need it. Turns out that was a mistake on my part. It has been rectified, and I had them boost our internet speed just for the fun of it. Right now we’re running at 55.93 Mbps download and 11.93 Mbps upload. I figure the reason it’s running a little slow is because I’m going through the wireless router that’s at the other end of the house from the modem which means they are about 1/4 mile apart. That’s a lie, of course. Our house isn’t that big. It’s only about 40 feet separation, but there may be 1/4 mile of wire involved. Can’t remember where I strung the wire when I connected the router to the modem. I know what you techies are thinking … I’d need a booster in there someplace because the signal would attenuate to nearly nothing well before reaching the 1/4 mile mark. So it’s probably only about 40 feet, like I said.

I made another stop at a machine shop to see about getting some metal wall art created to cover  holes in the front of the fireplace. The holes are actually missing bricks that would allow hot air to vent into the living room from the heating chamber associated with the fireplace when it was actually a fireplace. We had a gas insert installed so the heat exchanger is no longer needed and the holes in the front have been deemed to be unsightly by one of the occupants of our home. So, I talked with John, who owns the shop, explained what I was looking for and he got some creative juices flowing. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with. For sure it will be one of a kind. I’ll take a picture for you when it’s done. It will be colorful, I’m told.

Diane went shopping for sustenance after I returned from my voyage of discovery. While she was gone I connected and activated the replacement cable box then tried to program the remote for the family room setup. With all the work Diane’s been doing downstairs there’s actually room to walk into the room and sit down on the couch. There’s even talk of moving the big TV down there, a discussion we’ve had in the past. Maybe this time it will happen and we can use the living room as a living room instead of a TV room. Then we’ll spend all out free time down there, in the family room.

I will end this with news that the Portland Trailblazers made short work of the Chicago Bulls, winning their 6th straight game. I have no idea where they stand in their division, but don’t really care at this point. I’ll get more interested toward the end of the season and hope they make the playoffs.

Tomorrow the Oregon Ducks, #2 in the nation, plays Colorado in a Pac-12 game. Then it will be the Civil War against the Oregon State Beavers. The last one is always a fun game to watch. If the Ducks win out, they will be in NCAA playoffs.

Today it rained all day which is just fine with me. I feel the pain of those folks in Western New York who are going to go from 7 feet of snow to serious flooding when it melts. A little rain for us is insignificant by comparison.

Sorry. I really thought I was ending this a couple of paragraphs back. I will do so now. G’nite.