It started earlier in the week really when the drum went out on our laser printer and it quit printing. I ordered the part and chose Priority shipping so we could get it by (hopefully) Friday or Saturday---hasn't come yet. So we have been printer less since like Wednesday.
On Friday, dh came home and mentioned that it was warmer in here that usual. I told him that it also was very hot. But he reminded ME that the a/c shouldn't be working as hard as it is. He used to work on a/c units so he started fiddling with it and discovered that the fan motor was red hot and that was all she wrote. We were at the end of June, in Savannah, Georgia, with 10 people in our house, and no a/c. *thud* Not a major problem though because as I said, dh is handy and in his words, "It is an easy fix. Just needs a new motor."
We spend a hot night in bed but it wasn't completely unbearable. I woke up with a migraine which is typical for me when under stress.
Saturday morning, Jeff started calling supply places for a new fan motor. Now we are having a problem, it seems the supply places that would have a motor, are closed on Saturdays. Again, not a problem because Jeff's boss, Jim has a couple of window units we can borrow until Monday when Jeff can fix the a/c.
Jeff tries to call his boss but there is no answer. He is having a yard sale so not close to his phone. Jeff decides to drive out to his house. He and our oldest son load up and take off. About 10 minutes after they leave, my phones rings. "The truck died," states my husband. "Try to call Jim's house. We might need to call a wrecker."
I sigh and try his boss a few times. I call Jeff back and he says to just call a tow truck. So I find one that will take my credit card info over the phone because dh has no cash nor debit card. I call him back and tell him that help is on the way.
About an hour later, the wrecker comes with the work truck, Jeff and Jeffrey. They seem in good spirits. We all eat lunch and Jeff decides to head out to Jim's house in our van to get the window units. It is now early afternoon in Savannah, and we are pushing 90-93 in the house.
Jeff is gone about an hour when my phone rings again, "I am on my way home but we might want to see if we can afford a battery for the van. Jim had to jump start it when I went to leave." I remind Jeff that my Mother's Day gift last year was a new battery so it should still be good. LOL He says that he will see me when he gets home....BUT about 45 minutes later the phone rings again, "Van's dead. I am at Habersham and Derenne. You need to come jump me." *shaking my head*
I get our son's truck and drive to rescue Jeff and the van. We make it home...barely. But thankfully, he has the window units!!
Jeff installs one in the living room and one in the dining room. It is still hot but it starts to get a little cooler. We know where we will all be sleeping this night! In the Living room.
After the a/c units are installed, Jeff and I take the van to the mechanic who agrees with hubby, it is the alternator. Great.
For those keeping score it is: one printer, one work truck, on a/c, and one van. We are having a GREAT weekend.
We know we aren't going to be able to cook with the air out because it will make the house even hotter. So I run to the store (in my son's truck which also has no a/c) for lunch meat and other easy things. We are looking on the bright side--we get to watch movies and enjoy some time together.
Saturday night we got 3 twin mattresses and the mattress off our bed and lined them up in the living room and dining room. Our oldest 3 each got a twin, the next 4 slept on our mattress sideways, the baby was in the playpen, Jeff got the couch and I had the love seat. It was cozy and we all hoped that the person farthest from the bathroom didn't have to go because there were a lot of people to walk over to get there!
Sunday morning we all woke up and enjoyed day old donuts from the store. I grabbed the milk from the fridge to take my RA medicine and said, "Honey....this milk is warm." He came to see and sure enough, the fridge was warm. I wanted to scream!!!
Being the kind of person I am, I changed my status on Facebook to reflect our new mechanical failure. Jeff and I began to figure out a plan for getting ice and stuff to keep from losing too much. He fiddled with the fridge (since he is handy) and determined that it was (again) an easy fix. But now it was Sunday and again, no parts places were open. About the time we were trying to decide what to do, there was a knock on our door.
To our great pleasure, a friend of ours was there with 3 coolers full of ice, bottled water and cans of coke. He raided his father-in-laws automatic ice machine for us! We were very grateful.
After lunch, the mechanic called to tell us the van was fixed! And it would only cost us about 360.00. LOL Before Jeff and I could go to get that, another friend from church stopped by to deliver some chicken dinners. Sunday was our church's Patronal Feast Day---which we missed. But they were nice enough to bring us some leftovers from the luncheon.
Oh and did I mention that Sunday was also our Andrew's 6th birthday? LOL Poor kid, he gets a do-over later. LOL
Things are looking better by Sunday night: the van is fixed and the fridge is cold again but we still have no air and a broken work truck in the yard.
Monday morning, Jeff's boss picks him up for work. He has left me specific instructions for what to get from the supply place. I call the first one, they don't have the part. Second place, no they don't either. But they gave me the number of another, BINGO! They have it. My two oldest sons and I jump in the van to get the part. Success! The part is bought and we are back home.
Jeff comes home from work a little early Monday evening. He replaces the fan motor but in the process, breaks the old motor shaft in the fan blade. He tells me to go get another. Supply place closes in one hour---can I make it. Success!! I return with a new fan blade. Jeff hooks it all up, turns the breakers back on and Ta-Da...still no a/c. Crap!
He says to me that it must be the capacitor. But the capacitor they gave me with the fan motor is not the same as the one we need. So guess what I get to do Tuesday morning? And guess where we are all sleeping again on Monday night??? *sigh* At this point, I am wondering who we made mad!
Another night with all 10 of us in the living room and another day of keeping very active little boys from generating more body heat in the house.
Tuesday I go ASAP to get the new part. The guy knew immediately what I needed. He said, "Yea, this isn't supposed to look like this." LOL Jeff had told me that this part would be at least $40 (later he told me it would be anywhere from 40.00 up to 140.00). So I was prepared to pay a lot. The parts guy gave me a total of 8.82. I said, "80.82 ?? " thinking I had misheard. He said, "No, 8.82." I was so thankful!!!! And relieved!
On the way home, I called Jeff to tell him I had the part. He said that as soon as the concrete guy left, they would run home and put it on. At lunchtime, Jeff, Jeffrey and Jim, the boss, all showed up. They fixed the a/c and then enjoyed their lunch in the living room with all of us.
Tuesday night, we all slept in our own beds!! *woot*
Lest you think things are looking up, Jeff is still fiddling with the a/c because it still isn't working quite right. He is pretty sure it is the fan blade they gave us but he doesn't know how to make it work better. We are waiting on the part for the fridge and the drum for the printer still has not come in...which really irritates me.
Tonight though, I really need to focus on the positives because I am starting to get a little cranky. And why am I cranky? Because of all that happened this weekend, I was unable to get to my Publix list until this evening. Because I have been lax in getting my coupons filed, it took me a while to hunt down my bbq sauce and mustard ones. By the time I was done, it was 8:30. Too late for me to go to the store. So I am cranky! I wasn't really cranky when the a/c went out, or the truck broke down or the van...no I get cranky because I couldn't get cheap condiments!!
How lame is that????
I am so excited about these savings!! I actually told my 13 year old daughter that was with me, "If I save over $100, I am so bloggin' this!" We watched on the Publix cash register screen as my savings went from $30 to $40 to $70 to $90. I stood there as it got closer to $100 saying, "Come on! Come on!" And then it was done: $101.73 in savings!!! *WooHoo* I was stoked! (The cashier, not so much! LOL).
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