Comedy of Errors / Importance of Signage / How we Learn

Guess which one I am?
Courtesy of Google Images

This story has to be told from the very beginning to get the full effect.

Yesterday Lars and I went on a service call to Osby, a small town about one and half hours drive through some country roads.  Lars hadn't been there for about 8 to 10 years so we used a GPS.  The trip took us through some icy and snowy roads with beautiful scenery.  The temp was about -7 degrees celsius.

We finally get there and the cooling machine is on the second floor in a dentists office that has been newly renovated.  The machine is over 30 years old.  We check the indoor unit which has an on/off power switch just below it.  The machine doesn't turn on so we check if there is power to the switch.  No power.  Aha, maybe we have a blown fuse.  So we check the label on the machine which tells us what group of fuses it is attached to.  We check three locations of electrical fuse boxes, but can't find any numbers or descriptions matching the machine.  So we check all the fuses anyway.  These fuses are easy to check but there are many of them.  There is one location we can't get into down in the basement.

Electrician Number One:  We call an electrician in town whose name we found in one of the fuse cabinets. He agrees to come in and help us.  He does all the searching we had already done and finally tells us that he no longer takes care of this building.  He has been replaced.  So we get the name of another electrician who is responsible for the building who has master keys and agrees to come in and help us.

During this time I ask Lars about this funny looking new switch by the door near the old machine.  He doesn't know what it is.  He hasn't seen it before.  So we try it and nothing happens.  We leave it in the position that it was in.

Electrician Number Two:  The second electrician arrives and checks the old machine and checks all the fuse locations we had already checked.  He is baffled.  We go downstairs to the basement and check the main electrical room.  Nothing is there with the labeling we are looking for.  All fuses are good.  We look at some old building schematics and determine that the fuse location must be in the dentists office.  This electrician finally leaves and says that he can't help us any further.

Lars and I then decide to check the outside machine on the roof for further clues.  We take the long ladder off the shop van and haul it up the stairs thru the waiting room and the dentists office to the outside second  floor roof where we can get to the third floor roof.  This in itself was comedic sort of like the movie "The Long, Long Trailer" with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez.

We get to the old old machine and check for labels on it.  The main power switch handle is broken so you can't tell what position it is in.  We take a side panel off and check the incoming power.  Nothing.  Then we switch the position of the main switch and behold we now have power.  Lars goes down to the indoor unit and turns it on.  I stay on the roof and the machine works.  Someone had turned the machine off on the roof.  Who, How, What, Ghost, Spider Man, apartment dweller from the adjacent building with a window to the roof?  Mystery.

We button up the machine and take the tools, ladders down to the van.  But, there is still the mystery of where the fuses were located.  The machine is now functional.

Lars goes back up to the dentists office to tell them what had happened and that we were done.
When Lars returned he tells me that as he was leaving he asked one of the workers in the dentists office if they turn off the machine at night.  She went over to the "funny looking switch" by the door and said "Oh yes we turn it off here"  This new switch is labeled with another fuse location number.  The problem of the missing fuse is solved.  There were two on/off switches.  And none of the electricians were aware.

On our way home it began to lightly snow and was starting to get dark.  Lars and I looked at each other and began to laugh.  There were so many twists and turns.  It is laughable.

A warm January - warm people, warm hearts and warm weather!

Yes it was a grand time for me, from beginning to the sad end, when as I crept out of Sagas room she woke up with tears rolling down her beautiful little face, asking me to not go.  As all good things come to an end so here I am, back to the relentless cold and strong winds contemplating such worldly questions as should I or should I not walk with Ralle at lunch time or should I rearrange the spice drawer?

Let me start at the beginning.  January was spent with family and friends "over there".  Charlotte, my terrific neighbor and good friend came along for the visit, with a desire to spend some time in the sun. That is where we stayed primarily,  in Sunny California that is,with the exception of a shorter trip for me, arranged by John and MariVic to Seattle.  Looking backwards now I have to chuckle when I recall that Charlotte was a bit disappointed the first couple of days in Hollister as the weather was overcast and a bit gray with temps only in the + 7 C range.  It has not been that warm here since we returned if I recall correctly.  Yea, yea, yea I know it is still winter  here!  The weather did get much better after just those first few days however with sunshine and walks on the beaches and sun tanning opportunities galore.

This trip to Seattle in the fun company of Kellie, Gary and Chris was truly a memorable experience!  Not only because I, in spite of having listened to Kellies instructions to Chris about "what to pack and / or NOT to pack" in our "overnight" bags since we did not want to have to wait for our luggage coming or going totally forgot that the small bottle of Swedish vodka / aquavit  intended for John, was tucked into my bag between my jeans and whatever else I was carrying.  Did that make for an uncomfortable and truly embarrassing start of our trip!

That said, I may tell you that I had the pleasure of meeting the most amazing and kind security person!  All the comments I have uttered in the past, regarding the security personnel at the various airports, all those usually snarling, angry and seemingly frustrated people......... forgive me, I take it all back.  This one kind, sweet and understanding soul makes up for all the ugly persons I have had to deal with in the past.  Long story short, once my blood pressure was back to normal and we all were on our way I think Kellie forgave me and in the end John did get his bottle.

In Seattle, a city I love, we had the BEST time!  We walked up and down those streets, led by John and MariVic who truly enjoy living here.  We went to Fremont Market, had hot chocolate in the newly renovated beautiful one hundred year old Sorrento Hotel, ate wonderful pizza from Serious Pie, stuffed ourselves with burgers from The Red Mill a burger joint rated one of the ten BEST in the USA!  We cooked fantastic food such as Crab and Lobster Fettuccini all together and the best French Toast, with a caramel sauce made by Kellie single handedly, that is to die for, we ate Steamed Pork Buns, shopped for cheese at a cheese factory near the Fremont/ Pikes/ Peoples Market among other things.  Yep, we ARE true FOODIES all of us and a Food Fest it was!  I had the pleasure of having Kevin introduce his sweet girl friend Haley to me too, she came to the house to play games one night, came along on some of our outings and came to pick Kevin up one evening when they were going out to a dance, for me it was another kind of delicious experience.  Being around young people in love, such as Kellie and Chris, Kevin and Haley just  lifts you up!  Hurrah for LOVE on this Valentines Day!  I LOVE my David too, still, after ALL these years!

While we were tripsing around in The State of Washington, Charlotte hung out with Maria.  Delivered Ryan back to his University in Redlands among other things. More reports to follow.

Wanted to tell you that we have a neighbor here in Sweden by the name of Bo Laestadius.  He has written a book, the title is : "Friska Fåglar Flyger" ( Healthy Birds Fly ).  Bo is traveling up and down the country being interviewed by radio and TV stations.  Pretty exciting I think......... now, if I could only get my hands on a copy of the new book so I could read it, that would be exciting too.

Speaking of reading.....

While I think of it I wanted to close with this David Thoreau quote just because I like it so much, not any other reason................ it inspires me.......

"I wish to live my precious time upon this earth deliberately, so that when my life is over, I would not discover that I had not TRULY lived"

Have a good day !   or evening !  With love, lot's of LOVE !

Another Wallop-aloosa !

Hurricane force winds they said on the radio yesterday morning.  The winds kept whipping all during the morning and throughout the night, but nothing at all with the kind of frenzy as in the middle of the night! Woke up before one AM with winds howling, the house vibrating and groaning.  The metal roofing over the laundry room banging and clanging.  Indicating that it was lose and about to fly off to, who knows, the British Islands or some such.  Sleep? Forget it!

Bosse was outside someplace, Ralle was wondering around in the kitchen.  The neighbors who live in the former millers house were up too.  Lights were on in the windows and I could see shadows of people walking back and forth, seemingly restlessly.

It is a weird feeling sitting in the house while it is swaying and moaning not being able to see what on earth is going on since it is pitch black outside.  Opening a door is a frightening prospect and not a wise option since it might just fly open taking you along for a ride.

We hunkered down here, had some tea while looking at the weather predictions on the computer.  Had not heard a word about the fact that a storm was brewing.......... Bosse eventually got our attention and David very carefully let him in. Man was that a happy cat !!  Ate some cooked chicken and went to bed.
This morning we were pleased to find that no damage had been done.  Charlotte's sign is down and the posts broken, the Oden flag post is laying flat out in the field across the road, otherwise all the surrounding houses seem to have chimneys in place and our metal roof is still attached and in tact lucky for us.

Now the report is that train traffic is not functioning well, car drivers are being warned that trees are down and there is  a lot of stuff laying in the roadways. Winds are still strong but nothing like in the night.
The sun is shining and the walk around the field this morning was a bit tricky as we were pushed in one direction and had to bend forward in order to get anywhere in the other. It will be interesting to see when Bosse wants to venture outside again.

No, dull it is not!