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This is the story of a kitchen faucet. It began it’s life in a faucet factory. Like the rest. It is happy to be a brand name faucet. You would likely recognize the name instantly if you live in the US and are older than say 22. You have heard and seen the company advertising for years and now they are a part of your subconscious. That is the purpose of advertising, to take over part of your mind. We’ll discuss that at a later date.

This particular faucet has been in service a little over a year. Barely broke in from a lifespan viewpoint. I mean you would expect a brand new faucet to last let’s say around 20 years or so. Someone, recently, has done it wrong. The working theory is they lifted the handle a little too hard. Apparently there were no eye witnesses to verify exactly what happened. Then there was some water leaking out of the bottom of the faucet where the spout joins the base.

Over the course of a few days the “little water leak” has changed to all the water now comes out the base, none actually makes it out the spout. This is where i come in. It has been assigned to me to fix the faucet. So we begin to take it apart. Remove decorative cover, loosen screw - handle is loose but will not come off. Call the 800 number.

Note: Though i of course cannot name the faucet company, it is a good company. I guess most people like their products, or they would not be a company anymore. And they do have the 800 number available for help. So i call it. After a choice or two, the recording says it’s less than 5 minutes wait, but wants to call me back so i won’t be hanging on hold. How nice, but it makes me suspicious i will never get called back. Then they do call back in about 2 minutes, verify with the name i recorded when i called and i press 1. Now i am in the real waiting cue. I guess they do this to keep phone spammers out?? I’m not sure.

After about 5 minutes a person picks up. The reason i couldn’t get the handle off is the screw is not just a setscrew, it’s over 1/2 inch long, goes through the handle and must be completely removed. I keep turning it past the locktite that they applied at the factory and now off comes the handle.

Fast forward past all the boring details of faucet disassembly and re-assembly. There were no broken parts, only a broken design. The main bottom o-ring does not have a deep enough groove to keep it in place. I predict i will need to return and repeat this same task again. I can hardly wait.

My thanks to the guy on the support call, couldn’t have done it without him.  Paul, you rock.

Yesterday i had the chance to stay where i could look out the window to see a beautiful lake, with the sun shining on the water. Some of my favorite songs celebrate the sunshine: Oh my, blue sky, help my sunny day . . . . Good day, Sunshine . . . . I’m gonna soak up the sun, gonna tell everyone to lighten up . . . .

A favorite theme and rightly so. Now combine the great sunny day with some water to reflect, to sparkle - hey, it doesn’t get much better than that. Here’s the good part - it doesn’t have to cost you anything.

Is it great to own or rent a place where you can have the sun/water all day long? Yeah sure that is awesome. But you and me, we’re mobile, we can (optionally), and often have to go someplace, each day. My yesterday and today are not my choice, i have to be here. You know the whole earning thing.

But it just so happens there is this beautiful lake right here. Mix in a little sun and presto! All we have to do is open the eyes and take it in. So you should. Even if you are working, not chillin, take the time to enjoy. Your employer does not own your thoughts, your emotional experience. You are in control of your attitude. Personally my situation is far from perfect jobwise. My choice would be to not be here. But while i am, i can still enjoy.

Maybe there is no water where you are. Are there nice trees? Mountains? Even a desert? Or maybe skyscrapers? Hey are you in control of your attitude or is someone else? Don’t give that over! Keep your attitude. Control your thoughts. Don’t give up. Don’t let them win.

While you are where you are, consciously enjoy what is there. What about those stuck indoors.  That’s where you use pictures or even better your memory.  Let your mind feast on what ever it can. Use your eyes or ears to feed the soul if possible. If necessary go within.

Take back from those who would own you, what is rightfully yours. Have a great day even though . .

Stay on top. I like to say “maintain air superiority”. Own your own mind. As they say, it’s a terrible thing to waste.

I have been having to go out of town for my job lately. Every week i have to spend at least one night, maybe two in a hotel, away from the family. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice hotel. But it’s not home. My significant other is not there. The ones i love dearly aren’t there.

So when i’m home, i feel very happy. If you get to be home every night, appreciate it. Relish the fact that you are where you want to be. If your home isn’t all you want it to be, take a little time and make some plans. Update your place, or your situation. It may take time but be thankful you can actually make plans, then do something with them.

Free will. Remember there are those who cannot exercise theirs. They may have completely forgotten what free is.

Home. So much more than house. Than apartment. Home says you have made it yours. Your stuff is there. Much more, your loved ones are there. Stuff is ok, but loved ones - that’s the real home. So celebrate your home. Rejoice in it. Fix it up more like what you want - perfect it.

Home SWEET home. Enjoy.

Fathers day. We all have a father. Hope you had a great time with him. Showed him a good day. He deserves it. My dad was a simple guy, worked in a factory for his whole life. Put in the hours to take care of the family. Then took care of our house, our yard. Showed me what it meant to do a good job, to work hard.

If you are a father, then you understand how love for your kids provides the fuel for you to go on. To keep on plugging when you don’t feel like it. That’s what my dad did.
So Fathers - I SALUTE YOU! All you sons and daughters - love up your dad. No he doesn’t need more ties or socks. He needs time with you. Don’t forget how much time he gave up to provide what you needed. So give back, spend some of your time with him.

That’s ok even if it’s not Fathers Day any more. It’s even better if it’s not the special day.  That means he’s special to you, and it will be special to him.  Overall very special.  Please do it.

Birthday Tomorrow.

No it’s not my birthday tomorrow - a dear very close friends. We shall gather at my home, grill some great summer food, and enjoy the time together. Birthday or not, it’s great to enjoy something “off the barbie”.

Hey, any food shared among friends is worth doing, right? Get some fast food and enjoy it as slowly as possible, while bonding more and more. Food and Friendship - what a great idea! Makes me excited, makes me hungry, makes me happy.

So what’s your pleasure? Grill? Diner?? Mcky Dee? Tex mex? Chinese? Buffet?

Brother? Mother? College friend? Co-worker? Dad? Neighbor? Better Half?

Choose one from each line and get busy.

Oh Boy - back to work. I really love my job. Yeah right. Well i can’t go there or we won’t have anything amusing today, will we? Monday.

The weather here was great today. Wish i could think of something to encourage you with. I dropped off my resume this afternoon at a cool company, very high tech. If you don’t like the situation you’re in then do something about it. You can change your reality. Not in a mystical way, but in a practical action. Make a decision.

Remember the saying that “Insanity is doing the same thing yet expecting different results”. I know, that’s not exactly the way it goes but you get the drift.

If you want things different, do things different. Yes, you can. I look forward to reporting to you how i have changed my situation.

Who haven’t you talked to in a long time? Who do you miss? Look up an old friend, give them a call. Hey today you don’t even pay long distance on your cell phone do you? I didn’t think so. So think back and look up someone whose number isn’t in your cell, put it in and then hit send. You’ll be glad you did.

Guess what - i did that yesterday! Actually i haven’t talked to them yet but did get an email. We will be getting together soon and it’s been _____ since we have. (time deleted to help preserve identity). You know i can’t be giving away clues like that - you might better guess my age - or not. Maybe it’s only been a few years - maybe it’s been many many. I might tell you some time.

So call them, get together for a meal, go to a concert, go shopping, boating, whatever. Take some time to enjoy your friend and get caught up on the latest.

Good for the soul. Have a great time on me!

Today we had mini thunderstorms pass by. Cute little ones, you could drive through one in 5 minutes. Some bad enough to produce hail though.

Well who cares about that? Whats funny today? Rather than write poor commentary i’ll just say:

Have a great day, plan an awesome weekend with those you love.

But work lately does depress me. But luckily i have the whole internet, and in particular this website, to soothe and entertain me. I have this platform to rant and rave from - TODAY SUCKED, TOMORROW WILL SUCK TOO!!

There, that’s enough of that. How are things with you - have you thrown anything out the window lately?

Even the window of your mind? Right now i am throwing a small something out the virtual window. Because it’s so small, i am throwing it from a very high window so it will break nicely into approximately 273 pieces. I care about the folks below so first i yell “LOOK OUT BELOW” then hurl the little something down with as much speed as possible, as if it had actually fallen from even more height than my minds eye can fabricate stories of the imaginary building. With a satisfying ‘pop’ it disintegrates into fragments no larger than 1/2 inch - most are smaller. Large trucks grind the remains into grit, that gradually washes into the storm sewers during the rains.

Remember the rain in “The Matrix”? The pouring rain when Neo was in the car, and he decided not to ‘take the highway’? Like that rain, a gully washer comes, and it removes the last trace of the small something.