Trees And Other Things

Have to go with both wider and taller to use the old door framing. Don't even want to think about a "hybrid" model.

I'm leaning toward the remodeling company's installers. The "owner" said some things are included in the standard installation. He specifically mentioned ... installing new casings, new J-channels on vinyl siding exteriors, installing triangular inserts when the door is not plumb, and minor touch up work.

Going with GC to cut a hole in the ceiling upstairs. Or removing all the hedge (another project on the back burner).

 

(1/13/23) Friday

Forgot I already have a Porter Cable Multi-tool that does plunge cuts. ( Well, duh. ) Makes a lot of smoke on this old wood. I believe you could start a fire with it.

The door frame now has 3 rectangular holes that will be there for at least 8 weeks. Without X-ray vision I couldn't think of any other way to check to see what's back there without the door becoming unstable or falling off the wall completely. No turning back now.

..

Someone did not leave an old door frame back there. There are no obstructions in the cavities until you get to the two top corners. I think there may be blocks of wood nailed up there to stabilize the smaller door? They should be easy to remove, whatever they are.

The stud on the latch side of the door is split about 10" above where the door handle would go. The hinge side bears all the weight, but it might interfere with installation of the dead bolt. Not sure how that works.

Photo looking inside the cavity


The new door will be about 4" wider but only 4" taller.

I think I understand doors well enough now I might be able to figure out how to fix the door at the cabin.

 

(1/11/23 ? )

Made a trip just to turn Christmas lights off on the front porch at the mobile home, dump a load of limbs in the woods, and poke insulation back in the siding. Almost didn't notice a large (20" dbh) tree that had smashed the fence to the ground like an accordion. Right up near the house. I forgot all about the high winds over Christmas. Dread checking all the way around now.

This tree was already dead but very heavy, old growth, water logged.



Lucky it broke in two pieces right at the fence. I was in no mood to try and start the chain saw and it was near dark. A pry bar did the trick. Only took about 20 minutes.

I love pry bars, and all simple machines.

The beauty of a wire fence can never be restored after it is stretched like this. Pulled the accordion back up as high as possible. Will try to clip it back to the posts one day. Maybe.



Why is every tree that falls on the fence so important. I should be used to it by now. I can't seem to get over the fear of the fence being down when we had the goats. Just my mom and me. It was a DEAPUI (drop everything and patch up immediately) situation. Somehow there was always a way, but we were lucky. The only times we couldn't fix it, were at places where the goats never went.

Grocery shopping on the way home. How come bananas have been so cheap all throughout the pandemic and inflation? Only 53c/lb.

 

"Too much monkey business, too much monkey business for me to be involved in. " Chuck Berry

 

LOL

 

I wasn't going to mention this because there were some loose ends I couldn't tie up when it happened. Nothing important, you understand. It's just that loose ends really bother me.



On January 16th I cut down most of the hedge on the east side of the back yard. Noticed shortness of breath, brain fog, low energy. Over the next two days things got worse. Coughing spells that wouldn't quit. Harder to breathe, and with lots of strange crackling noises.

Home Covid test was negative. No fever. Had to be a virus. Maybe what they called walking pneumonia back when we were kids? We always imagined zombie-like creatures walking around. Not far off actually. Just let it run its course, they say. Plenty of rest and liquids. I figured if you're well enough to go see your doctor, you are well enough to just wait another day and see if it doesn't get better.

Then 2 episodes where I couldn't catch my breath AT ALL. Rapid shallow breathing. It was scary, and I'm no scaredy-cat. Both times it didn't last long. But what the heck was that all about? If I keep waiting long enough there is a (slim) chance it's something serious, and I'd end up having to call 911, and that would really be embarrassing. And what about the cat.

So I put out enough dry cat food for 2 days just in case, and drove to the ER before daylight. No one on the streets. Plenty of parking. Spent 5 hours being tested. Ruled out everything except an infection by one of the 20+ viruses other than the flu or Covid, that they said cause these things. IV steroid (Prednisone) and antibiotics, and some soupy wet air to breathe. The little clothespin thing on the finger said blood oxygen level was 98%, which is good. Everything seemed fine.

I knew that would happen. A waste of everyone's time. Just give me the Rx for the steroids and let me slip out the door quietly. They told me to call my doctor that afternoon. Which I had no intention of doing, and never did. But then....

Just as I was leaving another episode. This time rapid breathing along with racing heart rate, weakness and trembling. They either didn't notice, or more likely they thought I was making everything up from the beginning. I was glad to escape.

So that is where things stood until last weekend. Confused. It took another week to see an improvement, and 2 more weeks to get back to anything near normal. Now I'm way behind in all things I wanted to do before spring.

In hindsight I find this whole thing rather funny, but it wasn't at the time. I think I finally figured out what happened (tied up the loose ends), but as usual this is already too long. I can't seem to write anything short and to the point anymore.

 

Wow! That is scary, especially when by yourself. I am glad it got better. A friend had that years ago and after numerous tests at the pulmonologist, they said it was double pneumonia. Who knows for sure? There may be some unknown virus that has been unleashed on us. My coughing and choking have been worse lately with my breathing not up to par. I still keep up my morning exercise and hope it will pass as it has before. Very glad you are OK.

 

Yeah, I thought about how much easier it would have been if I didn't live alone. But then again, who knows.

 

Yep, girl, my thoughts exactly. Dying from choking and coughing is probably less painful than dying from aggravation.

 

"Just one more thing. It won't take long."



The loose ends

1. Last weekend @Richard Whiting started a thread here on anxiety attacks. I read more about them. They cause real physical symptoms. Two common ones are racing heart rate and rapid breathing (hyperventilation). I think that might have been what happened the first 2 times I got short of breath at home. Anxiety. I've never had anything like that before.

2. A side effect of Prednisone is to increase blood sugar level. I've had reactive hypoglycemia forever. That's when a spike in blood sugar on an empty stomach causes a crash and too low blood sugar, because insulin you produce overshoots the target. Symptoms are shaking, feeling faint, weakness, racing heart rate. I got the IV of Prednisone about a half hour before leaving the ER. When I got home I popped a tablespoon of sugar and that went away in 5 minutes. So that explained the 3rd incident as I was leaving the ER.

Also found these things good to know:

"A person may have shortness of breath (dyspnea) even though the actual blood levels of oxygen are within a normal range."

"It is important to understand that people do not suffocate or die from dyspnea."

I think I will understand what's going on if it happens again and won't panic.

(ps. I've been binge watching Columbo rerun marathons for the last 2 weeks.)

 

Well, watching Colombo has paid off as it looks like you have what happened to you figured out. It sure makes sense to me.