Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: happy

Furnace in Progress

The new furnace guys arrived bright and early this morning.  They're almost done  already.  And the new furnace requires a smaller power line, fewer amps, than the old one: more oomph, more efficient, so less energy.  \o/

EDIT 5 PM 12/14/16: Furnace is installed and working.  Regrettably the new thermostat is a computer.  No buttons at all anymore, just a computer.  *sigh*  I miss when things had dials and buttons that were simple and easy to use.  It alarms me how much of the world is turning into computers, because many people are not good with computers.  That reduces functionality. When it's an entertainment device such as a television, this is merely inconvenient and annoying; I don't need  a television.  I do need a thermostat, and having one that is quite likely to malfunction if I ever touch it -- if I could make it work at all -- is nerve-wracking.  I resent the tide of technology taking away formerly ubiquitous solutions that are perfectly possible to make, people just don't bother anymore.
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  • 13 comments
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ysabetwordsmith

Re: Yes...

ysabetwordsmith

December 15 2016, 10:07:53 UTC 4 years ago

>> I've noticed that a lot of people seem to share your dislike of wall ovens and stovetops <<

I love wall ovens and stovetops. I miss mine bitterly. But the ones on offer now are not usable, so I have not purchased them.

>> judging by the numbers of slowcookers and various countertop cookers and bakers I've consistently seen for sale in this area. <<

I do also adore crockpots.

>> One device I'm especially intrigued by is the multiple slow-cooker. It's been around for a while, but this year it seems like every store has got them for sale.<<

I've seen those. I would totally buy one if we needed to feed more than 2 people often. As it is, I just use the several crockpots I have, separately. It's not rare for me to crock a main dish and a dessert, because a favorite dessert is Berry Sweet Dumplings.

>>Something else I've noticed is that slow-cookers disappear from the Goodwill almost as fast as they arrive. I wonder if it's because more women are using them to cook with than they used to? <<

Possibly so, or it may be a need for what they do: make food smells last long, and cook while you're not home.

>> Something else that's come to mind: Not only are modern appliances expensive to repair (if they can be repaired), having to deal with appliance repair men is highly stressful. There's been more than once that I've ordered one out of my house and I'm generally a patient person.<<

I agree that service is extremely poor if it can be obtained at all. We lost our kitchenware because people simply refused to work on it anymore. It was old, but fixable; they couldn't be arsed to do it anymore. >_< People coming late or not at all, refusing to return calls, doing a shitty job, etc. are routine. The cost-benefit analysis is therefore also poor. For non-critical items it is generally better to buy new or do without.
cflute

beyond the local horizon?

cflute

December 15 2016, 23:39:21 UTC 4 years ago

Are the wall oven and stovetop gone, as in physically removed, or "just" non-functional?

The problem you describe is maddening, yes. It suggests a niche occupation to me, though: an itinerant repair person - possibly a college student on a gap year? - who tours the country, perhaps in a VW bus or mini-motorhome, earning zir way by fixing analog devices that local repair people disdain. Someone like Kaylee from Firefly (who had no formal mechanical training when she started, but had super-nary mechanical intuition) would be perfect for this. I think such people *do* exist in L-America ... we just need to find them and help them make the right connections!
ysabetwordsmith

Re: beyond the local horizon?

ysabetwordsmith

December 16 2016, 02:49:18 UTC 4 years ago

>> Are the wall oven and stovetop gone, as in physically removed, or "just" non-functional? <<

Still there. By this point, continued degradation of elements may have rendered them unfixable. It's been a long time. I don't know.

>> The problem you describe is maddening, yes. It suggests a niche occupation to me, though: an itinerant repair person - possibly a college student on a gap year? - who tours the country, perhaps in a VW bus or mini-motorhome, earning zir way by fixing analog devices that local repair people disdain. Someone like Kaylee from Firefly (who had no formal mechanical training when she started, but had super-nary mechanical intuition) would be perfect for this. I think such people *do* exist in L-America ... we just need to find them and help them make the right connections! <<

That is an excellent idea. And yes, mechanical intuition is a thing. My grandfather had it; my mother has it.

Notice that over in T-America, handywork is a fairly common profession. Most work for themselves, although some run community center repair nights or a fixit shop or even a place like a garage that employs several people. Janie has a loose conglomeration of other handies she can team up with for big projects; she knows enough to supervise. Smaller stuff she does on her own. Closely related, oddjobbing is also popular, like Turq is picking up.

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