Thursday

Thursday was a warm day, with a daytime high of 89F; guess who was happy?  LOL.

I was very productive in the morning!  I cleaned the kitchen and tidied it, putting away several items that had been sitting out and cluttering the counters.  The kitchen was supposed to have been my September "room of the month", but, I had procrastinated cleaning it, doing just bits and pieces here and there.  I sort of made up for that, today!

After that, I pulled everything (except the washer and dryer, of course, and the stuff I store on the two overhead shelves) out of the laundry closet and swept and mopped the floor between the washer and dryer (but, not behind and under the appliances).  I created more of a mess in the spare room as I dumped all kinds of stuff I pulled out of the laundry closet in there, but, I will sort through that, another day!  The purpose behind the cleaning, today, was to get the laundry closet emptied for the gas service technician to check on the dryer!

The gas technician arrived in the afternoon and checked the furnace (a wall mounted heater that vents to both the living room and the hallway), the stove, the dryer, the water heater, and the gas meter, although I don't know just what he did there!  The stove, dryer, and water heater were OK (and I presume the meter was fine, too). 

But not the furnace!  He turned it on and there was a big "Whoosh" sound and the flames shot out - I remember it doing that, earlier this year, too, but, it had been checked in January, and everything had been found to be OK back then.  Today's technician asked if it had always done that and I said, it had been doing that last winter and I just thought that was normal.  But, apparently not!  He said there was a delayed ignition and it should be attended to by a professional appliance repair technician.  (The gas company technicians don't do the repairs, themselves; they just check things and tell you what is wrong and what must be done.)  He said they can come out again and check the furnace after it had been repaired, if I liked and there won't be a charge for that (there was no charge for today's visit, either).  In the meantime, he turned off the heater, including the pilot light, stuck a note under the heater telling what was wrong with it, and gave me a copy of it.  I am very glad that I didn't turn it on earlier this week, when it was cold!  Who knows what could have happened?

Then, I called the company that had sold and installed this furnace, fourteen years ago, almost to the date!  The date on the sale/installation receipt was Sept. 29, 2007!  I remember, even back then, there was a problem with the ignition, which would occasionally send fire balls up the heater!  The technician who installed had to come out three times before he witnessed what I had been describing it was doing (sending up the fire balls), because it didn't do that every time it was switched on.  But, once he had seen it, he got someone from the manufacturer to come out and install a small part that had apparently fallen off or something during transportation!

Anyway, the company I called will send out a repair technician to take a look at it, tomorrow afternoon.  I think, most probably, they will tell me that I need to replace the heater.  I suppose, after 14 years, that is to be expected?  The warranty for the heater was for only 5 years.  I am not looking forward to the quote they will give me for a new heater, but, being the delicate hot-house flower that I am, I need a safe, working heater! 

After the gas company technician left, I did two loads of laundry, called cousin P, and chatted with friend R.  I also cooked some rice for dinner, which we ate with various leftover curries (ground turkey, okra, moringa, etc.)

Today, I am grateful for:

- The gas company providing these free safety checks
- The malfunctioning gas heater didn't cause any accidents!
- The rest of the appliances were working well
- The heater repair company will send out a technician tomorrow
- I have portable electric space heaters that I can use, if needed

Today's joyful activity was tidying the kitchen and laundry closet!  

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September Decluttering:  I am continuing to declutter at least one item a day in September, too.

9/1 - 1 Crossword book, completed (recycled)

9/2 - 1 T shirt (daughter's, to be donated)

9/3 - 1 knitting book (to be donated)

9/4 - unused cards (to be donated)

9/5 - 1 participation medal (daughter's; tossed)

9/6 - 1 seashell necklace (to be donated)

9/7 - 3 copper bowls (to be donated)
      - 3 text books (daughter's; recycled)

9/8 - 1 text book (daughter's; recycled)

9/9 - 2 metal spare parts that are no longer needed (recycled)

9/10 - 1 CD (chemistry lecture supplement; daughter's; tossed)

9/11 - 1 bag of small plastic toy reptiles and amphibians (3 snakes, 4 frogs, and 4 lizards; to be donated)

9/12 - 2 crocheted shawls

9/13 - 1 ice bucket printer paper tray

9/14 - 1 homemade iPad cover

9/15 - a set of 4 stem glasses (to be donated)

9/16 - 3 books (daughter's; to be donated)

        - 1 handbag/purse (daughter's; to be donated)

        - 2 telephone directories (recycled)

        - 3 magazines (recycled)

        - 1 knitted shrug (to be donated)

        - 2 zippered plastic covers that bedding came in
        - 2 storage boxes 

9/17 - 1 jacket (to be donated)

9/18 - 3 disposable food containers (given with food)
        - 1 hooded sweatshirt (to be donated)
        - more old make up (eye liner that was dry! Tossed)

9/19 - 1 old wash cloth that was torn in the middle  (tossed)
        - 1 wooden cat shaped letter holder
        - 1 clock radio
        - 3 collectible dolls
        - several posters (daughter's; recycled)

9/20 - 1 broken picture frame (tossed)

9/21 - 3 hair bands (tossed)

9/22 - 1 scarf (to be donated; another bag of donations started)

9/23 - 1 bath mat (tossed)

9/24 - 1 blouse (given to daughter)

9/25 - 1 blouse (daughter's; to be donated)

9/26 - 1 box (recycled)
          1 binder (daughter's; recycled)

9/27 - 3 tubes of lipstick (old and wrong shades; tossed)

9/28 - 1 pair of scissors with a broken handle (tossed)

9/29 - 1 cracked plastic lid to a food container (tossed)
           1 CD (tossed)

9/30 - 1 plastic strawberry basket (recycled)
           2 parts of a broken knob from the old washing machine (tossed; they had been kept in the strawberry basket)
           1 item that had been stuck to the fridge with a magnet, but, I couldn't figure out why I stuck it there!
           2 empty glass jars (recycled)

September's decluttering goal was to declutter one item a day for a total of 30 items.  I decluttered more than double that number!  I am happy with how this month's decluttering went, but, I still have a lot more to declutter.  I will be continuing my decluttering challenge in October, too.  Anyone else joining me?