Down to Business
Thursday, July 6th, 2023 07:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snoozefestaudioThe high today was only 80F, and it was sunny. It was the first time all four of us sat out in the back yard together before work, in a couple weeks.
Before I left, I measured the interiors of the back room windows... the triple window... with the idea of getting roller shades that could hang behind the blinds.
Those three windows are an odd size, and one of the three is slightly less wide than the other two, so, back in 2020, I had ordered custom blinds for them.
They're nice, but they were expensive, and they're also nearly transparent, which is not good, now that the shade from the two mulberry trees is gone.
That room's been heating up like a greenhouse the past couple weeks, now that the full summer sun is blasting through those windows... so much, that it doesn't cool down overnight, even if I run the AC on high 24/7!
--<>--
Now, because the blinds were so expensive (and they are nice), I didn't want to just pitch them.
But at work, I priced out custom, blackout, roller shades... from the same company... that can mount behind them, to use in the summer, or for privacy.
And... they will make them for me... but it was $75.00 per shade!
I almost didn't buy them, but... after searching around, I had to give up and admit there was no other choice. At 14 inches wide, they are too narrow for any other company.
And places like Lowes, and Home Depot, who used to sell cheep roller shades and cut them to size for you... no longer do so.
So the custom shades went into my shopping cart, with a few other things.
------------{=0=}------------
When I got home the $12.00 USB to Audio Jack dongle was on the front stoop.
But after walking Yvette, I had other things to take care of.
First thing I did was grab a box from the porch, and cut it up to block out the back room windows... holding the pieces of cardboard in place with masking tape.
This will hold out the sun for the three weeks it's gonna take for those shades to arrive.
And it was an instant improvement! I could feel the room starting to cool down only 30 minutes later!
--<>--
But I couldn't purchase the shades until I got out into the shed and measured the lawnmower blade... which is 21 inches.
Back on Saturday, I smacked the blade into one of the metal stakes supporting Natalie, the nutal oak... and it bent.
I still got through the mow, but... on these electric mowers, if the lightweight blades aren't perfectly aerodynamic, things start to go wrong.
At any rate, now that I knew the blades I had in the shopping card (I ordered two) were the right size, I hit the button and ordered those, the shades, and a little WIFI adapter for Dad's computer in the back room... because the one in the machine sucks ass.
--<>--
After this, I went around the front and back yards with the wheel barrow and picked up all the sticks and branches that had fallen after all the wind yesterday.
And now, the turtle is all filled up again, with future kindling.
--<>--
When I was done outside, I went upstairs... taped more cardboard over the back room window up there... the left one of the two, which lets in the worst of the summer sun... and then I caulked around the cat door panel in the south window.
--<>--
Hopefully, with the offending windows blocked off, and that panel caulked... now that we're going down to 57F tonight... the house can cool back down and stay cool during the day!
There's a few more things I could do, but what I did today took care of the bulk of the solar heating issues, and the humidity leak upstairs.
--<>--
When all that was done, I unpackaged the USB/Audio dongle, and tested it out.
And... I have my speakers back!
And now that I could monitor out loud with a subwoofer, I tweaked the AUP file of the song, so that the vocals were louder, and had more of a left/right presence.
Not a huge remix or anything, just an adjustment to the existing vocal track.
But I replaced the going file on SoundCloud with this slightly newer version... and it's embeded below.
--<>--
I've decided not to try and alter the bass line to this track either.
I will probably tweak the arrangement at the end, and add a bit more musicality... and I will definitely re-record the vocals.
But this was supposed to be a test, and I don't want to get bogged down with it forever.
------------{=0=}------------
I finally got my pink slip from BMO today about the HELOC.
And indeed... it says that the monthly payment for June was $13,997.00.
Which is outrageous, because it's normally only $120.00
And it says the late charge is $693.00... bringing the total amount due, up to $14,691.00
So... I guess it's time to call them.
I'm not sure how this is gonna go down, but... this is too huge a problem to stress about.
I stress about little problems quite a bit... but huge ginormous problems have the reverse effect on me, and make me calm.
°¦}
https://soundcloud.com/snoozefestaudio
Before I left, I measured the interiors of the back room windows... the triple window... with the idea of getting roller shades that could hang behind the blinds.
Those three windows are an odd size, and one of the three is slightly less wide than the other two, so, back in 2020, I had ordered custom blinds for them.
They're nice, but they were expensive, and they're also nearly transparent, which is not good, now that the shade from the two mulberry trees is gone.
That room's been heating up like a greenhouse the past couple weeks, now that the full summer sun is blasting through those windows... so much, that it doesn't cool down overnight, even if I run the AC on high 24/7!
Now, because the blinds were so expensive (and they are nice), I didn't want to just pitch them.
But at work, I priced out custom, blackout, roller shades... from the same company... that can mount behind them, to use in the summer, or for privacy.
And... they will make them for me... but it was $75.00 per shade!
I almost didn't buy them, but... after searching around, I had to give up and admit there was no other choice. At 14 inches wide, they are too narrow for any other company.
And places like Lowes, and Home Depot, who used to sell cheep roller shades and cut them to size for you... no longer do so.
So the custom shades went into my shopping cart, with a few other things.
When I got home the $12.00 USB to Audio Jack dongle was on the front stoop.
But after walking Yvette, I had other things to take care of.
First thing I did was grab a box from the porch, and cut it up to block out the back room windows... holding the pieces of cardboard in place with masking tape.
This will hold out the sun for the three weeks it's gonna take for those shades to arrive.
And it was an instant improvement! I could feel the room starting to cool down only 30 minutes later!
But I couldn't purchase the shades until I got out into the shed and measured the lawnmower blade... which is 21 inches.
Back on Saturday, I smacked the blade into one of the metal stakes supporting Natalie, the nutal oak... and it bent.
I still got through the mow, but... on these electric mowers, if the lightweight blades aren't perfectly aerodynamic, things start to go wrong.
At any rate, now that I knew the blades I had in the shopping card (I ordered two) were the right size, I hit the button and ordered those, the shades, and a little WIFI adapter for Dad's computer in the back room... because the one in the machine sucks ass.
After this, I went around the front and back yards with the wheel barrow and picked up all the sticks and branches that had fallen after all the wind yesterday.
And now, the turtle is all filled up again, with future kindling.
When I was done outside, I went upstairs... taped more cardboard over the back room window up there... the left one of the two, which lets in the worst of the summer sun... and then I caulked around the cat door panel in the south window.
Hopefully, with the offending windows blocked off, and that panel caulked... now that we're going down to 57F tonight... the house can cool back down and stay cool during the day!
There's a few more things I could do, but what I did today took care of the bulk of the solar heating issues, and the humidity leak upstairs.
When all that was done, I unpackaged the USB/Audio dongle, and tested it out.
And... I have my speakers back!
And now that I could monitor out loud with a subwoofer, I tweaked the AUP file of the song, so that the vocals were louder, and had more of a left/right presence.
Not a huge remix or anything, just an adjustment to the existing vocal track.
But I replaced the going file on SoundCloud with this slightly newer version... and it's embeded below.
I've decided not to try and alter the bass line to this track either.
I will probably tweak the arrangement at the end, and add a bit more musicality... and I will definitely re-record the vocals.
But this was supposed to be a test, and I don't want to get bogged down with it forever.
I finally got my pink slip from BMO today about the HELOC.
And indeed... it says that the monthly payment for June was $13,997.00.
Which is outrageous, because it's normally only $120.00
And it says the late charge is $693.00... bringing the total amount due, up to $14,691.00
So... I guess it's time to call them.
I'm not sure how this is gonna go down, but... this is too huge a problem to stress about.
I stress about little problems quite a bit... but huge ginormous problems have the reverse effect on me, and make me calm.
°¦}
