The News From Here

7:00 PM I’ve been home for an hour – once I got home it was bar time. A little re-stocking and enjoy some of the inventory. I rolled out of Mesa about 8:00 to help a friend and wife. They have a new to them, what is thought of here very old house, to make their own. Previous owners must have had cable TV and telephones is each and every room plus a very old alarm system that hadn’t ever done much and didn’t work at all now. The building was surrounded by old wires. In one section there were 6 wires hanging from nails and a few fasteners. It sort of looked like it had spaghetti draped around it. As of a couple of hours ago they are all gone. Very close to the finish of the job I thought to ask who do you use for internet? COX- internet only. I said WHOOPS – not now you don’t. So about when I thought we’d be picking up tools & junk we were going to the hardware store for fittings to re-connect the internet feed. They have plans for a lot of “make their own” projects and it involves some electrical improvements. My first glances into the attic were reassuring along with some time in their service panel. Looks pretty good and there are a couple of circuits that are no longer used. There’s room for a younger more flexible person to get to everywhere needed and the service panel has the fused circuits available. Others have suggested they should get rid of the service panel because it uses fuses instead of breakers. “Why I ask, it has room a plenty, is a good panel and fuses are still readily available and there is room for lots more circuits?” “They are obsolete ! ! !” is the only response I got. I’m sure there ARE reasons to upgrade but they aren’t necessarily safety or reliability to the extent of having a new panel installed $$$. If anyone knows of cost effective justifiable reasons to spend that kind of money for the change let me know.
When I left, their internet was up and fine. The ugly wires and old Christmas lights were gone and we have a much better idea about handling additional wiring in the future. All in all a successful day – not without stress points AND stretch points from ladders to wires and old useless nails and attachments for ???? knows what. Guess who is pooped, dirty sweaty and pretty much worn down? Just before I left I helped move a iron yard table and my friend’s feet got tangled up with a tree root and he went down hard but he rolled with the fall and was OK but I don’t think he’ll be feeling very peppy tomorrow. Shame to finish up the day like that but . . .