Saturday morning we went to my boss’s lake front home. He was hosting an antique boat show. There were fifty very old boats there on display, many of which no longer run. They are just for looking at. There were people set up with old outboard engines, many of which are not for sale. Weird I know. Everyone seemed to be very proud of whatever it was they had. They even had a raffle for an old boat that needed refinishing. I kept my money in my pocket afraid I might win the damn thing and have to keep it in my yard.

Then there was a water ski show. Man that was pretty good. My wife sure liked it. Like Cypress Gardens….well close. They did pyramids and show cased various hot dog moves. Like circling the boat and barefoot sking. They had outfits and did some lifts and other tricks. It was very nice.

Then they served BBQ ribs, chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a roll with sweet tea. I have prepared and eaten that meal many times, and it is still just as good as the first time I had it. After the meal I helped some, and then left. My wife was ready to get out of there, even if I wanted to stay some.

Their home is very nice and they just built a two boat lift dock. The home has been in their family for 70 years or so.


Then we drove to the HomeDepot to buy a…..wait for it……wait…….a new water heater. The old one started getting really hot. Then I had to hit the reset button. Then it was the circuit breakers. I had already pulled the top element and it was crusted over. I considered a rebuild, but decided after 25 years it would be best to simply replace it. The cost was $425 for a 40 gallon tank.

The old unit was very heavy with sludge in the bottom. I couldn’t put it in the truck by myself. My wife had to help and we barely got it. Of course, easing it off at the dump was far easier. I thought to myself that I made the right decision in replacing the unit altogether. Mt electric bills have been running high and I think I found out why.

The new heater had screws on top vs. copper tubes. I bought Shark Bite fittings and braided lines to do the hookup. It was super easy to do and looks nice, too. The next guy, the one that replaces the unit, will enjoy the ease the hoses present when replacing the unit. This was a fairly easy DIY job. I mean your setup might present some issues that require a pro, but most likely if you ever need to do this you can. I probably should have replaced mine years ago. I plan to drain this thing next year and try to keep the sludge build up to a minimum.

I did discover why it takes so long to get hot water to the master bathroom shower. They ran 3/4” copper line into the water heater, but only 1/2” copper line out. I suppose the builder saved himself a few dollars at a lifetime of expense to the home owner. I just thought that was a pretty nasty thing to do. He couldn’t have saved but a few hundred dollars. The kitchen sink also has a medium water flow when it comes to hot water.

The builder went out of business not long after he built the home. Everything they put in it was builder-cheap grade stuff. The walls are cinder block with poured concrete inside corners and certain places along the wall. Concrete floor, hip roof with asphalt shingles. The shingles were regular builder grade, and we are considering a metal roof soon. Not sure I want to go to that expense, but it would be an almost permanent fix. We shall see.

The A/C unit needs a complete replacement now as well. 25 years is doing pretty good. Trane makes a nice unit, or at least they did. The newer models are very energy efficient. There were some new regulations passed by the government that will make future units a royal pain, so now is a good time to get one. The government never does anything to help us, just hinder us.

I have a friend that does A/c refrigeration work and with what I will save on the new unit, will be spent on buying something very nice. Such is life for the homeowner. Beautiful, no gorgeous weather, and no fishing. BLUCK !!!!