One year ago today: October 8, 2014, XP still works.
Five years ago today: October 8, 2010, an empty house.
Six years ago today: October 8, 2009, peek-a-boo.*
MORNING
If you get any photos today, they were taken tomorrow. This was one of the most harrowing, hard-working, sweaty and dirty times in my born days. It was only hours later, as the difficulties were resolved, that we quit loudly cussing the entire Florida psyche for inflicting such hardships when they should be arresting people who endanger others. What a grimy, messy job over five hours, but it is done.
Sure enough, we found the Canucks had wired up several of the Florida rooms to run off one meter. The sheer length of wire was enough to keep tripping the breaker of my own Florida room. JZ was in a panic every time I sparked a pair of wires under the foundation when supposedly all power to my unit was shut off at the main panel. Worse, the wiring was all Mickey Moused with the green (ground) wire as hot. You only think that is easy to figure out.
Ah, we do have pictures. This is not exciting material, but it was the event of the day. Shown here on my work desk, is the green wire that was connected to hot. For clarity, what appears to have happened is at some point in the past, the Frenchies had connected two trailers to one meter. When that was over, they left the bogus wiring in place. The length of wire as connected to a board that rotted away, causing a partial ground—I think.
JZ wanted to march over to the office and tell them off, I said no. Let’s wait and see what transpires. The Quebecois are due back in a week or so, all long term residents. I’m plenty happy that discovering the bad wiring saved me a potential $800 in bills having somebody else come out for a look. We retired hastily to the club for a few cold ones and stared at the pretty women. All taken, all leftovers, but pretty after a fashion.
NOON
Further investigation found a circuit breaker up the lane that was acting as a feed for the illegal wiring system. I’m just happy to have my Florida room back and be able to run all the air conditioners at once. I’m not pleased with how the landlord tried to pin the problem on me and did not even look at the situation I reported years ago. He is far more concerned with appearing to be a “manager” rather than actually fixing anything in this hard-earned business that he inherited from his grandmother. And thinks nobody here knows about that.
The reality is that because we did not know where the pirate power was originating, we had to work in the sweltering heat for hours, our shirts plastered to our backs and eyes stinging in the half-light of the moldy-smelling foundation. JZ is petrified by sparking voltages, as I was five years ago. The partition insulation was so thick we could not signal each other by yelling or pounding on the wall. And like I said, the mystery power meant I insisted we turn off everything, which meant not even an overhead fan.
It took a little over six hours of this form of torture before we found which of the neighbor’s boxes had the controlling breakers. And we are tired, hungry, thirsty, and covered in cobwebs and grime. Even the trees in the back yard decided this was a great season to start shedding itchy seeds with a funky smell. And JZ made no less than 30 trips back and forth to the breaker box.
But what a treat to find the wiring was intact and endless hot shower water. Everything is back working, even the massive fans in the corners of every big room. They are relayed to follow movement and I’ve had to do without them since June. And now I don’t have to cough up the $700 the landlord was blaming on me. I’m essentially up $1,800 and that could just be the gravy on my trip to the Smithsonian. However, if you’d had to get under there and do the work with me, you won’t be cheering the prize. I ache from ankles to shoulder blades. This puppy will sleep tonight.
NIGHT
Here is, hopefully, the final photo of this electrical fiasco. It is shown here after, in the daylight, all nicely buttoned up. Marked are the access panel of the original box, where next month we will be replacing the water heater. And the crawl space where we found the rotten wood and grounding wire. It’s behind this plastic trellis material, which had to be peeled back along the whole length of the building. I repaired it back this morning before thinking to snap this photo. But the damp work area is still evident. That was an adventure, this picture is in behind my unit where it is perpetual shade.
Listen, I have to cut you short. This was heavy-duty work. In near primitive conditions with no chance to lighten the time by talking, and within the hour, most of the cold drinks in the fridge had become tepid. Very discouraging going, you know. We did not begin to fish out the problems until the sun was already setting and dark was all we needed. Woe to anyone who wakes me up before 9 or 10 tomorrow.
* [Author's note: I won't print the picture here, but if you are curious where this fashion statement is heading, take a look at this Uberhumor link. Most of the world would consider this funny. If you don't, you must be North American. Please try to remember that there are no universal wrongs and you cannot legislate what people want or don't want. You can only criminalize them. And western prohibitions have never worked, here or elsewhere. Women all over the world try to look younger than they are, but most lawyers are men who make laws only against other men. Punish mainly the men is the game.]
Last Laugh – and an apt finish for the day.
Enjoy while you can, this
Salesmen take note: here's proof it can be done.
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