Hanging out the Washing (on the Siegfried Line?)

The weather has moderated.  Climbed to 0C today.  May drop next week to -10C but far better than -25C.  It was even up to 23C in Siberia today.

Tanya decided today was house cleaning day. I have no idea where the dust comes from but our floors are always dusty.  If dust we are and to dust we shall return then there is someone either coming or going under our bed.  I didn't hear the Ninth playing backwards so it isn't Beethoven decomposing but I digress...

 Cleaning day means I had to clean my bathroom, including the shower.  Cleaning MY bathroom, washing the dishes and hanging the laundry are the three things I can do well enough to her satisfaction that I am encouraged to continue. Toilet and sink get done once a week (so THERE, MayB!!!) but the shower...

My theory about showers, like that of many males, is that a) they can't get dirty because they are constantly being washed with soap and hot water and b) they don't need cleaning until the scum builds up inside to the point you can't get in.  Of course in my case that takes less time than for other people, as when I close the doors there is not a lot of extra room.

Needing to look busy the rest of the day, I decided to see why the flame had gone out on our electric fireplace.  It had run steady during the cold spell and the heater still worked, but no magic flickering flames from the fake fuel.  Pulled the fireplace away from the wall, pulled the metal box out of the wooden "fireplace" frame and set it on top of the mantle where I could get at it.  Pulled the back off and both 40w light bulbs were burnt out.

Taking the back off was no easy task.  There were 18 little metal screws to remove.  Manually.  With a Philips.  I was afraid I was going to get Screwer's Elbow again.  I had that once thirty years ago. Before I got a cordless screwdriver.  Whatever I was making needed to be screwed glued and tattooed.  Some 350 3/4" screws and I was in agony.  I went to the clinic and said "Doc, I got Screwer's Elbow."  He said they prefer to call it Tennis Elbow to avoid confusion. Learn something new every day.

Tanya said "Are you going to town for new light bulbs today? Otherwise that thing will sit there in the living room for two weeks".  I went for the light bulbs. She knows me too well.