Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 2

There was a new Number One song this week in 1986, and it’s one I liked—and still do. That’s certainly not always the case. On February 15, 1986, “How Will I Know” (video up top) by by American singer Whitney Houston. It was the third single from her debut album, Whitney Houston, and it was also her second Number One single, after 1985’s “Saving All My Love for You”, which was the subject of “Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 20”.

This song was on the radio a lot at the time, as most Number One songs are, and I also saw the video a lot at the time. I I liked a lot of Whitney’s early music, including this song, and I also liked the video. However, I never bought the song or her album, and I can’t remember where, precisely, I saw the video—possibly (probably?) in the video gay bars that were popular at the time, since I didn’t have MTV. There were, however, weekly music video shows were on broastcast TV at the time, so that’s also a possibility.

In this era, I thought Whitney’s songs were “good”, for lack of a better, more accurate word, but I can't listen to her old music without feeling sad at what happened to her. None of which is to dismiss her work in later years, before she stopped releasing albums, and I did like some of that, too. My point, really, is that I like a lot—though not all—of her music in this era when she was still a “new artist” for the pop music world.

All that aside, I liked this song at the time, and since, and both are still true. Sometimes, that’s enough.

“How Will I Know” reached Number 2 in Australia, Number One in Canada (Platinum), 19 in New Zealand (2x Platinum), 5 in the UK (Silver for physical sales), and Number One on the USA’s “Billboard Hot 100”, as well as their “Adult Contemporary” and “Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs” charts. The song was also Number One on the Cashbox “Top 100 Singles”, “Top Black Contemporary Singles”, and “Top 12-inch Singles” charts. The song was also 3x Platinum in the USA.

The album Whitney Houston reached Number One in Australia (5x Platinum) and Canada (Diamond), 3 in New Zealand (2x Platinum), 2 on the UK’s Albums and also Dance Albums charts (4x Platinum), and it was Number One on the USA’s ”Billboard 200” chart and their “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums” chart. It was certified 14x Platinum in the USA.

This series will return in two weeks, on March 1, with the next new Number One from 1986.

Previously in the “Weekend Diversion – 1986” series:

Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 1 – January 18, 2026

Being prepared is a journey

Three years ago yesterday, on February 14, 2023, two days after Cyclone Gabrielle had left Kirikiriroa-Hamilton behind, we lost power in my neighbourhood, something I mentioned in my treatise post about the cyclone a week later. It turned out that the power was shut off in order to repair a fallen cable, which is why it was only off for a couple hours—though I didn’t know any of that when I made the Facebook post up top.

In the part of my post where I talked about the power outage, I talked about what I did to cope, thinking the power might be off for a couple days. I mentioned going to one of the hardware home centres to buy a shop light that runs on the same 18v batteries I use for my power tools (and that now also powers the stick vacuum I bought last year). I later misplaced that light during one of my millions of failed attempts to tidy the garage, but, fortunately, I haven’t needed it since.

I also mentioned that I got an LPG (propane) bottle for the BBQ so I could cook, and that I couldn’t get it to work. That’s still not working. However, I didn’t mention that I’ve never actually used a gas BBQ, because that had always been Nigel’s job and I never learned). However, I still have the full gas bottle, and now that I’ll be able to actually use the patio I want to get the BBQ going again. Failing that, I also still have an LPG table-top outdoor heater that was the only thing Nigel wanted for his 40th birthday, and it may be more useful to me, particularly with Autumn only two weeks away. Or, not.

At any rate, I blame sleep deprivation three years ago for my lame jokes in the post. Coincidentally, parts of the country, especially the east coast of the North Island, have been experiencing a big (but non-cyclone) big storm, and that includies areas that got hit by a fatal storm three weeks ago. Kirikiriroa-Hamilton’s weather wasn’t too bad, though, fortunately.

In the three years since that cyclone, I haven’t done anything about electricity reslience, like adding a battery bank to my solar power system or getting a battery back-up that I can use to keep my fridge running it the power goes out. I still think a single back-up is a better option than a whole-house battery backup, but it’s a huge topic and researching it has require far more time than I’ve had available. Finding the right solution is still on the agenda, though—alongside so many other things.

New Zealand, like most places, has been experiencing more bad storms more frequently than, say, 30 years ago when I arrived in New Zealand. That trend will only continue in the years ahead, and we all need to do what we cane to prepare doe “severe weather events”. Despite everything, I’m actually better prepared than I was in 2023. That’s a good start.

Keeping the bugs outside

Today the flyscreens (aka “window screens”) were installed at my house. It took a couple months for that to happen, but they’re better than I expected. This is also the final of the home improvement projects I hired others to do. It’s been a long journey.

Back in October, I went to the Waikato Home and Garden Show with my cousin-in-law, and I signed up for quotes on patio covers, ducted air conditioning, and fly screens. The quotes were all in by mid-month, apart from the screens because I decided on a different kind of screen than was originally quoted, and they had to re-measure the affected windows. That happened in early December.

What I opted for were simple screens that attach with magnetic tape. Because all the joinery (windows and window and door frames) is aluminium, they put magnetic tape of one pole onto the window frame, and the other pole is attached to the screen. My windows are all awning-style, hinged at the top and opened with latch-handles at the bottom. When the window’s closed, it pushes the bottom of the screen forward, then when the window is closed, the screen snaps closed against the magnet tape on the window frame (see the photo up top).

I originally wanted a more or less conventional type with an aluminium frame, but it’s hinged at the top. Unfortunately, I couldn’t have those because the blinds I had installed when I shifted into the house didn’t leave enough room. It took me around a month to decide what I wanted to do, basically, if I couldn’t have what I wanted, did I want what I could have?

What motivated me to proceed was nature: I always open the en suite window after my shower (year round) to help the extractor fan remove the moisture better/faster, and I leave it open for around 15-20 minutes. Two different times this past Spring, a big, ugly outdoors cockroach crawled in through that open window. Both of course exited the house as ex-cockroaches. That horror was enough to convinced me to get the screens I could have.

I ordered nine screens: One for the en suite, three for the main bedroom, one each for the other two bedrooms, one for a little window in the living area, along with one for the window in each set of stacker doors (and because they’re stacker doors, this was the only screen option possible).

I chose not to put them in the two front windows because Leo might go through them to try to get at a passing cat or dog, and, anyway, I’ve never opened those windows, and can’t image that I ever would. I also didn’t get screens for the two windows in the garage (I’ve never opened them, either), nor for the toilet (room, not throne) or main bathroom, mainly because of cost.

The guy arrived a little after 9am (ugh) this morning, and he was finished a couple hours later. I kept Leo close to me, on lead, and he eventually settled, though he wasn’t too pleased about it—apart from when I slipped him a little treat. Twice.

So, that’s that: The last project I hired people to do is now finished. The first to be completed were window blinds for the toilet (room not throne), bathroom, and en suite. Then it was the ducted air conditioning (with an add-on project to remove the broken split unit from the living area, along with its compressor on the patio). Next was the roof over my patio (installed on my birthday, no less), and today the screens.

I’ll probably have more things done, but the only one I’m planning at the moment is having the range hood/extractor fan raised because it’s far too low—though, technically, it’s in the common range of height above the cooktop. I’ve my head on the thing many times, and I can’t see any pots on the rear elements unless I duck—and probably hit my head. I’ll need to replace the backsplash, too, but I’d thought about doing that, anyway, because the builder installed grouted tile, which is hard to get/keep clean.

I should add that I’m aware that there is an ideal height for hoods so that they can work efficiently, but this thing had a very powerful fan motor, so much so that when it’s running I feel like a guy at the airport loading luggage onto a jet—only a slight exaggeration. Actually, when I began talking about this above, I accidentally typed “rage hood”, which is a pretty fair name for it, really.

Mainly, though, the projects will now be all mine. I still have my outdoor work to do, delayed by all the heat and rain. The rain will come and go, but the heat will ease in a few weeks—which also means I’ll be able to open the windows and use all the new screens, and not just the en suite one.

Inside the house it’s mostly about redecorating, but I’m also prioritising decluttering/downsizing. Then I’ll do whatever decorating, organising, etc. that each room needs, including putting in shelving systems in each wardrobe (this will the third house I’ve done that, actually). The garage will be last, and in mid-autumn or so, after the temps are cooler, but before it gets too cold. Then, if the fates allow, my entire house will be done. Finally.

Whatever happens—or doesn’t—I’ll document every part of it. And I thought that getting all those projects I hired people to do had been a long journey…

Obsessions

From time to time, I become obsessed with something or other. I’ve probably always been that way, but it was noticeably different in the Covid lockdown era, but then it morphed again, turning into something different and quite useful. But noticed that change only recently.

I should explain what I mean by “obsession”. I don’t mean that in the way that online influencers use the word to describe their focus on the latest trends in fashion, home decor, food, skincare, whatever. On the other hand, what I’m talking about is about a kind of hyperfocus on things, but mine is about stuff for my personal life and usually it isn’t remotely connected to anything trendy.

That out of the way, what I become obsessed with usually refers to things for projects or to solve some problem or other in my home. Like lamps, for example.

During the first Covid lockdown I became obsessed/hyperfocused/whatever with lamps to put on the nightstands either side of the guest bed. This was odd because during lockdowns I couldn’t have guest, so bedside lamps were irrelevant. I ended up ordering a couple inexpensive ones from a discount chain rather than the ones I actually liked because I wanted to see those in person, which I couldn’t do, obviously.

I think the reason I was so obsessed with lamps was because at that time we were all powerless against a disease that we still had no vaccine against. Maybe it gave me a feeling of some control at a time when we had very little of that.

I still have those lamps, so ordering them wasn’t a terrible decision. However, there was one other purchase born of obsession that was a huge mistake: A garden shed I bought online in February 2021. In the weeks that followed, I eventually realised that it was a mistake. In 2022, I sold it at loss just to be rid of it.

That shed debacle was both a low point and a turning point: Since then, I’ve never ordered something expensive merely because I was obsessed about something. I’ve ordered a few things I ended up regretting, but none of them were the result of an obsession, nor were they expensive.

As time has gone on, there’s been a change. I may become obsessed with something and do hours of research to to find the best option—and then I stop without buying anything. I saw a YouTube video in which the person described that sort of thing as enjoying the shopping without actually spending any money. I think that’s true, but it’s also true that doing all the research can make me realise I don’t want the solution I thought I did, but sometimes I realise I already have a usable solution.

The photo up top shows a grill named after a famour boxer. Nigel and I bought it many years ago, and we’d also had an early version of the grill (which was quite large). We used it mostly for making things like Rueben sandwiches, though we also sometimes used it to grill meat. We used it less often as time went on, and I think I may have used it only once since shifting to Kirikiriroa-Hamilton, though my lack of use was mainly because it was hard to get out of the cupboard (I had to get down on the floor and reach into the back of the cupboard).

I recently became obsessed with buying a sandwich press (this Google search shows examples). It’s a kitchen device for making toasted sandwiches, like Reubens and what Americans call “grilled cheese” (called a “cheese toastie” in New Zealand). I wanted to get one years ago, and Nigel didn’t want me to, though he never said why.

I don’t know why, precisely, I became obsessed with getting a sandwich maker, but I was. And then I remembered the red grill I already had. We used it as sandwich press, so I knew it was suitable for that. Last week, I used it to make ham and cheese toasties (using what the supermarket called "ciabatta pockets" instead of regular bread). At first I used the two ribbed grill plates, but then I remembered there was a smooth one for the top grill and switched to that. I think it worked better for the later sandwiches (like what's pictured).

I’ve also realised that the grill would be the best way for me to make burgers. I have a “grill pan”, which has ridges so the grease can drain. However, there’s often a lot of water added to the raw beef mince (aka “ground beef”), and that means the burger is steamed as much as fried. The grill machine has angled grill plates, which allows the grease (and added water…) to drain out. The thing is, I can’t remember if we ever used it for that, but we may not have because we used to have cheeseburgers and melted the cheese on the burger in the pan, so I may need to experiment a bit.

There have been times that similar things happened, but this particular reuse of something I already have is the most recent. I like that I’m getting use out of stuff I already own even more than that I'm not spending money I don’t need to. That’s what’s changed the most for me—and it's so thrifty, too!

Seriously, though, it really is satisfying to come up with solutions for my home using stuff I already have. Sure, I still sometimes spend a lot of time researching options to buy, and sometimes I still buy things, too. As long as it’s not a garden shed, I’m okay with that.

NZ government prescribes change

Beginning a week ago today (on February 1), New Zealanders learned were eligible maybe, quite possibly, be able to get a 12-month prescription. Or not. The government claims it will save money for patients and time for GP practices, and that might be true sometimes, but for many—perhaps most—people, it's more complicated than the government makes it sound.

When the government first announced they were doing this, my first reaction was. “are they insane?!” That requires some explanation, beginning with a bit of history.

When I arrived in New Zealand in 1995, people on regular prescriptions generally got a 6-month supply. At some point after I started on regular medication that was shortened to three months because, we were told, too many people weren’t taking all their medications, and so, there was waste. I probably thought that was a bullshit excuse at the time, but the result was incredibly annoying.

I had to go to the chemist three times a year, which was annoying when the chemist was quite a drive from our house. Worse, one drug (the blood thinner) has special restrictions and I had to pick it up monthly. So, I had to go to the chemist every damn month.

Awhile back, I switched to an “online” NZ-owned pharmacy, and my prescriptions are delivered to me monthly, so I don’t have to go get them, which is so much better. They also remind me when it’s time to request a new prescription.

The medical practice I go to sent a message to patients, saying, first, that some patients “with stable, long-term health conditions” may be eligible, however, “not everyone will be clinically appropriate.” Patients who need close monitoring, for example, won’t qualify. This doesn’t fully apply to me. Also, they said, “controlled drugs”, which they said inlcudied drugs “such as morphine, ADHD medicines like methylphenidate, benzodiazepines including temazepam, and zopiclone”. This doesn’t apply to me at all.

I don’t have “regular monitoring”, as they call it (like of my blood pressure), and so, I probably qualify for 12-month prescriptions. However, there’s also not much of an incentive for me to switch.

Not many people will save a lot of money by switching to a 12-month prescription. However long the prescription is, there’s a dispensing fee of $5 per item up to a maximum per year (I’ve forgotten what the annual maximum is, but I always used to hit it). The previous Labour Government abolished the co-pay, but the current National-Act-NZ First coalition government reinstated it. Not all pharmacies charge the co-pay: Australian-owned Chemist Warehouse and the pharmacy in the Australian-owned supermarket chain Woolworths also doesn’t charge it, but smaller pharmacies often do (the pharmacy I use doesn’t charge the co-pay).

For example, suppose a patient has four drugs. Each one would carry a $5 co-pay at the time the new prescription is filled. So, right now, with 3-month prescriptions, that would be $80 for the year. Under the new system, people who qualify to use it would pay $20 for the year, but they’ll have to pick it up every 3-months, because that part hasn't changed. This means that the pharmacies that charge the co-pay will be doing more work for less income.

On top of that is the fee the medical practice charges for a prescription renewal, and that varies a lot. In my case, I pay $26 for every renewal ($104 per year for the four 3-month prescriptions). If I got a 12-month prescription, I’d pay $26 for the year (and I’d save $78 for the year).

Some people may save a bit of money, others would save very little, and some would save nothing because they’re not even eligible for 12-month prescriptions. I’d probably be in the middle category, but I don’t care about that, I just want quality healthcare. Mind you, it’s easy for me to say that when I get my prescriptions without a copay and delivered to my house for free every every month.

Healthcare is difficult enough to manage, especially with the current government chronically underfunding the healthcare system, but I still think that it would’ve been wiser—and safer—to go back to the former 6-month system than to jump to the 12-month system that the current government chose. Maybe it really will help people save some money and also reduce workload for GP practices, as the government claims, but I’m not convinced it’ll do much of that, either. It’ll take time before we can know who’s right about this.

Side quests

I completed a project today. It wasn’t exactly on my list, though it was at least somewhat related. And overdue. I also completed a chore that was also somewhat related to my current projects.

I’ve been fighting weeds on my property for most of the time I’ve lived in this house. It took them about a year to get started, but once they did, it became a constant battle. In fact, it’s the biggest challenge I face in getting my back yard under control, let alone to make it what I want it to be.

At the moment, the biggest challenge is still clearing the weeds that grew around the edges of the patio, but today I went to the other side of the house where there’s one spot that had the same problem. The photos up top are of a spot right next to the side door that goes from the garage to the spot where the clothesline used to be attached to the fence. Obvious, but left is before, right is after.

Undeneath that mass of (mostly) dead weeds (kikuyu) were three black rubbish bags and an LPG (aka propane) gas tank. Those weeds took around nine months to get to that point. I clear the weeds there once or twice a year, but this time was a bit longer than usual. So, my first step was to spray weed killer on them. A week or so later, I sprayed them again, and they finally started dying.

The thing is, the only reason I thought of spraying them is because the compressor unit for the ducted air conditioning is just along the wall from this spot, and the weeds were starting to grow behind and next to it. I couldn’t get the line trimmer behind the unit, and I don’t use it every week where I can use it. So, I decided to try to kill the weeds instead. Since I was out there spraying, anyway, I sprayed the kikuyu mountain, too.

Actually. , it was the second attempt at spraying that worked. A couple weeks earlier I sprayed an “organic” weedspray. It did nothing. A week or so later, I used the spray again. Still nothing. So, finally, I used stronger weed killer, and also twice, but this time it worked.

The mountain of kikuyu was mostly dead, so it was somewhat easier to remove than it would have been if it was alive, but I still needed to cut it up with secateurs before putting it into a large black sack. Once I cleared all that, I needed to deal with the three black bags that were underneath them.

When I clear weeds anywhere on the property I put them into back rubbish bags to begin to make sure they’re dead, and to let them start to break down. Then, I dump them into my compost bin to finish breajing down. This seems tp work better with kikuyu, which is extremely difficult to compost.

When I empty out the compost bin each summer, I take the oldest black bags and put the contents into the compost bin. And that repeats every year. However, those particular black bags have been there longer. In fact, two of them had weeds I’d pulled out of the bank along the side of the property, something I know because there were chunks of bark mixed in. All of those black rubbish bags are now in one big black sack (it’s the one in front—you don’t need to know that, but including that fact here will hep me remember it later). Because the back back contains weeds that were sprayed, I need to give that stuff some extra time to make sure any residue (and there’s probably not much after all the rain we’ve had…) can finish breaking down.

That LPG bottle is one Nigel and I bought many years ago. In fact, ten years ago it reached the date at which it needed to be tested (at our expense) or taken to the tip (dump) to have it disposed of responisbly (at out expense). But, it still had gas in it we wanted to use up—and, in fact, it still does. The problem is that I’ve never used my barbecue, and I’m not sure I even know how (Nigel always did the BBQing, and the only kind I’ve ever used had charcoal).

The other thing visible is the hose reel thatis once again the hose reel I’ll be using, since the handle broke off the one I’d had on the patio (this one’s handle is aluminium). Which I haven’t needed a hose in awhile, I will be needing a hoose, and, fortunately, I’ve now liberated that hose.

This was a good test run for what I plan to do with the weeds around the patio, sp I now have a plan of action. It’s also possible that some of the weeds in the black rubbish bags came from near the patio.

Once all that was done (it took me maybe an hour or so), I went inside to have some water and to rest and cool down. Then, I went back out and mowed the back lawn, something I also did last week, but I was suprised at how much the lawn itself had gown so much in one week when last week, despite all the rain, it was mainly the weed stalks that had grown. I’m probably the only person who finds that interesting, but that’s not unusual.

Today I completed an outside project and an also an outside chore. Sure, maybe I should’ve worked on the bigger project around the patio instead, but progress is progress, and sometimes that’s really all that matters. Today was one of those times.

A day of challenges

This past Wednesday was a day for some errands, and it ended up being a day of challenges. Still, I was happy about how I navigated the challenges—spread over two days.

First of my errands was a (very) long-delayed haircut. I’ve always hated getting a haircut under the best of circumstances, but with the all the holidays and kids off school over the past couple months, the last place I wanted to be was Te Awa The Base, the shopping centre where the barbershop is located. Tuesday was the day I finally went, and I got the barber I often got in the past, but she was clearly a bit grumpy. I tried my usual friendliness, she didn’t respond in kind like usual, so I just kept quiet figuring she’d prefer that.

As she worked, I tried to think of something positive to say to her, and when she finished and asked how the result was, I said it was good and added, “you always do a great job”, and she thanked me. When I paid, I smiled and thanked her (despite the charge being a third higher than it was a few months ago…).

Next stop was The Warehouse because I needed a few things, and the first Tuesday of the month is Super Gold Card day and I get a 5% discount for having reached 65. Going there that day was the main reason I got my haircut done, too (the barbershop is nearby). If I’m honest, that Warehouse is always a bit of a gamble: Sometimes it’s totally disorganised (or worse…), sometimes terribly understaffed, or the workers are grumpy or indifferent. But when I walked in that day, I was surprised by how cool it was (I don’t remember any Warehouse ever having air conditioning). It was a good start.

Shopping was fine, though I found one thing only by wandering around because their App no longer says what aisle and bay an item is located in (maybe because it was often wrong?). Things became more difficult at the checkout: There was an older woman (and, fact, she may have been not much more than 10 years older than me…) who was struggling with what she was buying, including how her gift card worked. The young worker was very patient with her, and never showed any sign iof irritation. Even so, she wasn’t exactly friendly.

What struck me about all was that there were times in my past when I would’ve been seething at how long it was taking, but around the time I turned 65, I suddenly realised that chronologically I’m often no longer that far behind an older person who’s frustrating me. So I decided to simply accept their reality, and try to work out what their difficulty is so that maybe I can avoid something similar happening to me when I reach that age.

My next stop was the supermarket closest to my house, and I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love how close it is to my house—10 minutes or so even when I get stuck at the traffic lights. I hate everything else about it (yes, I’m joking. Mostly.).

What I dislike is how untidy and under-stocked it often is, but what I really annoys me is how understaffed it is, including at after 3pm when mums arrive after picking up their kids at school. I was ready to pay and leave around quarter past three, and there was one checkout open, with five people wainting in front of me. They opened another checkout, and the queues for both continued to grow. Part of that was because the checkout operator I was waiting for turned out to be unusually slow, abd there were queues waiting at both checkouts (the self-service checkouts also had a queue, but they aren’t for trolley-sized orders, only small ones).

Once it was finally my turn, the operator wanted me to move things, like one thing to the end of my stuff, not at the front where I’d put it. I have not idea why, and at first I wasn’t sure what she wanted because she mainly gestured. She did the same when she wanted me to put one my shopping bags (which she’d over-stuffed) into the trolley. I’ll admit that this was very nearly my breaking point, but I breathed, and thought about the fact it was her fault that the company constantly had the sotre understaffed, nor even that they apparently hadn’t given her thorough-enough training. So, I continued with my usual “please” and “thank you” politeness, though my voice probably sounded as tired as I felt by then.

I should’ve known it was going to be a bad trip when I arrived and saw a bunch of trollies gathered on the carpark and waiting to be taken to their usual parking right near the entrance to the store. I grabbed one from the stack (one with a wonky wheel, no less…), and I headed to the entrance—only to find there was one trolley there, when even on buys days before holidays there are usually dozens sitting there.

When I was leaving, the better part of an hour after I’d arrived (much of that waiting to pay and leave…), there was still only one trolley at the entrance, and the stack of trolleys I spotted when I arrived was still there, untouched. Understaffing throughout the store’s operations, apparently.

I got home to a very happy Leo, and got on with my evening. And that was that—until the following morning.

When I checked my email Wednesday morning, there was an email from the comapny asking for feedback on the store, something they do from time to time, and I ignore them. But not that time.

I answered the questions honestly—they asked!—and was even brutally honest when talking about their chronic understaffing and how the stre is so often untidy. I explained that included when items on shelves are low in stock no one pulls what’s left to the front, especially on lower shelves. I said that they ned to give more time and attention to presentation because a mostly tidy supermarket creates an impression of freshness, and an untidy one makes customers unconsciously wonder about freshness. I don’t know that anyone at the corporate offices will take any notice of what I said, but I honestly told them what I thought of their store, and as far as I’m concerned, that was the end of that. However, I think that from now on when I’m going to a supermarket in person, I’ll probably go to the other one in the area.

Despite all the incentives to lose my cool that day, I didn’t, and that made it a good day. Other days may not go as wekk, but Tuesday did, and that’s enough.

Shadow of change

I’m still getting used to the changes already made to my house, but I’m also starting to visualise what further changes I might make. But it’s the “getting used to” part that’s dominant at the moment.

There was so much rain since the patio cover was installed (including on the day of installation) that I couldn’t really tell what it’ll be like sitting under the roof when the sun is shining. The photos above from last Friday show part of the reason I wasn’t clear. The photo at left shows the roof panels clearly cast a shadow on the lawn. However, in the photo at right (special guest appearance by Leo), the shadow isn’t obvious. That day was the first time I noticed that.

And then came this weekend.

On Saturday, and especially Sunday when I was installing the gate lock, I thought to myself, “golly, that sun’s hot” (or similar words…). But, was it really? After all, when I was working on the gate I wasn’t standing under the roof.

Nevertheless, yesterday I researched options for awnings supplied by the company that installed the roof, and I think that it's a no-go. They crank out like an awning (ironic, since at one point I considered installing an awning), and are hooked to the beam running on the outside edge of the roof. They say that it’s best done with two people (first strike against it), and it’s meant to stay out all season long, which was strike two.

Getting people to help with things I can’t do is fine, but I want to be able to do routine things on my own. Having awnings that are “best” extended with two people is kind of deal breaker by itself. In addition, I don’t want shade all the time—especially not on rainy days—so that’s another important negative. The third negative is that I’m sure it’s probably expensive for what it is.

Right now, I think that, first, I should take more time to figure out what it feels like when the summer sun is shining, especially at a time when people (or even just me) might be sitting there. If I think it’s hot, I think a simple shade cloth (some people call them a “shade sail”) would be a better option.

I also noticed during the (many) rainstorms that when the wind blows the rain, hits the patio even though the roof extends over the grass a bit (the left photo above is the area I’m talking about). There are options for that, if I feel I need it, and the company also provides some, but I’m even less certain about any of that.

The truth is, I’m pretty much out of my depth with all this. I’m not a landscape/garden designer (or even much of a garden maintainer, if I’m honest), so I’m thinking again that maybe I should hire the folks who are. This is, after all, a Project!, but that doesn’t mean I’m necessarily going to do it all personally.

Besides, I still have lots of other projects, big and small, so it’s not like I risk running out of things to do. Running out of gumption to do them is another matter, but still—I have choices.

Turns out, though, that I’m still finding out what the exact shape of all these changes will end up being. But, honestly? That kind of makes them more interesting to me. That, at least, is nothing new.

An old project no more—again

Five years ago this month, I wrote: “Sometimes it just takes time to get to a project around the house, let alone finish it.” No kidding: For me, “taking time to get to a project” is an understatement. But even for me a five year delay is a new wrinkle.

In February of 2021, I replaced the bolt locks on the outside of the gates on both sides of the house, and also installed a second one on the inside of one gate, but not the other. At the time I wrote a post (linked above) describing the project and why I did it, and I added this:

So, this project is now, finally, nearly done. I say “nearly” because I have one more padlock latch to install on the other gate, but I dropped in in the garage somewhere and haven’t found it yet. Oops. However, the ordinary latch on the outside was always fine (though much better now that it has a longer bolt), so it’s padlocked on the outside (I never use that gate, anyway).

The following year, in October 2022, I moved the Vegepod onto the patio, and I put it right in front of the gate. I don’t think I used that gate again until the broken air conditioner on the patio was removed this past December. Because of that, I never got around to adding the lock inside on the inside of the gate.

The new patio roof meant I’d need to move the Vegepod (a project not yet done, oddly enough…), and that meant there would no longer be anything in blocking the gate. But first I had to find the missing lock parts.

I somehow remembered that I’d dropped it in the garage, but the main part was on the garage shelves where they both should have been, but the loop part the padlock closes on wasn’t there. I assumed it was on the floor.

I tried searching on the floor, but it wasn’t easy with the garage such a disaster area. I decided to see if I had some sort of replacement. I kind of did, but it wasn’t ideal I then went to one of the home centres that sells more parts and odd things (unlike the other shop), and bought a new loop thing for a couple bucks. Once I got home, I tried it out, and it would work—but it wasn’t the original thing, so it wasn’t effect.

So, at the end of last week I got my telescoping magnet thing and stuck it under the shelves in the garage: The loop thing wasn’t there. Then I saw a bolt latch on the shelves, and noticed some other metal things, so I moved a couple things around and there it was: The missing loop.

Yesterday was the day to finish the project, technically some five years after I started it. It was also really hot out there, but that just added another layer to the experience.

The installation (before and after photos up top) went fine, really, though I forgot that the hinge-like thing moves and that made it hard to get it level; it ended up level enough. The only difficulty was the final screw: I didn’t drill the pilot hole deep enough, and the head of the screw started to strip. So I removed, drilled the pilot hole a bit deeper, but still not deep enough, because the head of the second screw started to strip, too. Third time was the charm—for the last screw.

Now, because it’s been five years, the hinge thing on the five year old one is rusty, as are the screws. NOW I realise I could have painted them to help keep the rust away longer. Maybe someday a new owner can worry about that.

Something I didn’t talk about five years ago is why I added the second lock inside the gate: It’s because the gate latches should never have been put on the outside of the gate because the only thing needed to open the gate is a screwdriver. Adding the second latch inside the gate means it would take an intruder longer to get through the gate, and they’d probably make much more noise—the goal is to slow down and deter miscreants.

However, my major reason isn’t about intruders per se, it’s about stopping someone opening the gate and Leo getting out. Even so, the gates are now both far more secure than the way teh builder left them. I’d like to get one gate widened a bit, and the builder could install the proper latches, and on the inside of the gate. Whether I do it—sorry, I meant have that done for me—or not will depend on what I do with the rest of the back yard, and I’m not there yet.

Still, a project I began five years ago is now done, and that’s a good thing. The only casualties were two screws and my left forearm: Because of where the lock had to go, I had to use the screwdriver in my left hand (my right hand is dominant, but, oddly, I can use a screwdriver with my left hand), and the muscles were sore today. But the jobs is done, so it’s kind of worth that.