Part of my morning was spent calling people and wishing them a happy Mother’s Day. Some of the calls were short and sweet, while others were a bit longer. By the time I’d finished up, I’d say I must’ve been on the phone for a good three hours. I know many are still into sending cards, but I’d rather place calls because I think many of our seniors appreciate a good visit all the more.
While on the phone with a client several weeks ago, she mentioned being in need of a window air conditioner for the apartment she’s moved into. In a disappointed voice she said, “I guess I’ll have to go out and buy an air conditioner because I can’t stand the heat like most others can.”
Knowing I had a relatively new one in storage, I said, “I have that was used for two or three summers, and if you would like it, I’d be happy to give it to you.” She was more thankful for the offer than I would’ve ever expected. With that said, I spent about three hours today digging that unit out of storage, bringing it to my office, and then cleaning it with a vengeance.
As with just about everything in storage for too long, stuff gets all the dirtier, and I didn’t want to give it to my client looking the way it did. Of course the more I cleaned on it, the more dirty areas I found, so I finally decided to tear it down as much as I could and give it a thorough cleaning. Oh Mercy! I quickly discovered the last person to use that in an apartment never bothered to clean it from the time it was installed.
It absolutely amazes me how most think window air conditioners never need their filters cleaned. I can only imagine how inefficient it was in that apartment with its filter so grimy. It actually looked like furnace filters I’ve seen that haven’t been changed in over a year.
As I was getting closer to having it put back together, I began having this horrible feeling it wouldn’t work after spending that many hours cleaning it. I kept saying to myself, “You should’ve plugged it in first to see if it worked.” With the last screw in place, I sat it on a bench, plugged it in, and turned it on. I nearly jumped for joy when hearing it start and almost immediately feeling cold air blowing out of it.
There was a remote that went with it, and when I tried to shut the air conditioner off with it, I figured either the battery was dead, or the sensors went bad. Luckily I had a new battery that was the size needed, so I changed it, and tried it. Even that worked great. Thank goodness those hours weren’t spent in vain.
After cleaning up the mess I made, I went to the computer to see how much a new unit of the same brand would cost today. Ouch! I didn’t realize how expensive those things are getting. A model very similar which also has a remote, is $420.00, and that didn’t include shipping and tax. After seeing what she would’ve spent for a new one, you can believe I thanked myself all the more for having freely performed a good deed for someone in need.
I did place a quick call to wish her a happy Mother’s Day, along with telling her that her unit is ready for me to deliver, but also adding that her son will need to come help me carry it since it’s not the lightest of units because I quickly discovered its weight when pulling it out of storage. I could carry it a short distance, but definitely not down a street and up steps.
The remainder of my day was spent back at my little/big job. I didn’t get as much done as I had planned, but that’s because I was on the phone this morning, along with getting that air conditioner cleaned up. Oh well, there’s always another weekend.
The highlight of my day was having discovered a nesting female cardinal. For the first time in my life I found one! I did manage to take the above photo in spite of her fiery-red mate perched about a branch away scolding me as I drew closer. Happening upon her nest, was but one more reason we should pay more attention to the daily beauties nature has to offer, which are usually not so far from our very own doorsteps.
With it being Mother’s Day 2019, the photo of her was even more appropriate for today’s post, and with that said, I wish each and every one of you a “cardinal” week ahead.
Tonight’s one-liner is: Every time I see a cardinal, I know my mother is with me, because this regal-red bird was her favorite.
