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Post by mich64 on Jan 13, 2024 18:36:48 GMT
We still use a travel agent (CAA) for our overseas travel. She included herself as the contact person for any flight related issues. Thankfully she did, as we had a problem with one portion of our flight back to Canada. She quickly made changes with the airline on our behalf. Even though we booked through CAA, Air Canada provides us with the 6 digit reservation number for us to have the ability to check in on-line.
When we booked our trip to Florida, I booked it on-line and it was an easy experience and we had no issues, but I will still use CAA for my overseas travel as they also book our rental vehicle.
Glad you are making your way home Kimby! I have been watching the news coverage of the weather delays.
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Post by Kimby on Jan 13, 2024 21:35:42 GMT
We really dodged a bullet, I think. Many flights INTO Montana towns were cancelled so the airlines could keep the aircraft at the hubs overnight instead of sitting out all night in subzero temps, which airplanes are not designed for. This was good for their logistics but very bad for individual travelers who were stranded.
Feeling quite fortunate today, despite the -26 F we woke up to this morning!
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Post by mickthecactus on Jan 13, 2024 21:51:45 GMT
Jesus, that’s cold!🥶
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Post by whatagain on Jan 14, 2024 13:15:47 GMT
Does it translate into -35c or did I calculate it wrong ?
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Post by kerouac2 on Jan 14, 2024 14:25:58 GMT
Google says -32°C.
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Post by Kimby on Jan 14, 2024 19:23:37 GMT
K2 is correct.
BTW, local weatherman says a nearby town is reporting a low of -47F which is -43C.
Now THAT’S COLD!
I’ve seen neighbors at the lake reporting -40 (F & C). That will put it off the bottom of our mercury minimum-maximum thermometer when we get brave enough to head back up there to check it.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 14, 2024 20:00:26 GMT
I would ask you why in the name of all sanity (or Sanibel) you went back to Montana when you might have stayed in a state that is not a deep freeze. Well, I would ask, but you'll probably answer something like "winter sports", a word duo that has the same appeal to me as "nipple piercing" or "tax filing".
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Post by kerouac2 on Jan 14, 2024 20:15:22 GMT
I spilled part of my plate of linguine and meat sauce into my lap. Very petty but quite annoying.
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Post by Kimby on Jan 15, 2024 0:10:07 GMT
Spilling food into my lap is very traumatizing. Especially oily or tomato-sauced food.
I won’t say “winter sports”, Bixa, but I will say skiing.
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Post by Kimby on Jan 22, 2024 3:32:42 GMT
Filled the hot tub today, the first above-freezing day since our return from Florida. All was well till I tried to turn on the jets, which usually leap to life with a roar and a powerful whoosh.
Not today. A weak buzzing sound and no water or air movement at all. Hmmm. It’s always something. Usually the heater overheats and throws breakers. One year I broke off the “thermowell” when I plopped the hose into the filter compartment. That was almost fatal, as the part was no longer being made and our spa dealer had what might have been the last one, gathering dust on his stockroom shelf.
Being Sunday, if I couldn’t get it working, I might have to drain it until I can get a spa repair guy up to rescue me.
I paid a visit to Professor Google, who referred me to his friend Doctor YouTube. I was able to diagnose the problem as an airlock in the jet pump or its pipes, but our spa is so ancient (1991 vintage) that none of the specific fixes on YouTube would apply to our unit. I tried loosening some fittings, expecting to hear air hissing out, but got only water. Really cold water. In desperation, I tried jumping up and down on the deck to try to jiggle the air out.
Mr. Kimby to the rescue! He took a deeper dive into YouTube University and came outside with a toilet plunger. After unscrewing the filter posts, he plunged all three filter openings and a few weak bubbles emerged from one of the jets. With bated breath, we pushed the jet button and it leapt to life!
I’m so relieved. (But I think my jumping on the deck might have helped, too.) Tomorrow night we should be able to take our first soak of the winter. Unless the heater high limits and shuts down.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jan 22, 2024 3:41:21 GMT
I tried jumping up and down I thought at first that you were going to say that you tried jumping up and down in the water.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 22, 2024 4:31:47 GMT
It was absolutely your jumping on the deck that fixed the problem, although you were sweet to let Mr. K think that he came to the rescue with his trusty plunger.
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Post by onlyMark on Jan 22, 2024 12:39:38 GMT
Plungers are unreliable. Jumping up and down works because it disturbs blockages and allows air to flow freely.
Question - anyone got a good method of cleaning an oven and trays with as little elbow grease as possible? In Germany we do have that oven cleaner aerosol but it has been tinkered with so much to eliminate harmful chemicals that it is virtually ineffective. My daughter used the oven last week and I've come to use it today and it's got baked on splatter everywhere.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jan 22, 2024 13:18:53 GMT
I guess it goes without saying that you don't have a pyrolytic oven?
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Post by onlyMark on Jan 22, 2024 14:45:50 GMT
It can drink quite a lot but never gets paralytic.
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Post by Kimby on Jan 22, 2024 16:00:39 GMT
Set a saucer of ammonia in there all day or for several days, without turning it on. The splatters and gunk SHOULD be easy to remove after that.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 22, 2024 16:28:38 GMT
I came here to say ammonia as well, but with a faster method.
Fill a spray bottle with ammonia and water, mostly water. Spritz the inside of the oven well and close the door while you tackle the racks. (do them outside, if possible)
Put the racks in the sink & spray them well with the ammonia mixture. Let that set a little bit, then hit them with a scrubby -- I like the curly stainless steel ones. Rinse them & go back to the oven. (If you have a dishwasher & the racks will fit into it, use that instead of cleaning them by hand.)
Use one of those non-scratching scrubbers to wipe down the inside of the oven. Afterward, spray the walls & floor of the oven with plain vinegar to neutralize the ammonia, then wipe everything with paper towels or rags.
The ammonia and water is great, especially as it helps with saving water. For regular kitchen use, make a weaker mixture than one used for cleaning the oven. Fill a liter bottle with a sprayer lid almost to the top, then pour in ammonia. Keep it next to the sink and spritz anything you put it there, a dirty dish, pot or whatever. When you go to wash the dishes, food residue will come off easily. Use it as an all-purpose cleaner in the kitchen and have a spray bottle of vinegar on hand as well.
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Post by Kimby on Jan 22, 2024 16:31:02 GMT
Ammonia is also helpful to neutralize the pain of fire ant bites, if you’re blessed with that problem.
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Post by onlyMark on Jan 22, 2024 18:30:01 GMT
Thanks to both of you and I'll make it a project to see if I can buy ammonia. For some reason I doubt it is in the supermarkets here but I'll cast around.
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Post by Kimby on Jan 22, 2024 20:14:50 GMT
Check the cleaning supplies aisle for ammonia. Vinegar can also be found near the salad dressings and oils.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 22, 2024 20:30:21 GMT
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Post by fumobici on Jan 22, 2024 20:42:58 GMT
Is that the Mexican-Spanish pronunciation? Because that's how the Dutch pronounce their famous football team of the same name too.
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Post by bjd on Jan 22, 2024 20:47:55 GMT
Check the cleaning supplies aisle for ammonia. Vinegar can also be found near the salad dressings and oils. In France, the kind of vinegar used for cleaning is in the cleaning products, not with vinegar for salad dressing.
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Post by Kimby on Jan 22, 2024 21:22:16 GMT
I find small bottles of white vinegar on the salad dressing aisle and giant jugs on the cleaning aisle.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 22, 2024 22:00:42 GMT
I just use regular salad vinegar for cleaning, although I would use the extra strength if it were available here. Is that the Mexican-Spanish pronunciation? Because that's how the Dutch pronounce their famous football team of the same name too. I didn't know that the Dutch team pronounced it that way. Maybe they used to pronounce it A-jax, but now Dani Rojas is playing for them?
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Post by onlyMark on Jan 22, 2024 22:10:18 GMT
It looks easy enough then to just to order some from Amazon and is 25%. The supermarket stuff is 9% or so.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 22, 2024 22:30:07 GMT
Really? Are you sure you want to do that? The supermarket stuff is quite strong. Admittedly the 25% probably last years, but judging by how powerful my homemade spray is using lots of water & a miniscule amount of supermarket strength ammonia, I can't see risking using the stronger stuff for home application. I see that Amazon US also sells it, saying: "Based on the Original Mexican Formula, Ajax Amonia is a 1 Liter Bottle of Floor Cleaning Solution That is Commonly Used in Mexico, But Hard to Attain in the United States. Buy the Brand and Name You've Trusted for Many Years." (Base on the number of capital letter, perhaps that was written for the German market.) You can tell this is an authentic Mexican product because of the airy vagueness about percentage of Ammonia. www.amazon.com/Ajax-Amonia-Floor-Clearner/dp/B06VS9ZTS6
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Post by Kimby on Jan 24, 2024 20:24:15 GMT
It was absolutely your jumping on the deck that fixed the problem (with the spa), although you were sweet to let Mr. K think that he came to the rescue with his trusty plunger. So new petty trauma. Seems the spa has sprung a slow leak somewhere in the equipment compartment. Don’t know if it was the jumping or the plunging that did it. Or maybe just old age. Mr. Kimby is online finding us a new pump, but I have a call in to the place that sold us the spa - and replaced the last-of-its-kind “thermowell” I broke a few years back. They may have a 30 year old pump gathering dust on a shelf with a 30 year old price tag on it!
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Post by whatagain on Jan 25, 2024 11:50:27 GMT
My eldest must take some medical exams. She is often at 100 heartbeats at rest and 200 when running. She lost weight and has a low blood pressure. Thyroid may be to blame so must check.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 25, 2024 18:00:35 GMT
Poor thing! Hope that she regains her health quickly.
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