Yesterday, after my father chortled over the end of the Cowboy-Redskins game (when he moved north he switched loyalties), he helped me remove the window unit from my bedroom window and carried it downstairs and outside to the lower deck. My father was all for throwing it away, but replacing it would be quite expensive, if I needed one to cool down my bedroom in the future. With MS, being cool is paramount, especially when trying to sleep.

Now, you know that I had to replace my three-year-old interior AC unit this spring, which practically made me weak with nausea. However, the first contractor did not really put in a good unit, despite his claims, so I was much cooler this summer...most likely a combination of the attic gable vent fan I installed last summer and the new unit from this spring. In any case, I did not use the window unit and wanted to finally remove it. I thought perhaps I could store it under the deck using the tarp I purchased last spring to cover the used, but rather new, oversized heater I had to replace and consequently donated to Habitat for Humanity.

With the window unit out, I can open the window a crack to help with the heat that rises to the second floor in the window. The other plus was that I was a bit surprised to see how much larger the room looks without it, even though it only extended past the window ledge six inches into the room.

Anyhow, my dad when walked into my bedroom to help with the a/c unit, he immediately pointed out that my fan was on reverse. I didn't believe him, but turned off the fan and flipped the switch before turning it back on again. He was right! All summer long, in trying to remain cool while I slept, I have been running the fan on high and wondering why it didn't make a bigger difference in the temperature. Boy, did I feel a bit dense...

After he left, I used my self-ire energy to paint the exterior of the kitchen window and the framework surrounding the door. Today, I worked on scraping this white substance that covered the uppermost layer of red bricks next to the old siding on the second floor. Since the siding is painted brown, the white substance particularly stood out between the brick and the siding. I used a metal brush, thinking that would be a good solution for scraping away the substance.

Well, the bricks are no longer white. However, neither are they red. The metal of the brush appears to have melted onto the bricks and they are now a bronze color. At least they are a better color match...

Good intentions, eh?