I woke up to a text from Friend Ken who needed advice regarding his broken range top. "Boy, am I glad I don't have his problems," I thought to myself.
And then my kitchen sink broke.
Somehow, the nut holding the pipe on the strainer basket in the left basin had become completely stripped. As a result, the pipe slid sideways, and the dishwater, instead of draining away to the septic tank, drained into the cabinet.
Mom and I debated calling a plumber, but we ultimately agreed that replacing a sink basket is no big deal. I should be able to handle that repair easily. Unless the locknut nut is rusted in place. Which, of course, this was. Enter the hacksaw! In a tiny cramped space! On my back!
Two hours, one trip to Home Depot, and $17 later, the sink was back together and successfully holding its water. That's when I noticed that the pipe in the right basin had a cracked nut that was also leaking. Grr. Fortunately, I had the replacement parts leftover from a previous repair to the basement sink. So another hour later (in a tiny cramped space, on my back), both sides of the sink were good as new! Almost.
On reinspection, the left basin was leaking again. Thinking it must be because I had used too small a bead of plumbers putty, I unscrewed everything again. That's when I noticed that while reassembling the parts last time, I had accidentally placed the high-tech piece of cardboard (meant to reduce friction between locknut and gasket) above the rubber gasket instead of below it. It turns out that cardboard is terrible at holding water. Who knew?
Maybe I *should* have called a plumber.
Anyway, everything is working as it is supposed to again. So take that, Ken! The ball is back in your court, buddy.
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I haven't blogged about movies in weeks! Time to correct that oversight.
166. (1395.) Stamboul Quest (1934)
Myrna Loy plays a German spy in World War I. The movie is more romance with espionage trappings than thriller, but I enjoyed it anyway. I enjoy almost anything with Myrna Loy in it.
167. (1396.) Into the Blue (2005)
Jessica Alba in a bikini diving for cocaine. You had me at Jessica Alba in a bikini. (Don't expect any more from this. You won't get it.)
168. (1397.) Twenty Plus Two (1961)
The Fugitive's David Janssen takes his turn as a hunter in this noir-ish murder mystery about a long-lost heiress and the men who raped her. It's got atmosphere. I liked it.
169. (1398.) The Presidio (1988)
I remember advertisements for this movie from back in the day. Mark Harmon! Sean Connery! Meg Ryan! Apparently, I didn't miss out on much.
170. (1399.) Robot & Frank (2012)
Frank is a former cat burglar and bad parent now going senile. Robot is a mechanical assistant designed to help manage Frank's condition. Together, they commit one last robbery before they both lose their minds. For a comedy, it's actually quite sad. And it's probably my favorite (and arguably the objective best) of this bunch of movies.
171. (1400.) Four Jills in a Jeep (1944)
You'd think that four comediennes in a Jeep (plus Phil Silvers!) would be a good time. You'd be wrong. It turns out that everything sucks in a war. To be fair, the film is more variety show than narrative, so if that's your bag, you'll probably enjoy it more than I did.
More to come.
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A 7:08 PM kickoff on Saturday meant that I didn't get back home until just before 2 AM Sunday, but it was worth it to see UGA beat down Auburn 27-10.
What I will remember most about this game, aside from the drunk girl to my left who couldn't quite grasp the concept of "personal space," is the cold. It may not be the coldest Georgia game I've ever attended (that would be a Tech game almost a decade ago), but it was pretty darn close. According to the television in the student center, it was 38° at the final whistle.
My usual Auburn-game companion, Friend Randy, didn't think he was going to need anything more than a light jacket. He never did get the hang of the knit cap I let him borrow, but I note he never took it off, either. (You're welcome, Randy.)
As for the football itself, it seems that every year in the annual UGA/Auburn contest, one team out thinks itself. This year, that team was Georgia. UGA tried its best to pretend that it isn't a run-first, second, and third offense in an attempt to beat trick play-happy Auburn head coach Gus Malzhan at his own game. (Blankenship's failed fake field goal springs to mind.) Fortunately, great defense won out. Next year, let's keep it simple, okay, Dawgs?
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I think maybe I've had it with the Miami Dolphins for the season. Sure, they won today, but not really through any act of their own. The Jets were just worse. Each team managed a mere two field goals, and the Dolphins prevailed when their less-than-stellar defense returned one of the Jets' four interceptions for a touchdown. Ugh.
For reference, the Phins managed only 7 total first downs and 168 total yards. It was bad. Really bad and not remotely entertaining. I could have spent those four hours... well, doing almost anything else.
Next week, maybe I will.
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