Sunday, February 23, 2020

UPDATED PORTFOLIO AND SUDDEN EXPENSES


It's been 3 months since the last update of  my portfolio..  So I refreshed it. 

Yes, there is quite a bit of cash in the CASH available line.  I'm storing some there for some major upcoming costs that I mentioned in earlier blog post about unexpected expenses. Mom care, dog surgery, annual property tax, car tabs, and car insurance.   And now a new gas range and toilet.

Our gas range just died.  It was 20 years old.  Old ones can last forever but the ones made since 200 are not the same.  Too much stuff going on.

It had lost its ability to clean.  The burners kept getting weaker even after cleaning them up.  The storage drawer lost all of its plastic tabs so it was laying on the floor.  The final straw was the spring to the door broke off.  The oven will no longer close.   The repairs would be over 50% of the cost of a new one.  And we already spent $600 fixing it. 

So we sunk $750 on a new Samsung gas range.  The repairs better not come for a decade.   This was highly rated on Consumer Reports.

Another calamity was the replacing of the toilet seats.  My kid had broken the upstairs one by standing on it and slipping.   The lower level one had corroded posts and was loose.  So we got 2 new seats.

Fail.  It was impossible to unscrew the lower level toilet seat on the left side.  So I tried to cut the plastic nut off.  I proceeded to bash into the porcelain and put a hole in it.  Water gushing out on a flush (clean water..). 

Had to go get a new toilet.  And of course since the old house has a 10" rough in and over 90% of toilets are 12" from the wall, I had to order one online that fit.  $250.00...

I need a drink...  Went and got a Vieux Carre.  Mmmm..   And a second one.  Then a third for good measure.  Drink the toilet troubles away.

Vieux Carre.  Yum.

Here's a chance to experiment.  We covered the hole in the bowl with some duct tape.  It works for a few flushes, then begins to drip before replacing the tape.  I'm going to use some silicone caulk I have over the duct tape and encapsulate it completely.  That should prevent it from leaking.  If it works,
I will return the new toilet and run with that for a while.

I'll update this in the next few weeks to let you know if this works.


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