#WeekendCoffeeShare is graciously hosted by Diana at ParttimeMonsterBlog.com.
If we were having coffee, I’d advise you to bring a sweater when you come over. The house was 59 degrees (F) when I woke up this morning. It has since warmed up to 59.5. This is despite my heat pump running nonstop.
I don’t really understand how heat pumps are supposed to work. Something about exchanging inside air and outside air, but with the outside air at 33 degrees, I’m not sure I want it being pumped into my house. Nor do I want 90 degree air coming into my 88 degree home in the summer.
The user’s manual for the unit says something about how the system doesn’t work that great when it’s really cold or really hot outside. Seems to me, those would be the times you would most need it. I must be missing something about how the heat pump works. Mostly – right now – what I’m missing is heat.
Okay, I’m done complaining about creature comforts. For now.
If we were having coffee, I would update you on my kitchen remodel. It has progressed from, “This will be a fun challenge,” to “Oh my God! What have I gotten myself into?!?”
I decided to replace the double doors on the utility closet at the end of my cabinets with a bi-fold door to allow for better visibility and access. I will likely redo the kitchen floor in the near future, so I figured I might as well remove the multiple layers of flooring where I’ll be installing a sill for the bi-fold. The build up from one floor being laid over its predecessors over the years has accumulated to about an inch in depth, so it’s been like an archeological dig getting to the original surface.
I removed the facing at the base of the closet and discovered a mass of what appears to be old wall insulation that has likely housed many a generation of rodents over the past half century.
Without much further investigation, I cleaned all of that out with my shopvac (I haven’t looked yet to see if I sucked up any mousies into the vacuum). Then I peeked under the closet to see what else I might find.
At the very back of the space, there are two little holes leading to the outer wall of the house. They are cute little holes. In fact they look kind of like the holes drawn in cartoons, where cute little whiskered animals live behind the walls.
Today, I’m going to seal off those cute little holes and remove the boards beneath the adjacent cabinets along that wall. I suspect that entire area has served as a superhighway for rodents over the decades.
Please, have another cup of coffee. I’m in no hurry to get to that particular task. Maybe I’ll position my cat at the entrance to the kitchen in case any current residents become displaced from their nests. The cat would love to make new friends. Unfortunately that’s about all he would do with them.
I wonder if mice like coffee. Excuse me while I set out an extra cup. Do you suppose they take cream? Or just drink it black?
What? You’re leaving now? Well, okay. Watch your step. We wouldn’t want you squishing any of my cat’s new pets.
I wish you a fantastic, warm and vermin-free week!
What Rhymes with Stanza? 
Your concerns regarding your heat pump have now confirmed mine that they do not work well when you most need them. I often thought about them and now – – – not so much.
Love your cute little mouse super highway! It is probably imprinted in their DNA for all progeny forever.
Are you really giving up your stained glass blog? Are you going to show us some of your glass work in this blog? I have been following both and both are enjoyable. I like to see your DYI projects and your creative glass work. NICE.
Anyway, if your cat is a male, see if you can get some testosterone injections for him. Maybe he will then like to chase those cute little mice around.
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Hi, Wally:
Thanks for your reassurances that I’ll likely have infinite generations of mice knocking at my door (or baseboards, perhaps). Gives me something to look forward to.
I’m glad you have enjoyed both my blogs. I may post occasionally to the glass site… show off something new I’ve made. I always appreciate the positive feedback.
My cat has come out from behind the DIY books in my closet, and is now sitting in the hallway staring intently at the wall. Not anything ON the wall, just the wall. I don’t think even testosterone shots can help him.
If you’re a handyman type, feel free to offer any how-to advice on my home improvement projects. My pets have no aptitude for that kind of thing at all 😉
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After putting two nails through two different water pipes I really don’t think I am the best person to ask for DIY advice.
Looking forward to see some of your glasswork in the future.
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I don’t know… I think that pretty much qualifies you for this crew. 🙂
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Goodluck on your kitchen remodel. Have a pleasurable week.
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Thank you, Betty Louise. I have only one New Year’s resolution, and that is to make it through this remodel project!
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I lived in a 100+ year old house for 25 years. I also lacked the funds to hire someone who actually knew what they were doing. The projects all started as great ideas, but generally soon became nightmares. But when they were finished they became great stories to tell. They should keep you in blog material for years. 🙂
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No doubt they will. I’m looking forward to that “great stories” phase 🙂
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Can you tell that being cold makes me grouchy??
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They sell heated throws at Costco. 🙂
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Actually Brisco doesn’t snuggle for long. When he’s had enough snuggling he suddenly gets up and leaves. None of my Eskies were long term snugglers.
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Maybe FB just makes it look that way. Although Chules likes to snuggle with Tux Cat once he gets done chasing him.
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You may already know this, but you need a furnace with your heat pump. That is how it is supposed to be in this area. The heat pump runs most of the time. When temps get too low the furnace kicks in. During the summer months here it never gets so hot that the pump can’t cool the house. If it did you would buy an air conditioner instead for summer cooling. Our heating bill went down a lot when we got the heat pump and we got cooling in the summer. 🙂
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The heat pump was installed for free as part of a public utility grant. The installers put it in a location where it would only heat the kitchen, where I hardly spend my time (other than with my remodel). They then deactivated the wall heater in the living room where I spend most of my time, saying they needed that circuit (or some such thing) and I wouldn’t need the heater anymore anyway.
I asked them to disconnect the heater in the kitchen instead, but they refused. I’m thinking that was meant to force me to rely on the heat pump. Previous winters have been unbearably cold in the house, so this spring I paid $700 to have the inside unit of the heat pump moved closer to the living room. It actually helped, but I still need to use the electric space heater I bought to make the living room at least somewhat habitable.
My electric bills did go down after the install, but right now I’m sitting here with the space heater on, a blanket covering my lap and legs, and a sweater over my shoulders. And I’m still cold. It made it up to 61 degrees in this room today. I don’t even want to know what the temp is in the bedroom. Hot tea and soup for dinner tonight. 🙂
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Sounds like you got screwed over. In my 100+ yo house we had baseboard heat in all rooms. In the living/dining area I actually had a thermostat that ran all 4 BB heaters together. It was a pain, but we could keep the house warm enough and we could just heat the area we were in. Not sure if that is better than space heaters, but safer because they have their own circuits. I’ll loan you another dog and some blankets. Of course Chules and Brisco might shred all the blankets playing and you would still be cold! 🙂
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Chules is no help at all. He’s the anti-snuggler. Maybe Brisco can show him how it’s done.
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….erm I dont think mice take coffee… and if they did you wouldnt want them tripping on coffee and sugar tripping up everything, its a good thing they dont wear shoes too cause laces be tripping…..
there is a rat in my ceiling I hear it clawing around especially when I try to sleep, at least I think its a rat otherwise this house is possessed.
maybe I should bring them over, the rats and they can be friends with your mice and have hybrid babies ☺☻
~B
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Now that you mention it, I guess mice ramped up on caffeine and sugar is probably a bad idea. Herbal tea for them from now on.
Please keep your possessed rats at home. I think poltergeist rats and caffeine-addicted mice should not meet, let alone breed.
Thanks for commenting 🙂
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that would be a recipe for disaster ….
you are welcome
~B
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