Hello everyone:
When I was a single-again, I needed to have my bathtub chalked. The old stuff was old enough to be peeling and my 2-year-old son loved to splash bathwater. I didn’t want to baptize the kitchen of my condo, which was directly below my bathroom, so it became necessary to chalk. Sadly, I hired a teen-aged boy to do it and he really messed it up. By the time he was finished, the chalk looked like whipped cream on my bathtub joints. Either learn how to do it yourself or hire a professional.
You might ask: what is caulk for? Well, it serves a couple of purposes, one of which is to seal up your house so that unwanted critters can’t get in. Bugs and the like can get into your house using the smallest of openings. It also serves to keep water where it should be- in the bathtub and not on the ceiling of the floor beneath the bathroom.
By sealing things up, you can prevent critters from entering and increasing in number inside your residence. It also covers up a multitude of poor joints, hiding the fact that those two pieces of wood along the baseboards did not align exactly as they should have. Caulk makes a nicer-looking finish, as well as helping water stay in the bathroom where it belongs.
Do not try to cut corners with the type of caulk you buy. Get the DAP, 50-year warranty product. If you get the 5 or 10-year guaranteed caulk, you will need to eventually re-do what you spent hours doing. Pay for the 50-year caulk and you won’t find it cracking and peeling off a few years from now. Follow the instructions on the tube carefully; understand that this is a wet job and it needs to be done carefully.
If you have any chalking stories to share, I would love to hear them.
Best,
Dr. Sheri
Hello everyone:
Let me tell you a story about Jim. He’s an elderly man, breathing hard on his mid-eighties. He lived alone. He has no children, and his wife died many years ago.
Recently, he started falling. The last time was about a month ago. Even though his friends had been encouraging him to use a walker, his pride said “absolutely not.” This last fall resulted in a broken hip and he ended up in a nursing home.
The state stepped in, literally, and decided a few things for Jim. First, they sold his car and told him he could no longer drive. Next, they told him he needed to be in a nursing home/rehab center because of his broken hip. Finally, they informed him that they were selling his house …..and that there is nothing he can do about it. He is now permanently installed in a one-bedroom one-bath room at a local rehab center.
Folks, please make plans for what will happen if you ever find yourself in Jim’s shoes. He failed to plan and this is the true story of what happened to him. In the last month.
Best,
Dr. Sheri
Hello everyone:
A cautionary word is in order for my friends who are Suddenly Single: do not scream when you see a bug. Either no one will come (if you live alone in a house) or many people will come (if you live in a condo or apartment). They are called “the police.” The first case will do absolutely no good whatsoever; the second case will require a lot of explanation. The desired end result is to get rid of the bug or bugs, so please focus on that.
Grab a can of bug spray that is appropriate for the kind of bug you see or just grab a tissue and squish the blasted insect and flush its decimated body down the toilet. Either approach is generally acceptable, depending on the proximity of the can or the tissue and the speed of the varmint. [Note: Hair spray does not work in this type of situation. However, the bug’s hair will stay in place after you douse it. Just kidding here!]
Some folks actually like bugs (just not in their house) and will transport the creature outside to release it. My opinion is that, if you liberate it outdoors, it will return to you sooner or later. It may also bring friends. My preferred method, therefore, is total annihilation, resulting from the tried and true squash and flush approach.
Try to find the source of the bugs. You may have to follow a bug to the source before destroying it (this works the best with ants; they seem only too happy to take you back home). Make sure your house is clean. Bugs like dirtiness; this should be a motivation for cleanliness.
Put all foodstuffs into Tupperware-type containers; this will not only keep your food fresher but it will discourage insects from eating the food before you do. Food that should be taken out of the original container and put into plastic ware include cereal, powdered food (put your pancake mix in the plastic box but tear off the cooking instructions and place them on or in the box so you know how to make the food when the time comes), crackers, and pretzels.
Also note that bugs like cardboard boxes, so anything you have stored in them could become a repository for insects. Get rid of the boxes and (if you can’t bear to be without the contents) replace them with plastic storage bins. (I recommend getting the see-through bins, because you can tell what is inside without opening them up.
I hope this helps with those un-wanted visitors. Do you have any special tips to share on how you get rid of these pests?
Best,
Dr. Sheri
Hello everyone:
A leak on the second floor will damage the ceiling on the first floor. You can’t pretend it isn’t there and hope it will go away. If the leak is allowed to fester, you will have to replace the ceiling in whatever room is under the leak, so it is best to get it fixed right away.
Before you automatically think you can’t fix it, google it and see if it is something you can handle. There are several websites that tell you how to fix it in five easy steps, so see if you can find your type of faucet (if that’s what is leaking) online and give it a try. Otherwise, look for the list of plumbers your husband left behind (or go to your hardware store or to your real estate agent for a list of competent plumbers) and get the work done.
Please note: Sometimes the water leak is actually water from the bathtub that the kids have knocked out as they are bathing. The metal ring that seems to serve no purpose that is halfway between the bathtub plug and the faucet can leak and make water go underneath the tub and through your floor, if you splash the water just right. While this should not be your children’s goal, sometimes it does happen.
The good news is that is does not necessarily mean you have a leak somewhere. It means you have rambunctious kids who have gotten somewhat sloppy with their bathwater.
Best,
Dr. Sheri
Hello everyone:
When you are changing a light bulb, there are several things to keep in mind. Please use the right size light bulb for the fixture. It does not work well when you don’t have the right bulb for the job.
Please do not touch the metal thingy as you replace the light bulb or you may need an electrician (or an ambulance). Ladies, this is the voice of experience here.
Next, make sure the light bulb is cool to the touch before removing it. Even if you use a cloth to protect your hand, you still run the risk of getting a nasty burn.
Finally, turn the power off before you change it. Getting shocked is no fun. There are YouTube videos on how to do this, so find the one that matches your fixture before you do anything and learn from someone who is actually doing it (and who knows how to do it properly!).
The last time I performed this task, the light bulb I used was the wrong size and my finger touched the metal thingy on the light bulb. I received a nasty electric shock and blew the lighting fixture to kingdom come. It was not a pleasant experience, so check online for information on completing this task.
The good news is that I am still among the living; the bad news is that the lighting fixture is not. The good news is that we now have a new light fixture; the bad news is that there was nothing wrong with the old one before I changed the light bulb (except that the bulb was old and worn out).
What lighting fixture tales of woe do you have to share?
Best,
Dr. Sheri
Hello everyone:
Sometimes smoke detectors signal their displeasure by going off. This can mean several things: your house is on fire, your candles are burning down, or your home’s heating system is burning off dust because you just switched it from air conditioning to heat. It could also mean that dinner is ready. At my house, it is usually the latter.
If you have not recently changed over from air conditioning to heat and you aren’t cooking or burning candles, GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND CALL 911. [Note: It is good to have your HVAC system checked regularly; this can prevent the heart-stopping sound that occurs when your detector goes off unexpectedly.]
Candle safety is also vitally important. Many folks are changing to the fake-flame candles, but others still prefer to have an open flame. (I find that a candle can cover up the smell of burning meals; my hubby used to say that he could tell in advance what dinner would be like by the size of the candle burning when he got home from work. If the big one was going, he would offer to take me out to eat.) If you use old-fashioned candles, keep the wicks trimmed to ¼ inch, do not keep them burning more hours than their width in diameter, and never, ever leave them burning unattended.
When a smoke detector goes off due to burning food (but without a fire), there are several ways to stop the alarm. One is to wave paper near the detector, until the noise stops. Please note that you may also need to open the windows and doors and turn on a fan. You can also take the detector down and throw it in the yard (this is my sister-in-law’s preferred approach). Please resist the temptation to hit the detector with a hammer. While this may work short-term, the end result will be the sudden need to replace the now-destroyed detector. It will, however, solve your immediate problem.
Best,
Dr. Sheri
Hello everyone:
An acquaintance of mine shared with us on Facebook that her hubby of 19 years had moved to a state where marijuana was legal so he could smoke pot without fear of the law.
Several months later, he called and told her that he and his girlfriend and some of his new buddies were coming back to their home to get all of his stuff, and oh, by the way, he wants a divorce asap. As a Christian, she was shocked that he had fallen so far.
Today was the day that he came, he saw, he took, he signed, and he left. The marriage is over, officially broken. The house is sold; the papers have been signed. His things are gone, off to his new life. Her life has taken turns she did not expect, but there it is. Alone.
Alone, but not completely. She has some friends who are supporting her emotionally and prayerfully. Her question now seems to be “What do I do now?’
Friends, that is why I have written Suddenly Single. To answer that very question. Please share this website with your friends, many of whom may be going through a similar circumstance, or at least something with the same outcome. Divorce. Being alone.
Best,
Dr. Sheri
Hello everyone:
In honor of the hurricanes that have been ripping through the States these days, I would like to share some hurricane shutter maintenance ideas with you today.
These lovely items are used mostly in the south. Fortunate folks have the electric kind that go up and down with a flick of a switch. Others have the manual kind, where it is necessary to use brutal force (or a big stick) to get them up and down. While we are on the topic, we will go over both kinds, but here is one tip for both kinds of owners: at least once a month, open and close them, to make sure that they have not frozen either open or closed. Can you get them all the way open or all the way closed? With electric shutters, the main problem is that they can freeze in place if you don’t open and close them regularly. Even though you won’t need them except in case of emergency, take the time to open and close them about once a month. This is especially important, since chances are excellent that you live in an area where the moisture in the air corrodes things.
Most electric shutters come with a back-up battery. Keep it plugged in and fully charged so that you can still get your shutters up and down in case of power loss. Please note that the information on lubricating shutters in the next paragraph also applies to electric shutters; they need to be lubricated on a regular basis, just like their manual counterparts.
With manual shutters, they can be very stubborn when you are trying to open or close them. Make sure you have used a silicone spray lubricant sparingly on the lock, the rolls, and the tracks on the side of the shutters, if they do not want to open when they are closed. (The lubricant will stain whatever it lands on, including concrete if you are outside when you use it and rugs if you are inside, so don’t use a lot of it. Have a rag handy and wipe up any excessive lubricant that is dripping.) Slip the key into the lock and turn it carefully. Do not force it, or you may end up breaking the little key that you get with these kinds of shutters.
If the lock is stubborn, wiggle the whole shutter a bit, to loosen things up. I keep a 1×2 stick with me when opening or closing my Florida condo’s hurricane shutters. The stick can help you get some torque as you open the shutter, but the stick can also be slipped onto the bottom rung of the shutter when you are trying with all your strength to close it. Try to move quickly and with force as you pull down the shutter. Put the stick in the bottom rung after you have the shutter about ¾ of the way closed and put your weight behind the force as you push the shutter completely down. It should click when it is locked.
You may notice that the outside of your shutters gets dirty. I suggest using Windex and paper towels on the outside of the shutters on a monthly basis. If you don’t clean them, your hands will get very dirty as you open and close them. They clean very easily and offer you the opportunity to meet and greet your neighbors.
I hope that this helps guide you with the use of your shutters. Otherwise, the experience of dealing with them could make you….well, shudder.
Best,
Dr. Sheri
Hello everyone:
When I was a girl, we had license tags that were changed annually. The screws were frequently corroded onto the plate, so my dad would take Coke and douse the screws. The next day, the Coke had eaten through the rust and he could get the license tag bolts to turn more easily. [I am grateful that I have an allergy to Coke because I cannot imagine what it does to one’s stomach if it will remove rust.]
The point of this story is: How many of us would have thought to use Coke to get rid of rust and corrosion? Without the internet to guide us, probably not too many of us would have come up with this idea. Like removing license tags from years gone by, there are a lot of things that need to be done to maintain your home.
In fact, there is a whole plethora of things to do for your house that you probably never thought about…until now.
The list is pretty extensive, but here are what a couple of my friends and family members say you need to take care of on a regular basis: maintain the water treatment system if your home has one, make sure the roof is in good repair, keep gutters clog-free, fix any plumbing leaks promptly before extensive damage occurs, clear any drains that might be clogged, unclog toilets as needed, replace light bulbs when they burn out, maintain or replace appliances, keep garage door openers functional, change filters on your HVAC system, have the HVAC system serviced regularly, prevent bug and insect infestations, control rodents, know when to take trash out for pickup (and when to bring the trashcans back to the house), and keep walls and ceilings freshly painted.
Wow- that sounds like quite a list. The good news is that your spouse actually did more to contribute to the household than you originally thought. The bad news is that, now that you are alone, you either have to do them or you have to pay someone else to do them for you.
The good news is that I tell you how to do all of these things in my book, Suddenly Single. The bad news is that it hasn’t been published yet.
The good news is that you can help make that publication a reality by liking, sharing, and commenting on this blog. The bad news is that I need a boat load of folks to do that.
The good news is that, if you send this blog to everyone you know, that can happen a lot faster than it would if you just say, “Oh, this is nice” and move on. Let’s make some good news, folks!
Best,
Dr. Sheri
Hello everyone:
Yes, this is a blog about water. Why in the world should we waste time on that topic?
Well, it isn’t a waste if it helps an elderly person keep his or her sanity for one more day. You see, if an elderly person gets dehydrated, it can lead to mental confusion or dizziness (which could lead to a fall which could lead to broken bones which could result in being put in a nursing home).
The problem is that older folks don’t like to have to get out of their chairs to take a potty break. It can be embarrassing to get in the car to go somewhere and have to ask for a pit stop. It can be troublesome to be at the grocery store and barely make it to the toilet. It can be bothersome to have to leave a meal in the middle of your dinner in order to go to the bathroom.
But, the opposite end of the spectrum (not drinking fluids to avoid the bathroom) can result in mental confusion, dizziness, and fainting. If you are responsible for paying your bills, mental confusion can lead to over- or under-payment. If you become dizzy, you can pass out cold and come to, only to discover that you have major injuries. If you live alone and faint, it can be hours or days before someone finds you.
Please make a point of being cognizant of the need to drink water, even if it means multiple trips to the bathroom. It’s better to run through a lot of toilet paper than to to find your obituary in the newspaper.
What stories of dehydrated folks would you like to share, to help others avoid this pitfall?
Best,
Dr. Sheri