Damn Murphy and his law. That's what I have to say today.
We have this thing at work where we have an annual option of two extra weeks vacation or two extra weeks pay. Most of us take the money, because our time off policy is pretty liberal.
So with some extra money in hand, I decided to invest in some improvements to my home. There are some major projects that I want to do, most of which extend well into the five-figure range. But one project was within reach: heating the pool.
The previous owners of this house are a mystery to me. They installed the pool after the house was built. It's maybe 15 or 16 years old. They also had a propane tank to heat it. But at some point, they removed the heating system. Why, is anyone's guess.
So as a result, I can't use the pool year-round. It's too cold in winter, which is frustrating, because I still have to heat the damn thing.
I did some research and opted to put in solar heat. It cost about the same as another propane tank, but it operates at absolutely no cost. The pool pump directs the water into tubes on the roof, which are heated by the sun. The water is then put back into the pool. Fabulous.
I signed the contract on Saturday and they installed on Monday.
When I got home Monday, I went directly to the back yard to inspect what was done and to check the water temperature. It was up to 88 degrees. Just what I wanted.
Then I went into the house. It too, felt about 88 degrees. Not fabulous.
One of the two air conditioning units crapped out. The other one was replaced a couple of years ago, so it didn't surprise me when this one died. But did it have to do it on the exact day I dropped a few bills on heating the pool? And a week before I'm leaving on vacation?
The joys of home ownership.
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