karmicdragonfly: (Default)
Maybe it's just me, but I find electronic devices to be intrusive. I can walk into a room and one of the first things I notice is electronic devices vying for attention. For example, I purposely do not have any devices with screens in my living room, reserving the living room for hanging out with friends, reading, listening to music, etc. Pretty much the same for most of my rooms -- even in the bedroom where most people would have a clock-radio, I do not have anything with an always lighted display.

The kitchen only has 1 digital gauge -- the clock on the oven. I can deal with that. But the new wine cooler had 2 VERY BRIGHT LED LIGHTS for temperature indicators. And I'm not even sure why I would need to know the temperature inside the wine cooler at all times! I mean, it's like I would be hanging out in the kitchen and suddenly exclaim: OMG! The wine cooler is a degree warmer, what to do? What to do? OMG! 🤣

Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be a way to turn the temperature indicators off (or to even dim them). So I draped one of those microfiber cloths (freshly laundered), so that it hides the indicators. Problem solved!

karmicdragonfly: (Default)
The appliance apocalypse continues!

All of my appliances are 20+ years old, and they are failing one by one. Not that I'm complaining! Twenty plus years is a great life for an appliance, and I expected this would happen.

I have noticed that the sounds that appliances make change when they are close to failure. And I noticed the odd tone that the wine cooler was making recently. And then one day, it stopped cooling.

So today I picked up a new wine cooler...I'm letting it sit for the required length of time before I plug it in.



I will make a side comment that maintaining a house and its furnishings is expensive. I believe that the data shows that in the long run, you typically do NOT add much wealth by owning a house. That goes against the pablum information that people are fed. That statement may not be completely accurate in the last 30 years with the rapid appreciation of real estate values in US cities, but in the long run, I believe houses generally appreciated at the same rate as inflation, plus you have all the maintenance to pay for. But I think why homeowners come out better financially in the end is that we know we have to pay for stuff, so we know we have to save for it. So we end up with more savings than renters. And more stability.

I much prefer owning a home than renting...I just think that people believe everything they are told. And owning a house is fucking expensive!
karmicdragonfly: (Default)
All my appliances were new and already in the house when I bought it. And since I've been here 20ish years, they are now at end of life -- I've definitely gotten good value from them!

The dishwasher is the first to go. I had noticed over the last few months that the dishwasher motor sounded 'different' -- it had a different hum to it than usual -- I figured not a good sign. And indeed it failed a couple weeks ago, so yesterday the install of the new one happened. Since my Christmas party is coming up in a few weeks, I didn't want to delay in getting a new one, so I bought a new one pretty fast.

One thing that bugs me is that new appliances have very short life expectancies. Evidently, a new dishwasher is given 6 - 7 years (although I might get more because I use it less than average). But that sucks compared to the 20 years I've gotten out of previous appliances. I guess that's what happens when all the parts and electronics come from one source for all the appliances, and manufacturers / retailers are all competing mostly on price. But that doesn't completely make sense to me -- I know A LOT of folks who would prefer a longer life span.

Out with the old, trusty dishwasher...


In with the new --

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karmicdragonfly

July 2025

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"O seguro morreu de velho, mas o desconfiado ainda está vivo." -- "The safe one died of old age, but the suspicious one is still living."