Little Miss Fix It

Old shower head

Yep, that's me.  Little Miss Fix It.  If things break at home and I can fix it I will, instead of calling the handyman.  Just seems easier to do these things myself.  This week I faced a challenge, fixing the leaky shower.  It took a few days to actually repair.  I was very close to just throwing in the towel and calling the handyman.  But, I didn't.  I fixed the it!  So, here is the saga of the shower head.

Elisabeth vs. the Shower.

Round 1-  Three days ago as I turned on the shower the head came off.  This was a problem.  I had to take a shower, I had just finished a workout.  It was 9pm.  Clearly couldn't call the handyman at that hour even if I wanted to.  So, I decided to just try to fix it myself.  The only problem was, this wasn't a standard shower head.  The shower head didn't just screw back on, instead there was a ball on the end and the head was in two pieces and had a rubber washer to go with it.  I spent approx 25 mins trying to get the damn thing back on properly without spraying everywhere.  I finally got it into a semi-functional state (it was still leaky, but much more controlled, although the water pressure was very low). 

End of round 1 - we'll call it a draw, it wasn't completely fixed, but it was capable of being used.

The culprit of the leak - a crack on the
collar holding the head on the arm.

Round 2 - I attempted to call the maintenance man in hopes that he would be able to fix it quickly.  I couldn't find his number, anywhere.  I seriously tried.  I tried calling the landlord, who wasn't in (and left him a message).  I tried going to my neighbors, they either weren't home or didn't have the number.  So, I figured since I had to go to Target anyway, I would just get a new shower head there.  Epic failure.  This is when I realized that we had a crazy old shower head (clearly time for a new one).  Target does not carry that style of shower head.  So, I moved on to OSH.  No luck, they didn't even know what I was talking about.  At this point I was completely frustrated.  I was afraid I had no choice but to track down the handyman and get it repaired by him. This is not something I wanted to do because it meant that I couldn't do it myself, and I am my mother's daughter and figure that if I can fix its easier than calling someone in. 

End of round 2 - Shower -1; Elisabeth - 0.  I was not going to let this damn shower beat me.
 

Old shower arm with ball on end - not normal

Round 3 - Beginning of day 3 of the shower saga.  At this point I had left yet another message for the landlord about needing the maintenance man's phone number.  (Just in case I couldn't solve the problem on my own, the landlord had called me the previous night, while I was in Target, but I didn't hear the phone ring, and he didn't leave a message and when I called back no answer.)  Then I started doing some research online and I realized that I was not going to be able to find the part anywhere (not easily anyway) and this was going to be harder than I originally thought (as the collar was cracked and finding just that piece wasn't going to be happening anytime soon, and the whole damn piece was so old that I needed to start all over).  So, I called up the hardware store that we went to when I was a kid, Virgil's in Glendale.  I figured that this would be my best shot at finding the parts that I needed to repair this busted thing.  Jackpot!  They not only knew what I was talking about, but they had the parts I would need to repair the blasted thing.  I knew at this point I had the upper hand.  All I needed to do was get to the hardware store and we would have a functioning shower once again.

Really BIG pipe wrench

I headed to Virgil's with my dad on our way to the Dodger game and when we got there I had a moment where I thought I couldn't do it.  But, the guy simply explained everything to me and I bought the pieces I would need (including a new pipe, special tape for the pipe, and a new shower head - a regular one).  All I needed now was a pipe wrench, which my dad had.  After the game I got home and prepared to defeat the shower one final time.  Less than 20 minutes later.... success!  I had finally gotten the old pieces out and the new ones installed and there were no more leaks.  End of round 3 - Shower -0; Elisabeth -1.  (I took away the shower's points from Round 2 as I clearly defeated it, beacuse it is now in pieces in the trash.)

I'm not afraid to get my hands
a little dirty to get the job done.

It might've been faster and it definitely would've been cheaper to just call the handyman.  But, I'm stubborn like that and I was determined to do this and I knew I could.  And I did.  (The new one might not match, as it's white, but I still did it.  Could you?)

The new fully functional shower head.

Going it alone

This is a short one...
There are people who think doing things alone is odd, or uncomfortable.  I am not one of those people.  I enjoy doing LOTS of things alone.   A few are...

Shopping alone (although I prefer going with Alexis because she is great at finding deals and tells me what actually does and doesn't look good).  

I go to bookstores alone (probably to everyone in my life's benefit as I could spend hours browsing in a book store).  

I sometimes go to movies alone (this is one of my favorite alone things).  

I occasionally eat at restaurants alone (this was weird at first, but now seems like no big deal).  
Flying alone (when traveling I much prefer flying by myself as opposed to traveling with someone, its easier and much more peaceful, you don't have to worry about anyone else and you can just enjoy yourself).

Last night I went to a Dodger game alone (not the first time I've gone by myself).  

All of these things can be enjoyable with other people, but I also sometimes like doing these things alone.  Weird?  Maybe.  But, I don't think so.  Sometimes being alone is the best thing in the world.  Sometimes it sucks, but when I choose to be alone I savor it and enjoy it.  Knowing I can do things alone makes me happy.  Alone time can be a great thing.  You should really try it sometime.  It'll do you some good.  

Smart cars... Not so smart

Smart cars are inappropriate.  They are undersized and ridiculous.  The look like they should have a big key on the back and be wound up to go.  (Cearly I'm not the only one that thinks this, that photos was not difficult to find.)  Blech.  They irritate me.  So, stupid, I know, but I can’t help it, well, I could, I just choose not to. J  (Hey, at least I’m honest!) 

Whenever I see a smart car I want to run it over.  I don’t think it would be that difficult, I drive a 4Runner, so I think I could squish one easily.  This is not an acceptable car to be sharing the road with.  It just seems unsafe.  If this car got into an accident with a large SUV it would be crunched.  How is this road-worthy?  Also, I’m pretty sure a smart car is small enough to fit into the back of my vehicle.  Definitely not safe.

I can see how these cars are appropriate in Europe, where the streets are tiny.  There big SUVs are the ridiculous looking vehicles.  But, here, especially in LA, on major freeways these little bitty things need to go.  Have you ever seen one driving next to a big rig?  Yikes.   I mean really, are these cars necessary on the streets of LA?  I say no.  Go get a real car!

The thing that really actually irritates me about these cars, besides their ugliness (and let’s admit it, this is not a sexy car), is the fact that it can fit into the tiniest of parking places.  My car could never imagine fitting into one of those teensy spots, I mean I have put it into a “compact” space in a parking lot, but it’s a tight fit, to say the least.  I park on the street at my apartment and there is a smart car that I see that fits into little itty bitty spots all the time.  These are not spots that I could EVER think about putting my car into and it irritates me.  I realize this is a stupid thing to be irritated about, but I am.  (If you don’t like it, don’t read this, it’s my blog and I’ll rant and rave if I want to!)

Okay, I’m done with my rant and I will stop complaining about these idiotic vehicles.  At least for a little while.

Thirty things I learned when I was 30

Thirty things I learned when I was 30 (some I already knew, but were reinforced this year)

1. I can do anything I set my mind to.
2. Bungee jumping is fun.  I’m scared of roller coasters, so jumping off a bridge and bouncing back up again was a very big deal for me.
3. I can run pretty far. (26.2 miles to be exact)
4. I can run a half marathon.  Ran Surf City ½ in 2:37 in February.
5. I can run a full marathon.  Ran the LA Marathon in 6:19 in March.
6. Living at home with your parents when you’ve lived away for a long time is not fun, but sometimes necessary.
7. I can put up with a lot more than I ever thought I could.

8. Getting a call at 5am to get someone out of jail is never good.
9. Your family might be crazy but they are the ones that see you through the good times and bad.
10. I actually enjoy working out.
11. Money is far less important than friends and family.
12. My dog will let me dress him up in pretty much anything as long as there isn’t a hat involved.
13. Being bipolar doesn’t define me, but it is a part of who I am.
14. If given the option I wouldn’t change the fact that I have bipolar disorder, it’s made me who I am today.
15. I am still terrified of roller coasters.
16. My friends are amazing and capable of so much more than most of them realize.
17. I love my dog more than I love some of my family members (not immediate family).
18. I can get by on very little money.
19. My body is capable of far more than I ever realized.
20. My mind is capable of far more than I ever realized.
21. Not drinking has made me a stronger person.
22. I actually think I would like to have kids someday.  (If I don’t have them it’s not the end of the world, but this whole idea of actually wanting to have kids at all is a new concept for me.)
23. I’m not scared of commitment; I just know what I don’t want.
24. Coloring my hair black is not the best idea… way too hard to change.
25. I am willing to try almost anything at least once.
26. I’m not a bad driver, but I am easily distracted.
27. There are people who will judge you on a first impression and never think twice about it, even if they are wrong.
28. People are who they are.  Trying to change them is never going to get you anywhere, except frustrated.
29. Things in life will be difficult, but it’s how you deal with those things that make you who you are.
30. I love life.

I am a robot.

I barely ever cry.  I don't know why this is.  But, its true, crying does not come easily to me.  When things are sad, you probably won't get even one single tear out of me.  It's a little odd, I used to cry at everything - movies, tv shows, even commercials.  Anytime something was even a little sad I would cry.  I don't know what changed, but now, I'm not a crier.

Well, that's not entirely true... I do cry sometimes.  Usually the only time that I cry is when I get really frustrated or really angry.  Somehow in those moments I get the water works.  I don't cry a crazy amount even then, but I do shed tears, and get puffy eyes that wind up being painful for a couple of days.  It's not good.  Usually in those moments when I'm kind of angry/frustrated is when I really want to be taken seriously.  This does not go well when I start tearing up.  I usually don't full on cry in these moments, but get teary eyed with a wavering voice.  Occassionally when I get REALLY angry I do wind up breaking down in full on tears.

I cried once at work last week because I was so frustrated and agry.  And, I almost cried a second time, at work, in a meeting with my boss, because I was again, incredibly frustrated and angry.  I HATE it when this happens.  I don't want to be seen as a little girl who can't handle a difficult situation, which I'm afraid is how I look when this happens.

I think the last time I really cried when I was sad was when Hal died, which will be three years ago this summer.  Probably not a coincidence.  I'm sure it's related, and I don't know what the deal is exactly.  I'm sure I could talk to my shrink about it, and the tears would probably start again, but I'm just going to let it go for now, it's not affecting me negatively and I think it's just a phase.  It's just where I am in my life.  I suspect that at some point in the future that will change.  We'll see. 

For now, I remain a robot, tearless.

Mud!

Playing in the mud can be fun.  As evidence by the fun I had last weekend at the Warrior Dash with my awesome friends (Tina and Sheree pictured below, among others who were there).  The mud was kinda smelly and gross, but it was still really fun and I highly recommend doing a mud run, it's like being a kid again.  After we finished the run and got all the muck and mud off us we got turkey legs and ate 'em off the bone.  The whole day was ridiculous and entertaining and totally worth it. Oh, and cause we got lost on the course they gave us a couple of free things (we are not directionally challenged, it was poorly marked), plus we got cool fuzzy warrior helmets and medals.  Check out the pics below and tell me that doesn't look like fun!  I'm ready to play in the mud again...

 

The Bedazzled Man

Richard Simmons - aka The Bedazzled Man - has WAY too much energy for one human being.  I swear the man is SUPER energized.  I went to his workout class last night for the second time and I had the same thoughts the first time.  If he could bottle that energy and sell it he would be the richest man on the planet, I swear.

The first time you go to a Richard Simmons class you think it'll be easy.  But, tt's a better workout than you think it'll be.  You're definitely working up a sweat and feeling the burn.  (And, if you're uncoordinated like me it'll be real interesting.)

Last night I was, the same as the first time, totally uncoordinated and ridiculous the entire time.  But, I still had fun and was laughing and smiling throughout.  It was silly and madness and I felt the burn.  You can't walk away from that class and be unhappy, it's just not possible. 

Besides getting in a good workout Richard will scream at you the whole time (it's entertaining screaming).  Plus for $12 you get more than your money's worth.  I swear it's the best priced workout in LA.  You get over an hour of working out, pure entertainment, and an inspirational little chat at the end from the bedazzled man himself.  What more can you ask for from a workout?

Plus, if you're chatty and silly, like me and my friends, Richard will pick on you.  It's highly entertaining and worth every penny.  Love it.  Go try it, his studio is called Slimmons.  Fun times will be had.

Check out the awesome photo below of me and the girls with Richard after the workout last night. (He totally set up the whole picture and told all of us where to stand.)