This is a good time for it, because right now I’m planning the ending of the next book, and there’s a lot going on I have to think about.
While thinking, I can be doing useful things… like
a) setting up the ro/di filter. I’m selling the old one. Anybody need a killer 4-chamber ro/di filter, everything good except the inserts and the pressure gauge. 50.00, new, with cylinders, about 150.
b) running 32 gallons new ro/di water (reverse osmosis filtered water)
c) hauling 2 32 gallon trashcans downstairs to the water filter.
d) pouring ro/di into 3 gallon bucket for measure.
e) pouring ro/di into 32 gallon can for salt mixing. I’m soaking wet and have poured 15 gallons of our new water into said tank. Ro/di is running: it takes time. Like 8 hours for 32 gallons, at least.
Meanwhile the tank is in Illinois, having arrived from NYC.
gallon measure= milk or OJ jug with a slit marked at fill line and cut part of the way around when empty and washed. Haven’t tried, but should fill through the lid part, let out excess water and pour out at the slit…
Well, I now have 1 30 gallon tub salted and mixing, having hauled tank #2 and #3 down to the basement, with lids.
I am running ro/di water for Tank # 3.
We’ve washed out the slimey bottom of tank #1.
We’ll fill #1 when we’ve filled and salted #3.
I hauled out all our new dry rock and washed it.
Or course we had Shu’s help.
Bucket #1 that had salt is too old: the last few cups of salt have become a brick, buffer shot, worthless. When the calcium in sea salt sets up like that, it’s done, finito.
Bucket #2 had to be opened, which required a pair of pliers and a 3 yard pull…it’s good.
I broke a fingernail. You don’t know what a tragedy this is. I’ve been practicing my fingerpicking for weeks and I have the first chance to go filking this Saturday. I’ll have to see if I’ve got a steel fingercap.
And thank goodness Jane helps me count. I’m horrid at it. I had to totally offload 21 gallons of ro/di from bucket #3 to #2 to prove how many I’d actually poured, so it amounted to doing the work twice. Ow. My back.
On the other hand, a serious problem I’ve had the last two weeks is now much better. I’ve been just collapsing after any activity, short of breath and sleepy, and just worthless. Plus my new glasses weren’t working. I was getting quadruple blurred vision. I’ve been taking B12 to be sure I’m not anaemic, but I had to ask myself what on earth was going on—and of course was there any other factor. Bingo. New cosmetic. Cindy Crawford’s highly touted stuff. It’s ok for Jane. I can’t use it. I got off that—was better yesterday; today back to normal, vision normal, stamina normal, if still a little low. Happy me. May all our ills be cured thus.
So now I’m really getting excited about the tank getting here. I can’t get the sand yet, but I can add that later.
Our two baby koi have disappeared, but we think they’ve joined the herd and are staying low: baby koi have the instinct to hide, and there’s a lot of mulm (fluff) in the deep well which may supply them with worms and such, so we’re not worried.
Joan called (our coach) and we’re going to go out to dinner tomorrow, but we’ll order steak and salad and fare right well.
Now the water fill is easier, because we have a mark for 30 gallons on the Rubbermaid Brute trashcans we’re using—two inches from the top, is what it amounts to, should anyone wonder.
I add 15 cups of salt mix to each can. I mix each for 12 hours using a fairly tough little pump.
I am beginning to sweat it because the tank was offloaded from the New York truck in Bolingbrook IL, and is due here Wednesday, but the computer says it’s 1 day 2 hours from Bolingbrook to here, so if they get their rears in gear and load it on a truck tonight, we should be fine.
It’s fragile, naturally, and it’s scary, thinking of forklift drivers slamming it about. But we assume AquaVim is used to packing tanks for shipment all over the country.
I’ve no idea nor warning about the time of delivery. We’ve got to do some shifting…for one thing, to clear some space just to set it up, get some glides under it, and get help hefting 150 pounds of glass, with delicate bottom fittings for 2 bulkhead connectors, up atop the stand, which has a delicate front rim—has to come in from the back. This is where Tim is going to come in and help us, at very least, and probably in getting the tank in out of the front flower beds. We need to unpack it enough to be sure it’s not broken, and of course the truck drivers are going to want a fast escape and a signature on their delivery line…which we’re not supposed to give them until we’re sure it’s intact.
Then we’ll have to figure how to attach the canopy, and figure how exactly I’m going to attach that metal halide light kit and deal with its 1″ power cable, which has to get down to plug into the ballast. We’re dealing with more height, and I am not even sure but what I am going to have to elevate the ballasts in the stand to make the cable reach.
I’m not sure the light kit I have [too expensive to replace] is going to fit inside. I am going to have to do some delicate and accurate sawing on the canopy, which is a piece of finished furniture, to get enough ventilation for those very strong, hot lights—and get them situated safely without setting the canopy alight, and in such a way that I can change out those tricky two-ended pop-in bulbs, and the insert and twist actinics, which operate like regular fluorescent bulbs. Any sawing will be up on top, where it will be too tall to see, and at the rear, where it’s tucked into the wall.
Lights and their cooling fans are the futziest business. People who receive a tank and a lapful of plumbing parts think plumbing the overflow chamber is totally confusing and difficult, but really—one pipe down, one pipe up, and you’re good if you’ve made good joints. Getting the light serviceable and set (it’s not a featherweight, and the ballasts are really heavy) is another matter altogether.
Better you than me. Glad you figured out the cosmetic thing. Especially better afoot than atire.
completely off the subject…. but do you do a ebook of protector?
good luck with the tank we’ve had ours for years, and still get carpet surfers
DAW’s going to, and it’ll be on Amazon. They’re behind.
>>It’s fragile, naturally, and it’s scary, thinking of forklift drivers slamming it about.
Don’t worry too much. Accidents do happen sometimes, but not with great frequency. I’ve had tanks shipped three times and never had an issue with any damage. One came from italy (an Elos) via freighter to the US, train to texas, then freight truck to NYC — without any problem.
Do you have a release date for Peacemaker ? I’m quite ready to read it NOW.