Saturday

We have a not too tall crawl space under our unit. You can't stand straight up in it but you don't have to get on hands and knees either. Previous owners have installed a small forced air gas furnace and an airconditioner down there and I figured it would be a great place to store our "extra" stuff. Jerry's son installed a couple of hanging from the floor joist shelves and I have been meaning to start hauling bins of stuff from the storage shed (which only Jerry can get into because of the security door he installed) down to the more easily accessible crawl space. Today was the day. I took three bins of Jessica's music down and a bin of my summer cloths and a bin of "sewing room extras" (you know the kind of stuff you don't want to get rid of yet but don't have room for on the shelves).
While down there I noticed that the gas furnace exhaust pipe was loose. I mean this pipe went to the exterior wall where there is another pipe of equal size going through the foundation. The two ends of the pipe are exactly the same size. How did anyone expect them to connect? There was NO coupling attached to either end. With my great knowledge of "this old house" episodes I trotted off to the Hardware store and explained my dilemma to the man and he fixed me up with a PVC coupler and some cement. Back down the hole and tried to glue the pieces together. Well, PVC and gas pipe, although each has a 3" opening are different thickness of pipe - PVC being much thicker. The fitting would not fit (too big). But I had already applied glue so couldn't take the fitting or the glue back. Second trip to the Hardware store, this time with the section of pipe that goes through the foundation (it slips in and out quite readily). "OH! You need this kind of coupler" says the woman who helped us - didn't see the guy around at all. Got the rubber sleeve with the strap around it that you have to screw to tighten and the tool (not a screwdriver like I have a dozen of at home, but a 5/16" wrench jobbi on a screwdriver handle).
Back down the hole. Fuss, fuss, fuss. Have to work over my head, everything by Braille as there are pipes going in front of my line of sight, but it is done. My dad would be so proud of me. It is now quite sturdy all the way back to the furnace. I even stuffed some insulation around the pipe to keep beasties out of the crawlspace.

Went to see Flushed Away yesterday. A great movie for kids (and kids at heart).