[As usual, two weeks lag here, if you aren’t reading this on my Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/blazeward). If you’d like your news fresher, and the monthly Anti-Stodgy/Redneck Chef newsletter, all I ask is a buck to help keep the lights on around here.]
So, last Tuesday, the heat pump went sideways. I’ve talked here about the joys in January when the old system died and the folks needed two weeks to install the new one.
Went in to change the filter Tuesday morning and the floor was wet. Water dripping from inside. Called them and they sent someone Wednesday. Tuesday night, I had a stream of water running off the system.
New tech arrived Wed AM and explained that he’d had to repair several systems that the old guy had installed, so I felt better. Current assumption is that either they didn’t put enough coolant in (2# instead of the 6.5# that the system needs) or there is a leak. The cooling fins were working so hard they froze and built up ice. Then we discover that they installed the drain pipe perfectly horizontally. Bad. Physics comes into play, and it backflooded.
I killed the system at the breaker and stuck a fan in there to dry things. Fan is still running, but that’s me.
They came and fixed the system Wednesday. Reviewed all the tech’s notes Thursday and called a service to inspect for water damage and repair. Those folks were out Friday morning first thing and he had the coolest toys to detect water in the floor and walls. Not as bad as it could have been. And the HVAC company is owning the repair, so I’m way more flexible and friendly.
Shit happens. Own your mistakes and make them right. Got the fan in the furnace room. Left the crawlspace gap open to vent and hopefully dry. Not a lot of water anywhere, but I don’t want mold growing, because shit goes sideways in an awful hurry at that point.
We’ll see where the repairs are this week.
Writing: I crossed 66k on the fourth Corsac Fox novel this morning, on a target of 80k, so this week finished, more or less. Got the Kickstarter campaign for #2 mostly done, and need to record the video tonight and finalize details. Will have the link for y’all next Monday and hoping to launch Tuesday morning.
After that, I’m leaning into not doing kickstarter campaigns for the next several, just dropping them as part of my regular schedule. I’ve gotten an amazing response from folks, and had originally planned on dropping them 2/year. I’ll go wide with #2 in November, and then I want to look at maybe dropping 3 and 4 next summer, giving me time to know how long Block One is. Either six or seven, at current planning, but I have to finish them to be sure.
The last one in Block One will go kickstarter again, but with swag. Merchandise, like Corsac Fox logos as pins and patches. Art books with all the aliens, including new ones I’ve commissioning. Whatever else comes up.
If you have ideas for merch you’d like, PLEASE reach out and let me know. Not making any promises, but looking for those things that would make that final kickstarter special for folks.
For the writing, I’m doing a lot of research on Tang Dynasty China for some new historic thriller stories, as well as for some roleplaying game stuff that I hope will come out next year. Current RPG stuff went sideways when my design partner’s life fell apart, so I started with a blank piece of paper and have a new engine I’m testing, a new context I’m building, and a new setting that is RADICALLY different from Tolkien. Gonna be fun.
More BSQ stories to write, as I extend Beckett Fernsby across four issues. More Thriller as I build a five-man-band in 680CE Tang China and write several stories there for fun.
Never enough time in the day to do it all, as song #2 (“Time To Say Goodbye”) is in the process of being released whenever. I’ve approved the final audio and produced the cover art, so I think we pull the trigger and go.
Busy and not busy. Normal for a Monday. What are you up to?
shade and sweet water,
blaze
West of the Mountains, WA
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