Turn the Tables

 The phenomenon of the "estate sale" remains a volatile force in the lives of any family with aging parents.  I have received the butt end of the estate sales I have frequented, because I knew the families and often their histories.  I would be difficult to say that the circumstances demanding an estate sale were benign .  Emptying out a family home with no family present is the tragedy.  There is no escaping that someone died unexpectedly or that the people who lived in that dwelling have become ill or incapacitated.  An estate sale is a ruthless, sobering, capitalist entity, but it does serve its purpose.  That purpose I was able to experience this weekend, because I chose participate from the outside.  I did not know whose home this was, and I didn't think much about it.  The photos were posted online, so I perused them and found some desirable memorabilia which motivated me to attend.  I was efficient in my search, went at a good time, asked about my items, found them, bought them, and left.  I returned two days later when the prices are cut in half and found some similar items that I found pleasing.  I purchased these at a fair price and even returned at the last minute to buy an antique hard wood vanity.  They were happy to sell me the items, and I was happy to get them.  There was no mention of who the family was, what were their circumstances, or any other strife.  It in actuality was a happy occasion, where people were pleased to buy the items they found.  They weren't cheap, but the merchandise (if we should call it that) was above average.  I got two lighthouse lamps and two oil burning lamps I have wanted for a long time.  If the power goes out, strike a match and you have light the old fashioned way.  (As I age I am preferring this more)  I don't have a cell phone, and I don't want one.  America is making it more difficult for you not to have one, and I suspect at some point we will be stuck buying an over-priced electric car.  Now people are ordering fast food with a smart phone, so the walk in customer has become a dinosaur.  We are passe, but like any good manufacturer they must produce replacement parts for at least ten years.  My Maytag washer lasted seven years, although it had a ten year warranty for parts.  It was five for labor, and I ditched it after having to fix it three different times.  (the motor was going)  I am happier with my new GE, and it matches the dryer.  It washes a run of clothes in one quarter the time saving water and electricity.  Shopping at this estate sale purposely infused me with the other perspective sans the family tragedy.  It can be a joyous process to pass on one's belongings and make a little coin.  They don't really make much money, but it certainly aids in emptying the house.  The irony is the estate sale workers get their free pick of what is left, and that is okay.  That is why I went back and bought my $62.50 walnut bathroom vanity.  It was for me.  The bad news is one of my attic fans is not running, so I will have to crawl up into this incredibly hot attic and trouble shoot the thermostat and fan motor.  I put it in, and it is a chore.  (I don't think I installed an On/Off switch for the AC power)  That means finding the right breaker in the fuse box to kill that circuit.  When I installed the replacement ventilation fan, I also put lights in this attic and flooring for storage.  It is the hottest time of the year, so either the motor is burned out or the thermostat.  How does one trouble shoot?  First adjust the temperature knob with a screwdriver to try to get the fan to come on.  (That means down)  If that doesn't work you have to test the AC.  Eventually you will have to deal with live AC, and since the fan is on the same circuit with the attic lights, I will have to run a trouble light into the attic.  Okay.  The fan is necessary, because it really keeps the attic cool.  There is R-38 cellulose in that attic now, so you have have to step over it to get to the fan.  A wooden walkway placed over the insulation would suffice.  Cellulose is dusty and is bad to breathe and bad for your eyes.  Oy vey!  Later.  Fayetteville is the only city that gets hotter at night, because that is when the CSX freight trains run.  It doesn't stop until 4:30 a.m.  So early morning is your best time to be in an attic.  I boiled fresh shrimp for my mother today and took her fresh flowers.  She said she was going to give blood today, because a blood test was the only way you could get alcohol.  But she was happy and content.