Hot air

 Wife and I have rather met each other coming and going lately. 

With her being retired, she's always up for an invitation to take short trips with friends or go visit the grands. 

I, on the other hand, tend to keep the home fires burning and welcome her back home. 

Last week she was gone from Tuesday to Saturday. While she was gone, I made a quick trip to Memphis, about three hours away, for a family funeral. I drove over Friday and attended the funeral and a gathering of family members afterwards. (As an aside, there were the typical comments about how we should not limit our visits to these types of occasions, knowing that is what we will continue to do.)

I arrived back home Saturday morning. Wife was due home Saturday afternoon, and we had a wedding to attend that night. 

I had a few things to do when I got home, and did not go upstairs, where all our bedrooms are located, until early afternoon. When I did so, I noticed it was a bit warmer there than downstairs. 

I then realized the upstairs air conditioning was not working. 

I performed the usual tasks of turning it off, then turning it back on, checking the air filter (which I had just changed a few days prior) and walking out to inspect the unit outside. 

With all of that done and finding nothing I could interpret as the problem, I sent a text message to the guy who installed this upstairs unit in May, 2022. That's right, this unit that had stopped working is only 15 months old. 

"Is it froze up?" he asked in his return message. 

I patiently asked how in the world I would know that, and he sent me out to the unit to take a picture. 

Nope, it wasn't "froze up." 

I won't go into all the other things he told me to do and pictures he had me take. He essentially instructed me to turn everything off and let it rest. 

Because we had had an unseasonable mild spell a few days last week, it was not terrible Saturday night. Wife and I were able to open windows and turn on fans and sleep comfortably. 

Sunday, with still no upstairs air, I texted the AC guy again, the guy who answered the number posted on my unit that says "24-hour emergency number," which I hoped meant he would get himself over here. 

He said he would be here on Monday. 

He arrived Monday morning and went up into the attic to inspect things. Less than an hour later, he informed me he would have to get a part -- a "blower brain" that had shorted out. "Give me a couple of hours and let me see if I can get it," he said. 

Two hours later I received this text message from him: "They have to order the motor. It could be up to five days."

At that point I called him and said that was certainly not good news. He agreed, but said he had checked all his distributors, and this was the best he could do. He assured me it was under warranty (uh, yeah). 

I asked if he had any suggestions for temporary relief. 

"Get a window unit," he said. 

I then proceeded to tell him, as soon as he got that part, he should get over here forthwith, no matter the time, no matter the day. 

Tomorrow morning it will have been 48 hours since the guy left here asking me to give him two hours. 

Wife and I have each taken a downstairs sofa for sleeping. With my office being upstairs, I am working in the dining room. 

We go upstairs in the evenings and early mornings to take care of necessities such as showering. 

First world pains, I get that. But it's hot, folks.  We're talking mid to high 90s. It's supposed to hit 100 by the end of the week. 

Hoping for relief soon. I'll be texting and calling "the guy" on Day 5 if I've not heard from him.