Installing a Door Knocker (a short post)

 

OK, this is not going to be a long post today.  I have too much on my mind to talk about my day, or about the big issues that occupy my mind these days.  Instead, I'd like to talk about something simple: How should people announce their arrival when delivering things such as a hot pizza?

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When my apartment building was constructed, the doorbell buttons were placed below the mailboxes on the main landing.  This is not intuitive for most people.  So, I placed a new doorbell button near my front door - and no one knew to ring me.  All they could do was knock on my door - and I couldn't hear it from my bedroom.  So, I decided to buy a door knocker.

The first door knocker I bought was way too big for my door, a star shaped knocker that measured 8" x 4" from top to bottom and side to side.  The minute I saw it, I knew it wasn't right for me.  So I decided to go to Home Depot and Lowe's to find something I could put on my door.  Well, Home Depot no longer carries these items in its stores, and the only one at Lowe's cost $70.  There was no way I'd spend that kind of money on something that would rarely be used.  So, it was back to Amazon to order a new knocker.

Two days later, the new knocker came to my place.  And I decided to install it during an afternoon where I'd be at home for the day.  I was lucky to have a cheap drill to put new holes in my door.  But it was a pain to screw the knocker onto the door, as the "Knocking ring" (whatever you want to call the piece hanging from the lion's mouth) got in the way of screwing the screws into the door.  AARGH!  But I got this job done in two separate attempts, and not have something which should make a loud enough sound when someone's at the door. 

 

 

PS: Today's post reminds me of a joke from the movie "Young Frankenstein."  In one scene, Gene Wilder is looking at Teri Garr's breasts and the giant door knocker nearby, and says "What Knockers!?!"  Leave it to Mel Brooks to slip a joke like this into his films.   

 

Lunch with CCS and Game Night afterwards

 

It's nice to have friends.  And today I was able to see one for lunch.  CCS and I have known each other since the 2020 Census, and we try to meet with each other once per month.  Both of us had a bit to catch up on, and it felt like we could have chatted longer if we didn't have time constraints.

But first....

I had several things to do today:

1. Lunch with CCS
2. Laundry
3. Trying to find a Door Knocker
4. Game Night

Since CCS and I rarely meet before 1:30, I usually have time to take care of little things before meeting her for lunch.  I didn't start getting ready for lunch until noon, as I'd be able to get showered, made up, and dressed without rushing.  So, I decided to wear a flowery dress to lunch, as it would be comfortable both in the heat of the afternoon, and in the coolness of the evening.

Lunch lasted longer than usual.  We tend to meet at 1:30, and finish around 3.  Today, we finished closer to 3:30.  The conversation stayed on the typical subjects that usually come up - our trips, our activities, and upcoming events.  We will meet the week before both of us leave on our upcoming trips, and it will feel like we just met a few days before.

Once done with lunch, I decided to run over to Home Depot to find a Door Knocker.  The one I bought from Amazon was a little too large for my door, and it will be returned soon.  This trip was a waste of time, but I learned something - Home Depot is not the be all/end all big box hardware store it makes itself out to be.  There are interesting gaps in its store offerings.

When I got back home, I rushed to put a load of laundry into the washer and then the dryer.  I was done with my laundry by 6:45, and I was off to game night.  As I left the house, my brother called - all the obstacles to selling the house have been removed.  The lender's bank has approved arranging the closing, and I could now give the lawyer a schedule of my availability to set up a closing date.

Game night was fun, even though I didn't do well in the game we played.  While playing the game, I sent word to a few friends that the last known obstacle to selling the house has been removed.  Hopefully, we'll have a closing date set before my upcoming trip.    

On the way home, I decided to get something to eat.  So, I drove to the White Castle in Yonkers for some "Belly Bombers".  (I grew fond of them as a kid.)  As I drove there, I was reminded of how the area used to look when my late wife worked nearby.  There were several late night food trucks operating in the downtown Yonkers area - I don't think this would have been the case 30 years ago.  Hopefully, this means that this area of Yonkers is becoming safer and a more desirable place to work and live.