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No longer on the river and, again, an empty nester. Back to living on Fleming Island and making some more friends!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Feng Shui?

The other day at the pool I talked with my neighbor after our water exercise class, as we saw our other rascal neighbor sitting out on her window sill. Oh, that Maureen! She was reaching out and washing her windows. Now, I am under the impression the window washers come every month to do their sliding glass doors, as they have two sets on the river, so why not have them catch the 'back' windows, too, right away?

My neighbor and I discussed this, with her saying she has never in 18 years washed her windows and said she never looks out at the river, nor sits in her sun room. Huh...she is a painter so I would think she would LIVE in that room. She informed me it is neither heated nor cooled so that might be one of the reasons why not.
                         
I told her of the companies I've used for window washing in the past, how one new company I have spoken with thinks they can do a good job without using ladders. Apparently they have a hose attachment that will reach to the 3rd floor to clean the yuck from my glass and the frame. I told her the cobwebs annoy me as I gaze across the water when seated at my desk. 

She was appalled, telling me this was very bad feng shui. Oh my! What? She stressed again, emphatically, that it was very bad feng shui to look through dirty windows. I guess that explains a lot!!! But, on the bright side, I have at least had mine washed several times in the seven years since I've moved in!! She is on the first floor, so really has no excuse for not having hers done.

And, speaking of windows, I was talking with Dick, my upstairs neighbor, at the pool the same afternoon. We talked about the window washing issue. He was telling me that they tip in for washing the lower pane but it's the upper pane which is difficult to reach. I told him how last time the guys were a bit rough when tipping them out and bent some of the works in the window.

Dick informed me he had a local glass company make the repairs to their windows and had no problems. The company which made our windows is no longer in business but one of their installers stock-piled the parts so he is THE guy to get...so I thought. Now, it seems, the glass company might be able to come through 'just in case'. 

Last year after the tropical storms came through, I had to have a repair made to a lock on the window, as it had come loose from its frame. Likely it was loose the entire time since the last window washing, but not until the storm did the wiggle-room appear. I was holding my breath, figuratively speaking, the whole time, hoping Steve had the left-hand lock needed to secure my window in the frame. So glad he did!

Dick told me about getting prices to replace those windows but it was quite expensive to do so. The requirements now are for them to be able to withstand certain strength winds and to have UV filters, etc. Cha-ching! When I replaced my sliding glass doors, I asked the salesman about doing the windows as well, and he did not find any reason to do so. I like that about him! Jack could have easily sold me something I didn't actually need, and I shared this info with Dick. He thought new windows might be more energy-efficient, but I would rather pay for the A/C costs than go through the agony and expense of replacing windows which do not need to be replaced!!