Age Challenged rQQzy: Clean Solar

Nice to see you!

Three major events occurred for me last year (2010), all in the space of about 2 weeks. I turned 50. The following day I got married. Two weeks later, my oldest daughter became pregnant with her first child and my first grandchild.

Most middle-aged people will tell you that in their minds, they still feel 20 something. It's the same for me.

Wasn't it only yesterday that I was planning a night out with guys from the surf club? That gorgeous new perm. Flaired, cuffed denims and the red t-shirt with the off-the-shoulder frill. Corked platform wedgies. **sigh**

Suddenly I'm looking in the mirror and wondering how 30 years can flash by so damned quickly!

So here I am in cyberspace, sharing my genuine shock and horror with anyone who'll listen and maybe I'll even meet some other over 50s who find themselves in the same predicament!

Welcome to my dilemna!!

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Clean Solar

I found this on Facebook this afternoon …

How my grandparents taught me how to make sauerkraut...

They would hollow out the core (middle) of a head of cabbage, fill the core with salt

Fill a bucket (that has a cover like an ice cream bucket) of brine water, place the cabbage in the brine salt end up, making sure the brine covered it completely, put the cover on and leave it.

After about three weeks you have sauerkraut.

Plus it stays good for up to two years, as long as it is continuously submerged in the brine without refrigeration!

****

The basic ratio of salt to water for a brine is 4 tablespoons of kosher salt per 1 quart (4 cups) of water. If you are using fine table salt, reduce the amount to 3 tablespoons

I’m going to try it … as soon as I find the right sized bucket with the right lid.

The solar panel guy came today, to clean our panels and test that they are working at their optimum capacity.

They were VERY dirty but he said that they are excellent quality panels (from Germany) and that our inverter is also excellent quality.

So my question is … why the hell are our power bills so high? The solar is only reducing our bills by (on a good quarter in Summer) $80. Our bills are still around $600-$800 a quarter in Summer.

In Winter, because we don’t need heating, our bills are around $250 a quarter. Solar only reduces the bill by around $20.

It’s very frustrating seeing everyone around us (with similar appliances like freezers, pool filter, ducted air etc) with incredibly low bills, sometimes even receiving credit.

Anyway, perhaps now that they are clean, we’ll see if it makes a difference.

After a day in The Bay, lots more tennis to watch. Lots of Aussies putting up a good fight but getting knocked out in round two.

My fave, Djokovic, is playing as we speak, against an Aussie, Popyrin. The latter is playing incredibly well, but Djokovic is just too good.

Tonight, Adoring Husband cooked the snags on the barbecue while I did the vegetables on the stove.

I am feeling very weary now so it’s time to sleep.