HVAC Adventures (with Social Media Component)

This meme is so true... and that's where I am right now, since yesterday early afternoon! 😭 Not cool, literally...

I finally found an old friend who is a reliable and honest HVAC technician, after trying to track him down through another uncooperative friend (that's another story about egos and such). Social media to the rescue (Facebook, specifically)! I was very happy to see a reply last night. He and his wife are amazing people.

In the meantime, I could not just sit and wait, so I called one of the local companies (thank you, Google). The technician came, delivered the dreaded news of "locked up compressor," and recommended a new system, to the tune of $6,100. 

OK, not good, so I started calling around for quotes (haven't heard back from my friend at that time yet). Home Depot-affiliated Florida Home AC sent someone within a couple of hours (a plus for fast response, on Sunday afternoon). Then their salesperson showed up. He supposedly knocked on the door (don't believe him; yes, my fan was running but it's not very loud; I would have heard someone at the door). Instead, he called the home ship and reported that I was not at home. The office person called and I found the salesperson sitting in his car in front of the house. He barely glanced at the outside unit and I let him inside, to look at the air intake system in our basement. 

He immediately stated that he needed to use the bathroom first (yes, stated, not asked -- there is a difference). He whined that he drove an hour to get to the house and must use the bathroom before he can do anything else. Really, in the age of COVID? I don't like other people using my bathroom and here is this stranger, being very pushy? There are plenty of gas stations near the house as well as interstate rest area nearby. My high school students can plan better! The bathroom is upstairs, next to the bedroom, so I kept an eye on him, not really knowing what he is truly up to.

He finally took another quick glance at the air intake and declared that replacement cost is $10,271. By that time, I have done my homework and knew that this quote was baloney. I told him as much and he turned on the slimy salesperson mode, stating in saccharine voice that he was a professional and I did not really know how to price the system. Oh, no -- that does not work with me, especially since I was already furious with him regarding barely glancing at the system and the bathroom demand. I politely but firmly asked him to leave and threw his quote in garbage.

The ratings for the first company are good so the first guy was probably honest, but I will still wait for my friend, as he can double-check and offer a much better replacement deal, if it comes to that. In the meantime, I am sitting next to the fan that is running at full blast. How did people survive pre-AC???

Lesson Plan Design Tips

I have written countless lesson plans in my 24 years old of teaching. However, here is a great resource for those of you who have never created a lesson plan in your life! :)

Saying NO and Focusing on Important Things

My journey as a PhD student has been long and treacherous, mostly due to my foolishness and unfocused meandering, often getting distracted by what seemed to be important at the time but was not really, in the hindsight. When I almost lost my dream of earning a PhD, I have made a promise to myself to chuck anything that distracts me, no matter how enticing or seemingly important.

I have kept that promise to myself when I turned down a number of cool opportunities during the past school year and several times this summer. There were several interesting professional development as well as consulting opportunities but I only allowed myself one, just one, and only because it kind of relates to what we are doing in this class, does not interfere with my ability to focus on two classes I am taking, and will be over by early August.

It feels amazing to be able to say No and do it consistently, for almost one full year now. I do not allow anyone to guilt me or try to talk me into something. If it interferes with my PhD completion plan,

The Role of Social Media During Storms

As Hurricane Elsa is swirling just offshore the Tampa Bay area, with heavy rains and gusty winds already spreading inland, I am keeping an eye on it and learning some interesting facts. Did you know that the last time Category 1 Hurricane made landfall on the west coast of Florida in July 134 years? The landfall is predicted north of Tampa Bay sometimes on Wednesday morning. 

It should not severely impact the area where I teach (Wesley Chapel) but that area is under Tropical Storm Warning. I am on the opposite coast, in St Augustine, for the summer but some inclement weather is expected here as well, with thunderstorms and winds 20-30 mph, with gusts around 40 mph.

As I was searching for information, I came across this article:

Ulvi, O., Lippincott, N., Khan, M. H., Mehal, P., Bass, M., Lambert, K., Lentz, E., & Haque, U. (2019, December 10). The role of social and mainstream media during storms. Journal of Public Health and Emergency. https://jphe.amegroups.com/article/view/5543/html.

Did you know that Twitter is the most widely used social medial tool for storm information? Facebook is also popular. Then they mention Plurk... What is it? Never heard of Plurk! Of course I had to check it out. Here is a link, if anyone is interested: https://www.plurk.com/portal/. 

Weird... Should I start plurking? Yes, that's what you apparently do here. It looks fishy so I think I will delete my account.

ss

Pelmeni and Community Building

Pelmeni, or meat-filled dumplings, is a Russian National dish. Mom's recipe, tried and true, fail-proof, is found HERE. 

While now everybody is using the pelmeni mold, to save time, but making pelmeni by hand (see shaping technique below) used to be a family (or even community) event. People caught up on news, made plans, and made delicious dumplings. Some dumplings were cooked and eaten while fresh but most of pelmeni were frozen, to be used for quick meals. In Siberian villages, where it was very cold and snow was clean, pelmeni were frozen outside and stored in a cold cellar.

Sure, you can buy frozen ravioli but there is nothing like homemade pasta that melts in your mouth, with juicy meat inside. Is your mouth watering yet? Head to my Facebook group and make them today! :)

My Knowledge Sharing/Tracking Project Background

This project is a small thank you to my Mom, who has always been by my side. She is also an amazing culinary magician who can whip out delicious treats. Please join my Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173684861407705. Thank you so much!

I have grown up in the former Soviet Union, with both of my parents working hard but barely making enough to raise the family, due to the communist policy of equal pay for anyone, regardless of their effort. Most of the time, the only way to get something was to bribe someone with something they wanted.

My Dad was able to get a plot of land to build our house because of his amazing carpentry skills. He helped an official and was granted a land permit. He then built the house, with his own hands, from foundation to the roof. It has taken several years and we lived in a small trailer in the meantime. Because of our own plot of land within the city limits, we were able to grow all kinds of vegetables and fruit in the backyard: potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, eggplant, squash, apples, cherries, apricots, pears, peaches, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, etc. We were also raising chickens, ducks, and even a pig! Because my parents worked all day, all of the chores had to be completed early in the morning and late at night. I can't even imagine how hard my parents worked...

Yet, Mom always cooked delicious breakfasts and suppers, mostly using homegrown ingredients because grocery stores had limited items and were expensive. For example, one of the famous Russian salads (will post recipe soon!) requires canned sweet peas. It was a luxury and finding a few cans was difficult! Can you imagine that? I sure can't... That's why this collection of recipes is a special tribute to my Mom's hard work and ingenuity for making do with whatever she had, with delicious results.

Why Do People Join Certain Communities?

I have been wondering about the reason(s) certain communities thrive while others stagnate. I believe one of the major factors is the level, quality, and frequency of interaction between and among members. This belief is based on Wenger’s (1999) definition of a community of practice (CoP): a group of people sharing a common goal or passion and learning together as they actively and regularly interact with each other.

For my Community Norms assignment, I followed two Facebook groups for several weeks and was amazed by the level of support and care. This week, I decided to check out another group that caught my attention previously, as it is a subgroup of the larger group, with a specific mission of helping students who are finalizing their dissertations and need writing support and feedback.

This post exemplified the interactions in this group. I think this is why this group is thriving.

Wenger, E. (1999). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511803932.014