10/4/19
(Above: The first load of clothing cleaned and dried at Jacobhouse.)
Building Summary: Today was ‘appliance testing day’. I started the morning by picking up a number of rags at Old-house and then venturing down to Jacobhouse where I commenced to wipe down the ovenhood, refrigerator, oven, and clothes washer/dryer.
I then returned to Oldhouse to procure some testing material. I already knew the fridge and the oven hood to be in working order, so I only needed to test the washer/dryer and the oven. So, for the former, I procured two pairs of clothes and a small amount of detergent, and for the latter I made/carried down some bread dough, a little bit of olive oil, and a cast iron skillet.
The result of the next two hours were: some clean cupboards (vacuumed out and wiped), a clean air conditioner (wiped down and vent screen washed), a freshly baked loaf of bread, a clean towel, a clean albeit still-wet load of clothing*, and a thoroughly tested smoke-alarm**.
(8:04 PM Update): On arriving to the farm, I stopped by Jacobhouse and checked on the dried load of clothing from this morning. It was 90% dry, which was certainly good enough for me. A couple minutes of sitting on the stainless steel worktable removed any remaining moisture. As for additional afternoon activities, I began wiping down the walls of Jacobhouse, and started another load in the washer/dryer – this time on a combo cycle.
TIL: Today I learned how to operate a couple new appliances: the oven and the washer/dryer unit. In regard to the former, I would state that the most interesting concept I learned was that of ‘digital temperature setting’. It is the first stove I have ever used where I am able to set the temperature to the exact level I want it (versus an inexact knob-setting stove).
In regard to the latter appliance, I learned that it spins quite quickly… Actually I believe that is understatement. Here’s a video:
Commentary: I have always enjoyed testing new devices, so as one can imagine, today was quite satisfying. Not only did the appliances themselves function correctly, Jacobhouse functioned properly as well; what I mean is that in regard to the stove (and the accompanying smoke), the ovenhood quickly extracted all ‘fumes’ to the outdoors through the soffit exhaust tubes. As for the washer/dryer, it was gratifying to see that the drainpipe performed as intended.
I also feel that I should include an update on my health. This morning I woke up feeling about 100% better than I felt yesterday (and once again, that may be an understatement). If anything, the illness – certainly more severe than I was expecting – taught me how truly valuable health is. I actually felt like living today, and that is what I did.
Final Note: Tomorrow I plan on cleaning up Jacobhouse a tad more and venturing down to the Harbison Farmers’ Market. Soon – perhaps on Monday – I will make a trip to town and procure any life-related items I have not ordered online.
* I had not yet figured out how to program the washer/dryer to do a ‘combo-cycle’ where it washes and dries in-sequence, so I started the cleaned load of clothing on a dry-cycle before I went up to old-house for lunch.
** The cast iron skillet was preheated to 525 degrees F in the oven, and when I opened the door, a decent bit of smoke came out – result of a trace amount of olive oil / butter left on the pan from the prior evening. Luckily, Jacobhouse possesses and excellent ovenhood, so I was able to move most of that smoke outside in the ensuing 5 minutes.