So, as I continue hosting guests at the Cottage, long distance, I'm getting more efficient.
Particularly with responses I can have on hand to send. THOSE are amazing. How to get to the cottage from either side of the island is automatically sent by Airbnb, so I haven't had to think about it.
More automatic responses have to be written and sent by me.... and I've started writing those out, but it's been hit or miss and there will always be specific questions guests have. I am hoping I can send the information and proactively answer most of the questions or help the guests hone down their questions quickly and more specifically.
My brother was just at the Cottage and replaced the down AC split AC unit himself, which saved 250.00.
At the same time, he purchased 2 $1500.00 units, at cost, which took my breath away. I'd paid 500.00 for units on the island and they've lasted 4 years......
and.....
it appears the unit that stopped working wasn't put out of service by the corrosion or bc of proximity to the ocean, which I assumed.
My brother said the unit had been wired improperly, which makes sense. Votage and amperage and all the things needed to properly select and install units are out of my control, unless I actually bring a certified electrician or someone I trust to KNOW what to do.
My brother isn't an electrician, but he explained what he found in the wiring... 3 wires going into the pipe leading to 2 wires and how that likely burned up the compressor..... I tthnk he said, which means I trust and go limp and am grateful but frustrated and don't know how to escape more problems like that since the "good electrician specializing in AC" did one repair and one attempted repair on that unit without discovering the WRONG wiring, and so....what does that mean for repairs going forward on really expensive units that will likely die bc of incompetence rather than proximity to the ocean? It's overwhelming for me and....
Burning up one leg of the electrip panel, bc we put too much load on the panel or destroying the entire panel is a reality that COULD happen,bc we aren't aware of just how much load the panel can take is the larger piece in that equation. I think brother bought smaller units which is comforting to me. I at first thought we were replacing the dead unit with a larger unit, but I don't think that's the case.
The second unit he brought to the island is for replacing the roll around AC unit vented out a window and sitting on a bulky wooden stand my BIL built for it and takes up important floor space in a relatilvey small bedroom space. Also, it covers up some of a window on the ocean side of the cottage. It's a solution that's not optimal. THere's a second unit like this in the bunk room, taking up precious floor space and vented out a hole in the wall. Again, imperfect but solves the problem of cooling a cement building with a metal roof with ZERO insulation in half or more of the cottage roof. I guess the orginal part of the house has an attic and we added insulation in recent years.
The heat is what you'd expect in Miami.... it's extreme in the summer and the current AC units barely keep up with it. Sometimes there's the feeling of cold clammy humidity I find distressing..... even when in front of a unit..... I'm too cold, yet feel too hot, bc of the humidity and that means the unit isn't able to dry out the air and cool the cottage well eough for my comfort. Oh well. I don't plan to ever go in the summer again, if I can help it.
There's relief and serenity in the winter months and winds, even if the Atlantic is tool rough to boat, which isn't the case for my brother who is intensely committed to striking out in very iffy to bad weater and getting to the island when he's scheduled a trip.
I've been miserable and not half as miserable as some of his boat passengers have been. Grown men puking and peeing in their pants bc it's too dangerous to pee over the side of the boat and all I've had to deal with is having my guts pounded while I'm freezing cold.
I learned not to drink anything before we go..... I don't want to stop and pee if I don't have to and sometimes my brother WON'T stop, and I get that too. I will, however, advocate for people who have to pee and that just seems fair..... though I try to tell them not to drink before the trip..... I'll stand by and guard them at the public dock if they want to pee in the little bit of forest..... but I want to avoid that and the risk.... there's always trash from people who live in that area or pass through and I don't ask people to guard me. I just hope I don't have to defend myself with my pants down.
About BEING ON THE BOAT..... once you're on it, it's almost impossible to dock anywhere in Florida to go to the bathroom or order food or just TIE UP legally, before hitting big water where one CAN pee over the side. It's about $100.00 to tie up to a dock with a hal opened store and use their bathroom... not easy to find,not sure how my brother finds it, but he likely can, again.
That said...... I'm trying to never ever ever go onto that boat without my Frog Toggs poncho so I don't have to shiver in WET cold misery. I prefer my misery dry, thank you very much, but it even with proper rain gear.....it's not always manageable.
I have to say..... I'm not sure I could ever talk my kids ONTO a boat ride of that length and under miserable conditions. My brother's now grown and approx same age children are tough dang stuff and they have grateful very tough SOs who just get on that boat and go baby go. They've been on boat rides that ripped tables out of 100 f0ot yachts and my brother does this without having much experience or knowing exactly what will happen,but he KNOWS he will get there and everyone will be safe. He also knows he would have survived the sinking of the Titanic and if anyone around him wanted to survive they should listen and follow him....then he pretends to stake himself to an iceburg while nodding with assurances HE WOULD SURVIVE and I belive him. Bravery, research and faith..... btw my brother made the crossing in half the time the yacht did with it;s fancy high paid captain. I'm consistently astonished at my brother's abilities and I'm talking about everything to plumbing to working on trucks on the side of a busy highway in a thundrstorm to dealing with medical emergencies and electrical repairs and building boat engines and playing ping pong and operating and working on heavy equipment and trusting himself and his abilities. Just.... amazing stuff, that.
And so....that's the island update for now and where I'm at with it.
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