Beachcombing

Jay Beeler

It’s a classic nursery rhyme: “Rain, rain, go away, Come again some other day, We want to go outside and play, Come again some other day…”

Heaven knows we need the rain and that’s probably why it just keeps coming. But when there’s a few leaks in your roof, anxiety abounds. We have the same problem in our offices as well as at home.

Our top floor offices under the Cambrian Homecare sign at PCH and Anaheim provide a sweeping view from the mountains to the Port of Long Beach. But when it rains, the leaks are above three of the desks, threatening our electronic toys.

The solution by building owner Jesilux Associates is to hang five-gallon buckets above the ceiling panels and replace the water-soaked panels. This has been ongoing for about 20 years now, the same amount of time that our office thermostat has never worked.

 

At home we have a wood shingle roof that was covered with wood shakes after I managed to set the roof on fire in the late 1970s. Being an astute homeowner/handyman, I decided to put a sliding glass door in the front bedroom and burn the waste lumber in the fireplace. Embers landing on the roof resulted in what the Long Beach Fire Department refers to as a “four-bell” response, which means rolling two engines, a ladder truck, paramedic unit and battalion chief.

Numerous times the beefy firemen suggested that I install a spark arrester on the chimney. “Thanks for telling me that now,” I thought while admiring the six-foot hole in the roof near the bedroom area.

Now about 43 years old, that shingle/shake roof needs replacement, especially in the area I call my man cave. Or I could continue to strategically place three buckets on the floor every time it rains heavily.

I’m dragging my feet on this very expensive project to ask our accountant about tax advantages of adding electrical solar panels at the same time. We did this in the late 70s and saved many thousands on state taxes and natural gas to heat the pool. Maybe this will be another opportunity in the face of adversity.

 

One of my high school classmates shared the following song lyrics that Julie Andrews reportedly sang at a fundraiser for senior citizens:

Botox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillacs and cataracts, hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don’t feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pain, confused brains and no need for sinnin’,
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin’,
And we won’t mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache, When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I’ve had,
And then I don’t feel so bad.

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Beachcomber

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