I really never grew out of it.... I always had to be an audiophile aficionado, and was always living within my means, as far as budget goes... Audiophiles and budget don't really belong in the same sentence...
happy and feeling blessed to still be here kicking it! Wishing you happiness and health for 2026! 
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Loving that air bag jack dealio...first time I've seen one.I started this on the "Pull up a Chair, time to be friends." thread but maybe it's better to post the whole mess here.
I messed up the under cabinet lights on our Whirlpool over-the-stove microwave. I tried to replace the dead bulb (there are two) more than a year ago and missed one of the pin holes. Sparks flew and the lights no longer work. Goog said it was a simple repair to replace the component I killed on the main board. I feared the repair might take too much time, especially if I purchased the wrong component. Decided to replace the board but none of the sites I checked offered new boards for this ancient (4-year-old) microwave. Ordered a used (worked when removed) board from eBay, figuring the swap would go faster.
Procrastination ended on Boxing Day (12/26/25) and everything went smoothly. Until I pulled the ribbon cable that connects the board to the front panel. Most of the ribbon cable came out but one piece didn't.
Once again, couldn't find a new front panel and this ribbon cable is integrated into the front panel. I now know this because I removed the little LED panel and bent all the stainless cover clips and removed the panel cover. There are no fasteners underneath on either side. Back on eBay and I find the right part number cable assembly and front panel. The cheap ones have a different part number so I put the correct ($65) one in my basket with a $60 offer. The stainless on this panel is beat to **** but hey, I have a pristine replacement cover waiting to fix that. But the photos don't show what's under the beat up cover so I go back and withdraw my offer. I now have a microwave in pieces and it looks to me like I'm shoeing another dead horse with some expensive and badly worn out shoes.
Lowe's delivered a new microwave on Saturday (12/27/26). It's an LG on sale for $349 ($250 off) and using their credit card takes another 5% off. Being lazy, I paid them to deliver it but they couldn't deliver it instantly so the shipping, while not free, took two days.
Younger Bob would simply remove the old one and install the new one while the glass-top stove is right there. Older Bob is going to move the stove, place several of his 4x4 cribbing scraps across the 30-inch opening and only destroy one appliance when it comes crashing down. Did I mention my powerfulleft armlow profile Vevor pneumatic jack may be part of this project?
I don't remember the last time I pulled the stove out but it has been a while. Some kind of organic glue is holding the sides of the glass top and front feet in place but my appliance jacks fixed the problem. Some cleaner with bleach squirted under both front feet made the stove move like it was on wheels. Same cleaner with bleach cleaned up the counter edges.
The "Why do you keep all that stuff"" 4x4s and a couple of spare shelves joined the party.
My gnarly duct-work lives behind a decorative secret panel in the cabinet above the microwave. It needs to be removed.
Oh my, that cabinet hasn't been cleaned in a while. Its floor is well above my line of sight so "out of sight..." suits me fine. I went a little overboard with the aluminum tape because the stud column that goes into the attic was allowing a breeze in that cabinet. With the duct removed, it's time for the big gun.
My belt and suspenders mind decided to add more blocks and adjust the appliance jacks to catch the microwave when I relieved pressure on the air bag. Added another brace with the two-step stool shelf. Boy does that stool come in handy.
In addition to the two long 1/4-20 screws near the front edge of the cabinet, there's a bracket mounted to the back wall that hooks into slots in the microwave base. This means the microwave has to tilt quite precariously so I can get a screwdriver back there and lift the microwave off the bracket. I'm not the least bit nervous. I just keep repeating "Let it fall, don't try to catch it." Final step in the removal process was to call my next door neighbor. He runs a consignment shop so most days he's hauling huge pieces of furniture. He picked up this 65-pound microwave like it was a box of crackers and walked out the front door with it. Instead of me putting it out at the end of the driveway, he put it in his van and said he'd toss it in the dumpster behind his consignment shop.
Time to unbox the new microwave, find the installation instructions and the template because I am absolutely certain neither the existing bracket nor the mounting holes are in the right place. The cabinet floor and back wall are Swiss cheese already but the old holes are taped closed sodiamondsprecious little screws don't find a new home.
Gerry, I hid the secret at the end of the post. My neighbor attended our last Train Party in 2005. He turns 61 in a few days but he is still lifting furniture heavier than me every day. Any time I need "a hand" he's here. He was a scrawny guy 20 years ago but he looks like a body builder today.
When my neighbor isn't available or it's a bigger job, our 62 year old son and between one and four of his sons is here to help. He is currently working on a renovation project in an ocean-front condo in the town just to our north so either he or my neighbor will be helping. I enjoy and am proud of my independence but "A good man always knows his limitations."
Bob, I was out of line this morning, probably due to my own current situation. I have read enough of your posts to know that you are smart enough to call for help when it's necessary.
Thank you Zim, it was low key, just the way I like it.
@zanyad, I'm late as usual but Merry Christmas to you as well. Hope it was a good one.
Michael, the best we can do is enjoy the time we have.
Rick, that sounds like a fun app. Probably developed by the same people who did the map software in our Cadillac. It tells me to make a right into a sugar cane field and then tells me to make a u-turn and try again. Won't be using it anywhere near the ocean or Intracostal.
@Squankum, sorry --- I couldn't hear you. My doorbell is ringing in my head.
Sometimes you get to live more than 60 years after you yell: "A TRAIN!"None of us do!
Why? Why couldn't my mother have had that side effect from her Prednisone?!
Rick, because we lived in Wappingers Falls from 1966-75, an hour and a half to Manhattan (via Route 9 to Croton-Harmon and train to Grand Central Station), we took our kids to see The Nutcracker and several off-Broadway shows when we lived there. Also took them to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History and the Bronx Zoo.
In all things, I try to live within my means.I really never grew out of it.... I always had to be an audiophile aficionado, and was always living within my means, as far as budget goes... Audiophiles and budget don't really belong in the same sentence...
To quote Popeye, "I yam what I yam." But don't think Popeye was an audiophile of any sort... I married the pretty girl, that I met. Popeye always had his eyeballs on Olive Oyl. Look at me now. I got both, a pretty girl and a stereo.
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Eric, livin' the life we have is the best thing there is.Merry Christmas and happy new year to you buddy
Rick, I stopped buying presents 15 years ago. I put cash in an envelope for the grands and an envelope to the parents of the great grands so they can buy presents after Christmas when they find out what the little people actually wanted. Christmas nightmare was listening to the whining and crying because someone's box was bigger or their present wasn't on their list to Santa. No one has ever returned cash or asked if we have the receipt. I have a pile of gift cards that have expired because I never had them with me when I went to the store or forgot I had it. On the rare occasion I remembered, there was always a less than $10 balance. I loved it when I handed a gift card to the cashier and was told: "We stopped accepting those *** years ago." Far as I know, stores still accept cash and cash doesn't expire.
@zanyad, I feel like I've been rung by that bell more than once. Animal is my alter ego.
@Squankum, just as intelligible as Queen and I like the SS group better. I don't want this to get out but I'm not a big Queen fan. Because she was a fan[atic] of The Highlander series, Liane also likes the Queen soundtrack.
Dennis, it's like sliced bread, you suddenly don't have to stress, trying to get two slices of bread the same thickness.Loving that air bag jack dealio...first time I've seen one.
Happy Christmas and warm fuzzies Bob
www.vevor.com
Alan, the older I get, the more important patience becomes. I used to rush into stuff and hurt myself or break something because I didn't pause to figure out how the small smart piece of my brain would do it. A bit of Liane lives right next to the big dumb piece of my brain and gives it a whack every time I try to override the small smart piece.
Gerry, no way were you out of line. The strength and stamina I had just a few years ago keeps slipping away. Any task I can accomplish now fills me with a kind of childish joy, like that gold star a teacher would put on something I did. Every time I watch Liane or someone else helping or doing what I used to do on my own makes me a little sad. Then a different kind of joy happens because these people are in my life and I'm thinking maybe they love me. It also reminds me to flip the "It is better to give than to receive" adage because gratefully receiving something generously given is important. At least that's my excuse for sitting on my fat *** and watching others work.Bob, I was out of line this morning, probably due to my own current situation. I have read enough of your posts to know that you are smart enough to call for help when it's necessary.
I'm few years behind you, and have always prided myself in being self sufficient (to a fault, I am told). My next door neighbor and the one across the road are the same way, we are each other's "fall back", have been for years. My problem is that I'm older by ten years or more to this pair, and the asking seems to be almost always in one direction now. I make my shop, tools and supplies available to these two, but can't handle a chain saw, a shovel or climb on the roof like a couple three years ago. Right now, I have to watch my better half carry anything more than 5 pounds up the steps into our house or get yelled at. I have multiple projects stacked and with the cold weather, I can't function without the cold affecting my lower back strength. When I saw your prep work for the oven replacement, I so wanted to be there.
Oh, it's not just the "kids" that screw things up. Trust me, my neighbor knows firsthand that the older guys are just as good at screwing things up as the kids.
Cody, I bet you are right. A sign of age may be the willingness (and need) to repair, rather than replace things. The whole iPhone thing has helped that mentality. I needed a cell phone when I started working at America Online in 1995 and bought a Motorola MicroTAC. It cost me around $600 but like everything needed for that job (including the '87 Corvette repairs) was a tax write-off. As I recall, I stopped using it when that model phone was no longer supported by my carrier. Replacing a phone every year makes sense if you're the seller. Even if the service provider claims it's "Free," the price is included in the monthly bill.
Mike (@zmotorsports) is the master in both tools and techniques. I know many of my tools will never pay me back but I bet one drawer in Mike's shop could hold all the tools that haven't paid for themselves.
Dan, I've had the same experience. Though I sometimes wonder if the older guys just have more practice screwing things up. Worked in a garage in my teens alongside an elderly gentleman who would swap the brushes in a starter, spray some paint on the housing and charge the customer for a brand new starter.Oh, it's not just the "kids" that screw things up. Trust me, my neighbor knows firsthand that the older guys are just as good at screwing things up as the kids.
Thank you Jon. These days I do my best not to overdo it so I annoy Liane by not just grabbing my biggest hammer to solve the problem.Bob,
Great problem solving!
Vevor for the win AGAIN!
@gman007, Happy New Year to you and yours!Bob and all the friends here
Happy New Year to you and your families
Thank you Jim!
Dan, I haven't used the jack that much yet so all I can say is it hasn't happened -- yet.Bob, question for you. Have you had any issues with the Vevor jack tilting on you?
BTW, Happy New Year!
Hi Bob. Like so many of your posts, this resonates with me.
Age does have something to do with it; my dad was the last of the generations of mechanics that repaired components (Generators, starters, fuel pumps, carburetors, radios with ******** power supplies, windshield wiper motors and on and on) and he taught me well.
Yooooz guys are relentless... I certainly don't want to hear the Muppets singing Queen songs on my stereo, every time Mom's Doorbell rings... Haha. It's all good.
Rick, enjoyed Maryland crab cakes and microwaved broccoli for dinner -- more than enough for us. Our indoor celebration was nice and quiet. Outside wasn't so quiet but the fireworks ended early when the temperature dropped below 50°F and we were in bed and asleep long before midnight. Three or four loud explosions woke me at 5:00 AM today. Probably a few party goers passed out before they finished blowing their most expensive firecrackers. Watched a few episodes of Spartacus: House of Ashur.
Geoff, I'd be happy to have a coin operated mobile phone. Put a quarter in and make a call or two texts would probably cost me $10 a month. I guess paying $30 for three phones is about the same. My children, grandchildren and probably my oldest great grandchild think my $222.55 Samsung A16 is useless, compared to their iPhones. I grew up looking at 9" black & white TV screens and decade by decade bought bigger TV screens. The one in our rather long master bedroom is a $748.99 Samsung 75-inch 4K screen. Samsung tells me I should use my phone as the remote but then Liane would have a stroke. She already uses a huge amount of foul language about the remote that came with the TV. Paying $899 for an iPhone 16 with 256 GB and a 6.1-inch screen blows my mind.
Gerry, it's a small world. In 1971 IBM was paying me $7,800 a year but with only four of us it was probably easier. Sold some stock and splurged on a brand new Vega GT but almost everything else was repaired stuff from dumpster diving and treasures deposited at the curb for the annual Town Cleanup festival. If I couldn't fix something, we went without so I got pretty good at fixing most of our junk.
Rick, I have done my fair share of roadside repairs but always found a wide place well off the road (bridges were the best) to do the work. When the Fiat caught fire I walked home and got the tow bar and Lincoln Town car to retrieve it. A beach towel saved me from major damage but there were some wires, plastic bits and an engine cover that needed work. Fortunately there was plenty of room in our 2-car garage.
Rick, just plain Queen songs were loud so the Muppets screaming is just a little over the top.
Rick, I was a heavy drinker by the time I retired from IBM right after I turned 50. When Liane asked me: "When do I get to retire?" I was sober enough to reply but too drunk to have a smart reply. When I suggested I take over the cooking, Liane gleefully agreed. For most of the past 30 years I have been trying my best to make horrible meals but Liane eats them with a smile and says: "Food tastes better when someone else cooks it." I get lots of suggestions but very little help. Sometimes she offers to cut stuff up because me doing it one-handed makes her nervous (remember, she has to drive me to the ER when I screw up).
Dan, it's all good. The fridge is a Samsung counter-depth French Door model so the icemaker in the refrigerator section is already dead and little chunks of the flipper door seals are falling apart but I hate it so much I'll keep it alive because it was Liane's dream cooler. Finding stuff in the bottom freezer looks like an episode of a Road Runner cartoon, with packages flying through the air until we find the item we were absolutely certain was in there. Sure enough, it almost always is but uncannily it's the item at the very bottom of the drawerOK, let's see what's left. There is the garbage disposal and the fridge. Shall we start a pool to see what's next?? (Seriously Bob, I'm not trying to have fun at your expense) But geeeeez!
Fred, I already had the transmission rebuilt by the flying monkeys at my local Cadillac dealer so I need to drive it 300,000 miles to break even. It's getting close to 20,000 miles on the odometer. I suspect it was one of the test mules at the Nürburgring. I do appreciate the offer. If I pass, Liane will probably sell the CTS-V for the price of a high mileage, worn out plain Jane CTS. Avoiding that helps keep me alive.Bob,
I think you need to rid yourself the CTS-V before it breaks down. I'd reluctantly volunteer to take it off your hands, as a courtesy of course
Thanks @gman007, it was good to have them helping.
@Squankum, what is this "work" you speak of?Machinery comes from the world of science! There are rules and logic! The newest changes at work? Ay yi yi yi yi.
It's why I buy so much stuff from Rock Auto and Jeff's River. I'm extremely patient and enjoy fixing things. It bothers me I can't fix stupid.
Drives, good eye. Those drops of water came from the old hose when I removed it. Your comment reminded me to put a telltale under the valve. A dry paper towel on the floor under the valve will show evidence of a leak even when it's only two or three drops per hour.
Let me recommend that you buy a bulk pack. I've been bit in the *** by the manufacturer that changed the design or went belly up, leaving me standing there with nothing to do but buy the whole new deal, and go through the rigamarole of replumbing the mess.
