I missed blogging last week because I was stricken with cedar fever. Cedar fever is caused when the juniper trees in south Texas are pollinating in January and February, and strong south winds blow the pollen into central Texas. This is the only allergy I suffer from, but dummy me went for a motorcycle ride the Sunday before last, when there was a strong 20-mph wind from the south, full of pollen, and by Sunday night I was shut down with a low-grade fever, chills, sweats and a seriously clogged head.
I was able to get it under control in a few days with helpful advice from People Against Cedars. If you suffer from allergies this time of year, I highly recommend you check out this web site for advice on how to manage them.
Check out this video showing a cedar tree releasing pollen. Makes me sneeze just watching it!
Old Appliances
One repeated conversation I have with our kitchen remodeling clients is about what to do with old appliances. It’s natural for the client to want to sell or give away the appliances to someone who can use them. My advice is not to let someone else have them, rather send them to an authorized appliance recycling center. Here are three reasons why.
- Old appliances are not energy efficient. Appliances have come a long way in the last few years in their ability to perform their given task while using up to only 25% of the energy of an older model. Giving an energy hog appliance to someone is not doing them—or our environment—any favors in the long run.
- Harmful Chemicals. Older appliances were made utilizing products like foam insulation, lead and ozone-depleting gases that are known to be harmful to our environment. Sending the appliance to a recycling center that is set up to safely handle these materials assures you aren’t passing off a problem someone else might not handle properly.
- Fire Danger. When an appliance has been sitting in the same spot for years, if not decades, the act of moving it from one location to another sometimes dislodges electrical components which then become a serious fire and electrocution hazard. Many years ago, I lived this nightmare personally with a used dryer that caught on fire.
Take care of yourself, the environment and be safe!
Mike
