Installation

 So, the range was delivered yesterday. I really wanted a gas cook top and an electric oven, but a tiny home's power supply prevented that fantasy. You must be wondering what I have cooked thus far.

Nothing. It was delivered to the porch and HeWho knows everything about appliances assured me that "stoves are light weight, we can get it inside". The overly optimistic man was on his lap top and his phone researching how to hook it up. My suggestion to call the gas company fell on deaf ears.

We pulled and disconnected the old stove and I cleaned it up to sell it. Then we tried to get it out the door. He measured and cursed it, then took the knobs on the front off. We needed just an inch to work with, but he was discouraged, so we stopped and his investigation on how to remove the slider began. I went about my business and left him to his. I scrubbed the area behind the stove, found some pills that had fallen and rolled under the stove. I was happy to know the dogs didn't swallow them. If I accidentally drop one of mine, I search for it. I hear it hit the floor. HeWho cannot hear doesn't and I am always in far of the dogs getting his plavix should he drop it. I usually stand close while he takes his pills as I will hear if he drops one.

The day got away from us and darkness fell. The new range did not arrive until about 12:45, by which time I had already gotten the old stove out of the way after watching the man with the plan disconnect the gas line. We dispensed propane at our RV park and it required a training class at the gas company. I did not take the class, although HeWho is not the boss of me, wanted me to. I don't put fuel in my car, so to think I was going to be pumping LP into RV's is just ludicrous. Not that I think I am unable to do it, I just did not WANT to. So, he does have knowledge of liquid propane.

Back to yesterday evening. He got take-out, because I obviously couldn't cook. Or, could I? We have a slow cooker and an instant pot, an air fryer, and a microwave, not to mention the stove in the RV. But I didn't want to cook and he brought me a burger from Rib Country. I didn't really want a burger, but I didn't have to cook, so ....

He assured me that he could get the range in and hooked up the next day, today. I woke and started my day in the quiet with my coffee and dogs. HeWho was up earlier than his normal time and he started right in on his project. He went on the porch and diddled around with various stove things. I decided to clean the turtle habitat. It smelled. Dora was head butting the side for my attention, so I put her in the bathtub to play while I did a thorough scrubbing. This was easier to do when I could take it outside and use the hose. Too big to fit into the kitchen sink, I have cleaned it in the bathtub before, but my back hurts when I do that. So I emptied it entirely. About once a month, it needs a good scrubbing. She has small pebbles for substrate nd they need copious amounts of water to get all of the half eaten food particles and her poop out of it. I can do this easily with the hose outside, but inside is a different story. 

I put the pebbles into a big stainless steel bowl and filled it with water while I cleaned her house and all her toys. She has some fake turtles she likes to play with, as well as a fake tiny snake. Her bright orange and yellow fake plants and her hide with a platform for her to bask under the lamp. After I cleaned them all, they still smelled not so good. A little research had me using peroxide and baking soda. When rinsed thoroughly, everything smelled fresh and if some residue remains, it won't hurt her. The pebbles were a different story. I filled and refilled the water over and over and picked up handfuls of pebbles and rubbed them together, then let all the gunk rise to the surface and then poured that out. I did this a dozen times or more and a sniff let me know that the odor was lingering.

I grabbed the bottle of peroxide and poured half of it on the substrate. The stuff that rose was amazing! I saw half eaten worms and meal worms floating to the top! I poured off the debris and filled the bowl with water again. More stuff, and I used the rest of the peroxide. After just two more rinses, no debris floated to the top and it smelled .... like nothing!

I am so impressed with myself, although I wonder why I didn't think of it before. The peroxide costs very little, so using an entire bottle was no big deal. Peroxide is an anti-bacterial, too. And it will not harm her. I will have the happiest, healthiest turtle in the land! I retrieved her from the bathtub where she was exploring and brought her to the sink for her bath. Who knew turtles love a good bath? I have been using a toothbrush, but got her a bigger brush. A brush from a manicure set. I could almost hear her humming while I scrubbed her shell. She is now exploring her habitat and moving her fake turtle friends around. 

Tomorrow I will tell you the rest of the installation story. Spoiler alert ..... I still have a gaping hole in my kitched where a stove should be sitting ....