So…. this morning I noticed that a tube (?????) coming out of the back of our HVAC unit (?????) is dripping gently on the floor of the basement. That is alarming. I am waiting for my father, in a different time zone, to wake up and read my panicky email to see if it merits a call to the HVAC company. We don’t even HAVE a current HVAC company, because I fired ours last year after an incident I am still salty about.
Am I about to join Sarah in the New Air Conditioner Club?!?! Tune in later to find out.
Moving on to other irritating but less panic-inducing topics, meals need planning for the week ahead. I am still boycotting my oven as much as possible. Trying to soak up the sweet, sweet air conditioning while we have it.
Right, right, we’re not panicking. We’re thinking about dinner.
Dinners for the Week of July 1-6
- Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos: We haven’t had these in a long while; I sort of forgot about them, to be honest. I think my husband will appreciate a deviation from my one true love, chipotle chicken tacos. Will my child eat these? Unlikely.
- Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad with Some Sort of Protein: I have some feta leftover from last week and this sounds fresh and summery. I’ll make the couscous in the relative cool of the morning and figure out the protein later, which I will cook in the air fryer.
- Vegetarian Chopped Power Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing: This is a holdover from last week; I didn’t get to it and one night we got takeout instead.
- Pasta Primavera: I’m not sure I can handle boiling water in the evening, or standing over a hot stove, stirring in various vegetables, but I’m willing to try because I have a hankering for some pasta primavera.
- Something Festive for the Fourth: My husband and I haven’t figured out what to eat for the Fourth of July, which is my least favorite holiday. (The fireworks have already started and I Am Not A Fan. So far, Lenny seems more intrigued than scared, for which I’m grateful.) I like ribs; my husband and Carla do not. My husband loves bratwurst and other fancy European sausages; I do not, and Carla will only eat kielbasa and then only rarely. I love burgers, but my husband hates making them at home (they never taste as good as restaurant burgers, says he). Carla will eat a hotdog; I prefer to eat a hot dog once a year and I’m not sure I’m up to it. Plus, she is having a sleepover this week and I think hot dogs are on the menu. What do you like to make and/or eat for summer holidays?
Carla is on a baking kick and wants to make bread, so our oven may get some action despite my best efforts. I am also in the mood to try these oatmeal protein bars, which have no protein powder in them. (I never did get around to trying protein powder. Too intimidating and too expensive.) Also also, Betty Crocker cookie mixes were on sale the last time I was at the grocery store and a package of chocolate chocolate chip cookie mix found its way into my cart. I will bake some for the sleepover. Microsoft Word objects mightily to my double usage of double words two sentences ago. Suck it, Word. I do what I want.
I’m sorry about your HVAC situation. We joined the New Air Conditioner Club a couple of years ago. Good news, the new one is infinitely superior to the old one. Bad news, the price tag, sticker shock is real.
I am dreading the inevitable day when we have to replace it.
Oh boy… a tube dripping water? I am not an expert, but I’m hoping this is something minor.
The 4th of July went from being one of my least favorite holidays, to being a semi-fun one (once I realized I didn’t HAVE to go see fireworks) and now I’m neutral about it. I probably won’t do anything special this year because my husband and son won’t be home, and my daughter is going to see fireworks with her friends.
That chopped salad sounds good!!!
I am hoping that it’s just, like, condensation or something and not A Leak.
Sounds like you have a perfect excuse to curl up with a cat and a good book, Jenny!
The tube is probably coming from the condenser ( I think that is what’s its called). I think it won’t be a big deal. Our tube drips into a hose that snakes across the floor to the drain in the cellar.
let’s hope I’m right!
Fingers crossed!!!
I actually think that’s fine? Ours drips into a drain that’s placed there just for it. BUT text me if that’s Not Fine– because then I actually have to also call the company…
Ours does not have a drain beneath it, so that seems ominous. But also, there is some discoloration on the floor where the drip is happening that makes me think it has happened before? Maybe the AC is just working really hard and that’s its sweat???
I also hate Fourth of July and I don’t bother to cook for it. We just have whatever we were already going to have.
It is the worst, Jen.
Despite yesterday’s gross hot and humid weather, I ran the oven to make sweet potatoes (for the dog) and granola (for me) and kind of upset with myself for poor planning. In my defense it’s been gross for the better part of two weeks, so there wasn’t much planning I could do, but here we are. At least we won’t have to make either of those items again for another couple of weeks.
Yes, sometimes you have to use the oven even if you don’t want to.
I’m sending good HVAC vibes your way. How come HVAC drama never happens when it’s just mildly cold or mildly hot?
You’ll never believe this, but I actually planned two dinners this week! Ground beef and potato skillet (family fav, quick stovetop thing) and a meatball and orzo dish (Costco meatballs FTW, so it’s another quick stovetop thing).
I love ribs and no one else in my family does so I feel your pain:-(
July 4th is a big family potluck. I’m making guac and some red, white, and blue jello shots! The jello shots came up on a food blog in my Feedly and I haven’t been able to think about anything else since. It was an easy sell to get the fam interested. I don’t really drink hard liquor so it’s also nice that it will use up a very old bottle of vodka that’s been hanging around forever.
I think HVAC are drama queens and love to be fussed over.
What is with our rib-disliking families?!?! Sometimes I can get a half rack of ribs at a restaurant, and I like to eat three or four ribs and then save the rest for lunch. But I can’t buy a half rack of raw ribs to prepare and cook myself. Sigh.
Maybe we need to get together for a rib feast.
PLEASE fill me in on the Jello shots. That sounds so fun and festive!
Hopefully the AC tube drip is minor and easily fixed (or ignored)! We’ve had that happen before, when it was really hot and running a lot – it was condensation overflow or something like that. But definitely a little “eek!” to discover.
We’re planning to grill burgers for the 4th … hopefully. Weather permitting. And lots and lots of salads still. Those salsa verde chicken tacos sound amazing though!
Crossing my fingers for condensation overflow and nothing more!
I do love a good burger on the grill!
We had a “wet floor” issue last summer with our HVAC system, and it DOES merit a call for someone to come and look at it. Sometimes it is just condensation, but sometimes it’s a problem. Suzanne, we had a heat pump installed in this house in 2022 when we were building it and we had to REPLACE IT THIS YEAR. Less than three years later! It was a faulty unit AND it was installed incorrectly. $25K later, we have a new, happily functioning system. But seriously, what the what. I hope whatever issue you have is solved easily (new pipe? new hose? I know nothing).
NICOLE. OMG OMG OMG. At least ours is somewhere north of 10 years old already. A BRAND NEW pump failed?!?!?!? UGH. Homeownership is the pits!
I hope the dripping tube is a nothing burger! Fingers crossed. This is a terrible time to have HVAC issues as I am sure they are so very busy with this epic heat wave!
The salsa verde tacos sound like something we would like! Back when I had a garden, I raised tomatillos and then made and canned salsa verde and it was SO VERY GOOD. Sigh. I miss those days but a garden is not compatible with my current stage of life (it was about 1/2 mile away at a community garden).
We are getting by with leftovers/ham sandwich this week since we leave for my parents on Thursday night. I do not love being up there for the 4th because there is a very large family gathering, but this year it’s at my uncle’s, not my parents. So we can show up and stay for as long as we’d like and then skedaddle. I am too much of an introvert to enjoy a 60-person kind of party. If we were home, we’d probably get brats to grill. I don’t love the 4th either.
I’m newish to the cooling world; I only got a heat pump a few years ago. I could have lived without one in our climate but when it’s hot, my bedroom upstairs is in Dante’s circle of hell. So, I have no advice except that any water or evidence of water makes me extremely nervous. I would fret about it until I had it checked out–just me. I dislike the 4th also and my cat hates fireworks. When we used to have people over for BBQs, bocce and croquet, the holiday was more fun. We would usually BBQ steaks and salmon which are easier than having all the extras for hamburgers. I love hot dogs but my favorite would be a buffet of all kinds of cold salads. I would try EVERYTHING!
Our A/C gave us a scare last week, but it turned into a $125 fix. Basically the cost to get someone to come and look at it and say it was fine, thankfully. I hope yours is similar! Nicole’s HVAC story gave me hives and now I need to go lay down with some smelling salts (counterproductive, I know, but that’s how I feel!)
That salsa verde chicken has become my daughter’s go to for her night to cook, we have them at least once a month, thank you!
4th of July…no plans yet. I’m secretly hoping for hot dogs, though I would be fine with ribs as well. It’s supposed to be cool (low 70s I think) as our summer fog is coming in. I hope so, it means no a/c which makes me HAPPY.
Good luck with the A/C. I hope it’s an easy fix.
4th of July dinner is going to be veggie dogs, deviled eggs, baked beans, corn on the cob, coleslaw, watermelon, and vanilla ice cream with sour cherry sauce. It doesn’t vary much from year to year and the dessert is sacrosanct.
my littles make a no bake flag pie cheesecake thing complete with cream cheese and cool whip and sugar and lemon juice maybe. Place in a graham cracker crust. Garnished with strawberries and blueberries in rows to look like a flag.
I hope the AC is an easy fix. I love corn on the cob and a delish big salad. Bears and burgers are no longer my thing. A home made potato salad also top notch.
I’m saving a few of these recipes! Well, I’m late to the party, but i hope you have a lovely Fourth. I can’t remember what we ate…did I make burgers and cole slaw that night? I think I did.
Our a/c always has a little drip, but that is on the outside unit, so crossing my fingers you are currently Cool.