We’re Suffering Car Lag

Is it possible to have ‘car lag’? I think that’s what we’ve got. It’s going to take a little time to recuperate after our journey. Meanwhile, we are in Orange County and we have all sorts of errands and chores ahead of us. Rest will come later.

We had lunch with my cousins yesterday. There’s a new restaurant in the neighborhood featuring crepes. I had the Italian–very tasty.

Doppler came along so we ate outside, though it was a little chilly for that. It’s much too early for me to complain about the weather.

You find a lot more restaurants with outdoor seating in SoCal than Connecticut. That stands to reason. It’s part of the appeal.

You know what, if I ever complain about the weather here, call me out on it.

We did some shopping for appliances. We’ll need a washer, dryer, refrigerator and a grill.

I know a grill doesn’t seem to rise to the level of the other three… but it does.

Our Connecticut dryer was electric. Here it will be gas. Is that better or worse? I don’t know.

Our Connecticut grill used propane bottles. Here it will be connected to an outdoor stub off the house’s gas line.

A new phrase entered our world yesterday, “counter depth.” That refers to a refrigerator that is the same depth as standard kitchen counters to give the impression it’s a built-in model.

Counter depth refrigerators are a little smaller… and more expensive. Someone will have to explain that last part to me.

Right now the money is flying out as if there’s a printing press in my tush!

Last week at this time we were watching the moving truck get packed. And now, here we are. Still a lot to do.

13 thoughts on “We’re Suffering Car Lag”

  1. Geoff,

    You will probably find that, due to the higher cost of electricity in SOCAL area, gas dryers are more efficient and quite a bit faster. They are sometimes cheaper to buy. Be sure your home has a carbon monoxide detector that works on every floor (required by code now) for your safety, and keep the lint out of the vent and the dryer itself. Gas dryers are more likely to ignite and burn off lint accumulations than electric ones…been there and was shocked to discover the scorched remains–but it did not cause a major problem,–just stink. Now I open it up and vacuum it out every 6 months.

    No, around here an outdoor grill is an essential appliance year-round. Natural Gas powered grills are more convenient, but in my experience tend to cook a little slower than propane. Be sure to have a quick-disconnect on the outside connection–earthquake movement on a big grill can break fixed piping.

    Try to find one with brass burners rather than stainless steel, as the brass seems to last a lot longer. Sear burner features are one to be cautious about–they cook very fast, and you can bet on burning a few things before you get used to it. Side burners and rotisserie burners are very convenient. Since we don’t get as many bugs out here, cooking outside is more convenient and less load on the air conditioning…and the rest of the family.

    Yeah, I still don’t understand why counter-depth fridges cost a lot more, but many of them tend to be more high-end in terms of features and efficiency than the regular ones, so it’s a toss-up.

    I have one of each–the deeper one was cheaper, so I’m just going to build a custom depth pocket for it to conceal the sides–it sticks out about 6 inches more than the counter–so I will construct a nice oak plywood partition on each side to make it built-in. Good thing I have the tools and expertise to pull this off during my do-it-yourself kitchen gut and re-model…

    Enjoy the weather and the shopping–it will be but a momentary pain in the vicinity of the wallet, but you will enjoy the lifestyle out here.

  2. ‘Counter Depth’ fridge is awful….while it may look nice as built in, its lack of depth makes it competely impractical for storage.

    1. I agree, Rhea. This house had a counter-depth when we moved in. Didn’t like it, so when time came to replace it we got a standard depth. Much better, especially in a house where a variety of craft beers is always on hand. It added about 8.5 cubic feet of storage space.

  3. I promise the first sight of weather-moan, I’ll give you the Connecticut forecast! lol (Today, we’re already into the HHH weather…. hazy, hot humid high in the low 90’s…..) 🙂

    I grill here year round on charcoal. I agree with the quick disconnect for the gas line.

    Sounds like the fun has begun!!!

    How’s Doppler adjusting?

  4. I would think a “counter depth” fridge would be good to lessen the chance of anything being shoved too far back to become the latest science experiment. 😉

  5. Since we are doing a kitchen renovation, I will tell you that while the built in looks good, I could not justify the cost. They are taller, with the works on top. The nice thing about a regular fridge sticking out a bit is that you have a place to show off all of the fridge magnets you grabbed at the end of your move. If you are not a freak about the neat straight line, you’ll be fine, and what’s better than a deep fridge? I’d invest the money in a great outdoor grill. Good luck.

  6. I would KILL for a gas dryer and gas stove/oven!!! Enjoy them — you have much more control over your cooking… we had them in the Midwest for decades but New England seems to shun them.

  7. Geoff,

    Sounds a little like “jet lag” but may take you a little longer to recover from because you actually had to do the drive. It’s analogous to an airline pilot that has to fly the jet while also transiting all the various time zones. Most passengers are lucky, they get to sleep while the pilot is awake and working experiencing all the same effects as everyone on board while they are resting comfortably at 35,000′. After over 38 years of airline flying, I’m actually getting used to it!!

  8. Yes you can have ‘car lag’. I used to get it when I did marathon trips to Northern NH to visit my mom. 273 miles each way.In one day. I’d start at 3 am and get home around 10, 11 pm depending on traffic around Boston. And how many hours I spent visiting. Would take me a day or two to recover.
    As for gas utilities; honestly, I don’t like them. I have a gas stove where I live and where it’s placed I have to reach over it to get things in the cabinet and my stomach hits the control knobs. I never had the thing turned on. I have a poor sense of smell and wouldn’t be able to tell if it was ‘leaking’ or not. Never trusted gas stoves. I have a toaster oven, a microwave and a hotplate. That’s all I need.
    Hey I met one of theur ‘neighbors’ yesterday. OK he’s not a ‘neighbor’ but he lives in Irvine. Was visiting his folks in Bristol and when I told him you’d moved out there he said ‘REALLY???!!!??? GEOFF FOX from the NEWS?’ he was so excited. Says he’s going to keep an eye out for you when he gets home. He’s been on the coast a long time since he thought you were still with channel 8.

  9. Geoff the drive was necessary for the move. If you come back for a visit and can afford it take the train and rent a sleeper, at least as far as Chicago. Depending on which route you choose, (Empire Builder (or) California Zephyr) you get to relax and see the countryside. East of Chicago is pretty boring though a trip around the Horseshoe Curve is interesting. If you take the train you won’t have to worry about food as that comes as part of the package, you get four or five “squares” on the trip and the food is excellent. The train is my choice of travel if the drive is over a day long.

    -73- Al

  10. You have very low humidity there and lots of sun. Is there some reason why you can’t dry your clothes on a line outside at least some of the time?

  11. Dinah, for some strange reason, many municipalities in California have zoning against clotheslines. LIkewise, if the municipality does allow it, many home owners associations do not permit them. Something about people thinking clothes flapping in the warm breeze is unsightly. To me, it says “People LIVE here”. It always struck me as odd that the places in this country which have the best conditions for line-drying clothes are the ones where they legislate against it.
    Really funny is that its not only better for your clothing, but also the PLANET.

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