Maintenance of Stuff and Things

Don't neglect the things in your life that need maintaining, including yourself. Before introducing something new, consider the maintenance factor.

Everything has a maintenance factor. Anything you build, buy, or invest in requires maintenance. If you purchase a boat, cottage, car, house, or plant, don't just consider the upfront costs but also the amount of time you will need to maintain it. This maintenance factor applies not just to things but to people, too. Remember to put work into your relationships with friends, family, and colleagues.

Nothing in life is maintenance-free

Even digital things require maintenance. If you're building software, a website, or an online course, there will always be maintenance and technical debt to take care of. You will make trade-offs now that will require retooling in the future. It's inevitable, just like house maintenance. Sometimes, the landscape shifts (literally) and other unexpected things happen. Even the most perfect, "maintenance-free" solution will eventually fail.

This old house

We have a very old house (100+ years). As the house gets older, we keep needing to do more work. Things that were never an issue when it was built (or even a few years ago) now require a complete overhaul. It is not just maintenance; we must completely rebuild parts of the house as it slowly turns back into the earth. Sometimes, it's due to wear and tear; other times, it's because of the drastic seasonal changes.

The changing seasons

Fall brings many maintenance tasks, at least where I live in Ontario. In Central Ontario, the temperature reaches 18º Fahrenheit on a warm day and will soon be below freezing overnight. Winter is coming, and more work will be required to prepare for the cold. Temperatures here can go below -55º Fahrenheit on the coldest winter days.

As we've been relying on the furnace more lately, I looked at the filter (which I should have done before turning it on). Typically, we replace the filter every 90 days, but of course, we haven't used it since summer, so it just sat there since last year. Well, it needed replacing, thanks to an abundance of hair from our dogs.

The Expected

Our house is close to the bay, so when the trees are bare, nothing can stop the wind from howling as it finds its way through every nook and cranny. Not only is it loud, but cold. In an old house like this, the wind finds its way through every crack and crevice, which means it will soon be time to put plastic film over the windows to insulate them (it's a Canadian thing).

But also:

• The garden beds must be turned in to prepare for next year's plants.

• Gutters need to be cleaned in preparation for the melting snow.

• The trampoline needs to be put away.

• Garden hoses and faucets need to be winterized.

• We need to put the winter tires on the car.

• The air conditioner needs to be removed from the window.

The list goes on, and as I write this, it's already snowing. The list is growing. Better get to it!

These are standard maintenance tasks done at the change of the seasons. This winter's list is longer than last year's, and I have two additional things to take care of this year after a rough time last winter.

The Unexpected

We expected most of these things, but two issues stood out last year. 

The fence gate froze shut in the snow and ice, leaving a small opening we spent two months squeezing through with groceries and kids. So, this year, it needs to be raised for the winter, or we risk doing that again.

My basement office got far too cold and was expensive to heat (it's not insulated). Even with multiple heaters and blankets, it was cold, and on the coldest days, I could almost see my breath. 

My chores this weekend are moving the gate up higher, partitioning a smaller office space, and adequately insulating it so I can keep some warmth in here.

It's now November, and I'm just getting to these things. Thankfully, the snow has held off this year.

The lesson in all of this

Don't neglect the things in your life that need maintaining, including yourself. Before introducing something new, consider the maintenance factor. Don't be like me and buy a boat you don't have time to fix. Of course, there are always exceptions, and sometimes things happen unexpectedly.

A personal note about simplifying

Three years ago, I wasn't chronically ill and disabled. Now I am. The things I could maintain then are no longer maintainable. Letting those things go is challenging but also something worth considering. If there are things you can no longer maintain, consider alternatives. If it's time, then let them go. Otherwise, those things will take up space, physically and mentally. Like my boat and the ski equipment, I will likely never use again. It can be freeing to let go of those things before lack of maintenance renders them useless.

Update: March 2024

I ended up getting rid of my boat and felt a huge relief. I kept my Skis and went skiing this winter for the first time in five or more years! It took several days to recover, but it was worth it. And yes, the skis needed a good tuneup after all that time.

Post updated: Mar 18th, 2024, for clarity and writing style.