A SIMPLE Task - Installing a Doorbell in Mexico

When I first moved into this house fourteen years ago, there was a doorbell with a wire that went to the button on the outside wall of the house.  It died long ago.

After it died, I would have to drive to Home Depot in either Queretaro or Celaya to get a new wireless bell.
I think once I even bought one while I was in the USA.  To date I now have parts in the junk drawer for seven semi-dead doorbells.  Various parts, usually the thing that plugged into the outlet in the house is still in the junk drawer.  Often the button that rang the bell was broken or taken by some kid having fun.  Aaargh.

The latest episode last week coincided with the telephone answering machine going kaput.  I hate ALL electronic things even though I diligently try to figure out how to fix them.  I save every darn instruction book for anything I buy - electronic or not.   Probably half of those instruction books could be thrown away as the appliances or tools or whatever have died.

I couldn't fix the answering machine.  I bought a new door bell battery and thought I had fixed the doorbell.
If I pushed the button while it was still in the house or on the inside of the gate, it worked.  It even worked, sometimes when I reinstalled it where it had previously been superglued to the wall. But not always. THAT is another story.

I finally admitted it won.  I gave up and bought a whole new set today at Mega.  NO having to drive to Celaya or Queretaro.  You would think I had discovered the golden goose I was so happy in the "stuff" aisle at Mega.  Truly, I did a little happy dance after I made sure no one was watching.

Home I came with my grocery list of stuff and the new doorbell.  I had made sure when looking at the packaging that it had the weird battery that is unlike any others I've ever seen.  Yup, there it was prominently displayed.  Ok then, we're ready to tackle this project.

One almost needs a machete to get into the packaging now but I did without too much damage.  THEN I saw that 2 AA batteries were needed for one part and, of course, were not provided.  Aha, I outsmarted them, I have just about every kind of battery in the junk drawer.  I had just two AA batteries.

I did notice that the thing that takes the 2 AA batteries no longer plugs into the wall. That's good as I have only two electrical outlets in the kitchen for plugs.  It can sit anywhere.  The problem happened when I tried to figure out how to pry the back off the button thingy.  The last thingy required that you use a screwdriver to pry the back off.  Well I tried that with this and it didn't work.  Instead the screwdriver basically impaled my thumb causing me to bleed profusely.  It is now sporting a band aid, my thumb that is.

Then I realized the hole where you're supposed to hang it from a screw or nail would allow me to insert the screw driver, turn it and open the back.  Woo hoo.  I did, inserted the battery and closed the back.
Then I superglued a male and female piece of Velcro to the back so I can just hang it outside.  Then I went out and kept ringing the bell so I could make sure when I superglued it to the wall it would work.  It did as I rang it over and over.  Enough to cause my neighbors to come out to make sure I was all right and to tell me the bell was ringing.........

In all actuality,  just about the only people who ring the bell regularly are the laundry lady coming to pick up and return the laundry along with the water man who brings the humongous bottles of water twice a week, if needed.  But, I now have a bell.

The only task now is to find the rust colored paint to cover up all the places that the other bell, that didn't work, was superglued on the wall.

My mother NEVER told me that I was going to have to know how to do all this stuff.  Life sure can be an adventure over the littlest thing.