In the category of “Specific Instructions You Never Thought to Issue”, I would like to officially add “If you accidentally knock an entire roll of toilet paper into the toilet, do NOT try to flush it down.”
Nothing like having a wild eyed six year old run into the living room and whisper, “MOM… it’s OVERFLOWING!!”. While you have company over, of course. And it was indeed overflowing, to the point of water running into the basement directly over an electrical box. Ah well… nothing shorted out and I did get the toilet unclogged eventually, although it is not really functioning normally today. I’m thinking I should ask if he ever flushed anything else down there, but I’m a little afraid of the answer.
Yes, I did that on purpose. The stereo hasn’t worked for a year, and the CD changer was totally jammed. I finally took it apart to extract the last three CDs that were stuck in there. I bought that sucker in 1996, so it doesn’t really owe me anything. It went in the trash, minus some parts that looked suitable for next year’s Hallowe’en costume for Sport. (Yes, he has already decided what he wants to be NEXT year. No, he probably won’t change his mind.)
This may not look all that impressive, but it’s a thing of beauty to me. I spent about two hours on Saturday morning working on the door, the jamb, the weatherstripping, and the new handle & deadbolt. And we now have a front door that actually latches (gasp!) and doesn’t have to be bodychecked into submission to engage the deadbolt (double gasp!). It’s a miracle, and I can’t believe it took me a year after moving in to do it. Next up: the back door, which is even worse, if you can imagine.
Of course, while I was working away, someone else was lounging. A few things strike me about this photo. Thing number 1: the child is reading a chapter book on his own. Thing number 2: he takes up the whole length of the sofa! When did that happen?? (And no, the jeans are not really that short on him, he’s got them all bunched up. At least I think they’re all bunched up. Alternatively, he grew two inches overnight, which I suppose is not out of the realm of possibility.)
Filed under: homestead
Bunyan, that is.
I just cut down about 15 trees. Oh, relax, they were neither big nor beautiful trees. They were crappy scrubby weedy just-grew-nobody-planted-on-purpose type trees that were blocking most of the sunlight from my yard, and were only a few feet away from getting entangled in the phone and hydro wires.
Next step: calling a tree service to haul away the carcasses, and to remove the remaining 8 or 9 trees that are already entangled in the wires. Which will leave me with a parking pad that will allow me to exit my car without poking an eye out on random branches, and a back yard that is brighter and about 8 feet deeper. Next step: some shrubs, some mulch, and a few bags of grass seed.
Apparently, cold enough to freeze the hot water pipe that leads to my dishwasher.
WHICH IS INDOORS, HAVE I MENTIONED THAT????
The tree, it is up. And so begin the years of ornaments like that giant soccer ball that is front and centre.
as I unpack box after box, I wonder…
Why did I label a box of pots and pans “Living Room”?
Why did I bother to move shirts that I haven’t worn for two years?
Where on earth is my cell phone charger?
Why do I own so many bras?
What would possess a dog to pass up a leather purse and chew up an eraser instead?
What happened to my rubber boots?
And last, but not least… how long will it take for the cat to come out of the basement?
Filed under: homestead
We are moved. FINALLY. It actually went fairly smoothly, thanks to the professional movers who were worth every penny. Not just because of my sore back (and dislocated finger and sprained ankle, did I mention those?) but because I could start unpacking and setting things up while they were still hauling everything in from the truck. So by the time they left the bedrooms were all set up and beds were made, and by suppertime the kitchen was mostly unpacked, thanks to Martha & Kiki who stopped by to help.
The critters are all settling in, although we still do not have full dog-cat integration. Luke is of the if-it-runs-I-will-trot-after-it school of thinking, so this is a problem with Oscar who will run in panic through the whole house as Luke gleefully jogs after him, tail wagging. Dora, on the other hand, will just sit in one spot and hiss, so Luke wags and then backs away. Hopefully Oscar will clue in to this method eventually. Other than that, Luke is doing very well, although he definitely has a mind of his own. Also I think he is a defective Labrador, because I accidentally put him in a room with an open bag of cat food and he left it alone. How odd.
Friday: lower back was slightly sore, felt like a minor muscle pull.
Saturday: lifted a light item and turned to toss it into the back of my car. Back immediately seized up in a huge muscle spasm.
Sunday: Stood around doped up on the highest dose possible of Robaxacet, pointing at things and giving directions as six people came at various times of the day to do the work that I had planned on doing myself at the new house. Fortunately no one says, “This is, like, the third fence you have built and the fifth living room you have painted. Do it your own damn self.”
Monday: alternated between lying on the floor on my back and lying on an icepack on the couch. I am currently typing this from a standing position since I can’t actually sit up for longer than about two minutes.
Good thing I hired movers for next weekend….
