Friday, July 06, 2012

Some Days Are Like That



Good grief.


In the last 8 days Tom worked 90+ hours (!), and well, finally he was set to have yesterday off--only one day off before he goes back. 


So I made plans


I would get out of the house early to shop at my magical supermarket, then zip over to Home Depot for some more garden bed soil. Then we'd order out for lunch and afterward, go and watch the new Spider-man movie, in 3D even. Since Tom's making all this extra money, why not pay a little extra for 3D, I reasoned. Then we'd come home and relax.


We did none of that. Gah.


Due to all the fireworks over the river and in various backyards on the 4th (popping on and on till midnight!) and the extreme heat of my room upstairs, I barely got any sleep, so when I awoke at 5:45 yesterday morning I thought, "Oh no! I forgot to set the alarm. It's time to get Tom up for work." I told myself not to panic, I could do this.


Heh. I actually got down the stairs and made Tom's morning snack before I remembered hey! Tom has the day off. Whew. Glad I hadn't rushed in there and awakened him on his one day to sleep in.


With Tom's wild, eternal work hours, neither of us lately knows whether we're coming or going.


Well, then I relaxed, made my hot chocolate, sat around upstairs and watched the news and then just as I started watching Joyce Meyer online at 7:15, I heard these huge, "Bang! Bang! Bangs!" in the backyard. So I rushed to my little library window and good grief. Tree Guy was out there with his crew.


Gah again! He was supposed to call us a few days in advance of his coming, but nooooo. There they were and there I was in my robe, with no make-up and Tom was still in bed. So I ran downstairs, woke Tom up and asked if Tree Guy had called him about coming today, but he sleepily murmured, no. So I told him, "Well, they're out there right now." So he got up (so much for sleeping-in) and I got dressed and put on make-up.


Our car was still in the garage, blocked by machinery now so oh well! So much for getting a few groceries and the garden soil. But ok... Lucky for Tree Guy I'd already considered putting off that trip till later, around 11.


Well anyway, Tom thought this would be a good day to clear our bathroom sink drain which has been mostly-clogged for weeks now. I'd tried twice to clear it (took the pipe beneath the sink apart, even), but couldn't do it. 


By this time I was dragging from lack of sleep and the heat and humidity and all else, so I thought I'd try taking a nap, which proved futile, what with all the tree-cutting equipment banging outside and Tom's knocking on the bathroom pipes, below.


So I got up and found Tom in a cranky mood because he didn't have just the right tool to clear the clog behind the wall (the sharp angle of the drain made our 'snake' useless). So he called the plumber who said he'd be there in the afternoon, but couldn't say when (of course). So there went the Spider-man movie. Tom said he was upset because it's hard to admit defeat with that drain but I told him, "Wasn't hard for me. I gave-up twice. It was easy." heh.


Well, Tree Guy took 5 hours, but I'm not complaining because he's such a man of excellence and that's a blessing. I watched him the first time he rose high in the basket, holding a chain saw, and he looked like a brave captain of a ship about to set sail on another adventure. Always, I love watching people who are doing what they're called to do rather than settling for something else. 


And I really love the extra daytime light in my kitchen and my library upstairs, too. 


Anyway, by now I was too tired for any trip to any store and then around 4 o'clock the plumber's secretary called and said he'd be tied-up for hours and could he come tomorrow morning at 9? I told her sure, but thought, "$&#%$&$). Then Tom and I toyed with the idea of rushing out to see Spider-man, but by then, I couldn't have rushed out anywhere for anything. Way, way too tired from all that lack of sleep, I got ready for bed and settled down on the couch where we watched our Netflixed movie, Hugo. Well, I watched until I couldn't keep my eyes opened and then walked upstairs to the oven  my room, faced the fan toward my face as I always do, and promptly fell asleep. At 6:30.


Oh well. It all could have been much worse, of course. In fact, when the plumber arrived this morning (at 8, not 9...sigh...) he said the reason he couldn't come yesterday was that a lady's sewer had backed-up and her basement was flooded and ---. Yick. And his story and the 15-minute fix of our drain made me remember again--most every inconvenience in Life has the potential to be something much, much worse. At least we still have our house, unlike some people in Colorado and who knows where else. And at least we have electricity to run our small window a/c and all else, unlike some others on the East Coast (and who knows where else).


"So stop complaining, Debra. Please do stop complaining!"  :)




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A very special thanks to Mary for recommending Cozy-Mystery.com. I love it! Through that site I discovered a book which sounds delightful:  Death of a Garage Sale Newbie. Can't wait till it arrives.  I also ordered The Cat, The Professor and The Poison, but I think I already told you that. I'm rereading the first in the series, The Cat, The Quilt and The Corpse and am enjoying it once more.


Thanks again, Mary, and to all of you who encourage me to keep writing here. Your kind words make a difference and really help on some hard days.


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This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. ... Psalm 118:24




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9 comments:

K.E. said...

My bathroom sink tends to clog up too, perhaps because I use natural soaps and toothpaste. Well, that's my theory. Heh.
I tried all kinds of things to clear it, baking soda and vinegar, natural enzyme "Drano" type stuff. Nothing.
I finally found - at the grocery store of all places - a very inexpensive gadget called a Zip-It (by Helping Hand). It's long and flexible with barbs on either side. You insert down the drain and as you pull it out, the barbs grab all kinds of [gross] stuff. It's especially good on hair (gak!).

I caught myself complaining about the power blipping out here yesterday - just long enough to have to reset all the clocks.
And promptly told myself to shut it.
Be grateful for ceiling fans and central A/C and a freezer full of still frozen food. :)

Debra said...

Kim--yeah, we had one of those zip-it things and Tom broke it using it yesterday. We also have a heavy-duty 'snake' for those kinds of problems, but the angle of the pipe behind the wall is too sharp for it to work.

I need to be more faithful about using boiling water and baking soda and vinegar at least occasionally in that drain. They do work well and I'm glad you prefer the natural ways, too! And it sounds like you're on the same page as I am about the complaining thing.... nice to have company here, too. :) Thanks for commenting and do stay cool! Blessings, Debra

Anonymous said...

Heh,good to be thankful, in spite of changes of plans! Now that my hubby retired, seems each day is different than what it might have appeared to be in the AM anyway. We are super busy downsizing now however. Will be glad when that is done!

Judy said...

I spent several hours on my bathroom sink drain this week. Tried the baking soda and vinegar and a long pokey skewer.
My husband unclogged it minutes after he walk in the door from work.
I'm sure all my hard work LOOSENED the clog, but it took his muscles on a plunger to send it on down.
One certainly doesn't have to look far to see those who have it worse.
And I even hear those people (the ones in deep pain over burned houses and other disasters) finding much to be thankful for.
Even when things look bleak, this is still a great country to live in, and I am thankful.
Truly.

Rosemary said...

I chuckled when reading about your day -- sounds so much like the way most of mine go. I have almost given up on "planning" anything any more. Hope you do get to see your movie -- you deserve it!

Robin in New Jersey said...

No pictures of the guys cutting down the trees?

Sorry about the sleepless night. You don't have A/C in your upstairs? I can't imagine trying to sleep without it. If I don't get enough sleep, I drag the next day and I am cranky!

We are expecting 100 degrees here today!

Debra said...

Thanks, Everyone! I love hearing about your own adventures. :)

Rosemary--yeah, we're planning to see Spider-man on Tom's next day off. :) I do keep planning things, kinda like fulfilling daily goals which I feel is important in order to get anywhere in Life. But! I do try to also leave things open enough in case somebody comes along and throws a monkey wrench into all my great plans. :) I think they call it thinking ahead, which, truth be told, is not my favorite thing to do. :)

Robin--in the first photo, Tree Guy is cutting off a branch, or about to. And nope, no a/c upstairs. My fan sits in front of my open window and blows the night air on my face so that keeps me cool. Thank-goodness, huh? :) And fortunately, most of our nights cool down to at least the 60's.

Thanks, again, All! Blessings, Debra

Anonymous said...

We have one of those zip things too! Funny three of us do! I am always afraid I will let it slip and fall into the shower drain and IT will cause a big clog!! ;-) Well at least the big tree job is done and on with the rest of the projects you have going. :) What is that saying...the only thing we can be sure of in life is change? Or is that how it goes?? ...anyway that is how your day definitely went!!! Never a dull moment at Hobbit Cottage!!!
I have a new but older tv program you will love that is now out on dvds. Going My Way. The tv version that was on tv starting in 1962. With Gene Kelly as the junior priest. So very good. The whole series was for sale at Sam's Club recently. A total winner. Total. Sarah

Sara said...

Ahhh, the best laid plans of mice and men...Of course, for you and I there are far worse things than being trapped at home! Like you, we've been thanking the Lord that our power wasn't interrupted and our A/C keeps pumping that cool air. Praise the Lord for the sweetness of his spirit that settles our frazzled rough edges :)