October Chit/Chat

[agate]

Sounds like a new nightmare for you, Sunshine, and you definitely don't need it. Could be this:

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[Virginia]

Sunshine, this is another rough road for you to try and get through. I read the article Agate posted and it does sound like it could be something like that going on. I just hope it doesn't continue to happen.

[Virginia]

Well, what a week....I am exhausted and it is only Thursday. I can't remember what happened exactly when, but I just don't do well with too much going on around me and it seems like quite a bit has been going on. I feel a little like Selma Blair - my mind got overloaded the first couple of days this week with activity around me.

Our plants were to arrive on Tuesday. They came early Monday morning instead and the men were outside putting them in the ground. A young guy in charge of this project was here early, but I was not up and dressed. He had talked to me back in September and I told him I wanted him to place my plants so he did. Then the men came and planted them. Problem was my middle brother who had bought my two soaker hoses had not come with them. I called him and got him and wife to bring them that afternoon. They laid them out on the ground around my plants. One worked fine and then the other faucet would not come on. My brother and his wife just could not get that one on. I got in the car and went over the neighborhood trying to find the men who planted them because one was a big man who looked strong.

While looking for the planters I ran into the President of the HOA and he asked what I wanted. I told him and he came to my house and tried to get it on. He used 3 screwdrivers I had and kind of taped on the faucet, then he tried taking something off and lightly doing it. He couldn't get it on either. He told me he was afraid to do anymore because he might make matters worse. During the time I was waiting for my brother and his wife to come with the hose I had got in my car and drove about a block to my neighbors to see her plants. I got out with my cane and walked down her walk, which is like mine, so more activity.

Also, during everything that was going on the painter came back and painted my door. I love it. As one neighbor told me it has a classy look now. I asked him about the drain hose that comes off the downspout and we walked out to it. He showed me how it was not going in the wrong direction and would not drain water back under my house. Rose, they actually are very good painters and not cheap. However, they have tons of work, but they did a good job on the units they painted out here.

Back to the outside faucet that no one could get on....I called my neighbor and she called a plumber she knows and he said he would try to come that night which was Monday night. He was so busy he couldn't make it and couldn't make it Tuesday. She came up to my house to see how my timers worked Tuesday morning. By the way, I love them. We had gone outside and she was resetting the one where the faucet worked. My phone rang and she was standing close to it and just grabbed it up. It was my younger brother and they talked for just a minute and he told her he would call me back later.

After she left. telling me that she was going to try to call someone else to help me I came in the house and was sitting at my computer. I started looking at plumbers on the internet. I called, of all people, Roto Rooter. I figured it was going to cost an arm and a leg. A young man came and in a few minutes he came back to the door and said he had it working. He told me he put some WD40 on it. He said that a service call was $105.00, but he told me he did not want to charge me for coming out and just putting WD40 on the faucet. I didn't feel right not paying him something so he said if I wanted to give him a tip I could. I gave him $50.00 in cash and got his card.

Then Laura came. She and I went out to that faucet and put the timer on that one. I can't walk over to the faucets on that uneven ground so someone has to do all these things for me. I had to call my neighbor and tell her it was working. Then I had to call my middle brother who could not get it working. So anyway, I kept thinking who am I forgetting and I remembered that my youngest brother had called when my neighbor answered so I called him. I felt like I was going in circles for a full two days. I called another neighbor and asked her if she could get me some milk, which she did. First time I have done that, but she has offered several times and I was too much in overload to think of trying to go to the store.

Wednesday morning early, my younger brother rode over here before I got up. He didn't wake me. He was very pleased with the way the plants were laid out. He told me these young guys from State College usually do a real good job. However, what he now says is that the one drain hose that comes off the gutter downspout is too close to my walkway. It goes right up to it. He says it could come a hard rain and the drain run over onto my walkway and then it might freeze during the night and if I went out I could slip down or if someone else was coming to my house they could fall. So, one more thing to take care of.

Yesterday I did my part of the house cleaning which was cleaning the two vanities in my bathroom and the toilet, changing my bedlinens and vacuuming the floor downstairs. I washed 3 loads.

I am now going to wash my hair - after I eat some yogurt for lunch which I am running late with.

[agate]

Virginia, I was exhausted just thinking about all of the running around you've been doing all week in connection with the faucet and the planting, and then I could hardly believe I was reading this part at the end:

Yesterday I did my part of the house cleaning which was cleaning the two vanities in my bathroom and the toilet, changing my bedlinens and vacuuming the floor downstairs. I washed 3 loads.

I am now going to wash my hair -

You must be a powerhouse. I would have put all of that on hold. Every one of those tasks would have just had to wait until after the dust settled as far as the plantings and the faucet were concerned--plus the possible runoff and freezing problem your brother mentioned.

It's great that people have been pitching in to help as needed but just coping with so many details can be really tiring.

When it's all over, I hope you can sit back and just enjoy looking at the beautiful shrubs. It's amazing but having shrubs around your property helps to cushion any street noise or other noise problems.

Bravo to you for getting through this latest "challenge."

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

Virginia ~

I am exhausted just reading about all that you've gone through these past few days! I hope that you spend the weekend resting.

That's great that you have your plants now, and you're happy with your door. Good thing your brother caught the downspout issue. Was it your HOA President, who said the downspouts were fine? How kind of the plumber not to charge you for fixing the faucet problem.

One thing about having a lot of commotion over home improvements, when it is done, we're happy we did it. The reconstruction of our home, after Jim passed, was a nightmare for 6 weeks. But, every time I walk into the bathroom, or Jon's closet, I am so grateful that it is all perfect now.

Take it easy for a few days, Virginia. You have earned a rest!

My News ~

John visited today to check on my backyard hose, which was leaking at the join with the hose caddy. Easy fix. He just tightened the clamp. A dear friend recommended a hose, which she is using, which is light weight and doesn't kink. John Googled the hose on his phone, and then he told me to order it. That will be his task next week ~ removing the old hose and putting the new hose on the caddy.

John also gave the van a battery boost. It took a few tries, but she started up and ran for 30 minutes. He said he will rev up the van every week from now on, and I said, "One of these times, I want to drive the van around the neighborhood with you, so I can show you the homes in our neighborhood, who have remodeled our model. I want to drive to make sure that I still can and remember how to do it!"

The model of our home is the most conducive to additions in the back and over the garage. The transformation is amazing on many of these homes. This is a selling point for my house, when the day arrives for it to be sold. John is all for that little neighborhood tour, so we'll see when he has time for it.

Sunshine ~

When Jim had shingles, he described a similar feeling to the one you've been having. Agate's link is quite informative. Sending prayers that it subsides soon. If it doesn't, please don't hesitate to call your physician.

Thinking of and praying for everyone and your loved ones. May positive, healing energy surround you. May Sunrise bring you Joy, and may Sunset bring you Peace.

Love & Light,

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!


THANKS!

[Virginia]

Agate, if I had put off my housework then it would have been staring me in the face and I would not have been able to rest well. Sometime I do put off some of it, but this week I just wanted as much done as possible. I am anything but a powerhouse. I guess I just want things done.

Rose, you are right when things get done to our homes that make us feel good about our living area we feel better. It was the painter who said the downspouts were fine. I might have to go to the HOA and see if something can be done about it. I have looked at it and can see what my brother is talking about.

You've heard that saying about bringing up children "it takes a village". Well, maybe it takes a village for me now.

Everyone sleep well.

[agate]

The "village" might start telling you it would be good to rethink the idea that housework is staring you in the face to the point where you don't sleep well.

That is the very attitude I've always had to struggle to overcome. It's still a battle but I'm gradually getting there.

For many years I was determined that I'd do certain jobs once a week, some once a month, etc. But it's gradually dawned on me that that sounds organized and tidy but why be THAT organized and tidy?

I'm just one person in this space most of the time, and I try to clean up as I go along. Nowadays, unless the dirt is actually bothering me--a layer of dust on a surface would bother me, spots on the floor or the carpet would bother me--I clean things when the mood strikes me. I do try to make sure that the mood strikes me often enough so that I'm not waiting so long on tasks that it's been more than 2 weeks.

Laundry has to be done on a regular basis but ironing can often wait, or just part of it can be done and the rest done some other time. Dishes have to be washed. I won't ever leave them around until the next day or even usually till the next meal.

Gnats or ants have to be dealt with.

Bed linens have to be changed.

But otherwise, the rest of it--"mañana" is my favorite word. Vacuuming, bathroom cleaning, dusting, floor mopping? It can all wait. The carpet sweeper I got recently is a great way to get out of vacuuming for a while. Sometimes just wiping things in the bathroom with a paper towel and a lot of Windex will brighten everything up for a little longer.

Do you remember Flylady and a discussion of it here long ago? I've never signed up with Flylady because I have the impression that using it would only encourage me to do more housework instead of less. So maybe there needs to be an Anti-Flylady Website, for people who are trying to get over a tendency to overdo the tidying impulse.

[Virginia]

Agate, as always you make a lot of sense. Also, you could easily become the Anti-Flylady and give tips about what to put off and what not to.

The painter came early this morning before I got up and fixed a place on my deck that needed fixing. He also put screws in the bottom step. He said it was not rotten, that it had just got wobbly. The materials were on $13.26. I will pay him obviously for coming by and fixing it. He left the receipt for the one board he bought with a note on it to call him. I did and asked him to come back over and power wash my deck. He is supposed to do that mid to late afternoon. It is suppose to rain tomorrow, but if it dries he will come back Sunday and stain it. Hope all this comes about.

[agate]

Fixing a wobbly step is one of the things I wouldn't put off. I'm glad that the painter fixed your wobbly step, Virginia.

[Virginia]

Actually, it didn't really feel wobbly unless you knew where to step, but I didn't want to take a chance on it getting worse. Wobbly steps are not something we need to mess around with. He came back and I paid him $35.00 for the board that he replaced as well as the labor. He washed off the deck where it had been messed up from the sawing on that board. It was power washed about six weeks ago so he is to come back and stain it if the weather dries up Sunday. If not he will have to do it later. We are due to get rain tomorrow.

He showed me some cellphone pictures of the gazebo in a little walk through park across from my parking lot. He painted it a different color and it looked really good. The gazebo is still white, but the ceiling is a blue gray and the steps are a dark gray. Wish I could still walk over there. I will hear how the neighbors like it.

[Virginia]

It has turned so cool here that I had to turn my heat on. This is the first time I have had it on since the new heat pump was put in.

Neighbor brought me a piece of carrot cake that her daughter made her for her Birthday, so I am going to have a bowl of soup and a slice of cake for my dinner. She is going to the Fresh Market tomorrow and get some kind of dinner that they sell for $25.00 and she and I will split it because it is too much for one person. With tax it will be about $13.00 and my part will probably be enough for two days.

[agate]

Virginia, will this be your first experience with a heat pump? Do you like this type of heating?

I was flummoxed by the heat pump here when I first moved in. It took me a long time to figure out how to set it. Even now if I want to change any settings I have to consult the user manual, and I had to order that from the manufacturer. The management here didn't know much about it.

But now that I've lived with it a while, I really like it. I like having the heating and cooling all in one unit even though it does take up some wall space.

[Virginia]

Agate. I do like a heat pump. That was the kind of heating and cooling I had in my house, so this was nothing new to me. I immediately got used to how to set it when this one was put in a few weeks ago, but had not bothered to turn it to heat. It has been too hot and I knew I could get the man back who put this unit in quickly if I needed him.

My heat pump has half of it under the house and the other half outside in back. Not sure what you mean by yours takes up some wall space. None of any of my heat pumps have ever been on the inside.

When I first moved into my other house it was October 31st and quite cool. I turned the heat on and it felt like cool air was coming out. I called the builder and he started laughing and figured out immediately what was going on. He told me that was how heat pumps felt until you got use to them. He said the air would get warm coming out of the grate. I learned to like it.

[agate]

Portland living room with Phoebe May 2010.jpg Virginia, I don't know if you can tell from this photo but the "indoor" part of my heat pump is visible in this photo. It's what the cat is standing on. On the outside there is more of it, jutting out and looking like a big air conditioning unit, the type that is installed in the wall. I think yours must be very different. The thermostat is on the wall, and that is all there is to it.

[Howie]

The cat is doing what they call a "cat scan".

[agate]

Or reading her newspaper... That cat, Phoebe, was very fond of looking out the window. Squirrels and birds and such.