TheCapeBlog

Lizzie barked, sometimes insistently, sometimes plaintively, and both of us got up to see what was wrong, first Ron, then me around 3 am.

She wasn’t hungry or thirsty and didn’t need to go out. Turning on the nightlight in the kitchen seemed to calm her. She finally settled down on the kitchen rug, her head butted up against the frig.

Fearsome thunderstorm last night, but brief and almost no rain, disappointingly.

Ron and I hung out sheets and other laundry.

I made basmati rice, corn on the cob and stir fry with tofu. All turned out well.

Humid and very warm, not a great day for outdoor work. I did prune some gone-by blooms and finally staked the peony in the back. Disposed of the garlic in the shed. Cooked four sweet potatoes, threw three in the compost.

Saw some of the January 6 hearing this morning on Fox.

Went to the transfer station late in the day. Put the garlic in the food recycling, recycled paper, cardboard and metal and got rid of the yard waste. Barely made it; by the time we left, Ryan had blocked the road to brush recycling and Rich had closed the front gate.

Ron was up 3 or 4 times, I was up once, at 3 am. Lizzie trumped in the house once but otherwise just seemed to want company.

I did some weeding today in the middle of the yard. Grilled burgers.

Dropped in to the Amity Race Day event. Saw several people I know, which was nice. Shared a bluefish/potato dish from the Tribe vendor with Ron, who stayed home with Lizzie.

Rained a little. We are supposed to get more.

I weeded the corner garden and transplanted several white Penstemon from the front where weeds used to be. Watered and mulched. Pruned the purple hydrangea by the driveway. Planted the little Sandwich Slicer tomato.

Went to the LCP meeting but couldn’t hear so left about half way through.

Figured out a way to tie up a plant with yellow foxglove-type flowers that flops over every year. Sawed off a dowel to hold it and hope it works.

Kitchen rugs are back in place.

Ron is doing laundry. It’s getting uncomfortably warm outside in the sun, so I’m taking a break.

Wendy texted early about yesterday’s Sewer Commission meeting, which I’d forgotten to watch. Caught it on video. We had a long conversation. Mary called later to ask if I was going to either Town event this weekend.

Watched an hour or so of the hearing last night. Liz Cheney was great.

Picked up my repaired glasses at Bayview. They squared away my reading/computer glasses which had been fitted incorrectly. Much better.

Aside from cleaning up after Lizzie who escaped to the street this morning and taking her for a very brief walk in the field, which was mowed this week, didn’t do much else besides finish off the box of saltine crackers and sleep.

We got an inch or more of rain yesterday, and another deluge this morning. Good start to the day.

Lizzie woke me up, I think around 4. She was fine, just wanted company, I guess.

Puddle of water in my “office” this morning. Can’t find a leakage anywhere so think it might have been spillage from moving the dehumidifier, which Ron kindly did for me yesterday.

Yesterday, Ron did more laundry. I did a brief clean of the carpet in the second bedroom; it’s much improved.

There was still a strong odor of urine in the area where I sit when I “visit”. I started hanging up clothing and clearing shoes from the bottom of his closet to find the source; figured it was from one of the dogs that used to live here. Then I found almost a full can of human urine sitting in a boot; the can was marked “American Standard”. It’s a miracle that I hadn’t knocked it over.

Also did a transfer station run and picked up grapefruit juice for Ron.

Had a dream about an animal that scared me. Turned out to be a friendly scruffy dog.

January 6 committee public hearings start tonight at 8. My Select Board has squared me away on a couple of items over the last couple of days, and I appreciate that and them.

Finished up with the manual labor part of cleaning the rugs from Lizzie’s disaster. She dumped on the deck today but it was easy to hose off. The green Caspian and the Water Hog came out quite well. Will vacuum them when they are completely dry.

Think it might be time to clean windows.

Rain: drizzle and gloomy this morning, just the way I like it from time to time.

Lizzie was ravenous. Had a good night.

Peonies have started blooming.

I got a text the other day about work at the new Wendy’s. Waiting to hear more.

HSC came through with an appointment for the 16th to check out the water faucet in the basement.

I’m back in my “office”. Perfectly happy to be without the rug for now.

The washer was delivered but placed incorrectly so the installers returned today to get it shipshape. One was a mischievous fellow, took my picture after snapshotting a few to show how he’d engineered the drain pipe hose.

Ron mowed the grass yesterday and the yard looks great.

Also yesterday, I did a shop at Shaws and dropped off the rug to the dry cleaner. Watched the Select Board meeting.

Filed a claim with HSC to fix the cold water faucet. Looks like we may not need to do anything about it, though, now that the washer is attached.

Had a long phone conversation while I finished off a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, followed by an equally long nap. Did get some mulch spread.

Washed the floor in the basement “office” with a baking soda solution, then did a light vinegar and water spray. Ron moved the dehumidifier back to the main room.

Seedlings are growing like weeds! Doing a little weeding, mostly grass, every day.

Lizzy had an attack of diarrhea in the kitchen late in the day. I did a superficial cleanup. We put three of the rugs outside to be dealt with tomorrow and in the meantime, hauled a piece of indoor/outdoor carpeting upstairs.

Ron did a small wash, we hung it out.

After much effort, he was able to attach the dryer vent hose; didn’t finish until quite late, and very happy to get it done!

Here’s a strange one: I got a call from HSC, supposedly returning mine. I stumbled my way through the conversation, not realizing until later that I’d left a message a week ago, and my turn in queue had just come up. A week to return a phone call.

I broke down and ordered food from Le Bon Jour for supper: tacos and falafel. Disappointing actually.

We brought a load of washing to a laundromat on Saturday, $10.

Ron wanted to order a new machine prior to getting the HSC gift card. Should be here tomorrow, Monday. I paid extra for the old one to be taken away.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that I paid for it by mistake from my personal checking account, which was low to start with. Transferred funds to it, and Ron threw in the rest.

The old machine leaked several gallons of water. Ron thinks the reservoir is cracked. He mopped up the laundry area and I worked on my “office” with the wet vac and set up the dehumidifier, which didn’t do much good.

The property adjuster came this morning and couldn’t find major damage, so we have no claim. I was able to move the furniture enough to roll up the rug, bungee it and get it on the hand truck. Ron set it up for drying outside; we may end up tossing it, depending on how much it’d cost to dry clean.

I was able to attend a lecture on growing tomatoes and squash at the Falmouth library yesterday morning. We set up the trellis but placed it for zukes not cukes.

We gave Lizzie a sort of sitz bath yesterday afternoon. Ron hooked up one of the hoses so we could wash her on the “lawn” in the back.

Bean, squash and sunflower seedlings popped up yesterday.

I canceled HULU today. WaPo autorenewed for $29 – a year. Cancelled AppleNews on the iPhone.

Enjoying the vid with The Queen and Paddington Bear.

Dug out about five square feet of goldenrod.

Although I failed to complete one step in the claims process, the Case Manager approved the maximum payout she was allowed as a consolation. It could have been worse, and Ron was fine with it.

HSC also approved our claim for a new washing machine. We’ll get a Lowe’s gift certificate in lieu of a check. It’ll cover more than half the cost.

I offered to serve on the Finance Committee. Haha.

Had several nice text messages with Wendy.

Ron bought and is attaching new hoses for the washer so we can use it until we get the funds for a new one.

Lizzie trumped a couple of times on her blanket.

I went to Falmouth to rescue Ron after he locked himself out of his van. Gave me a chance to pick up a movie on reserve at the Library and stop in to Coonamessett Farm for some gorgeous partial-to-full sun annuals that I’ll make into a hanger for the front.

I watched the Queen’s 70th Jubilee celebration including some of Trooping the Colour and the RAF aerial displays. Great grandkids were very cute, especially Louis.

Many tiny ones and two big ones.

Lizzie has been trumping in the house.

Meanwhile, the washing machine is toast, thanks in part to Ron’s fooling around with it and the unavailability of a part (timer). I’m hoping we get approved for a new one.

Tired of the public bashing of Wendy Williams. Tired generally of the shrinking circle of integrity and proliferation of new in-crowds. Tired of not getting a response to my offer to volunteer to the Town. Tired of Ron’s fiddling with my house and shed. All well and good for him to experiment but he’s lousy at correcting his failures.

I am not looking forward to the phone conversation with the warranty company this afternoon.