TheCapeBlog

GEM kicked off the project today. They found to their horror that the negative pressure machine they use pulled sewer gasses through the house.

The head of GEM’s plumping affiliate, who happens to be the Plumbing Inspector for Adams and Clarksburg, will return tomorrow to vent or otherwise make legal the not one, not two but three sewerage pipes in the attic. And by the way, he found that the roof rafters in the front of the house should be replaced. He will take a closer look tomorrow.

We got our Moderna Bivalent COVID shots today at Walgreens. We picked up lunches at the Senior Center: good today, baked meat substitute, corn and roasted potatoes.

Ron picked up his raincoat at the tailor shop and was well pleased and dropped off a couple of my articles of clothing for zipper repairs.

We think we straightened out a fitness membership he doesn’t remember taking out and hope to get at least a partial refund of two months’ charges.

We are also hopeful that his Tramadol prescription has been corrected. He stopped by his primary’s office to do that, and we confirmed with Walmart that they have the correct dosage and time period.

I got an increase in my credit limit.

We had a couple of conversations yesterday about how to knock down Ron’s balance at USE.

Ron was hurting last night. Much to his credit and my admiration, he still made coffee.

He’d loaded the truck with heavy bags of leaves and did another transfer station run.

Then we pruned the big rhodie next to the driveway. He cut up the branches; figured it was about seven pounds worth.

Ron picked up his meds at Walmart. I brought compost-ables to Wild Soul River. We split a Subway sandwich for lunch.

Quiet one ahead: looks like rain all day.

We drove to Bennington for donuts.

Ron had a fine lunch with the Williams Theater Department, got to talk with a retired professor.

He also did a transfer station run.

I finished mulching the area next to the driveway.

We attended the Berkshire Symphony’s last program of the season and were blown away by the orchestra, the solos and the music selection.

Spent a little time removing years of gooey cobwebs from the cellar.

Ron and I tore up as much landscape cloth as we could. Piles of weeds came with it which says something about how well it worked.

I attended a support group at the senior center and enjoyed meeting the other women.

Dropped off a check for our taxes to town hall. Had a good conversation with the Assessor about affordable housing and our progress on home improvements.

I’ve been taken in by two fakers this year, the second of whom I asked to stop work, pack up his stuff and leave.

Before he could load up on supplies at rkMILES for another disaster, I stopped him by sheer dumb luck.

The bulkhead door is secure but it’s unworkable. The bottom hinge is distorted and attached in a weird, incorrect way.

Ron and I were able to fold up the big tarp that had been hanging in the bulkhead doorway. Later we swept and shoveled piles of insulation, dirt, cement, mousetraps and other detritus from the basement floor. Who knows, maybe we can make it into a rec room after all, ha ha.

We also temporarily repositioned the heat ducts next to the door that had been knocked askew.

Meanwhile, last night, attended a fine meeting at Wild Soul River and got to ask a lot of questions of the Select Board, School District Board, Planning Board and FinCom representatives. Learned a lot about the budget process in particular, and not just about Williamstown.

Our new town has quirks because of the Fire District and Regional Schools. Also has only one Town Meeting a year. Budgets are voted on by department and line item holds are not allowed.

Potted the last flat and cut some forsythia to accompany the pussy willows from Wild Soul River.

My young son asks me… by Bertolt Brecht

My young son asks me: Must I learn mathematics?
What is the use, I feel like saying. That two pieces
Of bread are more than one’s about all you’ll end up with.
My young son asks me: Must I learn French?
What is the use, I feel like saying. This State’s collapsing.
And if you just rub your belly with your hand and
Groan, you’ll be understood with little trouble.
My young son asks me: Must I learn history?
What is the use, I feel like saying. Learn to stick
Your head in the earth, and maybe you’ll still survive.

Yes, learn mathematics, I tell him.
Learn your French, learn your history!

We both fell asleep early last night, around quarter of nine.

Could have been because we didn’t get outside at all, it was raining all day.

I potted all but one flat today.

Took pictures of the attic. Gathered up the required documents and photos and sent them off to the ZAI Trust.

Ron is back from dropping off clothing at the tailor shop in North Adams.

Joe brought his son with him today and they were able to finish the cement work, install a new jamb and reattach the cellar door to its old hinges. It is very secure.

Looks like Dominion caved. Too bad.

Mulched the area between the house and the driveway yesterday. We did more raking in the front.

Ron moved all the concrete blocks to the pile behind the left side fence.

I picked up two more pansy flats and got us a membership at Wild Oats.

Ron and I stuffed steel wool into the bulkhead chinks.

I’d spent an hour or more picking up blow-down branches from two sections of the yard and put them in one of the wheel barrows so we could offload them onto the truck.

Ron decided he didn’t want the wheel barrow to get wet so he dumped everything out. I exploded at this disregard for my work and my time. Emptied and grabbed a big cardboard box and stuffed it with about half of the load and put the rest in the wheel barrow. Found room in one of the sheds for both.

Joe was here briefly this morning to work on the foundation wall.

Some red something or other had spilled in the frig. I ended up taking it apart to clean and found a pile of “stuff” on the bottom. Ron helped with the big glass cover over the produce bins.

Admiration for our next door neighbors who have filled their back yard with active play equipment for their boys, including a full-sized basketball net and a trampoline.

Only a day after traveling to Pownal, we were astounded at the new growth on trees. It was like the mountains had exploded in new green.

We picked up mulch and pansies at Home Depot. Stuffed it all in the Corolla! A kind salesman at Coggins showed me how to use the “Accessory” setting. This was after I mistakenly walked into the nearby Subaru dealership, announcing how much I love my Toyota…

We stopped at Walmart for vitamins and groceries, then to Dwyer’s in Pownal.

I did more raking.

Fight with Ron about the bulkhead. Somebody shoot me and call it a mercy killing.

Joe’s been working on the bulkhead (hatch) door. I asked him to please replace the left jamb, only to find that the cement blocks attached to it were not mortared and there was a huge hole at the bottom.

Had visits from Joe’s mentor and then his boss. His mentor is great, I suggested he contact Bruce about our two projects. He thinks I should have architectural drawings for the ceiling. I’m inclined to agree with Joe that a vaulted ceiling in the “office” would be a good move. Maybe the other bedroom as well. Made an appointment with Bruce to check it out.

Joe and I stopped at rkMiles for supplies for the hatch door and were on our way to the bank when Ron called, shouting and screaming for directions to the pizza lunch. Ron acted like a spoiled toddler for the rest of the day, making life miserable for everyone.

Asked Joe’s boss for an estimate on replacing the concrete blocks to the cellar. He recommended a wooden stairway, about half the cost.

I bagged the last pile of downed branches while Ron worked on the side of the yard. More ordering around and complaining. I am beyond my last nerve.

We went to Stewart’s for ice cream.