TheCapeBlog

We are doing okay without the furnace. Have three space heaters set up, using them as needed, and along with the mini split they are keeping us pretty comfortable.

I’ve been lazy but did bring in a half-full can of white semi-gloss that is still good and touched up some trim.

We watched the last quarter of the Patriots win over the Jets.

I postponed the oil delivery to Friday.

Did a partial cleanout of the frig.

Sat in on the meeting of the St. John’s discussion group. Good bunch and it sounds like a community that we might like. They announced an election day vigil and I plan to attend some of it.

Sum of the laws of the natural universe, spare us, please.

That makes me a pantheist, evidently.

We ran out of oil yesterday (Friday) and ordered 100 gallons for Monday.

Ron knocked his Greylock mug, full of coffee, off his desk. We tried cleaning the carpet, but it’s still stained.

Attended the Friday Log Lunch and stopped by the Wigwam Summit for maple sugar candy, a replacement for the Greylock mug and a cat towel gift for P&B. Good thing we took the time, they are closing this weekend. Drove one of the back roads to Savoy State Forest, looks like a nice spot to revisit.

Grocery shop on the way back.

Boys came over to practice their biking and scootering.

I spent some time getting paperwork organized for the release of the last two checks for the driveway.

https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/local/home-modification-loan-program-accessibility-berkshires/article_92371ff4-8fe2-11ef-8d54-8b5f8321198d.html

Ron drove us to Pittsfield. We stopped at A-Frame for breakfast cakes.

There wasn’t a parking space near the BRPC office so Ron dropped me off and proceeded to get lost.

Rather than find a place to pull over he kept driving around. He said he was on “Main Street in front of the Y” but he wasn’t.

Luckily I flagged down a cab to get to the Y but no Ron. I told him multiple times where I was – 292 North Street. I was pacing back and forth in front of the Y, screaming into the phone; it was remarkable that no one reported me to the cops for being a public nuisance.

I finally gave up and settled in at Liberty Pizza on North Street. Ron pulled into the street next to the restaurant. We enjoyed a very nice late lunch – veg pita and French fries.

On the way home, we stopped in Lanesborough to hand off the second, overdue check to Matt along with a breakfast cake for his family: his father was recovering from a fall.

At home, Ron gave half of the other breakfast cake to our neighbors. The boys enjoyed biking and scootering on the driveway.

Yesterday we changed the sheets and Ron did a laundry.

Had to skip writers group today, our leader was ill.

Ron is mowing, front and back.

Went to Stop & Shop for coffee and blueberry muffins, got stuck at the intersection of Cole and North Hoosac on the way home.

Got to see the boys, though. They were in costume to represent their books: cool! Ben was a skeleton to suggest an anatomy book; Bell was wearing a big tie. I think his inspiration was a book about a tie-toting mouse or maybe a cat.

Made soup and salad for lunch: chickpea pumpkin soup with sage and elbow noodles and salad with greens, celery, radish and feta. Ron made scrambled eggs for supper.

Neighbor across the street is allowing us to park in the driveway of his rental house. He came over to introduce himself. We continue to be blown away by the kindness of our neighbors.

I think Geico is going to insure us for homeowners. Filled out an application today, waiting to see if they want to do an inspection. Roofer will be here earlier than expected, November 5, which is good.

More demands from Pittsfield about paying Matt. I am beside myself and hoping it all goes away on Monday.

We drove up to Wigwam Summit but it looks like foliage is past peak.

Stopped for our produce on the way home. Skipped a jazz concert at Williams College. Dislike the venue although I suspect I’d have liked the music.

It took a year and half to get financed, but it’s done now. A kind neighbor is letting us park the Corolla in his driveway until everything sets. The crew even filled in a pothole at the end of the driveway.

Yesterday Ron and I raked the back yard. He also cleaned the deck and moved most of the leaves to the woods. I did some minor cleanup along the driveway this morning.

Two people and two machines from Matt’s crew were here. Seeing the machines is very exciting: a bobcat and a compactor. Later on they dropped off a paver.

The photographer and reporter from the Eagle dropped by as planned. Totally lovely people but I was so stressed that I babbled, semi-conscious, through the interview.

Matt wanted to pave today but the asphalt plant in Lee wasn’t making base material. He hopes to get it tomorrow.

Meanwhile, more grief from Berkshire Planning. Now they need a letter and an invoice.

Ron was keen on early voting so we went to Town Hall to vote and get transfer station stickers. Stopped for coffee afterwards and chatted with a very pleasant retired attorney who we’d seen at the Town Hall polls.

I put a list of home improvements together for the Eagle reporter. It came to over $127,000. Have we overimproved?

Chunks of Impossible Burger, fries and broccoli for supper tonight. Good.

On on our way back from Hairpin Turn and the WigWam summit on Friday, we visited the latest exhibit, a delightful multimedia collaboration, at the Eclipse Mill.

On Thursday evening, I drove East to Florida Mountain to see the Harvest Moon rise.

Today I roasted vegetables, potatoes and beets. Ate a divine radish pre-lunch. Had to toss the radicchio, it was too bitter to eat.

Ron did a transfer station run and brought home vegetarian burritos from the Farmers Market.

I tried washing one of the living room windows but did a horrible job.

Paid bills.

Attended the writers workshop.

Did a little garden pruning.

Argument with Ron about priorities.

Rearranged downstairs closet so vacuum would fit.

Feel like a lazy slob.

We pasted address labels on 750 postcards for Josh Riley, the Democratic candidate for NY 19th congressional district (Catskills, Hudson Valley, Southern Tier, and Finger Lakes regions).

I picked up meds and did a small shop at Walmart.

Vacuumed living room, set up my meds, changed sheets.

It’s a hotdish when it’s an entree and a casserole if it’s a side.

I made the Tim Walz Tater Tot version yesterday, and it turned out pretty well.

We placed the living room air conditioner on the furniture mover and stored it in the living room closet.

Binged on “The Good Fight”.

This morning I removed and cleaned the second and third bedroom a/c’s and stored them in the second bedroom closet.

Nice to have our windows back! Also nice to have convenient places to store the air conditioners.

We’re really enjoying the mini split.

Received the third electric bill of $0 after installing the solar panels.

Went through piles of paperwork. Pulled out anything to do with home improvements, the truck, taxes, solar, LIHEAP and HMLP.

Baited and set the mouse traps in the kitchen.