Truck

$2000 to fix the truck.

Met with the cardiology doc and doing without the anti-cholesterol med this week to see if that eliminates or at least attenuates muscle aches.

Late for the writing group yesterday.

Little boys out and about after dark wanting to fetch their toys from our back yard.

Coffee In Pownal

We returned to the Junction Cafe for cappucinos this morning.

Ron wanted wine at West’s and I found (finally) Metaxa7.

Brought home bakery from the AFrame, finished up just as three other cars pulled in.

Received an email that the cheapskates at Insight will not be sending our $300 until the end of the month. It was supposedly mailed last Friday: liars.

I spent part of the afternoon doing more cleaning and rearranging in the sunroom. Got the bar area cleaned; we put the windows in the attic. Ron worked on the shop vac.

Ron got a nice cheese lasagna; heated half of it, made a salad to go along with for supper.

May have found a wardrobe for the third bedroom.

Shakespeare at Solomon Wright

We enjoyed the excerpt from Midsummer Night’s Dream presented by a troupe of Bennington players – an unexpected treat.

This followed a busy afternoon: pasta lunch at the Senior Center and an unplanned trip to Pittsfield to drop off new patient materials and a letter for Berkshire Housing.

We missed a visit from a roofer (caught up with him today to apologize).

Met with a banker to discuss debt consolidation. I’m holding off until rates come down.

We lost internet around noon. I stupidly confused the modem with the router and ended up calling Spectrum for help. Worked great after following the correct procedure to restart.

Full Day

The big news is that Dale from Insight thoroughly inspected the garage roof and found no leaks. I joined him in the “attic” which didn’t have a damp odor at all and no water stains.

So, we have a mystery. Might be that the drain in the garage backed up. Very happy it’s not the solar panels.

Dale discovered that the truck is leaking and took a photo. I booked an appointment for next Tuesday and emailed the photo to Norm.

I had some errands: deposit check, pick up Dr. Donahue’s paperwork for my HMLP application and a free Pendleton Black Watch plaid robe in North Adams for Ron that needs a stitch.

Vacuumed the “solarium”. Made supper: fresh corn, leftover green beans, “chicken” patties. Good!

Sound Familiar?

Constant criticism
Withholding affection as punishment
Blaming you for their problems
Ignoring your boundaries
Unpredictable emotional reactions
Gaslighting
Comparing you unfavorably to others
Excessive control
Lack of empathy for your feelings
Using guilt to control you
Making you the parent
Dismissing your achievements
Isolation from friends and family
Sarcasm and mockery
Threats and intimidation
Emotional blackmail
Neglecting your emotional needs
Projecting their issues onto you

Fixed the – Garage Door?

It was luck or maybe just trying enough different things to stumble on the right one, but I was able to get the garage door working. Phew.

Taking advantage of tax-free weekend, ordered a different version of the sound bar online and chemicals for the gardens from Aubuchon.

Ron fixed the hose so we can now attach a nozzle.

I made blueberry pancakes and a salad. Popcorn for a snack.

Enlarged the center garden and planted the new hibiscus.

Work

The thing about work is that I do it all the time even though I’m retired.

Today I finished scrubbing the pantry walls and shelves and started on the kitchen counters.

Changing venues to outside, I picked up branches blown down in last night’s rainstorm.

The hardest thing about work is getting started. The hardest thing about housework is that unlike a paid job, you don’t get rewarded, as with a paycheck.

On the other hand, you’re gratified that you haven’t had to spend your money to hire someone else to do it.

Waiting For The Storm

Ron did a great job mowing in the rain yesterday and this morning finished two “squares” that he’d missed in the downpour.

Today I raked up grass clumps in the back yard. Front didn’t need much care, was good.

We both worked on cleaning the lawn mower. It was so clogged on the bottom that it wouldn’t start, so Ron scraped it off and I emptied the grass catcher and cleaned the top, sort of.

It was good to be outside for a while.

Later on we lost power but only for about an hour and a half. Ron took the truck to Walmart; I showered with flashlights for illumination, which was rather nice.

Unfortunately, I did something wrong opening the garage door and now it doesn’t work electronically.