TheCapeBlog

Today was productive. I moved the neighbor’s intact trash to the curb; it was picked up later in the day.

Washed the dehumidifier filter.

I got the smaller raised garden bed put together and removed most of the mildew from the shaded side of the deck. Regrettably, I didn’t get all of the mildew, it might take a power wash to do that.

Ron helped tighten screws on the raised bed and criticized everything I’d done, of course. He is ungracious and a bully.

The application for HMLP is done. At least I hope it is. There was a last minute nitpick about the schedule which all four of us squared away. The contractor has had the patience of a saint. I hope the job will be worth it for him – and us.

Ron did errands and spent money at rkMiles when he didn’t have to.

I’ve been spreading mulch the past couple of days and got the front done yesterday. Filled two barrels as well.

It rained yesterday morning. The mulch pile was well protected by the hemlocks but I put a tarp over it anyway.

The other “project” was to reload and secure the neighbor’s trash container after it was spilled two days in a row. We secured it with bungees and Gorilla tape and that worked well. I put it out at 6:30 this morning.

I was on the verge of tears yesterday evening, mentally and physically spent.

Leftover egg and chickpea salad for lunch, frozen mushroom cauliflower pizza for supper.

We watched a disappointing film on Prime, “Minari”.

K=M got the truck’s safety inspection done yesterday. For some reason, I was obsessing about getting it done before end of July but it was due in June.

I’m losing it, yesterday I left the car in the garage. Running.

We went to Walmart for one of Ron’s prescriptions.

Ron mowed yesterday.

I got an echocardiogram and have the results, will discuss with the doc next month.

I did transfer station and redemption center runs.

Gave Ben his birthday gift certificate to the toy and candy store at Norad.

Neighbors left for the Cape today.

I started spreading mulch and continued weeding the patio.

Ron reconfigured the silverware drawer pull so that it clears the oven door. He also picked up a couple of trash can tops at rkMiles. Not a great fit but I think we can keep them on with bungees.

Burgers and fries from the grill for lunch. Ron dealt with the dishes.

Kamala Harris is in Pittsfield today for a fundraiser.

Figured to put together one of the planters but Ron insisted on taking over, then discovered that two of the four foot boards have flaws.

Gardeners sent us a box of parts but they are for a different model. I emailed them again and told them we appreciate the effort and could they please send the right size boards.

We tried to drop off the mulch gift certificate but no one was there. Meanwhile, they delivered the mulch early and were so quiet we didn’t realize they’d come and gone.

We went to Norad Mill so Ron could check out the toy store. He ended up adding to the gift certificate for Ben.

While we were there, I was able to pick up the restored photo of Nonna from Computer Bug, which made me happy if $129 poorer (ouch).

K-M’s machine for state inspection has been offline so they were too backed up today to inspect the truck. I will try tomorrow either before or after my appointment at the hospital.

Have noticed the Frigidaire air conditioner in the third bedroom doesn’t seem to be producing cold air very well. Looked for a user manual in my pile of filing but I have a feeling we didn’t receive one. It’s available online, which is actually better.

The filter was a mess, not a surprise given the amount of construction in this room. I cleaned it and am hoping for the best. The filters in the other a/c’s seem to be fine.

While I was looking for the Frigidaire manual, found a bunch of repair orders for the truck. No exhaust work has been done in the last year so the source of the flaws in the tailpipe remains a mystery. Maybe mice, haha.

Get out the hats and hooters, Candidate Harris will be in Pittsfield for a fund raiser this Saturday.

First meeting of the writers group at the Senior Center, and enjoyed it. Good group leader and very congenial women who are quite good writers at that.

Squared away our application for HMLP funds.

Ordered mulch with the Mountain Home Landscape gift certificate.

Picked up a gift certificate for Ben’s birthday.

Muggy today, G&T weather.

The boys “invaded” after Ding Dong Ditch.

We enjoyed veg burgers at the Senior Center – thoughtful bunch, it helps that the director is also veg – and a talk by the director of Remedy Hall.

Ron cut up the substantial felled tree branch with his electric saw, which amazed me. He’s good at figuring out how to do this without putting himself in harm’s way.

I finally got my new Rudbeckia in the ground, a three day process, but I’m happy with the placement. The poor thing was pretty badly rootbound. Sprinkled more deer repellent around the new transplants.

Long conversation with Ron tonight about why I didn’t resent him for leaving me and Peter when he was little but felt he shortchanged us by not wanting to know us when Peter was a teenager.

I figure even if we’d gotten together in our fifties we would have been better off financially and equally importantly, shared experiences that he squandered with other women.

Ultimately, he has no good explanation for why this didn’t happen; rather, the same old saw about alcoholism, guilt and the Catholic Church. As if the Catholic Church doesn’t offer redemption.

Got an annoying email from the people who administer the home improvement grant I applied for. Depending on their reply, I may forget about it.

There seems to be a run on calcium supplements. Yesterday we went to the Walmart in North Adams but they were out of the 220 tablet option so I ordered some along with socks, to be delivered tomorrow.

Yesterday was not good for me. The doc called to report that I have “severe” osteoporosis and am at risk for fractures; thus, the search for calcium. He’s scheduling me for an infusion. Sounds like not a lot of fun but if it helps prevent a broken hip, it’d be worth it.

We stopped at the Food Project for lunch, which was as always very good. Brought home bread and a zuke.

Although he’s promised not to when we’re together, Ron got involved in several long conversations at the Food Project and Walmart.

I went ballistic, partly from irritation with Ron, worry about my new diagnosis and tiredness from the activities the day before. Ron’s snotty insistence that I don’t understand his chattiness because he loves people and I don’t infuriated me even more. I think he likes to show off, be the center of attention and stage-manage interactions.

Turns out this is only partially true. Living a very small town, his parents were in the habit of chatting with friends when they were out doing errands. Since both parents had their own groups of friends, neither would feel left out or neglected if one of them started a conversation; there were always friends around for the other.

While we were watching the news, the little boys decided to play Ding Dong Ditch on us. Instead of running away, though, they stuck around, laughing merrily. Love them!

Between one thing and another, we stayed up late last night, 10:30 for me and midnight for Ron.

It is raining right now and I’m grateful. Didn’t water yesterday, Nature is helping at the perfect time.

I bought a huge Rudbeckia at Chenail’s yesterday and decided to plant it in the left side of the center garden.

After pulling weeds, I started digging and hit a rock which turned out to be a small boulder.

Ron wanted to rent a chain fall hoist. Instead, he found two metal poles and braced the rock with the poles, creating a ramp of sorts. We started propping the rock up the ramp with big stones. Luckily, Alyssa’s parents dropped by to let Millie out, and her Dad easily rolled the rock out and across the yard. I was amazed he was able to do it!

I watered the new transplants, fingers crossed that the deer will leave them alone.

Made a salad with a gorgeous romaine lettuce from Chenail’s, the rest of the tomatoes from the farm, an English cuke, radishes, celery, yellow pickle rings.

Planted the six that I bought yesterday and do they ever brighten things up.

Mailed Robert’s birthday gift.

In a burst of creativity, made two meals from Farm vegetables while they were still good.

Grilled bok choy and squash and pan-fried mozzarella sticks, pea pods and a package of silken tofu with a Best Buy date in April (it was fine), crumbled and seasoned with soy sauce.

In the evening, I made a pie of tomatoes, steamed kale, sauteed onion and peppers and two kinds of cheese with a superstrate of milk, eggs and Bisquick.

Brought the truck in for an a/c recharge and was told that the muffler and tailpipe joint needs to be rewelded. Brought it to L&G today. They repaired the joint in two places and replaced a hanger.

Ron repaired the extension cord that I wrecked the other day.

Bob from Madsen came by to get our garage doors working again after the power outage. He gave us advice quite different from what I found online, so I hope we can fix it ourselves if/when it happens again.

The RNC Convention is over, thank goodness.

Ron’s computer was giving him grief. I restarted it without a problem this morning.

I did almost nothing yesterday besides shuck and boil corn and grill veg burgers.

We watched “Hillbilly Elegy” last evening, then the news. By that time it was 9 pm but Ron didn’t get to sleep until much later.

Took a break and attended a pizza lunch and lively cornhole contest at the Senior Center.

On the way back from the second trip to L&G, stopped for coneflowers and a gorgeous red daisy at Artesian Gardens in Hoosick Falls. Fastened the gate on the deck in a modest hope to protect them from deer and a bear that are reported to be wandering around this area.