Monthly Archives: March 2024

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Books

I am a reader and it’s difficult for me to read unless I’m on vacation. I’m bad and don’t use my bed only for sex and sleep and read a chapter or so before turning in nightly. For some reason, I’ve read a bunch more recently and I think it’s because my house hasn’t had a deep clean. 🙂 These books are the last five that I’ve read. I think that I read them in about a month.

  1. “Far From the Tree” by Andrew Solomon. It took me a long time to finish this one and I had, truthfully, started it a year ago, and picked it up right now when I’m procrastinating from cleaning a very large house. It’s long and organized into chapters about specific disabilities or challenges. Things that I liked about it were the well-researched applications that Solomon had throughout it and the narratives of people who he’d interviewed who were living with that particular horizontal condition. A vertical condition is something that is inherited from parents and has a sound genetic component. Horizontal conditions are not those shared by parents. For example, committing crimes doesn’t tend to run in families all the time and Solomon illustrates in that particular chapter how contexts and friends can shape criminals. The chapters on Autism and Deafness have resulted in my giving the book to a friend of mine who is a Speech and Language Pathologist.
  2. “Maneater” by Ryan Green. This book is awful. It’s the only one that I have ever disliked from book club. It is poorly written and disingenuous. I was glad that we discussed it in book club, because the art teacher who attends helped me understand that in addition to my finding it gratuitous and sensational, it wasn’t believable. It read like fiction and was supposed to be true crime.
  3. “Miracle in the Andes” by Nando Parrado. I loved this book from start to finish and ordered it right after watching “Society of the Snow” at home. I can’t believe that these 17 men lived. I know that I could say trite things about the human spirit and grit, but I don’t want to do so. I’m a huge Krakauer fan and really want to hang around Boulder, CO for a week to see if I could “run into” him. Anyway, he recommends this book in its marketing. I liked hearing the perspective of one of the people who had to become a climber with no climbing experience. Parrado had grown up on the plains.
  4. “The Fire Line” by Fernanda Santos. Years ago, I stumbled across a news story about a cat bitten by a rattlesnake who dragged himself home, and the author and her daughter, having recently lost their husband and father to cancer, took their cat to the vet. With expensive treatment, he was saved. I was so touched. I emailed her and wanted to send her $50, but she said that there was no need because she got a 24-month interest free credit card instead. I finally read her book and it is excellent. I didn’t know that our government doesn’t fully fund wildfire mitigation and employee wildfire fighter salary. It also made sense to me that when I was hiking in Flagstaff in 2019 why the BLM had cut down so many Ponderosa Pines. Without indigenous practices of burning in the forest, we must clear trees. The story of the men was educational and contained enough about who each of them were personally to hold my interest from start to finish.
  5. “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” by Lori Gottlieb. A colleague handed me this book and I was afraid it was fiction (See number two.), and it was phenomenal. Anyone who counsels or delivers therapy understands that you walk a weird path with your client wherein they have problems that they’re addressing that you’ve addressed or are having currently when you’re working with them. It’s called a parallel process. I had that with the author. She talks about Andrew Solomon. She talks about grief and ending of relationships. Even if you don’t work in mental health, you should read this book wherein you’ll truly laugh and cry. It’s beautiful. (I’m going to give it to Mini Boss.)
The used copy of my inspirational 2024 solo vacation book in perfect condition came yesterday…
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Mom

I’ve been thinking about Mom and dreaming about her a lot lately. I’m reasonably sure that I know why.

I feel like that I’m having time to be and breathe. I’m sure, too, that given that it’s Easter this weekend, I am thinking about holidays without family.

Sunday, I have an invitation to friends, and I know that I’ve written here that I don’t say no to those, but I have been eating yogurt, eggs and canned soup and don’t want to be around yummy food and alcohol. I also don’t want to talk about the hole in my mouth with people whom I don’t really know. I’ve known this colleague for 24-years this fall, but she’s an extrovert’s extrovert, so loves to entertain and make small talk. LA always invites me to these things–she’s really close with this colleague–and I did go to the Blues BBQ (live band) and also Christmas Eve. I am not going to Easter. In fact, I’ll do yard work which is a lot like my Dad!

My Dad worked for the City and County. He’d dropped out of a Civil Engineering Program because my Mom had me and they had very little money and mice in the housing provided near campus via the GI bill. That was a contention. As was my ever being born. I had colic and my father always said that he was going to leave me screaming in the snow. Mom said that once I could imitate opera voices on the radio at about 4-months of age, I stopped screaming.

(I have said to my son ad nauseum, “You didn’t ask to be born. I will make sure that you have medical and dental care until you’re 26. I will also write a check for any tuition bill that you produce for me.” He has about 7k left in his ESA, so I’m going to set up a trust for 150k that I manage until he’s 30. I’m doing that in June. Trust me, this digression is topical.)

My Mom wanted kids. She said that my brother and I were the best things in her life.

She was sarcastic, a little mean, definitely depressed, and not quick with hugs or kisses, but always said, “I love you.” And she did love us.

We had no money. I really mean that too. My parents, both Boomers, were the last of the people who can buy a house on one salary. My Mom contributed off and on to living expenses, but never had a full-time teaching job likely because of her physical disability. She subbed for 4-5 years and would often come home with a migraine.

Today, I’m thinking about my Mom, the status of her teeth, her heavy smoking until she was in her 60s, and how much healthier and luckier than I am when compared to my Mom.

I was out in the backyard this morning giving my neighbor’s dogs and mine pieces of elk jerky, and my neighbor came out and asked about the hole. So, I have this screw and hole in my mouth right now. My neighbor will get her hole and screw in two-weeks.

We’ve been trying to figure out how her process is so much longer than mine. Her tooth broke eight-months ago. We figured it out today.

My Mom made sure that we went to the dentist every 6-months. She made sure that the weird tooth that came in sideways was addressed with a retainer. I have great teeth. So, it was easy for the dentist to drill it, pack it, help me make an appointment with a talented specialist, and I will see him five-days before I get a tooth colored crown. My parents were poor for sure–lower middle class, I guess–but we got good dental care.

My Mom didn’t support me going to graduate school. My Mom was mostly horrified about what others thought of her having a lesbian daughter. My Mom’s ashes that I have left could ignite given that I don’t want one partner and would never live with anyone ever again. However, my Mom loved and took care of me.

Tell me about your Mom. I don’t know you, so don’t worry, I am not impersonating Freud. Freud is mostly only good for defense mechanisms.

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Wall Anchor

(Please don’t read this entry if you’re squeamish or triggered by anything that is gross.)

Is in my mouth.

I had a small pain in my molar on occasion–honestly, it would just come and go–and it was a little sensitive to cold for 3-years. It wasn’t unbearable until it wasn’t. On the 26th of February, I took my son out to dinner and we got pan seared steaks. I couldn’t really chew mine. The pain was excruciating. I ate enough to not be starving and then gave him the rest after finishing most of the mashed potatoes and broccoli with peppers.

I guess that I thought that midway through last month that I had some weird mobile bacteria because I had stomach stuff, a sinus infection, and when on the 14th of this month the roof of my mouth looked like it had a mandarin orange in it, I knew that there was something really wrong.

I found out what it was.

Yesterday I was so nervous. I had my wisdom teeth out when they got impacted when I was in my early 20s, but since that time I have only ever had a couple of fillings. I have never been to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

What a lovely man. He was calm, caring, professional and explained everything that had happened. He examined the area and said, “Wow, that’s strange.” He told me that if he touched the side of my gums near where the tooth was pus would just ooze.

This fact explains why I’ve felt so terrible, and skipped so much guitar, and gone to bed so early and slept until 5 or 5:30 anyway. I have had a massive bacterial infection. I don’t know where it started, but likely entered through the broken tooth.

The choices were: a partial denture, a bridge, or a titanium screw after the extraction. I was probably in the procedure 11-minutes and could feel pressure and hear crunching and tightening, but that was it. Of the three shots, I only felt the one on the side where my gums were infected. He was a gem. The tech took another x-ray and it looks like there is a wall anchor in my jaw.

The surgeon called me yesterday, but I was at the vet with my dog so she could get her allergy shot and other stuff to get her ready for spring. I couldn’t get the call being in the vet’s office. However, it all went well. I went through a lot of gauze yesterday and was generally swallowing some blood, but feel good. I don’t see him until July 26 and my dentist builds an implant on the screw on July 1st. I’m going to get a tooth colored one.

Although I have a wall anchor in my mouth, I’m grateful. Grateful for days off. Grateful for only being responsible for under $1,200 for the nearly $6,000 procedure. I’m also grateful to have this source of infection gone!

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I hope that the 4th time is charming

I have gone to South Beach and the Everglades in 2021, South Harbor and Acadia in 2022 and last year I went all over OR. I’m excited to announce that my 4th Solo Vacation will take place in the south. Originally, I wanted to fly to Charleston and drive to Congaree National Park after kayaking around Kiawah Beach, but I couldn’t believe the prices of flights and rooms as well. The amended plan is to fly to Knoxville and have a rental car.

Solo vacations have been really good for me. I think that they’ll continue to be this way for me too. I was really excited last night working through my accommodations. Seeing Mammoth Caves and the Great Smoky Mountains will be wonderful. I have a hike planned in Knoxville too. There is a micropolitan town that I’m staying in for a night too and there are parks and waterfalls. The goal is to spend time in three states over the course of the week. I’m such a lucky person.

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Simple Things

A short entry for things that are not complex, but make me happy:

  1. Hot coffee
  2. Warm water on my back in the shower
  3. A clean working space
  4. Spicy food
  5. Headbutt from my son’s cat
  6. The tilt of a dog head with the ears up
  7. Good smelling soap when I wash my hands
  8. Flaky pie crust
  9. Smooth red wine
  10. Cold beer
  11. Freezing stream
  12. Pink sunrise
  13. Feet on pine needles under my hiking boots
  14. Fresh mountain air
  15. Rush of wind on my face and body from my bike
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Swipe

Not that I do that to meet women, but I had a goal to write for a few days in a row and that was the topic that I came up with in the shower on a morning that I’m washing my hair. Podcasters that I’ve listened to have said that if you read a lot of dating ads folks talk about what you want rather than what you offer. I’ve written (here) what I’m seeking, so let’s see if I can write who I am, and what I offer in 300 characters. I’m going to give it a whirl.

I love being outside hiking, biking or walking. I am funny. I take making others laugh as a project. I’m a great cook who loves doing it for others. I am honest, straightforward and direct. I love to sing and want to get better on the guitar. I write everyday and am fascinated by a person’s story.

I have no intention of making a profile. I wanted to see what I could write in 300 characters as the essence of me. I may ask if I included my core at work today and perhaps a little bit next week. Swiping and the gambling approach to connection just isn’t me.

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Fumes

I made and ate paella last night, got my book, and my guitar and realized that I was already so close to falling asleep. I said to my dog, “I can’t make it to guitar tonight.” I started “The Fire Line.” I slept somewhat fitfully for 9-hours.

It’s taken a lot out of me to have an infected tooth. I just thought that I was having some difficulty with a sinus infection until Friday. It has run me down.

Working in one site wherein the boss is toxic takes its toll too. I know that things have shifted a little bit since I documented problems to my manager; however, it’s not fun to be there and she doesn’t listen or really care about suggestions or requests. In the hideous team meeting I explained that because we don’t have clients on that particular team the last hour of the day that should be the time that we meet. She rolled her eyes when I told just her that, and then when I said it in the context of the meeting and explained that if one client had shown, I’d have had to skip her session with the existing standing meeting time, she may have gotten that. I actually don’t care. On the 8th of April, I’ll just send a decline the notice and work with clients during that time. She’s controlling, stubborn and rigid, which makes work difficult even if it’s once a week. Being there makes me feel depleted if I have to interact with her.

We have had to reschedule lots of things because of two random days off, and we don’t have clients Friday through April 2nd. It’s been a lot of Jenga. Juggling isn’t inspiring.

I’m simply worn out and need a whole lot of sleep and nothing. I want to regroup, reflect and move forward. I can’t believe that I’m saying this, but I’m glad that I’m not going to UT with my Aunt next week. And, I’ll complain about it one more time: It’s not normal to get up when it’s still dark!

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Tech Fatigue

My laptop for work fizzled and died. In fact, it wouldn’t navigate to the Internet at all and I had to run a safety meeting with my boss and a family on a Chromebook, which kept lagging as I typed. It was awful. The battery wouldn’t charge anyway so it had been like lugging around a desktop. I think it was 4 to 5 years old and was a DELL, which our organization doesn’t use anymore. I finally got a Lenovo, which seems to be perpetually updating. Our main software for compliance is buggy and can’t tolerate people typing in it at the same time although it’s a cloud. At home, I downloaded after buying Webroot and can’t get the keycode to accept that it’s working–although it scanned my device weeks ago now.

Do you like computers? Software? Updates? Being glued to a screen for your work? Does the concept of a cloud being run by solar panels in NE freak you out?

I don’t feel like Gmail works anything close to the way in which Outlook does, but honestly, with all the emails that are sent now, I’ve not had to find a specific email recently. Don’t get me started on Drive. I can’t find anything efficiently in it and it reminds me of housecleaning. It would take me weeks to organize it and it’s picky with file names.

Becoming a robot and singularity

I remember the first time that I saw “Blade Runner,” and I found it so disturbing. I think that we’re there now. People dissociate on their phones in meetings. Kids extend their arms and stare at YouTube. I think that we need to take notice how AI has really started to our worlds. I think that although I get a tooth extracted a week from today, that I need to get outside as much as possible and better bike to work today.

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Disasters

I had a couple of days at home, which was nice. I was able to clean up all the sheetrock dust and pieces of fiberglass that the company left after filling some walls. The problem isn’t remediated in the kitchen, so they’re coming back tomorrow afternoon to fill above the cabinets. I’m going to move the microwave, toaster oven and coffee pot and drape the fridge with some sheets. It makes a mess. It’s not quite a disaster, but is a nice introduction to this entry.

What do you think of snow? I really like it; although, I’m not a downhill skier. I like the way in which it freshens everything up in the desert. I took the dogs through it on Friday with drifts higher than 2-feet.

Two months ago I watched, “Society of the Snow,” and was intrigued. Vegan had texted me and asked what I was up to and I told her about the movie, with which she was unfamiliar. Then she said that she’d read the book. I ordered, “Miracle in the Andes,” and I spent Thursday and Friday finishing it. Like the film, it makes you cold and feel inspired with the athleticism and resolve.

I found out on Friday afternoon that Vegan had read and seen “Alive.” I said that we should trade as the epilogue in “Miracle in the Andes” talks about some of the unfair characterization of two of the young men as written in “Alive.” Vegan is going to borrow the book from me–she had donated her copy of “Alive.” I’d love to read some of “Miracle in the Andes” starting on page 185 and some others until about page 197 in the book to the climber.

I loved this film and book. Being the mountains always fuels me. I respect them and don’t underestimate them. I woke up today thinking about snow, the human spirit and nature.

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Breakups

Brooklyn made me risotto last night and we hung out for 3-hours and drank a bottle of wine. I brought a nice salad and she had out bread. I don’t eat bread often and ate all of it and used a lot of her butter 🙂 A boyfriend, who is also from NY, and still lives there, is no longer a part of her life due to a breakup. I said that we should go to open mic and I will play some minor chords while she reads his texts in beat cadence. A good idea that.

McGraw (2024) discusses in his book how breakups can generally be designed. I think that this concept is much more than something like a prenup, given not only that it was written by a lifelong bachelor; but if you decide how much you talk or not after you break up there is less emotional tumult. McGraw (2024) also discusses building and designing generally with relationship.

I am a relationship anarchist. I don’t want to follow the rules of eventual cohabiting and blending finances ever again. I’ve certainly given that the college try as I have mostly lived with other people. I think that when July hits, this period of my life will be the longest stretch of solo living

Let’s see:

  • I moved out when I was almost 19
  • I lived in an apartment off of campus my sophomore year of college and my gf started staying there nearly every night
  • I lived in married student housing in my first round of graduate school for 10-months and then got married
  • I lived with my first spouse for 9-10 years (We were married for nine.)
  • I lived with my son for 17-years
  • I lived with my second spouse for 8-9 years (We were married for eight.)

I think that negotiation and communication are essential when you start a new friendship or romantic relationship. Even the latter is up for debate really. Some people wouldn’t consider several kisses in a row to be romantic. That is the stuff that needs to be communicated. Contact does too in terms of how much communication one wants. Moreover, breakups can be as intentional as the startup and don’t have to be a crash.

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Dental Emergency / Going to an Indie Film

I have told myself that I won’t say no to anything social. It means that I’ll drag myself anywhere that I’ve been invited. I went to the movies with Vegan yesterday and the movie was, well, quite odd. I bought tickets for a 3:30 showing of the film and told Vegan that we’d meet there Friday. However, I hadn’t expected what happened with my health.

I have a good enough immune system that I don’t get sick enough to miss work. I have worked a few half days and taken off an hour twice, but that has been mostly due to my loathing being in my other building just meeting rather than conducting my work with clients. I had this persistent sinus infection for a long time which infiltrated the roof of my mouth and teeth. The swelling got so bad yesterday that I realized that I needed to see my dentist. The gums were sore to the touch and all of my teeth hurt.

The dental assistant was having a lot of trouble with the computer for my x-rays. I think it likely needed software updates. When she finally projected pictures you could see the swelling on the left side of my teeth and face. When the dentist came in she hit each of my back teeth with a little metal mallet. EXCURIATING on the tooth in question. “I have to open the tooth and drain the infection now. Then, I’m referring you to the endodontist.” Lovely. It’s being 49 and it’s time for a root canal.

She had to take intraoral pictures next. I was probably in three different chairs for 45-minutes. Finally, the dental assistant put the numbing agent in my mouth so that I could start drooling. That is always super fun. Probably another five-minutes elapsed and she gave me my shot. Then my dentist saw a crack. So, we got up to go back to the place where the interior camera was and she took one more shot, and that’s when she showed me a crack from one side to the other and the crossing of the root. 😦

The dentist filed my tooth down to practically nothing and put glue on it. I have to see a specific dental specialist the week of the 25th for an extraction. Apparently, he will put a screw in the place where tooth #14 was and then it will heal over until July 1st when my dentist will build an implant. Fun. 10-days of amoxicillin.

I paid my $72 co-pay and hightailed out of there. I got to the theater with three-minutes to spare and Vegan gave me a side hug and joked about my tooth. All should have been well, but one of the characters gets his teeth knocked out–violently. I didn’t have any experience with the actress in the lead until the movie, and I generally liked the strange film. It evoked Tarantino and the video “Human Behaviour” by Bjork for me. Vegan was horrified. I didn’t know that she couldn’t tolerate any violence and is not a fan of dark humor. Can someone let me know what they think of “Love Lies Bleeding?” Did anyone see it after going to the dentist? Hehe.

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Women

Introduction

When I was a kid, I didn’t really have female friends. Right now, I don’t have very many male friends except at work. I spent all day Sunday with different women, one of whom, I have just met and want to develop a closer friendship.

Sunday Morning

I took a super long walk with one of my son’s ex’s Moms yesterday. We actually wound up walking nearly 7-miles. In terms of weights, I think that I did four machines instead of my typical amount afterward because I was really sore from boxing the day before. (I can hit two of the machines missed tonight after my normal Monday cardio.) When I got home, I should’ve cooked and cleaned, but it was so warm that I wanted to prowl around a little.

Afternoon

There is a new gay bar close to our capitol, so I parked a bit away from it and walked there to get even more sunshine. I was probably there 2-minutes. The lesbian scene here is pretty limited really. The gay man scene is not. That bar was packed, but there wasn’t a single woman in it so I felt completely out of place. I walked to the bar where we used to have flip cup. Savoring those brussels sprouts–even if they’re a third of the size that they were in the fall–was worth it. I drank a Lone Star and sent the picture to my BFF in San Antonio.

Family Karaoke on Second Sundays

I thought that the bar had a show. That is how good the woman was who was singing. I talked with the bartender for a couple of minutes who told me that Second Sundays are now karaoke. The KJ came over to me, hugged me, and said, “Are you going to sing tonight?” I said that I probably would. There was a couple–I thought–at the table in front of me. I felt awkward at a high top behind them in the otherwise nearly empty bar so I thought, “What the hell?” Laughing internally when I found out that she has the same name as the Realtor, she let me sit down. She and her family had great voices.

Hanging out with a Mom

I don’t meet any women who let their hair grey, but hers is probably more grey than mine, and she highlights it differently. She is the climber’s age, has six kids–four of whom were there–and was friendly. Nice blue eyes and fun to talk to, so I was glad that I asked if it was ok that I joined their table. She then told me her coming out story. I was very interested in it. The thing is that her marriage is closed. However, when I thanked her for telling me it, she grabbed my hand. Given the green light, I hugged her before I left and gave her a card. In 2008, I had cards made with my first name, cell and email. They simply say, “Email, call or text.” She gave me a business card. I told her that if she’d like to do a happy hour some time I am game. I explained that I’m good with boundaries and don’t want her husband to murder me, so I wouldn’t touch her. She laughed and said, “Yes, good call.” It’s so crazy how realizing how good it feels to connect gives you a boost. My mood was great yesterday. I’ll email her at the beginning of next month to hang out and keep good boundaries. I put ethics above everything with the way in which I conduct myself.

Monday Morning

Today I have to run a safety protocol meeting at my other site. That means that I get out of the hideous and worthless afternoon meeting. Bonus! I texted the nice guy and climber that I’d have to drive in solo because I’m leaving three-hours early. I texted the climber that I love her company and she could feel free to ride in with me in the morning and then hop in with the nice guy in the afternoon. She has just texted back, and I’m excited to ride in with her. I am going to feed the pets (in the dark) and then shower and walk my dogs. I hate this time of year with daylight savings time and waking up when it’s pitch black. It’s so stupid to not have left the time change in April, but I guess that people have to stay out buying things that they don’t need. I guess that I, myself, went out from 4-7 last night, but I had a ton of fun and it was nice to socialize.

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Grow

I’ve known the climber for nearly 6 years. Our relationship started to change significantly in the fall of 2022 when she took me climbing. I think that it’s growing and I know my attachment to her is too. Seasonal change is upon us, and I know that I’m reflecting on her and whatever “us” is.

It’s getting on toward spring now and I’m so happy about it. I hope that we have a spring and it doesn’t just start getting beastly hot. I used to train practitioners in suicide protocols. Did you know that spring is the time that people die by suicide most frequently? I’m happiest in spring, so maybe that means that I always have something to look forward to annually. I don’t know.

Commute

End of a friendship: The nice guy gives excuses instead of commuting with me. One time he confirmed and when I got in my car to go to his house he called and said that he needed to go to the dispensary after work. Yesterday, it was that he needed to go to work early to set up. It’s ok. I think he’ll just fade out of my life after spring. I won’t see him unless he’s walking his dogs and I’m biking.

The climber (Batman) wanted to leave early and ride with me. However, my dogs take forever to walk now so when I got her text, it was late, and I texted that I’d try to get there at 7:20 and she said that she’d just come to me.

She had completed a super long inventory for one of our clients for me so I made her a toasted bagel sandwich (egg, cheddar, spinach) and washed some blueberries for her. She said that I didn’t have to do that because it was her job. I also had a cup of coffee for her too, and this time had vanilla protein milk which is a good substitute for creamer, I think.

We planned the end of our book on our drive to our building. She had a great idea regarding changing the art with the turning point of the protagonist. The main character is like me as a child and now I think that she’s adding elements of her to the character. It’s beautiful actually. I’m excited. We talked about our parents a little bit and she wasn’t tired and we were able to chat the entire time. The commute is pretty mundane after we get out of our neighborhood–it’s complete with a long stretch of city traffic and then two awful highways complete with poor rush hour drivers. Conversation between she and I certainly breaks up the monotony.

Riding Home

She talked a lot about work. She said because it was the last leg before summer term–a term that neither she or I work–it was a good use of time. I said, “I had you all to myself in the car and we mostly talked about work!” She laughed. She planned the final page of our book and said she’d sketch before she did her ice climb workout that she does every Monday.

When we got to my driveway she said, “Thank you for driving. I love your company. I’m so excited to sketch,” and she was lingering by her door. I put my lunchbox, backpack and jacket down. She walked around the front of my car and embraced me tight. We both took deep breaths. I kissed her cheek.

I said that I would be starting breath work, which is concentrating deeply on your breath and moving it in a guided fashion through your body with a guide. I had mentioned previously that all the talk therapy that I’ve done has run its course. I said that when she gave me feedback about not breathing, I knew that was some work that I should do. She said, “You weren’t breathing at all!” I said, “You make my heart race!” She said, “You really like to make me blush!” I said, “While that’s true, right now, I’m just being honest.”

I like this slow and somewhat deliberate expansion between Batman and I ❤ She is part of what I’m thinking about and hopeful for this spring.

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Repairs

I think that I’m renewing my energy. I have a new house loan. I am doing electrical work. I have a new cooler. I’ll have wall insulation in my kitchen and two back bedrooms. We have a neighbor family texting system that I used to find an electrician and begin learning some electric stuff with the help of my neighbor.

Electrical Work

The electrician rewired the basement so that now in my son’s old room the switches just work and are powered. You no longer have to turn on the switch on the west side of the Rec Room. He’s going to make a junction box exchange to the solar box so that the old and defunct Federal Pacific brand breaker box doesn’t function. It’s not that breakers flip all the time or anything, but rather that it’s archaic and not completely grounded. I want a safe house with no risk of fire. Federal Pacific only makes commercial products these days. The electrician also switched out 10 outlets in my house today. He had to replace two switches entirely–one of which had been grounded by the old contractor who remodeled my kitchen in 2004. The electrician explained that 85% of my house is grounded, so it’s really more of a matter of getting a majority of my switches changed to Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) ones. Two in my bedroom had no boxes and were hanging basically, so he had to use new boxes altogether to get those outlets to be GFCI. He’ll be back next Saturday to make the new panel and hook it via a junction box to the breaker that has the solar panels working.

Cooler

I have a new contractor who is great. He had done work on sheetrock, a broken door, and rehung a mirror with tasteful metal clips. He installed a new evaporative cooler on Saturday. All of it, which will include summer setup was under $2500. I’d been quoted 10k for that in 2022 and suffered last summer with no cooler at all. The Realtor told me that she knew of a company who could do it for 7k. I’m so grateful that I’ve found this contractor and his company so I could shave $4500 or more off of that price!

Insulation

Years ago some mice got inside my garage and went inside some walls. It was gross. I have blown in extra insulation 2-3 times, but my house is still really cold. You can feel cold air rushing out of the bottoms of my kitchen cabinets and plates and mugs feel like ice when you take them out. I have given to warming them in the oven before I serve dinner. I’ve found an insulation company that will take out all the old fiberglass, clean and sanitize the attic, seal all the rafters, joists, seams, and baffles in my roof, install a reflective eshield, blow in new insulation to the max level, and then fill the walls in the bedrooms and around the cabinets with fiberglass from the attic down. It’s going to be so much warmer in the morning and no more cold dishes or mugs!

Learning some electric

We’d had a metal ceiling plate with two lightbulb fixtures in it with wires and a pretty dragonfly light fixture in the linen closet for many years. Electricity scares me. My neighbor across the street is the son of an electrician. Today, he came over and showed me how to remove a ceiling plate and expose wires and taught me what a plastic nut for electrical wires is. He wired in the new ceiling plate, shortened the middle nut, tightened it in and then got the new light fixture installed. He did it in 10-minutes. The nice thing is that although it will take me an hour to repeat it, I can help my colleague who almost died get a new plate in fixture in her daughter’s room now. I may surprise her at the end of the month with that as I’m no longer going to travel for a vacation.

Gratitude

I’m so happy to have my own house loan. I’m so glad that my bedroom won’t be cold in the winter and hot in the summer after Friday. I am over-the-moon with the prospect of room temperature plates and mugs. I’m so glad to have a fair contractor that I trust. I’m so happy about my new electrician. I’m going to make dinner for my neighbor (son of the electrician) and his wife right now. I’m going to buy some kosher alcohol for my neighbors who recommended this electrician. I found three pairs of jeans in great shape at two different thrift stores yesterday and they fit me perfectly! I had a good round of weights today. I’m bowling with the gay league again starting on the 11th. I’m going to write a thank you note to the angel that helped me when I was almost t-boned. I forgot to mention that the body shop has finally said that they’ll make my broken mirror right after I wrote on Google about it having noticed that they also didn’t replace my spoiler over my oil pan at all and it’s now off-kilter and has a noticeable hole. Again, my energy is renewing!