is testing my patience.
It was freezing in the house this morning, 24 degrees outside, and the floor installers had put my bookcase in front of the window I opened for them yesterday. So it was open all night, no wonder it was cold. Before sunrise, the sky was smoky to the east. I went to town yesterday morning and it was much worse there. I don't know where the smoke came from, but it was far enough to not smell too much, just very bad air.
My living room right now. I love the color and grain of the laminate floors, as well as the 4-foot long boards.
Two guys came Thursday to install the floors and ran into trouble because my house is not well built and nothing is level, plum, even or whatever. And that's particularly noticable when you lay down flooring. They did the best they could, got my approval for another large amount of money to grind down the concrete as needed and add cement to make it even. When they left at the end of the day, that's all that got done.
Two new guys came Friday. Much better, according to Glenn, who kept a close eye on the proceedings. They completed the living room, but when they got to the kitchen and hallway, they realized they needed to remove the above boards and grind, sand, and add some more cement. Not the best news, but what can you do? And this also gave me a chance to work on my ever lacking patience. Glenn is so good at it, the most patient human being I have ever known.
It got too late last night, so they came this morning and added the cement where needed. But it was freezing in here, they had another job to go to. They said they could come back later today, but I suggested they come tomorrow morning instead. "You don't mind on a Sunday?" they asked. I said, "no, not if you don't." So now I'm tip-toeing around the cement to get to my coffeemaker, fridge, and so on.
Ever cautious Faith, stepping gently, sniffing, sniffing, while ever hungry Samson sticks his head in a box, hoping for something to eat, no doubt.
And here I am in my only unaffected room, which is my office/bedroom combination. Not knowing what to do with myself, I have so far cleaned out my email, cleaned up my computer, talked to Glenn and Mary on the phone, visited some blogs, taken these pictures and written these words.
My closet door was open while I sat here and talked to Mary. It's a mess in there, plus my summer tops are still on their hangers and it's in a generally disorganized state. So I said to Mary, "I know what to do today, I will clean my closet!"
So on that note I will leave you with a raven on a post, smoky sky in the background. Should I take before and after pictures of my closet too?
Two things finally:
My heart goes out to the fire victims all over this state. Both Bakersfield and nearby Oildale had fires last week and many horses perished, so terrible I had to turn off the news. So terrible too for the people all around Northern California. I knew a wonderful woman, years ago, who lived in Santa Rosa. Haven't thought about her for years, but now I have. What a horrendeous year this has been.
Finally, as a breast cancer survivor, I can attest to the importance of early detection and the role that mammograms, while not perfect, can play in saving your life.
Samson Says: Can't help I'm hungry, it's those little pink pills you keep giving me. Don't think I don't know.
Samson Says: Can't help I'm hungry, it's those little pink pills you keep giving me. Don't think I don't know.
