Soooo productive

Today was a very productive day. I started by walking about 3.5 miles round trip to the hardware store to pick up a few things I needed. I stopped by the bagel store and picked up a few bagels, and –YUM– a slice of double chocolate banana bread to reward myself on the way home.

I had determined that the wire to my front doorbell broken or shorted out someplace in the wall. I didn’t think it was worth fixing it, or trying to thread a new wire through the wall. So I bought a wireless doorbell…a simple one that just goes ding-dong. Got it out of the package, removed the tab protecting the battery, plugged in the chime, pushed the button, and…..nothing. Removed and replaced the battery. Nothing. Plugged the chime into somewhere else and tried again. Nothing. Read the troubleshooting part of the instructions, following their directions to sync the button and the chime. Nothing. Decided I had to call the hardware store and see if they’ve had problems with the batteries to these things being dead. As I’m talking to my friendly hardware store guy telling him my tale of woe, Ding-Dong, the bell suddenly works! So I “installed” the button by the front door – which just means using double-sided sticky tape to adhere it to the wall.

I also “installed” the new light timer for my outdoor lights so I could stop plugging and unplugging the Halloween lights every day. This just involved choosing the setting on the timer (I chose on at dusk, off at dawn), plugging it in, and then plugging the lights into it. Had to wait for dusk to see if it works…it does. Now I’ll watch and see if it goes off at dawn.

Then I sat down at the loom and started working toward my goal of getting 100″ if LM’s wrap woven today. I was making good progress, and at about 1:30 my new front doorbell rang – and I could hear it easily from the weaving studio, even with the audio book turned up loud so I could listen over the loom noise. The young man from the HVAC company came for the annual clean & tune for my furnace, water heater, dehumidifier, and fireplace. When I answered the door I saw that my new microwave cart had been delivered…why didn’t the Fed Ex man ring the bell?

Anyway, while the maintenance was being done on my heating system I started assembling that microwave cart. It went together reasonably well, although the doors aren’t exactly straight. If the hinges had slits where they screw in I could easily adjust them, but they don’t; they have holes. So I think I’m just gonna live with the crookedness rather than try and make new holes in the pressed board. I finished at the same time as the HVAC guy – 3 hours for each of us.

By then it was 4:45 and I hadn’t started the soup for dinner yet. My new gas stove was delivered on Monday – the Frigidaire recommended by Consumer Reports – and that day I baked a quiche.

It was gone now and I wanted to make something yummy on that stovetop. In an hour I had a wonderful minestrone-like soup. I like my soups with a very high stuff to broth ratio.

While the soup was simmering I reached a new high with Jack. He hadn’t been outside since his morning walk, and he asked to go outside. Sort of. He walked between me and the door a few times. If I hadn’t been paying attention I would definitely have missed it. I couldn’t stop to walk him, so I went to the back door & let him out into the yard. He stood at the bottom of the steps waiting for me to join him, but I backed away and stood in the shadows in the house. And lo and behold, Jack peed in the yard!!! I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal for a dog, but it is for Jack. It is THE VERY FIRST time since he’s been with me, 6 weeks now, that he’s ASKED to go outside AND peed in the yard! I’ve been out there with him MANY times with no pee. I’ve watched him from the window when he’s asked to go out (which is a rare thing in and of itself) — no pee. Needless to say, he got LOTS of praise, and treats, for this major accomplishment!

I got rid of all my garbage while the soup finished cooking & ate my luscious soup. Then went back to the loom to finish my 100″.

You can see the difference between the navy and marine here. Then it’s bleu moyen, magenta, and gris pale.