Iowa

Iowa

Monday, March 30, 2009

No Final Four :(

It was a wonderful game, even though we lost. Right down to the final buzzer.
The flowers Peg brought to Sunday dinner are still beautiful.
The man for the deck came on Saturday. A very nice man. Designed a deck for me right at the dining room table, and it looked wonderful. And he wasn't pushy at all, just explained things to me and left an estimate. Tomorrow a gardner is coming...well, I guess they call them landscape designers. There is so much work to be done in the yard, one hardly knows where to start. Have to keep in mind the herd of deer that wander the neighborhood. The old gardens are coming up, brick borders and all. The one thing that I do want to replace is the hydrangea tree. I love the big flowers it gets in the fall.
I think when it rains, it pours. I heard an annoying beep in my house last Monday and couldn't figure it out before I went to work. I came home, and alas, it was beeping as I came in from the garage. A handy person, I am not, but it was coming from the FiOS box over in the corner...that would be the corner with all the junk piled up so that you can't even get to it. After moving everything and taking the cover off the box, I read the directions. It is a back up battery...a very large battery. Actually, they told me when I called that I could buy it at a motorcycle shop. Nevermind, I said, just send me one. So, it should be here tomorrow.
Then I discovered that the faucet in the tub is dripping. So, I began to take it apart and couldn't figure that out. Called my friendly plumber, Jim. You remember Jim, he was the one who sent the plant after he dug up the basement and the driveway. The very large plant, which, by the way, thank you, is doing very well and getting even larger in spite of Ava nibbling on it daily.
Minor problems, I assure you, but annoying none the less. Sometimes I think an apartment would be nice, but then I get claustraphobic. And I love my house. It is my sanctuary at the end of the day.
Sunday dinner yesterday. Cheesburgers on the grill...mmmmm. Monkeyboy got a buzz cut. He looks older. He loves it, and that's all that matters, right? It was a good dinner and Monkeyboy played hockey in the basement while Bean danced and Sprout called the plays. They are funny, those kids.
No more basketball for me, Pitt is done. But they did very well, their first elite eight game in a lot of years.
Happy Monday, only four more days this week!

20 comments:

Jessica said...

Those flowers are amazing? Are they plastic? ;) I know the feeling. Our plumbing in the basement backed up, the car broke down and I had the flu, all in one week. Better days are coming. Buzz cuts are the rage for boys. Certainly look cool in the summer.

Ben said...

Mia, your drippy tub isn't hard to fix. Turn the water off to the house and drain the line in the tub. Remove the cap, the screws and the handles. Use channel locks to unscrew the stems out of the faucet body and just replace the washers. Then put it back together and turn the water on and check for leaks. If you have a newer, "washerless" type valve the repair process is similar, but usually easier. Many of these type valves use a self contained cartridge. If the valve starts to drip, just replace the cartridge and you're done. You still need to turn the water off and remove the handles and trim. The cartridge is usually held in place by a retaining nut on the valve body or by a retaining clip. Just remove the cartridge and put another one in it's place. The game was one of the best. Pitt can hold their heads up, they played well.

SassySam said...

Wow, Ben, I am impressed. I am also impressed by how well the flowers held up. Gee, I guess I am just an impressive person...wait, that doesn't sound right. Oh, well,does this mean basketball is over? Sorry about Pitt.

Cathy said...

As we speak (well, kind of) I have two kids fighting for the bathroom closest to their bedroom because of the flu and a husband hiding in the family room because he doesn't want to get the flu. It snowed here and I am sick of winter. I can't even open windows to air out the house!

Twigs said...

I had the flu last week. Not a pleasant thing to go through, Cathy, and it hits hard and fast. It was sunny here today, but cold. OK, Ben, what else can you fix? I have a furnace that is making a very odd sound and I just close my eyes when I pass it by. By the way, Ben, did you sell your house yet?

Another Original by Tamara said...

A retaining nut? Plumber that I am not but gardener that I am, is that like a retaining wall? My tub keeps going through washers like they are going out of style. Dad used to be able to fix 'em but never showed me how to do the same. Go figure! So how's Ben's directions workin' for ya, Mia? After all the rain this week, my rain garden was more like a rain swamp. Very scary. Trying to celebrate Mom's birthday tomorrow but it is very hard when I am not allowed to mention it :) Have a good week everyone!

Bill said...

Ben did not sell his house yet, but it is on the market. I'll be his agent and ask if anyone wants to buy it. It's a great house and he has put a ton of work into it. The game was a cliff hanger. There are two more rounds, one to eliminate two more and then the final. Looks like Conn. will win, but upsets happen. Our kids had that flu also and it is a nasty one. Don't worry, Mia, things will look better.

Elizabeth said...

I have difficulty even changing a lightbulb, so to follow Ben's directions would totally confuse me, but how nice of him to offer.

Tim said...

The tub is not really that difficult, follow Ben's directions and you should be fine.

Angela said...

There is nothing more annoying than a dripping faucet when you are trying to sleep at night. I just put the radio on "sleep" and turn it up louder. Beautiful pictures of the flowers, Mia.

SocialWorker2 said...

Oh, no. Not Jim the plumber! Wasn't he the one that took food off your plate as well as Ginger's? Well, maybe you'll get another plant from him! Hardly worth it. Is that fiestaware behind the flowers? They certainly are holding up well, aren't they?

Kevin said...

Our son gets a buzz cut every summer. Has been since he was five. My wife hates it, but he loves it, and I think it is better than having hair in his eyes and sweating profusely.

ginger said...

Lots of luck with the plumbing, Mia. Sorry, Sipper said he forgot to look at it when we were there.
You know he's pretty handy. Right now he is in the process of putting new quarter round in the hall, living room and dining room.
A lot of work but he does a good job for an ex banker.

I'm not much of a gardener either but I always enjoyed seeing your handiwork in the yard. Here's hoping the deer don't enjoy it this year.

Kevin's wife said...

How do I say this...don't get one, honey, they may look cute on him, but a buzz cut won't look good on you.

Lori said...

The flowers are beautiful. Things that go wrong in the house seem to go in cycles. It will be better, mia, the drip will get worse or you'll fix it and the beep...well, do what Angela does, turn up the radio!

Nate said...

Well, onto hockey after this weekend. I'm picking Michigan State. Everyone seems sick now, guess this is the time of the year. Have you changed the filter on your furnace, Angela? If not, try that, it may help. If not, plug your ears and wait until the fall. It shouldn't have to run too much longer!

Anonymous1 said...

Sure looks like fiestaware. My mom used to collect it from soap boxes. We would fight over the red dish.

Anonymous said...

I think I would have to call a plumber for the faucet. I'm not at all handy around the house. Ben, you certainly sound like you have a good deal of experience and talent when it comes to repair and refinishing. Sounds like Skipper does, too.

Cathy said...

Everyone is better, sun was out and I opened the windows and went on a cleaning frenzy. Is this what my mother meant when she talked about "spring cleaning"? Happy April Fools Day.

SassySam said...

Great, Cathy! It's hard when kids are sick. Happy days are here again. I love this! We can cheer for each other. Good luck on selling the house, Ben, let us know how it goes. Happy belated birthday to your mom, Kitty...tell her we knew by ESP. Buzz cuts are cute, encourages people to rub one's head. And, I'm sure Ginger, that Skipper worked at a reputable bank, not Citicorp! Night all, have a good day tomorrow