The Clock Struck 44g

I got a cramp in my leg last night. While I was repositioning, I glanced at the ceiling to see what time it was. I love my clock that reflects the time on the ceiling. The clock said 4.4g. I would have been OK with that, but the cramp persisted and I started to wonder what the g stood for. By the time I decided to get up and take a pill, the clock said 4:51.

By then I was awake enough and I turned on the early morning news to see what had gone on overnight. I said a prayer for the poor people caught in floods on the east coast. I was still awake when the clock said 5.5g. I dozed off sometime after that but woke in time to change the channel to ESPN2 at 7:00 where they are covering Wimbledon.

I am loving that tournement. All my favorite people are still in.

I've got my Megan. The bad news is that it is because of a crisis in Gordon's family. His mom came through her surgery as well as they could expect but she is not a happy invalid. I understand that she is resisting tests and medication which adds stress to her family but they are coping.

Just as I was getting ready to brag about having Megan, Gordon and his sister Tanya came and whisked her away. They are going someplace in Detroit from wence the fireworks will be visable for the big show tonight. Gretchen is meeting them there after work. I'm glad they are going to see the fireworks as long as they are down here. I, myself, am content to view them on TV.

In other news, the deposit has been made on the Scandanavian Cruise and since the Cruise dates are 6/16/07 thru 6/30/07 I will not be going to the time share in Florida next year.

The sadness of missing Florida is rapidly being replaced by the excitement as I track our ports of call on my globe. The ship leaves from Dover, England and goes to Oslo, Norway: Stockholm, Sweden: Helsinki, Finland: two days at St. Petersburg, Russia: Berlin, Germany: two days at Copenhagen, Denmark: Helsingborg, Sweden and back to Dover, England.

We got a great cabin assignment close to the Grand Foyer, which means close to the main elevators. Eat your hearts out.

Basement Woes

I have, not just one, but two daughters at my disposal. Jackson wants to go down the basement anyways so they may as well do my laundry. What did we find down there. A river of rusty water leading from under the furnace to the drain. The water was rusty because the bottom of the furnace panel and a leg of the hot water heater were all rusted. Who knows how long that water has been running down the drain.

I may have mentioned in a previous blog about this motor that is mounted on the side of my furnace encased in an uncovered metal box. That enclosure was now full of water and it was dripping onto the floor from there. There is an electrical cord running from this motor and there is an electrical outlet very close to the cord but the cord is not plugged in. No one, not maintenance people, tradespeople, friends or family has been abel to tell me what this motor was and whether it should be plugged in.

So, I called maintenance Monday morning. Yes, they would come out, but if the problem turned out to be A/C related they would charge me for their time. So I called the A/C people. Last time I needed them it was $85.00 to come out and extra if they had to do anything. I was envisioning needing a whole new A/C unit. The City of Westland recently changed their code requirements and I have heard that the cost of installing A/C has tripled.

They couldn't come out until the next day (Tuesday). So I called maintenance back and said never mind, I had the A/C people coming out and that if it was not A/C related, I would call maintenance back. But in the meantime, could they send someone by just to tell me what that motor was for because no one seemed to know.

So the maintenance guy showed up. Erika went downstairs with him. He plugged in the motor and all the water disappeared. That was the pump to get rid of excess condensation while the A/C was running. He is a new guy with maintenance and he comes from Florida so he said he knew all about those kinds of things.

I cancelled the A/C repair guy, and alls well that ends well. Except for the huge rust stains on my brand new basement floor and all the diluted tile glue coming up through the cracks in the tiles. Erika tried to get the rust stains out with CLR but it didn't work. No biggie.

The best laid plans

Erika should be in her car with Jackson peacefully napping in anticipation of getting to Grandma's pool and going swimming with Aunt Gretchen.

That part of the plans has changed. Gordon't father died a little while ago and someone is driving Gordon from West Branch to Birch Run. Gretchen is on her way to Birch Run to pick him up and bring him down here.

I don't know how the rest of Gretchen's week will unfold. My deepest sympathy to Gordon and the Gerth family.

Ikea, Ukea, everybody kea

Our Ikea opens tomorrow morning. Steph called me yesterday afternoon to let me know she was in line and had been interviewed by the local news shows. I saw her on Channel 2, and saw her in the background on Channel 4. The first 100 people in line are promised a chair that sells for $72.00. Steph said she was number 5. There are lots of other incentives like mystery envelopes with ascending amounts of money and percentages off. When I first saw the circular I thought to myself that if I were an able bodied person I would like to go there. But I envisioned getting in the car at 8:45 to get there for the 9:00 opening.

The roofing people just set up all their paraphernalia in front of my house. What with the trucks, tarps and ladders, I'm glad I don't have any flowers and shrubs out there, and pity the folk who do.

Happy Birthday Kathy

Vacation

Rita is at the airport. She will be at Monica's tonight. Her vacation has started. I have done most of my packing. That means that if I had to, I could zip it up right now and go. But I don't have to so I will undoubtedly think of more things to put in it. Like, oh yeah, a bathing suit. I am using the smallest suitcase possible because we have to have extra room on the way there so that we can fill it with Kathy and her belongings on our way back.

I have committed Gretchen to watering Rita's plants each Wednesday that she is gone.

Kelly and his girlfriend (yes, remember Diana from Easter?) came by to take Rita to the airport. I didn't get to talk to them, I just saw her leaving.

No more home teams in playoff games and only one American left at Roland Garros. Go Venus.