Monthly Archives: September 2007

Today started out with early morning prayers – at 7 rather than the usual 6:30.  Since I was a tad on the tired side, the later hour worked out just great for me. 

Today we made some progress on the water leaks, I think.  The plumber is returning tomorrow to try and find the one leak and when I last checked, the other pipe was still dripping water steadily.  I thought he had fixed that one but –

Anyway, today I have been a bit tired.  A bit more stress with all these pllumbing issues I guess.  And other aspects of life brings other stresses.  And there have been those today too.

So, it was a pleasant surprise to walk in to the house and have it smelling of chocolate.  Double chocolate chip cookies.  Very chocolately.  Yum.  And now I will drift off to sleep to the smells of fresh baked buns.  I hope Sara doesn’t get too busy with classes.  This cooking/baking streak is something I like.

On Saturday a pipe somewhere inside the basement ceiling started to drip.  We decided that it would have to wait till Monday.  We think it is a water pipe to the bathroom on the main floor but it is all enclosed so we really have no clue – other than the drywall on that part of the ceiling became wet and soggy and it was dripping. 

By Sunday afternoon the piece of drywall had fallen onto the floor.

Monday – the plumber has been called.  The drywall is off the small dropped part of the ceiling that contains the pipes so it will have to be repaired but that is not a huge job – yet.

Tuesday – I come home after work and go down to get hamburger out of the freezer.  The light has burned out but the furnace /storage /freezer room is very humid.  I turn on another light  and what greets my eyes but a pool of water on the floor.  Our furnace is obviously leaking from somewhere but no where obvious – as in something that could be shut off.

I began to mop.  It is hard work mopping in a small humid room, especially when it looks as if no progress is being made.  I began to haul out stuff that was wet; stuff that probably should have gone straight to the junk yard rather than into our basement storage anyway.  Now that it is wet it has to go.  Most of the good things are in plastic tubs.  We’ve had this sort of thing happen before.  We have learned a little from past disasters.

Meanwhile Sara is cooking supper, I am mopping and know that I should leave for worship practice in 30 minutes.  Leo comes home and agrees to mop for a bit, phone our other kids who have borrowed the carpet cleaner(which is a wonderful water vacuum in a disaster setting like ours) and get them to bring it over. 

So after getting back from music, I finish up the clean-up and find that what I think is an overflow pipe at the back is spewing out a slow but steady stream of water.  No wonder progress with the mop was non-existant.  Anyway, now I can get a bucket under the leaky pipe, the plumber will have a real job tomorrow.  We will be poorer but drier  by tomorrow night.  I hope.

Or maybe three, depending on how you count series of driving lessons.  Anyway, my kids are all done this stage in their lives; now I am involved in helping Massa and Yaounde to cross this hurdle. 

Today, Massa came prepared with his learners permit so we had them over for lunch and then we went out driving for an hour.  He is getting it.  By the end of the hour we were changing lanes on 15th Street with a certain amount of smoothness and confidence.  Shoulder checks were done well.  Signals remembered.  No accidents or even near misses.  Going well. 

Then coming in for the landing he forgot to look both ways himself as we drove across 4th.  He went by the movements of the other drivers – which worked out OK.  And since I was watching, I knew it was safe to cross.  But I had to point out to him that he has to know for himself that the way is clear; it is not enough to count on someone else to have checked for you.

We did this driving lesson mostly in English.  I think he may be ready for formal drivers trainning in English.  That would be a big help since my time in the evenings is sort of at a premium and they don’t get enough practice if it is just me practicing with them.  It would be nice if they could get theri licenses before snow falls.

Tonight we had our first orchestra evening.  One can hardly call it a practice I guess, since we didn’t really play anything.  We just registered and picked up our first sheet of music to look at and I suppose practice.  It looks formidable!  There are some little squiggily lines in between the notes that I haven’t ever seen before.  One of the music teacher types told me she thought they were eight note rests.  And there are lots of switches between pizzicado(sp?) and arco which means some tricky bow handling will be needed.  We are thinking that someone should invent some kind of bow holster so the bow could be dropped on a notes notice and picked up again just as quickly. 

Anyway, we were all glad to see each other again after the summer and headed down to the Bison – which is now open on Thursday nights – for some more chatting over good coffee.  So we did. 

I am looking forward to this year of orchestra.  I don’t feel so totally incompetant this year as a bass player – even if I don’t know how to play those little squiggly rests.

Spending time with my grandson.  This is one of the best ways to spend a holiday.  Mom and Ronin are doing so well.  We had a visit from the nurse this morning.  He’s gaining weight and his poops are turning orange(that’s good by the way).  

It is fun to see this little guy becoming more alert already.  Right now he is swinging and he seems pretty content.  

I’ve taken more pictures but will have to download them when I get back home.