A Few Things

 When the second guy was here, he was very insecure. He wanted to close the deal, that's all. I asked him the measurements of the teak bench attached to the wall. He held up his hands, measuring out a an indeterminate length and width. I spoke up and said, "That is not a measurement. How about giving me inches instead of an estimate. That showed me a real lack of professionalism. 

Him suggesting that they put in shower and we hire a handyman to tear out the tile and put in sheetrock annoyed me. Instead of putting in a block to make grab sturdier, he did a wag of his head, demeaning me say that they would attach it to a 2x4 as though I had never heard of a 2x4. The right way is to add something sturdier than one board. 

I talked to a young woman who works for a church, asking if she could find someone I could pay to help me. I did not want her to think I was just looking for free help. She asked what kind of help. Tommy said picking things up! So, maybe I will get help soon.

It is so cold! My blanket comes tomorrow. I wish I could use it instead of washing it first. We will be gone tomorrow, so I will get neighbor to rescue it from the porch. I don't want it stolen. 

Tommy walked past me and I noticed a tag on the bottom of his tshirt, two tags. Now, I have never seen a tag on te bottom of a t-shirt. It is white and V-necked. So, I had him take it off for me to examine. It is a Brooks Brothers t-shirt. I wonder if they still use tags at the bottom of their shirts. Someday, I will investigate this. Have you ever seen a t-shirt with a tag at the bottom? Tommy said the shirt is at least 30 years old.

Time for leg therapy. It really hurts when it is happening. But, it makes my legs feel better and less tight.

Still Not Clean

I hired someone to clean the bathroom with exbf's money. So far, $100 has been put into the effort. Yes, it was filthy. She started at the ceiling. She is by far the best cleaner I have had the last two years. She can actually talk and keep cleaning.

During the time I paid her to clean, she also took off the old commode seat, put on a commode seat. I had to show her how once she installed it and the lid would not come up. The new commode seat and lid were mangled. I bought this on clearance but was told it was fine, that the commode seat was opened and returned. Not so. So, I paid her about $20 to take off the old commode seat, put on the new commode seat, put on the new commode seat correctly,  take off the new commode seat, and put on the final commode seat.

She is washing inside a small, low cabinet. It looks great. I have  bookcase type metal piece that is difficult to work around. It is still not clean, very dusty. And, she will wash the window next time unless I can do it. There are four shelves next to sink and over the little, low door. I will clean those shelves.

I will wash the window curtain and the lace curtain I use at the four shelves beside the sink. I certainly manage to do that and save money by not paying her. I can do some things.

My whole bathroom is discombobulated. Some things are outside the bathroom. Since I cannot get into tub, I have used tub to store some boxes. I have to empty those. Well, I have to decide where things go. The toothbrushes and toothpaste I get for Christmas Child boxes are put in one of the boxes in the tub.

Part of her time here was lopping tree limbs. The hickory tree outside the back door has large hickory nuts that weigh down the limbs. When the tree has large nuts and is soaked with rain, the limbs hit us in the face. So, she pulled the limbs down and I lopped. It hurt me but not as much as pulling limbs down. In the front yard at the corner of the street, I noticed the Yoshino Cherry tree limbs would hit cars or bicyclists, so she lopped those limbs. Then, she dragged them to the road.

About 4:30 I was hungry and shocked to see how late it was. She took me up on a pbj sandwich. We both felt much better when we finished.

I have an oval mirror in the bathroom. the frame is plastic but looks like wicker. It needs to be carried outside to the hose. I will take out the mirror and leave it in here. Soap and water will make the dirty frame pristine.

She started on the ceiling, cleaning it, went to walls cleaning them, cleaned the trim above the faux tile. Everyone thinks I have tile on the lower part of the bathroom. No, they could work miracles with plaster and lathe boards 100 years ago. I assume they pressed something against the plaster to make it look like tile.

It took forever for her to clean under the claw foot tub. The bathroom is tiny. There is little room under the tub and even less behind the tub and at the end. Then, at the end there are pipes for the drain, hot water, and cold water.

If I ever have my way, my claw foot tub will not be put against a wall! It will be angled in a corner. If I ever get my way about installation!

The bathroom is white and just about knocks your eyes out when clean and everything like towels and pictures are removed. I use pink towels. The soft soap is always pink shampoo or body wash. The pink and a bit of blue and white "Made in China" item makes it all work. The bath tub always has pink Dove. I need to get another pink rug.

I clean with the brown, liquid Lysol, so it smells nice to me. Clorox is suffocating and Pine Sol is gross and I am allergic to it.

That was all done on a day last week and a day last week. She stayed four hours each day and did other things besides cleaning, just things I needed.

Yes, it was filthy, but I cannot do all this anymore. Hopefully, I can keep it up and only have someone clean the bathroom maybe twice a year just to get what I cannot. I am also going to sell a few things that need to go so I can afford this. I did NOT spend my gift money on this...lol.

No, I am not going to get a Medicare waiver. Do not suggest it. Will not happen. JRE is exempt because she mentioned it and I realized I should have put something in the post. So, I did.

Have you ever fought to clean behind and under a claw foot tub? Have you ever needed help to clean?

This and That and the Other

This--proof positive that the black hens are still here

Wednesday, a man and woman friend of the woman behind me who owns the black hens came to my house and tried to catch them. They succeeded in chasing them over the fence. When the couple went back to to yard behind me, there was lots of squawking from chickens and yelling from people. Obviously, three people cannot catch chickens in a fenced yard. So, today, I had unwelcome company once again! (It is Friday, and they were still coming to my yard, laying an egg in my next box, one on Thursday and one today, Friday.)

 

Her friends suggested I call Animal Control to the chickens. Nope. She can do that. After all, they are uncontrollable in her yard. This depresses me!

 

By the way, Thelma's egg is taken from the end, so it looks smaller than its gigantic size.

 

 

That--tub repair in progress

As usual, I went for most respected worker in town, the plumber who started this on Tuesday. As it turns out, there are three leaks. Lucky me! There are three drain sizes for the drain he took out and for the pipe underneath. Lucky me, I have the least available, hardest to find size. He had to beat the drain out. The pipe underneath was easy, but it had the elbow attached. In other words, a pipe with a bend. He was not thrilled to find that.

 

The plastic hose is to divert the drip from the faucet to the tank to the commode which also drips. I have to keep the cutoff on the commode off until I want to flush it. Then, I have to reach into the tank to pull up the flapper. Yes, I have replaced flappers, chains, and ripped out my hair. Now, the whole mechanism has to be replaced if I can afford it.

 

He was supposed to return Wednesday but did not due to not being able to find he part....sigh. Thursday, I was not home and he did not call. Friday, no news or contact even though I called.

 

How can I afford this? A very generous person put enough in my PayPal account to hopefully cover all this. I will only have the repairs done that the donation will cover.

 

Oh, the expensive faucet--given to me from an old tub....free. It is a long story as to why it was free. I will relate that some day! I am very hopeful.

 

 

The other--vent hood in place

 

 

About three years ago, the vent hood over the stove fell down. At first, it was an eighth of an inch down, then, a fourth of an inch, then and inch. Finally, it just fell down and dangled by the electrical wires, blocking my view, making cleaning the hood or wall impossible since I was afraid I would make it fall all the way off or start a fire.

 

Charlie lives an hour from me and will not just travel here to help me. That's okay. But, Tuesday night about eight o'clock, he called and said he had a date with a woman about 6 miles from me and would come by if I wanted him to. When? He was not sure. She might turn him away at the door; she might send him packing after a few hours; she might have allowed him spend the night in another room/bed..

 

UGH! I went to bed in a state of uncertainty. At 4 am or so, he called, asking if I wanted him to come. OF COURSE! When he got here, I had a list:

*carry two heavy boxes in from the car

*drag/roll extremely heavy garbage can to road for pickup

*put up vent hood

*we had a trade to make

*there was a box of items for him that I had been stashing in a box
*something else I forgot because I threw away the list.  

 

We went to Lowe's for screws.. After much wrangling the dangling vent hood and my holding it up, he got the screws in and the properly placed vent hood makes me feel better. I am ecstatic!

Does something like a dangling vent hood, especially for three years, make you a little down? 

 

Your turn

How is it going with your chickens, your neighbor's chickens, your plumbing, your vent hood, your life?