Monday: Here We Go Again

Our son was home from school again today. If I didn't know that my wife is very sensible and astute, I'd suspect that he had a case of "Mondayitis." This is the second Monday in a row that he's been sub-par.

He made use of the free time to work on a complicated Valentine-card delivery system for his Valentines Day card container. He's done a 'Rube Goldberg' contraptions before: and I think he's pretty good at it.

Something I didn't mention in Sunday's entry. #2 daughter got a slight shock as she was packing the van. For reasons that I don't entirely understand, she had her hands exposed outside: and noticed that they were steaming.

She reports that she thought something along the lines of "what kind of temperature is this?!" In a word, cold. I see in the news that International Falls is the official "Icebox of the Nation" again: with temperatures to match. In was 40 below zero there today. That's still-air temperature. Not wind chill.

I got two calls from #1 daughter today. She's excited about a trip she's taking to Washington, DC. To be at an anime convention. My wife and I did not recommend or endorse the trip, but she's of age and can make her own decisions.

I hope, while she's there, that she bothers to look at something besides anime and manga and fan art.

My wife finished painting the living room today. She saved the most challenging section of wall for last. It's the part over the stairs going down to the basement. Her solution was to

• Put the paint can on a shelf between the wall and the stair
• Set herself up in a rather dramatic pose, with her right foot on a stepladder and her left on the built-in shelves that surround the stairs
• Grasp one end of a cardboard tube that she'd affixed the paint brush to and
• Dip that brush with a four-foot handle into the bucket and paint the wall

All in all, an impressive bit of work: and the results look fine.

Tuesday: Painting the Living Room

My wife's been working on the living room project today. She filled in gaps around a drywall panel that covers the spot where an outside door used to be, and two other spots that were left unfinished after the last major changes. She tells me that I'll be moving an entertainment center for her tomorrow, so she can paint behind it. Nice to know that I can be useful.

I took a nap this afternoon. I must have needed it: after the alarm woke me up, I found out that I'd been trying to turn off a digital thermometer.

Then, well after 10 this evening, the phone rang. it was #1 daughter. She was having trouble sleeping, and apparently wanted to share the situation with me. Specifically, she and I talked about a young man she's met recently. Although her timing could have been better, I enjoyed talking with her.

Saturday: Four Day Weekend, Day One

This is the start of a four day weekend: for our son, at least, as noted yesterday. My wife has declared Monday a normal (home) school day for #3 daughter.

This morning was off to an - interesting? - start as I was waking up.

The first thing I heard was the sound of our son carrying too many books at a time up the stairs. I didn't open my eyes, and so avoided seeing several volumes falling back down a few steps.

Down on the first floor, my wife told me I could sit where I usually do, to eat breakfast. She'd paint around me. I had started on the day's first meal when I felt her pushing against me, a rolling table, and the tray my breakfast was on.

I asked if I should move the tray. She said 'yes,' and pushed against me and the table. Since the table was touching the tray, the tray moved an inch or so to the east.

It's remarkable, how quickly a bowl of yogurt, a mug of tea, and a shot glass of assorted tablets and capsules can tip and fall. The couch is dry now, about 14 hours later.

Meanwhile, my wife got another dozen feet or so of living room wall painted.

Just before noon, going out to grill lunch, I noted a sort of alluvial fan of trash bags in front of the door from the garage, out to the grill. The proper disposal of those bags had been our son's responsibility. I went in, giving him room to work.

We don't usually have that much trash to deal with, but debris from the living room floor project has stretched the envelope of our waste-disposal routines.

He got the bags out of the way - except for one leaning against the door. And another that fell to the floor when I moved the one by the door.

At that point, I dropped one of the hamburger patties under the garage stairs. I went in to get a replacement, and told our son to recover the patty I dropped.

When I went back to the garage, our son was down by the rear of the van, about 12 feet from the steps.

Comparing notes later, I learned that our son, unable to locate the burger, went back to take care of some more trash bags. By the time that burger patty stopped bouncing, it was about the same color and texture as the rest of the floor.

My wife insisted on throwing it away.

It's been another cold day, but it was still fun to grill. And, I had a beautifully clear blue sky to enjoy.

Before supper, my wife sent me to Wal-Mart. Our son went along, to see if the 2008 Bionicles had arrived yet. They hadn't but we had a good trip together.

The highlight of the evening, for me, was hearing #3 daughter and our son in the north room, practicing a song for a dramatic piece they're doing with some cousins.

Which brings me up to date.

Back to School Looms

It's about a week before back-to-school makes the transition here from a looming threat to a current crisis.

Our second daughter is returning to college around the end of the month. It's been great, having all four kids under the roof this summer. Right now, I'm a safe two rooms away as daughters #2 and 3, and my wife, watching "High School Musical 2." The ladies tend to whoop, loudly, at parts they like.

Daughter #1 is with me, doing something with her new laptop, in the area we're using for computers and music now.

I'm going to miss #2 when she leaves. But, that's how life goes.

Our son is, most likely, with the ladies, and probably oblivious to anything other than whatever he as going on, in the laptop that he 'inherited' from his big sister.

Earlier today, my wife and #2 daughter got part of the north face of the house painted today. They rented a sort of do-it-yourself cherry-picker for the job. We live in a farmhouse that got enveloped by the town. It's somewhat higher than most houses are, these days.

Good grief! I haven't posted since Monday. I don't know if I should call the week busy, or crazy. I'll settle for busy. That has a better ring to it.