Friday, September 24, 2010

Well, I guess you can be too busy

I did a major oops yesterday. I can laugh about it now - in fact, I laughed about it as soon as I realized what I did. It's just hard to comprehend how I could have done that. Let me give you the background story:

I take piano lessons Thursday mornings from 7 am to 8 am. They're in University Park, which is way across town from where I live and work. I'm supposed to be at work by 8:15, but obviously I'm a little late on Thursdays. I'm usually there by 8:20, but it depends on traffic. Yesterday was one of those days.

Rose had phoned me at about 5 to 8, interrupting my piano lesson. So then my lesson went on a little after 8. When I left Lore's house, I was already talking on my cell phone because I had to arrange for a plumber to go by my 4-plex, and he had told me to call him at 8 am to make arrangements. I had to get that call out of the way before I could drive. I then got into my car, got into traffic and was speeding my way back across town. When I got to school, I had to park at the far end of the parking lot. I dashed to the library and go there just before the first bell rang at 8:25.

I went upstairs (the library has two levels) to teach my class, then I noticed that my shoe seemed to be untied. That's when it hit me. I wasn't wearing lace up shoes! At least, I hadn't been when I left the house this morning. I was now. They weren't my shoes! Lorna has her lesson right after mine, and I had stolen her shoes! Mine were still at Lore's house across town. I phoned and made my apologies and we'll swap shoes back next week. (Poor Lorna, my shoes wouldn't even fit her. Her shoes are much too big for me.) I had to phone Rose to bring me another pair of shoes to wear at school.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Sunday Evening

I haven't been feeling well all week. Nothing major - just blah - I'm having a lot of trouble just staying on top of the classes I'm teaching, doing the TL thing; being a parent, etc. I finally went online with my class tonight - I'm over a week behind. Oh well, I'm doing what I can when I can. I hate being behind but at least I'm trying. It's not even 8 pm and I'm wanting to go to bed.

My parents were here Saturday. My dad, bless him, changed my locks for me so that the deadbolts now all have turnbuckles on the inside. It was a fairly major job because the old locks had a smaller hole and he had to redrill the hole for the new locks. In addition, he hung my towel racks in the bathroom (so we all have our own towel rack now), fixed the three way switch in the hallway so it works (he said it was miswired when they built the house in 56), told me what I need to do to get my toilet fixed and what screws to buy to mount my microwave. He also hung the hook rack I purchased at the front door so that we can hang up our coats when we enter. I am so very grateful to him. Mom helped me finish canning - I made apple butter and cranberry jelly (from the high bush cranberries I picked at Kenosee). I love it when my parents visit. They left after service this morning. They're on their way to Calgary now to visit with my cousin Jim who's walking the west coast trail (he's done the Appalatian trail twice).

Still on my to do list at home:
Minor stuff:
- get my microwave mounted (it's a above the stove microwave but is sitting on a counter right now) - I'll need help for this; any takers?
- get my toilet fixed - I can likely do this on my own
- hang my knife rack in the kitchen (a 10 minute job for someone else - an impossibility for me)
- finish putting the captain's bed together in my spare room (Rose and I worked on this for about 2 hours and we almost got the three drawers put together; we've got a ways to go to finish).

More Major stuff: - all of this will need someone else to do it for me
- the beam that runs under my furnace apparently isn't supported, and needs supports on both sides. When they installed the furnace (in the past few years), they cut the beam and never supported it. This is a fairly important must do.
- build a front hall closet (I've got the space for it, and I can't believe an architect built this house and never put a coat closet in it!) I want to have a bookcase on the back of the closet for my piano books. Not an essential, but would be very nice to have.
- Put a shower in my half bath - which means remodelling both bathrooms - stealing some room from the main bathroom for the shower, and putting a new vanity in there, moving both toilets and sinks. (This will wait for at least a year until I can afford it.)
- Put a half bath in the strange closet near the back door, and move the washer and drayer there out of the kitchen. (This will also wait for at least a year until I can afford it.)

If I'm making a wish list, I'd also like to remodel the kitchen, but that can wait until I win the Canadian Living annual contest to remodel your kitchen as that's the only way I can see it happening. Currently all the appliances are original from 1956.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Back in the saddle again

It only took about 10 days, but I have internet and phone service again. Life is good.

I haven't been home much though, to use and appreciate it. It got fixed Friday at noon. There was a church retreat Friday night through Monday morning at Kenosee. Got back home around noon. Had a school retreat yesterday and today. Got home around 7 pm. (I was home earlier, but I had to give me key out so that I could get my kitchen taps fixed, so didn't have a key and Rose wasn't home. When I picked up Rose from work, she needed to run some errands, so we didn't get home until after 7.)

However, I'm back home again, the phone works, the internet works, and my kitchen tap works. In addition, Rose is registered for her classes at the U of R and has her texts. I got an email from my prof saying my class started today online and I hadn't check in yet - so that's my next task. That and practicing piano; piano lessons are tomorrow morning. I can't say I've gotten a lot of practice in this week though. I should also do some preparations for tomorrow's classes that I'm teaching, at least if I want a good day teaching, I should do that. I guess that means that my evening is mapped out for me.