A morning of mishaps

So, yesterday I mowed the lawn and trimmed down an assortment of weeds from an overgrown garden that I had been neglecting. I also made a chocolate mashed potato cake (pretty tasty) for the volunteer appreciation luncheon at work. This morning I woke up with poison ivy from teh yard work. When I went to wash the dishes from baking last night, a chunk popped out of the drain pipe under my kitchen sink. The water flooded the cabinet beneath and flowed out onto the floor. This made me late enough for work that I got caught in traffic, when the low fuel light came on in the car. I know from experience that I have a several miles left to go in a case like that but I had to stop for gas on the way to work which made me even more late than I had expected. It was one of those mornings.

I emailed my brothers who know a lot about house maintenance (see the post just before this one) with photos of the pipe problem. To me, the two possible solutions for this sort of thing are to call a plumber or to sell the house. To them, this is just a routine thing like mowing the lawn or vacuuming the floor. I heard back from both of them moment later with phrases like "easy to replace'" and "no big deal." I don't get it but I somehow lucked into this safety net and I'm glad of it. I may be washing dishes in the bathroom sink for a couple of days but that's easy to accommodate.

So, now it's time to kick in and start scratching the poison ivy. I'll have to deal with that one on my own!

Ax Men

Yesterday I went out to my brother John's house to help take down a dead tree that was leaning over an old tool shed. My brother Tom and his son John were there to help too. Actually, brothers John and Tom did most of the work and nephew John was busy alongside them. I was there to do little odd jobs and pitch in when an extra pair of hands was needed. My brothers are both stronger than I am and have somehow gained a huge body of knowledge on how to do this sort of thing. I must have been out of the room when this piece of the family gene pool was being handed out. They both also have tons of useful tools and equipment. I try to help where I can during projects like this and always end up learning a lot. Here's a photo of what the tree looked like before we started.

It's hard to tell from this picture but the tree is leaning over the red shed quite a lot. We couldn't just cut it down. We had to dismantle it piece by piece. It took a long time.

This next photo shows the work in progress. John was the only one to go up in the tree. The rest of us were busy with ropes, tools and opinions.

Little is left of the tree now but there is still a bit of work to be done. Even though it was dead it's surprising how much more open the area seems now that it's gone.

I suspect John and Tom are sore today. They earned it. I have a bit of a sunburn and what Tom calls 'air show neck' from looking up all day. It was a good way to spend a Sunday.

Balanced awareness or over-dramatization?

Lately several of my friends have faced serious health problems. Some of them have worked out well. While it hasn’t been easy for them, it’s a great relief to know that they have seen the worst of the current challenge and are on their way back. It remains to be seen how things are going to go for others. They are on my mind a great deal. While I had quite a dramatic run, it seems that I was let off the hook easily in comparison to others.

I have another routine follow-up appointment with my lung surgeon tomorrow. That required another CT scan and that was done today. In order to get the CT scan I had to go for blood tests last week. The novelty of all these tests has worn off. Now they seem just like more hoops to jump through – part of my payment for having gotten off the hook from that tumor.

I made a remark to someone the other day that these tests and appointments are the annoying part of not dying that I have to go through in order to get all the good things that life rolls my way. I meant it as a joke but there was truth in it, too. When I learned I had the tumor I vowed not to take as much for granted. At the same time I don’t want to moon along in the dramatic role of the disease survivor. It’s an interesting and difficult balance to maintain. I hope I’m doing a good job of it. It’s hard to know.

Easter canoe / kayak trip

Over the Easter weekend I went with my brother John's family and friends on a canoe/kayak trip to the pine barrens in New Jersey. We had a great time. There were fifteen of us. It's quite a production with all the boats, camping equipment and food that we haul along. Here is a bunch of us getting ready for to paddle down the river on Easter morning. You can click on any of the photos to see a larger version.

These trips are always an adventure. Last year it was very cold. This year it was warmer but on Saturday it rained from just before dawn until late in the afternoon. We made the best of it. They come very prepared and luckily a lot of tarps are included. They were able to stretch enough of them over the cooking area so that we could all avoid getting soaked - mostly.


Every now and then someone has an unpleasant spill but for the most part the trips go smoothly. Coasting down the river is wonderful. I like to hang in the back and watch the people ahead of me laughing, talking, forming into one set of groups and then another.


It's not a traditional way to spend the Easter holiday but it seems right to me. Early on Easter morning this year was quiet and serene and sunny. That was especially welcome after the rainy and cold day that had gone before. It's fun to mix with the crowd but it's easy to get away for a little quiet time, too.


It's raining again this morning. I loved the camping and the boating but I'm also loving the chance to be at home in the warmth and listening to the rain outside.