This is Exciting

Greetings dear reader. Welcome once again to this whatever-it-is that I create most weeks. And welcome to my new followers here on Medium. I’m not exactly a big time writer, but I do see a few new people follow me from time to time. Thank you.

Last week I shared the quote “Time is what keeps everything from happening at once” and said the author who wrote that was all wrong. This week I can confirm that continues to be the case.

So let’s run through the list of things that have kept me on my toes for the last seven days.

Windows

The windows were supposed to be available for delivery on Tuesday. As it happens, Tuesday came and went with nothing happening. I sent an email that went unanswered until Wednesday afternoon when my contact returned to the office. They pointed me to the shipping and receiving guy, but also told me that only about two-thirds of the order had arrived.

That’s right. There was no indication of a problem or that anything would be late until the estimated delivery date. This is an issue on the part of the manufacturer — Milgard — not the vendor.

After a conversation with the receiving person, the plan is as follows:

• They will deliver the windows that were shipped later today (as I write this) to get them out of the way. They have limited space to store them.
• The revised estimate for delivery of the rest is May 24, but I’m told that Milgard leans heavily on the word “estimate,” and that I shouldn’t expect anything until they are actually in my hands. This differs from what I was told by others in the office, but this source actually pulls them off the truck so I chose to believe his opinions are probably closest to the truth.
• I also talked with the contractor who will do the installation. He assures me it will happen in June, and that he wants to start with a bigger crew to plow through as much as they can quickly. No firm date yet — we don’t even have the windows yet — but it seems likely we will get them installed in the not too distant future.

Keeping on top of all of this has been tricky this past week. And a bit stressful.

Window Addendum

Yay! The windows that were shipped have been delivered. I’ve been through them all to be sure they are the right sizes and are all properly oriented. Everything seems good. I distributed them around the house so there is plenty of room in the garage for the next batch when it arrives.

Surgery Status

Another reminder from last week: my gallbladder has to come out. I have a zeppelin sized gallstone that really shouldn’t be there and causes more than enough discomfort, thank you.

The immediate challenge is getting consultation with another doctor about my spherocytosis in advance of the surgery next week. It’s probably not a big deal, but the surgeon’s office wants it done. Trying to get that scheduled was challenging, but it should happen this afternoon. I have also received prep instructions and have several calls with different departments scheduled for early next week as well — pharmacist, nurse, anaesthesia — to prepare me for the event. It seems everything is moving along to get this done on time. Rather surprising, to be honest.

Trying to keep all of this coordinated and moving has been challenging. And the actual surgery itself is coming up quickly. This on top of the window stuff really kept me hopping this week.

Surgery Status Addendum

Well, that’s done. It seems I am in good enough shape to do the surgery, which was the point. But it was interesting to do this because it turned into my first office medical visit since Covid hit. In fact I was rather surprised they initially tried to schedule it in person and pushed back, asking if they didn’t just want to do it over the phone. The person I was talking to said they could do it either way, and I assumed a phone consultation would be fine. But I was wrong. It turned out the doctor wanted to listen to my heart and take my blood pressure, as well as assess my spherocytosis situation. So after talking with her for a few minutes I jumped in the car and drove to her office. Everything worked out, at least. That’s one more thing off the list.

Downspout Clog Reduction

As part of getting the garage ready to receive the windows I needed to get the wire mesh cage I have been building to keep debris out of an upper roof downspout out of the way. It was easiest to finish and install it, and the weather has actually cooperated.

The bricks sit on aluminum angle stock attached to the cage with screws and large washers. If this works as intended, debris will build up along the front of that wire cage but water will always be able to get out. There is lots of filter space there, which was my goal.

It turns out I really needed this a couple of weeks ago. This side of the upper roof is exposed to the very large maple tree in the front yard, and this year — unlike last year — it is dropping zillions of flower enclosures (called “sepals” I am told) and flowers. Later it will drop the infamous helicopter seed pods. It turns out those flowers and sepals got stuck in the wire insert I put into the top of the downspout a while ago and plugged it up. Water was still getting through, but not particularly quickly. We had no big build up and no leaks, but it was good I caught it when I did.

Have I mentioned just how much I hate flat roof designs? Argh!

Next time I get on the roof — after surgery, I’m sure — I will get my first view of how this new enclosure is working. Adjustments might be needed. Eventually I will create another mesh box somewhat like this one for the other downspout exit off the upper roof. I also need to do something more about keeping cruft out of the scuppers the downspouts attach to, but that’s another thing entirely and I’ll explain it when I get to it.

Dog Update

Finally, a quick review of canine status. Both Tinkerbelle and Cruzer continue to be a bit worried about Skookie. For example, they look around every morning to see where she might be. And in light of her continued absence, Tinkerbelle has probably decided to be an actual despot (as opposed to a benevolent despot) now that she runs the pack. (Kidding. She is a bit more protective of her food bowl now that Skookie is gone, but it’s all bluster. They’re figuring out the rules in the revised pack hierarchy. It’s fine.)

Cruzer’s status is a bit less clear. He continues to forget how to use the stairs, and sometimes he will cry for minutes at the bottom or top because he cannot get his feet to move. It takes a huge amount of coaxing to get him to do it in those cases. At other times though, he will climb or descend as if nothing is wrong. I’ve regularly said he is probably the dumbest dog we’ve ever had, and I stand by it. He doesn’t have two neurons to rub together. But this fear of the stairs is a relatively new thing, and so far we haven’t found a way to get him over it. We’ll keep trying.

Here’s Tink, asleep (and shedding) under my desk:

And here’s Cruzer, asleep behind my desk chair:

As you can tell, it was yet another weirdly busy week. Such is my life.

Assuming all goes as expected, next week’s post will be written without a gallbladder. (I look forward to my most faithful reviewer’s comments about that sentence!)

Keep safe!