random thoughts – Day 2,417 (Thursday 10/29) – in action

Finally painting the shed.

The morning slipped into the all too usual time-suck where I get up at 6:45 and suddenly it’s 9:00. Then I blinked and it was 10:00 and I still hadn’t taken a shower but I had finished a book and played games on my phone. That’s when I snapped into action.

Clear textured glass was chosen and pieces cut for the small panel. The first piece cut like a dream, the second piece was great but less dreamy. After that, the next few pieces didn’t cut as cleanly and are going to need grinding to smooth off the burrs and I took the hint and set it aside for a while.

At 2:00, I realized it was beautiful outside and mowed the yard. All the siding project mess was hauled away yesterday and I had full access to my yard and shed again. The mowing also chopped up most of the leaves so it was a two-for-one deal.

At 4:00, while messing around doing not much, I decided to paint the front of the shed with the paint left from some things on the house that needed paint during the siding project. It’s possible the leftover siding will go on the side and back walls, but it would be a pain in the arse with the doors.

The foam brushes and my favorite four-inch foam roller were fetched and I got busy. The first roll on the walls didn’t reach the gap in the vertical boards. That led to a snap decision to keep the thin lines white for a pinstripe effect. I hated the barn doors look, but pinstripes are fun.

Pinstripe shed front.

There were mistakes made. I should have scraped the black paint off the trim on and around the door. The hinges should have been removed but I don’t have a Robertson screwdriver for the stupid screws and I didn’t think to tape over the hinges because I tend to think I’m a neater painter than I actually am.  I didn’t paint inside the door frame yet because it was getting late and I wanted to be able to close the shed without them being painted shut. A smaller brush would have gotten some corners I missed around the stupid X shapes on the doors that I didn’t notice until after everything was cleaned up. I might take the X pieces off, but I want to check with a carpenter to see if they are there for support and stability first.

The shed isn't perfect but it’s good enough for now. I really hated the white shed with black trim and a barn door look, so that is remedied and I’m content with it. When the switch flips to the on position and I finally snap into action I’m pretty productive.

random thoughts – Day 2,416 (Wednesday 10/28) – baby naughty

Baby Naughty,
ready for mayhem.

My eldest niece arrived home yesterday from Vegas for a visit and today Mom and I went to Sis’s house. Niece #1 is working remotely during her visit and we gathered during her lunch break. It is always fun at Sis’s house because Sis, her husband, and her daughters have jobs working with the public and go on adventures that means they have lots of funny and outrageous true stories. 

Stuff like managers "helping" and changing all the descriptions on a list of loans in process, accidentally calling a manager the dorky nickname given to a sister's boyfriend,  dumb jokes customers tell at a banking counter, car rental breakdown on a honeymoon, a history of rainstorms on camping trips, and so on. I kind of miss having my own current stories about funny/ loud/ annoying colleagues and misadventures and definitely enjoy hearing about theirs. And I need to improve my adventure game. 

In addition to the amusing true tales, my sister usually has fun seasonal decor in the house. When the girls were young, there were decorations for holidays and seasons major and minor, including a year-round tree with décor that rotated to include Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Independence Day, Halloween, and football season.

Plotting murder?

This year’s Halloween décor features “Baby Naughty.” Baby Naughty is a creepy baby doll that may have escaped from a horror movie and found its way to my sister’s house by way of Mummu and someone who was giving away kids toys. When weird things would happen at the house, like an odd noise, a missing item, a new crayon drawing on a wall, Baby Naughty was blamed. During football season, Baby Naughty often sported a creepy football head and was parked in a chair.

Baby Naughty is creepy enough that the family is afraid to dispose of it. The fear is it would return and unleash a true horror story. This season, Baby Naughty is in rare form. With a miniature meat cleaver at hand, Baby Naughty is perched on the top level of a six-foot tall pantry shelf, watching us eat lunch, ready to cause mayhem. Like plotting our murders by baby meat cleaver.  Oh, Baby Naughty.

random thoughts – Day 2,415 (Tuesday 10/27) – prepping and doing

Prepping to solder.

There are certain morning routines that keep the house running. One is the brewing and consumption of coffee. The other is feeding treats to Kiki. She is accustomed to morning treats and greets me each morning with meowing. Non-stop meowing. I get some treats in my right hand and feed them one at a time to Kiki with my left hand, and we move on. Usually, she lays in the sun for a while and then disappears for hours (or all day).

This morning, I had grabbed a larger handful of treats than usual. After doling out treats, I set the remainder on the coaster on the ottoman. Then, I went to the kitchen to top off my coffee. From the kitchen, I spotted little Miss Ninja Kitty on the ottoman, silently dining on the remaining treats. I stood quietly so I didn’t startle her and watched from the kitchen. When she was done eating her treats one by one, she sniffed the items on the ottoman – coaster, TV remote, book, pen – then slinked off the ottoman and went to the window, without making a sound. It’s the first time I’ve seen her on the ottoman.

Prepped for delivery.

The schedule for the day included the delivery of the new refrigerator to replace the barely one year old refrigerator that decided to go on strike for the second time in four months. Delivery instructions included ensuring a clear path from the door to the refrigerator location. That required moving the dining chairs and nudging the table back a foot or two to open access through the kitchen doorway. It's fine for everyday life, but two men navigating a refrigerator are a different story. The boxes of glass and bevels were shoved back under the table and in front of the buffet. The rug was rolled back to the table to remove a tripping obstacle on the floor.

After the furniture workout, I relaxed by soldering a stained glass piece that had a new circle cut yesterday and was foiled last night. The ottoman was cleared and the corkboard, glass piece, soldering iron, sponge, roll of 60/40 solder and flux were installed. The soldering was completed. 

When the text arrived that the driver would arrive in 20 or 30 minute, it was time to empty the fridge and freezer. The drill was still fresh in mind from June. The foam Omaha Steaks cooler and the Rubbermaid tub it lives in were taken from the top shelf in the craft room. Several times I have considered disposing of the foam cooler. Twice now, I have been very glad to still have it. The couch was nudged several inches closer to the TV to widen the path from the door. 

The not so frigid air freezer contents were stuffed into the cooler and tub, plus an insulated tote bag and lunch bag. It went quickly. It took the delivery guys eleven minutes to remove the old refrigerator and set the new one in place. Then, the lead guy took the time to clean off the sticky marks with a citrus spray.

It took me longer to repack the freezer than it did to empty it. I had bought a wire shelf at Goodwill last week because it seemed like it would be handy, but when I got it home I couldn’t figure out what to do with it. With the freezer emptied, the new shelf was tried and it was better than the puny shelf that held the ice cube trays before. The plastic bins are re-organized with designated spots for fruits and vegetables, cheese, bread, and meat substitute. It will be interesting to see how long that system lasts.  

The refrigerator box was easy to deal with. It’s mostly condiments, eggs, butter, produce, and cheese. Most of those already have a solid system thanks to the door trays, produce, and deli drawers. I almost wish I had gotten some ice cream to really test the freezer.

Once the fridge was set up again, I moved the rug and table back to their regular spots. Then I went to dance in Fitchburg. It was a day full of movement and exercise, prepping and doing. 

random thoughts – Day 2,414 (Monday 10/26) – plans

Kiki gargoyle.

The temperature continued with the autumnal mood swings starting in the 30s in the morning and hitting nearly 70 in the afternoon. Being forewarned and dressing in layers are key to surviving. Put them on in the morning and peel them off as needed throughout the day. As I drank coffee, ate toast, and consulted the weather forecast, Kiki worked on her gargoyle impersonation on the chair across the room. She's so cute.

On the way out of town I stopped at a gas station that was top of the list in the Waze listing sorted from lowest price. It turned out it was a full serve station and for the first time in decades, I didn’t have to pump my own gas. I asked the gas pumping guy about the cost of the air machine ($1.00) and he pumped the air for me and the next thing I knew I was scheduling rear brake work while my tires were being topped off. It was the most productive gas stop in my history of driving.

Before going to glass class, I had to visit the appliance store. The solution from the service department for my repeat offender defective refrigerator was to credit my original purchase amount towards another fridge. The manager who called this morning said they had one the same size as mine and I said I’d be there today. We got it all settled and a delivery window is set for Tuesday. I love a customer service team with a plan. 

Glass class was the first of the next three-week session and it was crowded. In the last session there were three of us, and today there were seven because several past students returned. It was very loud for the first 30 minutes as they all loudly caught up with each other’s lives. I don’t know any of them and it wasn’t my place to butt in, so I headed to the sanctuary of the grinder and let that noise take over my brain. Very therapeutic.

Packed for transport.

Every time I took a step at the worktable, my foot hit the leg of the stool of someone directly behind me and I kept apologizing.  Two of us were jockeying for position at the light table. Three of us were tripping over each other to get to the grinders. The chaos must have energized me, because I got everything done that I had planned. I had a refresher on cutting circles with the instructor, got the colored glass pieces cut and ground for a panel and started the foiling. The freshly cut, ground, and partially foiled pieces were taped to the pattern for transport home.

My goals for this session are perfecting cutting circles, learning how to add patina to the solder lines, and learning how to reinforce pieces with wire. It’s good to have a plan.

random thoughts – Day 2,413 (Sunday 10/25) – temperature fluctuations

Recently, the daily temperature has fluctuated with seasonal ranges from the low 30s to the mid 60s. Likewise, my refrigerator, bought not quite fourteen months ago, is experiencing some temperature swings, though not quite so dramatic (thankfully). It’s a repeat of the temperamental activity dealt with in mid-June, specifically, the ice cream is no longer frozen, the ice cubes are wetter than usual, and the sound of the thing is a steady hum instead of the previous cyclical variety of noises.

The situation was corrected in June with the replacement of a part that controlled the automatic cycling of the “frost free” defrost stage. The technician told me about defective parts from a now-former vendor and that they were replacing dozens a day for a stretch of time a few months previous. Now it seems like the replacement part is from the same crappy batch as the original part, because it has lasted barely four months.

Immediately after the repair, the refrigerator box was running too cold which I noticed when my grapes were covered in ice crystals and the orange juice and half and half sounded crunchy when I shook the containers. In response, I lowered the setting a smidge below the notch marked “recommended” and things have been fine until the past few days. Suddenly, the ice cream that was solid enough to bend a spoon is more akin to the soft serve variety. The ice cubes, once brittle and dry, are now wet like a spring thaw.

Smooshy ice cream.

My quiet Sunday morning was spent looking for the paperwork for the refrigerator. Drawers were rifled through and some junk papers discarded. I don’t really need the grocery store and gas station receipts from July, do I? (They just piss me off, anyway.) After going through four drawers and a filing cabinet, it occurred to me the info I needed was most likely sitting in my email. Sure enough, it was. And the exercise feels like a justification to get a printer, because as much as I love trees, I am still a hands-on lover of paper files which do not require electricity, wi-fi, a series of passwords and authentications, and a search command to access.

Of course, the last printer I had sat unused on a shelf for the entire nine years I lived in Lowell until I paid to make it go away at an electronics recycling event. And as always happens, a couple months later,  informed that I was one of many selected to be laid off, I suddenly needed a printer for home sale and job search activities as much as I needed air, food, and water. Thank goodness for my favorite in-office job benefit, access to a printer, which almost made it worth the hassle to drive downtown, park in my assigned garage, and walk several blocks to the office on a regular basis.

Anyway, the model number, serial number, invoice number, and purchase date were located in the original emailed purchase invoice. A service request was sent online, partially for the cyber trail. And now, I wait. The outdoor temperature climbed from 29 degrees at 6 a.m. to 58 degrees on the approach to noon, so it might be a good time for me to finish off the ice cream before the freezer declares my ice cream season over. Not that the season ever really alters ice cream consumption in New England. Like iced coffee, it’s a year-round part of the diet here.

random thoughts – Day 2,412 (Saturday 10/24) – bug, ballot, blood

Bug!

The morning sunshine and quiet were enjoyed with a mug of warm water while the coffee brewed. One morning a couple weeks ago I did this, and it was nice, and I’ve done it every day since.

Soon, I was sitting on the couch drinking coffee and dealing with the daily runny nose. I got a tissue from the bedroom and as I held it to my nose, I spotted something weird. The tissue was removed from my face and with horror, I saw a big bug on it, and the tissue with bug was tossed to the floor. Then, I screwed up my single-person courage, picked up the bug tissue, and opened the front door. Still wearing my purple bathrobe and pajamas (aka sleeping clothes), I stood at the open door, shaking the tissue like a surrender flag to liberate myself from the bug.

A couple hours later, I had finished my study of the first 23 pages of the 87-page Massachusetts Information for Voters Guide – 2026 Ballot Questions. It felt like cramming for an exam. Relevant passages had been highlighted, a cheat sheet was drafted, and I was dressed for the day in a khaki-colored cashmere sweater and khaki pants, suitable for interacting with the world at large. When I went to the coat closet for a jacket, I saw something brown on the floor.

The past couple weeks have frequently seen fragments of dried brown leaves tracked into the house, but this brown thing was moving at a steady pace along the Berber carpet. It was another bug, just like the one from earlier and I wondered how they were getting inside. It was guided onto the dustpan from the nearby glass worktable and I returned to the door for another return to nature. At least this time I was wearing daytime clothes.

Vote!.

With my list of ballot question answers in hand, I headed to City Hall to vote. I love early voting. It was calm and peaceful, and everybody there was in a good mood. Maybe it was the “I voted early” stickers we were given. Eleven minutes after exiting my car, I was done voting and was back in my car, and didn’t know what to do next on a gorgeous fall day, so I headed home.

Once again, as so often happens, the car piloted itself into the Salvation Army Thrift Store parking lot. The place really is on my primary flight path. It was quiet there, too, so maybe everybody was doing something fun elsewhere. 

I saw two beautiful sweaters in Sal’s. One was cashmere, and based on the density of the fiber, the slightly misshapen look, and the tiny size that contradicted the size tag, it had clearly been put through the dryer. The other sweater was as good as new but was an extra small, and I’m not that size anymore. On the bright side, I didn’t spend any money, which was good because the recent investment in glass supplies has been a bit hefty.

When I got back home, I was drawn to the stained glass table. I knew the risks of messing with glass in a cashmere sweater and went there anywhere. I cut one curved piece in dark green that ends in a point, and stabbed myself in the pad of my right index finger. The bright red blood left splats on the corkboard. I grabbed a paper towel to wrap it in and headed for the bathroom where blood splatted on the counter and in the sink.

Luckily, the bandages were handy and one was applied quickly. Even more luckily, I didn't get blood on my “I'm going out somewhere” clothes. Within a few minutes, I had bled through the thing and went rummaging for a larger one. The bloodshed finally stopped, and I stayed away from the sharp pointy glass for the rest of the day. I really need to invest in some cutting gloves. The return to glasswork is getting expensive.

random thoughts – Day 2,411 (Friday 10/23) – birthday fun time

At The Old Mill, 10-23-26.

Mom’s choice for her birthday lunch was The Old Mill, and she and I met my sister there. A goose and some small ducks and goslings were paddling in the pond, and a heron stood on the shore across the water. We were happy when we were seated at a table at a window overlooking the waterfowl action and proceeded to play the local pond version of “Where’s Waldo?” as we kept looking for the heron. It blended with the trees and the stones and the water. 

We did nature show commentary of the birds swimming and grooming themselves. We talked about how the nine ballot questions in the current election feels like the adult equivalent of the SAT.

The food was good and the atmosphere relaxing. In the parking lot, Sis said she was going “to run to the store” before going back to Mom’s and Mom, without batting an eye, says “shouldn’t you take your car?” and then we were cracking up in the parking lot. Point for Mom.

The after-lunch plan was Yahtzee at Mom’s and the dice were messing with us. We kept reading the dice wrong and soon we were blaming wearing glasses, not wearing glasses, and the lunch food and a chef’s conspiracy to use some magical happy spice in our food.

When I told them how neither of my doorbells was working and the contractor and I decided to not bother making nail holes to reattach the buttons to the new siding, I said I was going to get a sign for the door like the one at the gate in the Wizard of Oz that read “Bell out of order. Please knock.” Except mine would probably read “Doorbell broken. Go away.”

That took us down the road of drafting doormat and answering messages intended for cold-calling door-to-door and telephone sales people. For phone answering we came up with “Hey, we’re not in right now. We were here yesterday, so you should have called then. Try again tomorrow. Good luck!” There was also “Are we expecting your call (or visit if doormat)? Did you text first?”; and “Do we know you? No? Please go away.” There were more, and we were howling.

Strawberry shortcake.

Then we got to the birthday dessert of strawberry shortcake. Sis had baked biscuits in the morning and they were a tad beyond golden and more brown so as backup, she brought some that were in her freezer. 

Then she hits us with “Would you like a freezer biscuit, or a freshly burned one? You know, like Mom used to make!” And we were dying all over again laughing over our family's traditional holiday burned biscuits and baked mashed sweet potato with an accidental flaming topping. As we were eating, it turned to jokes about needing a knife or a hacksaw. The afternoon was so much fun.