random thoughts – Day 1,334 – (Saturday) – home work

Mom and StepDad came over this morning for the seasonal dismantling of the deck table and umbrella. I can handle getting the table from the shed to the deck myself, but I can’t get the umbrella into or out of the stand and up through the hole to clear the table, lacking both the reach and the strength. Maybe next year, the umbrella should be set in the corner and not through the hole in the table. A smaller table would also help. Me being taller with longer and stronger arms would also solve the problem. 

Coffee maker, take 2.

The house was vacuumed and dusted, because nothing inspires cleaning like a visit from Mom. Or anyone, really. The dishwasher was emptied of the dishes and coffee mugs washed Friday night. The second pot of coffee for the day was started. Coffee beans had been ground earlier, using the slightly inconvenient grinder that is seldom used because it’s kind of a pain in the derriere. The coffee maker, bought in January, seemed extra noisy as it began the second shift of brewing operations. I couldn’t tell for sure if something was wrong because I’m usually not standing nearby staring at it and waiting for the precious steaming liquid. 

After producing a mere half inch of coffee for the expected full pot, the noise continued, but the coffee had stopped flowing. The water in the reservoir wasn’t making it to the grounds and then the pot. We all stared at it. The lid was raised and we peered through the steam into it. The unit was emptied, refilled with water, and restarted. It had ceased working. 

Luckily, the replacement unit that was sent when the filter funnel broke was still in the box upstairs. Instead of sending the one replacement part, the company sent an entire boxed set, but I only pulled out the funnel and left the rest in the box. I certainly didn’t think I would need it so soon. An eleven-month life span for a coffee maker doesn’t seem very long. 

Tall and leafy.

As StepDad took the umbrella out of the table a completely intact peanut in a shell fell out of it.  That’s the second time there has been a peanut in a shell at the deck table. I set it on the deck rail and wondered if the critter that left it (likely a squirrel) would be back to retrieve it. I’m also wondering who is the neighborhood peanut pusher.

StepDad had a saw in the truck and the eight-foot tall whatever it is that grew alongside the deck was cut down. The plant has huge leaves and created a spot of privacy and some shade on the deck, which gets blasted with full sun all afternoon in the summer. Parts of the plant also grew sideways and encroached on the neighbor’s driveway.

We finally got some fresh coffee and were able to drink coffee and talk for a little while. Then they headed back to their home and I kicked back to relax, alternated with decorating a holiday wreath. As usual, my initial idea isn’t working out and is shifting sideways to something totally different. No worries. It will all work out.