Housekeeping @ Diostede
Posted on Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 at 7:33 amI wish there wasn’t so much to post here…will try to cover everything you may question when you’re here for the weekend. Some of the following is just info…though there are a couple of things I need to ask your help with:
- Second Set of Flights – I know this is going to be your focus…and that’s good…it will be good to get the pairs on the back porch in bigger flights and not have to clean those trays. Keep this focus.
- First Set of Flights – One of the food door latches doesn’t catch well…I’ve labeled it. Also, the first flight on the right when you come in the door that faces the shed has a bird I call “escapee.” He/she hasn’t got into the aisle way yet, but does try to sneak out between taking out the old food bowl and putting in the new.
- Lawn Mowers – Self-Propelled needs to be taken to the Snapper Shop for repair. It started to smoke, which was actually hot oil…if you look at it, you’ll see that the oil “connector” to the reservoir is loose. And now, the starter pull rope is slack.
Riding Mower – needs new battery. I will put in a call in to Sears repair to find out if it is under warranty. We charged it once already and it started up that time. Charged it last weekend – nothing.
Ken let be borrow his mower. I did not mow the large area at the duplex.
- Dry bird food – You’ll find the 2 boxes in the computer room. Need to be moved to shed.
- Refrigerator – George’s was not cooling properly. The refrigerator was under warranty. Repair man came out and replaced the relay and thermostat. While he was there I asked him if he did any side work…he said it wasn’t allowed, but asked me what the problem was. I told him about our fridge collecting water. He came over and looked at it. Two things – 1) the gasket; 2) the material in the compartment between the freezer and the refrigerator has broken down. He said it would be expensive to fix (older model). Recommended replacing it. Since then, it has stopped cooling well (though the freezer works). I’ve moved all the food to the bird fridge (not much). Will go to the Sears outlet when I get back to look for a deal – unless you have a different solution to consider.
- Pool – One of the hoses started springing small leaks. I started taping them. Worked for a while. Ordered two new hoses and installed them. Now the pump isn’t working. It turns on…just doesn’t pump. May need a prime? I don’t know. Take a look if you can, then let me know if I need to order another pump. Have been adding chlorine to the pool and all the rain has helped keep it clean. Filter is new.
- Food – Cupboards are pretty bare. No milk. You’ll want to get things. Just keep in mind you’ll be using the bird room fridge.
- Yard – Ligustrum’s – A sad sight. Remember how the one closest to the house was turning and we didn’t know why? Well I took a small branch up to Home Depot…not much help…was told the person who could help wouldn’t be in until Saturday. Too late, within a matter of days all of the trees had mostly brown leaves…until it rained. Apparently it was lack of water. You’ll need to look close, some are sprouting, though the 2 closest to the back porch may be complete goners. I did buy a Protect & Feed product (container on table) and sprinkled it around the base of each tree. I’ll probably start to trim some of the obvious dead branches off…to give the others a fighting chance. As you drive through the neighborhood, you’ll see others in the same condition. Japanese Plum Tree – Ellen got out the giant ladder all by herself to reach the plums at the top…more fruit this year than ever on it. We’ve also had some Suriname Cherries.
- Shed Lock – Malfunctioned. Bought new one – is on shed door. Combination is taped to the inside back door (house).
- Birds – Blackie has been a real love…always comes out for a few minutes when I put his food bowl in. Trixie has been a real sweetie, too. Wear glove when feeding the middle flight on the porch…there is a nipper in there.
- Porch Roof Leak – Sergey came by Monday. Quoted: $850 (500 cash/350tds). He said all the material should be replaced. Can do it in a day. Sounds good to me…should I schedule him?
- Pookie – Lonely as she has been here by herself more. Waiting to see you. Food is next to the bookcase in Ellen’s room , near her feed bowls. Please check the litter box and scoop out as necessary
- What’s New – Kitchen rug. Pillows on our bed and Ellen’s bed – gifts from Michael.
- Duplex – Danny has a roommate. Danny will still write the check. George’s sliding glass door blinds started to separate from the wood/wall again. We took them off and hung sheets for privacy (last weekend). I thought Sergey would be able to help, but he doesn’t do this type of handyman work. If you have time to fix it, great…or, if you know someone who could, let me know…I’ll check the Barter list again if needed.
To recap on the items I’d like to ask you to help with:
- Self-propelled mower fix
- Pool pump check
- Dry bird food to shed
- Sergey decision
- George’s blinds
Any questions? Clarifications?
JT
RED FLAG SITUATION: Partner electronically flirts with me aggressively with detailed word pictures.
PHYSICAL CUES: I’m not telling.
NEGATIVE SELF-TALK: This could get sticky, even if she is being, at least temporarily, honest.
ALTERNATIVES: Cold shower, long walk, deep breathing, economy size bag of potatoe chips.
POSITIVE SELF-TALK: This honestly can’t hurt … much … for long.
Is the reaction productive? Does it promote intimacy?
Woke up thinking about these two.
When someone else corrects me…when I discover on my own that I was wrong…wow, accepting it will promote intimacy…an outward emotion to myself…to another…rejecting the correction, even with the new knowledge…taking the emotion inward will not. In the first scenerio above, I would walk away upset…the focus of the exchange would be in the wrong place…there would be emotional disconnect. No intimacy. Now, should I accept being called a stupid idiot because I didn’t know something…should I call myself a stupid idiot because I don’t know something? Should I still feel intimacy when using these words? In the second scenario, the correction came from a place of kindness…of trust…I’d walk away arm in arm and intimacy would follow. So, yes, healthy honesty with myself, with another, in an equal relationship will be productive and will promote intimacy.
This is embarrassing…I spelled Chuck Swindle’s name wrong…it’s Swindoll – I’m sure you know this…hey how about a plum?
JT
Hi David,
How do I react to discovering that I don’t know what I’m talking about? I usually find someway to believe I do…as in “…I got the plum part right, didn’t I?”
When I read your comment post earlier (regarding the Chickasaw Plum), I have to say that my first reaction to it was dreadful….as in DREAD FULL…I started to feel my defenses go up…my physical make-up was changing…what am I up against…not this again…I don’t want to go here…why is he making me go here…????
This morning I was listening to Chuck Swindle (www.insight.org)…he was talking about the story of Job. I know of the story…the theme…I actually started reading it in your Bible…anyway, something he said this morning was different…it added a new dimension to the story for me…he said that Job didn’t deny his emotional response…he could of but he didn’t. Paraphrasing: “…he (Job) choose to be vertical in his response to God not horizontal.” It made me think about myself, my emotions and my own emotional denial.
Back to the post: After I responded to you, I sat with myself for awhile…something was wrong. Did David really say anything to provoke the response I was feeling? What was he really asking me? Is my husband asking to know me intimately? Is he asking me to know myself intimately? That’s when I wrote my second response. My apology response. My how about giving those questions some thought response.
So, I’ll ask myself again: How do I react to discovering that I don’t know what I’m talking about? I try to cover up the fact…I do. I am a know-it-all kind of gal. And, I don’t like being wrong. Too, my reaction is just that, a reaction…so if I say: “Hey, did you see all the plums on the Japanese Plum tree?” And the person I am with says: “What Japanese Plum tree? That’s a Chickasaw Plum tree you stupid idiot.” I’m more likely to tune into the fact that I was called a stupid idiot than the fact that they taught me the correct name of the tree. And, I probably won’t share any plums with them (in my passive aggressive way) because they called my bluff so rudely. If, however they say: “Jen, that’s not a Japanese Plum tree, it’s a Chickasaw Plum tree.” And then they reach up and pick a perfectly ripe plum and tell me ‘Open your mouth…here’s how you can remember’…and follow it with a kiss! Well you can bet your sweet bibby that I’ll remember the name of that tree, the time of day, the type of bird that flew by, and begin to wonder what other things I know nothing about…hmmmmmm…that might cover productive and intimacy…as far as fear…I do fear losing my memory…I do fear that being wrong makes me less than…less than myself.
Well, I am having a little fun here…all to tell you thank you…thank you for the questions. I went to an Al-Anon meeting tonight…we read Step 7…following is the part that struck me about my experience today: I heard that humility might mean having an attitude of honesty and simplicity along with a mind set of being teachable. (From page 78/Paths to Recovery).
When I changed my perspective of your questions, I relaxed. I remembered that I am part of the Power and Control Wheel, too and to move to the Equality Wheel with you requires change on my part.
I got home later than usual tonight as one of the women asked if I would go out afterward. We had a cup of tea and I listened to her story…sharing my experience when I thought it might be helpful.
Since I mentioned birds a few paragraphs up, I want to tell you about a pair of hawks I saw sitting together on a telephone poll. It was amazing. Ellen and I had just started down Lehigh when I saw them on the left…we were right on time to get to school so stopping would have made her tardy, but I did slow down, look up and think of you.
Good night,
Jen
Me again,
Look…my response to your response to the Japanese/Chickasaw Plum tree name correction was sarcastic. I’ll give the questions you asked me more thought and post a sincere reply later. JT
FRIDGE: We did that already. It will be a temporary fix. I’ll try it again next week.
POOL: Did all that you said already. The pump sounds like it turns on yet doesn’t run.
CHICKASAW PLUM: Bop my head and call myself an idiot! Thanks for the correction.
LIGUSTRUM: Some are sprouting new growth. Whatever advice Juan can give will be welcome.
GEORGE’s: Will check the lease.
ROOF: You asked that I call Sergey, I did. You doing the work on both roofs is fine. If not over the 4th of July weekend, we’ll have to agree on another time.
LITTLE CEDAR: I did make sure it was watered through the dry spell. Is not green, may thrive when planted.
BLOG/POSTING: Won’t be able to check again until this evening.
FRIDGE. The first step is to turn it off and allow all ice build up to thaw. Ice builds up in the passage running from freezer to fridge and prevents the fridge from cooling. The sand hill crane in the freezer outside can be removed, and any frozen fruit there to make room for anything that needs to be transferred from the indoor freezer.
POOL. Debris does collect inside the intake hose at the mouth of the pump motor. Before you prime you need to check that. Close the intake valve and the outflow valve at the pool so that no water will escape. Then unscrew the intake hose at the pump motor to check it, and clean it.
To prime the pump, open both valves at the pool to allow water to flow to the pump, loosen the small cap on top of the pump motor until water is spraying out then screw it tight again, loosen the small cap on the top of the pump filter until water is spraying out then screw it tight again. Try the pump.
There is a round blue strainer that can be placed over the intake port and is held in place by the intake suction. If you don’t find it in the pool there is a second in the shed in a cardboard box with other pool stuff on the top shelf to the right as you enter the shed.
CHICKASAW PLUM. How do you react to discovering you don’t know what you’re talking about? Is the reaction productive? Does it promote intimacy? Or, incite exactly what you fear most? I rely on jokes, in particular, the Mr. Often-Wrong joke, when I do something stupid. And that reminds of a post I lost titled Ridikulus Curse. That I am adding to my Safe Place arsenal, if Time-Out, and positive self-talk fail.
LIGUSTRUM. Mom has a gardener named Juan. Very sharp guy. He told me of something lethal and untreatable that runs with the flow of water and kills every shrub in its path. I will write mom or contact Juan. But the story sounded like the ligustrum down flow of the oaks.
GEORGE’S BLINDS. Why is that our responsibility? Please check the contract.
ROOF. I’m not working Jen. For five hundred bucks I could buy the materials to fix the front porch and the shed overhang. Please consider an alternative that would allow me to do it. Otherwise, let Sergey do it. In fact, take into consideration that the roof over the shed will leak this year if not recoated.
LITTLE CEDAR. Did my little cedar survive?