Friday, March 28, 2008
neighbours
Husband discovered recently that Michelle Pfeiffer lives somewhere in the county. Have barely seen him for days. Now I understand the new coffee shop obsession.
another brown sauce moment
It's been so long since I posted, I had to think twice about my password. how shameful.
Today was eventful, so I feel compelled to catch up.
Husband totally managed to bowl me over with his completely breezy way of handling stuff.
We've had dodgy electric flickering going on all week. Usually this means high winds, or the connector outside has gotten all corroded by the sea air and needs replacing. So when we got up this morning to power in only half the house, we duly phoned PG&E. The lovely chappy was here in a flash as he knows us so well now (and he likes that we plied him with treats to get us back on the grid in time for our hogmany party). Anyway, he shimmies the pole, replaces the connector, checks the second connection - and smells gas. Uh oh. Corroded gas pipe. He phones the emergency gas man. (Fortunately its the same company). So the gas man comes out. But the corroded pipe is in the house boundary, so we need to call in a private contractor to get it replaced. Meanwhile the electric fault is traced to burnt out connectors in the fuse box (yes we were literally sitting on a gas leak and a sparking fuse box at the same time someone up there is definitely looking out for us!). So the landlord has to come out and sort out the fuse box thing. Today is also first day for our new cleaner - who turns up with a squad of 3 (she obviously felt my house was VERY dirty) at the same time as all this is going on.
I have bogged off to work and left hubby to deal with this. But he graciously phones me to keep me informed every 15 minutes. I did point out that I had a big nasty deadline and a rapidly flapping client to deal with, but nonetheless he felt he should update me frequently. Especially with the good news that we are possibly going to spend the next 4 days and nights without heat, cooking facilities, hot water or power.
So around 11.45 he calls again. I'm in mid stress mode. He calling to ask if I want to meet him for a coffee, as having so many people around the place is really irritating for him and he'd like to just leave them to it for a while. WHAT?! Leave them to it!!! Only he would consider walking away and leaving the gas contractor, the emergency gas man, the emergency electrician, the landlord and three cleaners just to get on with it. I know he cant actually DO anything while they are there, but to me its a bit like letting all the acts onto the ring at once and strolling out of the circus for the day. You can imagine my frosty response.
Anyway, I returned home to a beautifully clean house, complete with power, gas, etc etc. Turns out leaving professionals to do their job in peace is better than micro managing. Who'd have thought.?
The kids took it in turns to show me their newly cleaned rooms. Daughter was overly impressed that her bed had been made, and son stunned that all his lego men have magically re-appeared from lost. (they had been living under the bed I suspect). Husband (until now the housekeeper principle) was completely unashamed, but has discovered a new coffee shop by the ocean apparently.
And for those of you who don't get the brown sauce reference. If you post a comment and I'll fill you in.
Today was eventful, so I feel compelled to catch up.
Husband totally managed to bowl me over with his completely breezy way of handling stuff.
We've had dodgy electric flickering going on all week. Usually this means high winds, or the connector outside has gotten all corroded by the sea air and needs replacing. So when we got up this morning to power in only half the house, we duly phoned PG&E. The lovely chappy was here in a flash as he knows us so well now (and he likes that we plied him with treats to get us back on the grid in time for our hogmany party). Anyway, he shimmies the pole, replaces the connector, checks the second connection - and smells gas. Uh oh. Corroded gas pipe. He phones the emergency gas man. (Fortunately its the same company). So the gas man comes out. But the corroded pipe is in the house boundary, so we need to call in a private contractor to get it replaced. Meanwhile the electric fault is traced to burnt out connectors in the fuse box (yes we were literally sitting on a gas leak and a sparking fuse box at the same time someone up there is definitely looking out for us!). So the landlord has to come out and sort out the fuse box thing. Today is also first day for our new cleaner - who turns up with a squad of 3 (she obviously felt my house was VERY dirty) at the same time as all this is going on.
I have bogged off to work and left hubby to deal with this. But he graciously phones me to keep me informed every 15 minutes. I did point out that I had a big nasty deadline and a rapidly flapping client to deal with, but nonetheless he felt he should update me frequently. Especially with the good news that we are possibly going to spend the next 4 days and nights without heat, cooking facilities, hot water or power.
So around 11.45 he calls again. I'm in mid stress mode. He calling to ask if I want to meet him for a coffee, as having so many people around the place is really irritating for him and he'd like to just leave them to it for a while. WHAT?! Leave them to it!!! Only he would consider walking away and leaving the gas contractor, the emergency gas man, the emergency electrician, the landlord and three cleaners just to get on with it. I know he cant actually DO anything while they are there, but to me its a bit like letting all the acts onto the ring at once and strolling out of the circus for the day. You can imagine my frosty response.
Anyway, I returned home to a beautifully clean house, complete with power, gas, etc etc. Turns out leaving professionals to do their job in peace is better than micro managing. Who'd have thought.?
The kids took it in turns to show me their newly cleaned rooms. Daughter was overly impressed that her bed had been made, and son stunned that all his lego men have magically re-appeared from lost. (they had been living under the bed I suspect). Husband (until now the housekeeper principle) was completely unashamed, but has discovered a new coffee shop by the ocean apparently.
And for those of you who don't get the brown sauce reference. If you post a comment and I'll fill you in.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Mayo with that?
Tunitas Creek Road (according to someone at work) is where one should go if you happen to have a body to dump. Apparently all local people know this.
This weekend local cops here investigated a car that was parked up on the highway near the beach. No doubt expecting a drunk or a teen pothead. When they were talking to the driver they spotted a bundle-under-a-blanket, in the back seat. Lo and behold there was a dead body.
Obviously, being a small town this caused some Monday morning speculation on the driver's intention (dump the body off the cliff into the sea, was my bet) This is when G revealed the Tunitas Creek Road (not so) secret.
The collective response was fascinating 'oh really?' 'where is that exactly?' 'why is Tunitas Creek so good then?' ' 'is it accessible?' 'is it signposted?'
You'd think he'd found a great sandwich bar.
I don't really know where I'm going with this one - but felt it deserved a mention. Just in case anyone happens to have a body to dump!
This weekend local cops here investigated a car that was parked up on the highway near the beach. No doubt expecting a drunk or a teen pothead. When they were talking to the driver they spotted a bundle-under-a-blanket, in the back seat. Lo and behold there was a dead body.
Obviously, being a small town this caused some Monday morning speculation on the driver's intention (dump the body off the cliff into the sea, was my bet) This is when G revealed the Tunitas Creek Road (not so) secret.
The collective response was fascinating 'oh really?' 'where is that exactly?' 'why is Tunitas Creek so good then?' ' 'is it accessible?' 'is it signposted?'
You'd think he'd found a great sandwich bar.
I don't really know where I'm going with this one - but felt it deserved a mention. Just in case anyone happens to have a body to dump!
A matter of taste
Now that I'm a 'water warrior' (I have been since sundance - you MUST see F.L.O.W. if you get the chance), I suspect I've become a pain in the butt (pun intended).
I'm currently reading Blue Covenant by Maude Barlow. Get it. It's fascinating (and scary) and will now be peppering my rants with terms like 'water apartheid'.
I don't drink bottled water, only tap water filtered in a jug, carry my own refillable aluminium water bottle everywhere (plastic is B.A.D)., jump on the kids if they dare to run the tap while brushing their teeth and go around at the end of the day tipping everyone else's stale drinking water into the bamboo plants on the windowsill. (waste not want not).
I may become overwhelmed by the issue any day now.
Husband on the other hand is worried because the world is running out of oil and he wont be able to ride his motorbike.
He's also fretting about being eaten by a great white shark if he goes sea kayaking.
I'm currently reading Blue Covenant by Maude Barlow. Get it. It's fascinating (and scary) and will now be peppering my rants with terms like 'water apartheid'.
I don't drink bottled water, only tap water filtered in a jug, carry my own refillable aluminium water bottle everywhere (plastic is B.A.D)., jump on the kids if they dare to run the tap while brushing their teeth and go around at the end of the day tipping everyone else's stale drinking water into the bamboo plants on the windowsill. (waste not want not).
I may become overwhelmed by the issue any day now.
Husband on the other hand is worried because the world is running out of oil and he wont be able to ride his motorbike.
He's also fretting about being eaten by a great white shark if he goes sea kayaking.
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