Toilet detente, Misfits, cute winter boots

Finally the house plumbing is working again, not without some struggle with the plumber, a good old boy who doesn't take instructions too well.

He did arrive as arranged, with the correct toilet, fixed the one which needed the mechanism, installed the new one. He managed to crack a few tiles removing the old one, which I will get my contractor friend to look at.

And there was an interesting dialogue 

Boud: please reuse the wooden seat from the old toilet 

Lyndon the Plumber: can't be done. It's welded tight, can't remove it. Also the new one comes with a seat.

Boud: I installed the wooden seat by hand, no tools, but never mind, just go with the new one 

L the P: oh

Later, checking the installation, there's the wooden seat all in place. Not the plastic one that comes with.  Probably on his truck.

So I emptied my wallet into the Plumbers Benevolent Fund, and today's another day.

While awaiting Misfits box today I did today's cute winter boots 

Called ICE tipline to report illegal immigrant Musk. 1-866-347-2423.  They've been flooded and have stopped accepting phone calls. But they gave the online address to file a report. 

So I went to www.ice.gov.tip and filed my complaint there, removing all my personal information. They've accepted the report. 

I had a great time describing him as an illegal immigrant of South African origin,a cyber criminal currently defrauding US taxpayers. Addresses White House and Maralago.  

Here's the thing: while they're flooded it stops them from getting tips on other immigrants. And you can file from outside the US, as well as inside.

On to lovely food.

Jeff arriving with the box

And here be user error. I checked my order when I noticed two bags each of potatoes and apples. I appear to be operating in distracted mode, clicking on two when I meant one. 

So I had planned on potato carrot spicy soup this afternoon anyway. I'll have to check out potato recipes.  And maybe apple ones, too. Pie, pasty, crumble, hm.  Too much of a good thing might be wonderful.

But oh well, it's all lovely food and it comes right to my front step, not much to moan about.

About Helen Hip, I had an appointment with an orthopedist tomorrow but feel too stressed with cleaners coming tomorrow too, doesn't fit well.  Too much going on this week.  

So I now have an appointment in early March instead. I notice that since I've resumed my qi gong, Helen's doing better. I even started the hip exercises again.  I'm hopeful.

Happy day everyone, do your bit to resist! And remember it's not about making ourselves feel better. It's about trying to make good trouble. I feel terrible, afraid and weak and old. But I am not going down without a fight! 

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day which I think is about friendship, and here's someone who certainly deserves loving greetings 

 Meanwhile for the more traditional 

Prompt plumber, AMA and Leonardo

Promptly at eight am, the plumber got back to me, and by nine am the downstairs toilet was fixed so it doesn't run all the time. The upstairs one was looked at and they're ordering a new one, same type and color --bone, if you wondered -- so far so good. The guy who came was the one who installed the current ones, so he knows his stuff.

He thinks he can get and install the new one today or tomorrow. 

Edit: update, Wednesday. 

This is important because it's the one off my bedroom, and it's much safer to use during the night than going, while half asleep, down the hall into the other bathroom which is laid out differently. That's asking for a fall.

Then I started the car, wheee, it started right up after several cold days, this is great. One tiny drawback was the patch of black ice on the driver's side. 

I was not eager to fall, so I navigated with great care. Then while the engine ran, I took out the garbage, then found the snow shovel and managed to break up and toss the ice. Much safer now.  It's so good to be able to fix my own ice! I feel quite capable again. 

See chunk of ice propped up against the curb to melt.

And I checked into the AMA YouTube channel for the latest virus and heart news.

Because art will save us all, I thought I'd share this 

This is unfortunately in the royal collection, available only for viewing and study by well connected academics.  The peasants don't get to see this and hundreds of other drawings. I strongly doubt that any of the royals ever browse there, in between dress and hat fittings and intra-family feuds.

Leonardo is a gift to the world, and my egalitarian little artist heart thinks everyone should be able to see and experience his work.  Meanwhile, I remember all the times I copied this and other master drawings as well as Leonardos,  as a student while learning to see a particular view of the turned head.  

It's all about the mechanics of anatomy and perception,  and you can get a whole education from studying and copying this one drawing. Then, after copying,  when you look again, you see it with a more educated eye.

Like this, I learned so much about the shape of the eye and the relationship of the eyelid, and used the knowledge in  doing this ink and wash, much later.

And here you can see the influences in this charcoal, ink and monotype mixed media piece.

Hard to see because of reflections, but you can get the gist.

Happy day everyone, and I hope your gist today is good.

Started early, got worse, then better, then worse again

So this was the morning start, when it seemed like a straightforward job.

From there, things deteriorated. Sudden spurting of water up, despite house water shut off, faucets open, frantic packing with towels.  Water got through to the living room ceiling despite all. 

Then two shopping trips to get the right hose, despite the labels indicating otherwise, reinforcement from the neighbor across the street worried that I might be in trouble. 

Couldn't do much, no water, one working toilet fortunately, no planned shower, no bread baking, no dishes. Finally nearly five pm, done, no leaks, water turned back on.

When I tried to do dishes, the newly turned -on water jetted straight out and soaked me, oh well. Air in the pipes probably. 

I did a big laundry, all the towels we'd soaked trying to stem the flooding.  Then finally I baked a beautiful large loaf of oatmeal and whole wheat. 

Here's a shot showing you the crumb. Nice texture.

This will cut up into four loaves, solving the breadbag situation and the expense, together.  It smells wonderful, too. It's been a while since I was up for baking bread and I'm glad I did it.

I did stockpile a few pounds of whole-wheat flour in the freezer because who knows.

So here we are. Not the day any of us had planned. Gary is trying to get away to the Superbowl, among all this.

One lovely interlude when his daughter, with her youngest, came to visit, lovely baby, so smart, not even a year old yet, and so cool!

That's where we are today, mixed day with lovely things among the other things.

Happy day everyone, remember the shakuhachi effect, translation: it's all good.

I remembered this when I found this, this morning, the pedestal broken. I now need to replace the toilet.

Now I do need the plumber.  I left a message for him.

Quiet Wednesday. At first

 I was up long before dawn, ready to go, and did a bit. Knitted on the glove I started yesterday, continued on the final sock of two pairs, and stitched, too.

I've been continuing to add to my Kindle library with great bargains on great works. Now I've added lovely funny Trollope, and I'm currently into The Warden, a favorite.

So, just the way I switch from craft to craft, I switch as I read, Mansfield Park to Cranford to Trollope. With Pym and other writers as the spirit moves me.  I don't mind following several books at once. 

Fall walk, local leaf peeping, cheerful Halloween ghosties

And a mystery plant near the cosmos, where I scattered wildflower seed 

No idea what this is. Identification welcome.

I had written up to here before the day suddenly changed..

Then I came home, read Trollope, dozed off, read more, decided to make a very unusual for me, cup of coffee. 

Then I noticed a brand new water stain had suddenly appeared on the living room ceiling. 

And went upstairs to find the source. Suddenly my feet on the rug were wet. The water heater had sprung a leak. Good thing I was home.

So I turned off the house water, called the plumber and Gary. Gary, with baby A.,  came over, she lay on the rug looking interested while he mopped with towels and tried to find the source, which we didn't.

The plumber came in no time, good having a long-term plumber based about a mile away,  drained the tank, turned off the power, and early Thursday I should get a new tank installed.  Meanwhile I have cold water, that's fine.

And I don't know why I just don't set up direct debit for the plumber at this rate. 

So that was Wednesday, and I'd written the first part of the heading before it all changed.

Happy day everyone, let's hope your sudden emergencies have sudden help.

The rest of the story, Tuesday knitters, Textiles and Tea

Tuesday morning, half awake, I stepped into the downstairs bathroom and found I was standing in water.  Sooooo, put down a bunch of absorbent stuff, shut off the whole house water, filling the kettle first, quick learner, and called the plumber.

While I waited for him, I kept (fairly) calm by finishing the stitching on my mermaid potholder and put it with its friends

Then the plumber arrived

nice guy, Greg, with a bucket of tools,  changed out the valve, installed an extender so it's easier to operate, switched out the pipe from valve to tank, tested for leaks

declared it fixed,  turned the water on,  charged me a bundle and went away.

He really knows his stuff and has diagnosed and fixed a few mystery ailments of the house, so though he's expensive, sometimes I need him. 

Cheerful guy, well, at that hourly rate I'd be cheerful too, mustn't be bitter, but what with  fireplaces and bathrooms,  property ownership has been expensive recently.

Then the Tuesday knitters were a lot of fun, one doing Tunisian crochet and lace knitting, two knitting lace,  D, seen here wearing her work,one beginning crocheter, one cordage basketeer, me.

This is a more focused group than the Friday one, into patterns and techniques and what yarns and why, and there's a lot of learning to be had. 

And home to Textiles and Tea with

a cheerful weaver and teacher.  She had a career teaching special education and now, in retirement, is a weaver and teacher of weaving.  

Aside from her specialized teaching of krokbragd and bound weave, two weft facing weaving patterns, online and in person,  she also teaches weaving in-person to special needs adults who can sell their output in a shop on her premises.

She loves color, as you see, and one of a kind work.

A couple of reference books for people interested

And a student setting up her weaving

 

She's a truly good soul.

The last day or two have been mixed, though Handsome Son took care, this morning, of the township building inspection of his fireplace seal, passed, no problem. Just as well because that was happening while I was whipping about commanding the waves to desist in the bathroom.

Anyway, Tiny Buddha came through

There was also food. I don't know if this supper has a name. 

Assembled 

Cooked 

It's cannellini beans, diced tomatoes, spinach, blue cheese  crumbles sprinkled on, two eggs broken over, 490°f half an hour. Served with toast. And very cheering after a busy day.

Happy day, everyone, all's well. I completely missed the spring equinox, because it seemed to be a day early. Knitting friend explained its because of the leap year. Oh.