Better Days Ahead
20/10/17 06:28
We need to get out of the house this morning on the early side since the painter is coming to put a second coat of paint in the bathroom. We're getting close to having everything finished but it's been a struggle to say the least. It makes me not want to do business with this particular contractor again although many of the issues may have been beyond their control. Nonetheless, when things don't go right you have to hold someone responsible. I do appreciate the fact that when we have complaints of sorts that they work very hard to fix it, whatever it is, and they are about as responsive as you could hope for.
The plumbing work has been exceptional and I have nothing but good things to say for the work they've done. In terms of the electrical work, I guess I would give them a so-so grade. There is a new electrical outlet in the wall near the tub that is not an outlet you can plug something into and that is worrisome. The light fixtures on either side of the bathroom mirror are not level and rock back and forth if pushed in one direction or another. Did I mention that the contractor's employee who installed our slow-close shower door forgot to put silicone in the bottom section of the metal frame that rests on the tub? Consequently, water leaks onto the bathroom floor every time someone takes a shower. And, after a day or two of use the shower doors stopped working as they should. The door would stop a good inch or two short of the perfect close when given a nudge to employ the soft close feature. Did they think we wouldn't notice?
I'm glad Nancy decided to join her mother today for her visit to the doctors office. I'm not sure that she wouldn't have decided to do just that without my urging but she's going so everything is good. Even mothers, and maybe especially mothers, need a little hand holding and maybe even an occasional hug from time to time. Today is one of those days. Not one of those days, mind you, that her mother would admit to having a need for support given her independence and strength of spirit but there are benefits to having a shoulder to lean on in the best of times and the worst of times. Nancy is also in a position to be there when things are said that may not resonate with her mother one way or another and some of that may be intentional. You just tune out the bad news or otherwise hear what you want to hear for lack of a better characterization. The record must be absolutely clear when all is said and done.
There may be a sense of urgency required in the visit today or at the very least a seriousness of intent as it relates to obtaining an immediate diagnosis and, if necessary, scheduling treatments going forward. While deferring to your mother's better wishes, management of any diagnosis requires that you act decisively if and when necessary. That means not putting things off for an indefinite period of time hoping that "it will just go away on its own." Nancy will be there to support her mother while she navigates the decision making tightrope making sure that her feet are steady on the ground and her mind is focused on the task at hand. This is what daughters do. Her mother has been there for her all these years and now their roles are reversed. Make no mistake, though, that Nancy is there to support her and not make decisions for her. For the benefit of Mr Kite, there will be a show today on tight wire. The G's will all be there if mostly in spirit. (Mrs G will challenge the world!)
I promised Nancy that in her absence this afternoon that I would put her chicken wing concoction in the crock pot so we might all sit down to a nice diner tonight. I took a quick look at the sauce and could smell the hotness emanating from the dish. By her own admission, I think Nancy thinks that the dish might be too spicy for her. Hell, it might be too spicy for me. It can probably never be too spicy for Evan. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see him douse the wings with an extra generous splash of tabasco just for good measure. And as I've said before, it's not about liking things hot. It's about waking up taste buds that have seen better days. Years of consuming copious amounts of cornstarch has left his taste buds in tatters at a time in his life when nutrition is key to his well being. He has a hankering for lo mein as well but we no longer buy that for him now that the one restaurant we frequented because they do not use peanuts has gone out of business. We found a suitable substitution at a local market so hope to surprise him with that in addition to the wings tonight. This is wishful thinking on my part but I think he might like to have lemon squares for dessert. That is probably not happening. Oh well.
The plumbing work has been exceptional and I have nothing but good things to say for the work they've done. In terms of the electrical work, I guess I would give them a so-so grade. There is a new electrical outlet in the wall near the tub that is not an outlet you can plug something into and that is worrisome. The light fixtures on either side of the bathroom mirror are not level and rock back and forth if pushed in one direction or another. Did I mention that the contractor's employee who installed our slow-close shower door forgot to put silicone in the bottom section of the metal frame that rests on the tub? Consequently, water leaks onto the bathroom floor every time someone takes a shower. And, after a day or two of use the shower doors stopped working as they should. The door would stop a good inch or two short of the perfect close when given a nudge to employ the soft close feature. Did they think we wouldn't notice?
I'm glad Nancy decided to join her mother today for her visit to the doctors office. I'm not sure that she wouldn't have decided to do just that without my urging but she's going so everything is good. Even mothers, and maybe especially mothers, need a little hand holding and maybe even an occasional hug from time to time. Today is one of those days. Not one of those days, mind you, that her mother would admit to having a need for support given her independence and strength of spirit but there are benefits to having a shoulder to lean on in the best of times and the worst of times. Nancy is also in a position to be there when things are said that may not resonate with her mother one way or another and some of that may be intentional. You just tune out the bad news or otherwise hear what you want to hear for lack of a better characterization. The record must be absolutely clear when all is said and done.
There may be a sense of urgency required in the visit today or at the very least a seriousness of intent as it relates to obtaining an immediate diagnosis and, if necessary, scheduling treatments going forward. While deferring to your mother's better wishes, management of any diagnosis requires that you act decisively if and when necessary. That means not putting things off for an indefinite period of time hoping that "it will just go away on its own." Nancy will be there to support her mother while she navigates the decision making tightrope making sure that her feet are steady on the ground and her mind is focused on the task at hand. This is what daughters do. Her mother has been there for her all these years and now their roles are reversed. Make no mistake, though, that Nancy is there to support her and not make decisions for her. For the benefit of Mr Kite, there will be a show today on tight wire. The G's will all be there if mostly in spirit. (Mrs G will challenge the world!)
I promised Nancy that in her absence this afternoon that I would put her chicken wing concoction in the crock pot so we might all sit down to a nice diner tonight. I took a quick look at the sauce and could smell the hotness emanating from the dish. By her own admission, I think Nancy thinks that the dish might be too spicy for her. Hell, it might be too spicy for me. It can probably never be too spicy for Evan. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see him douse the wings with an extra generous splash of tabasco just for good measure. And as I've said before, it's not about liking things hot. It's about waking up taste buds that have seen better days. Years of consuming copious amounts of cornstarch has left his taste buds in tatters at a time in his life when nutrition is key to his well being. He has a hankering for lo mein as well but we no longer buy that for him now that the one restaurant we frequented because they do not use peanuts has gone out of business. We found a suitable substitution at a local market so hope to surprise him with that in addition to the wings tonight. This is wishful thinking on my part but I think he might like to have lemon squares for dessert. That is probably not happening. Oh well.