Ch-ch-changes!

So! After spending all yesterday afternoon, bringing in all my patio/porch furniture, plants, etc. -- killing my back in the process, and then setting the alarm for 6 a.m. because "the guys" said they would be here at 8:00 a.m. -- couldn't sleep a wink, kept waking up, 1:30, 2:30, 3:00, 4:00 then alarm rings, get up, showered, dressed, walked the dog and four guys show up at 8:00 a.m.

Forecast track has changed overnight. Moving away from us.

To board up or not to board up? That is the question. That they ask me.

This hurricane has been all over the place -- and Ed (leader of the crew) had told me they couldn't do it after today.

Tough spot, they put me in.

So I asked.. if it was at all possible, if this darn hurricane changes course, can they come back to board up later, Monday or whenever? And two said they could.

So, no boards up.

Then one of them says, well, we have some free time to move that furniture you wanted to move (meaning my bed, dressers, etc. from dining into bedroom) but unfortunately, I stashed all my front porch furniture and plants in the empty bedroom --- ! One guy said, well, we could move everything out of that bedroom into the garage, but I'm telling you, I'm not moving everything twice.

So right now, not doing anything, not moving anything back outside, not bringing anything more inside, just waiting and watching.

I was exhausted from moving all that stuff yesterday, fell asleep watching morning news, then my smoke detectors started beeping.  Couldn't figure out which one, thought it was the one in my office, changed that battery, then a couple hours later, heard beeping again. Had to run to the store and get smoke detector batteries as I just decided to change them all, as I know the last time I changed them at the same time and was up on the ladder this p.m. changing out batteries and figured since I had the ladder changed out all the air filters too.

I am beat.

Good news is the carpenter looked at my termite damage on the front french door and said it certainly can be patched and painted over. Don't need to replace the door.

Still nervous, but not as bad now.  But you never know with these storms, have seen them turn suddenly in the past.

Thoughts and prayers to all those on the east coast and in the Bahamas. Looks bad for them.

Boarding Up

Tomorrow the "guys" are going to board my house up for Hurricane Dorian... Honestly, think it's too early as the forecast track is all over the place, and the latest at 5:00 p.m. takes it away from us -- we may not even get anything from it...

Oh, if Bob were alive and well, we'd wait a few days... see where the track is heading, but I can't board up on my own and have rely on others...

So Ed (the guy in charge) is coming over with his men to board me up at 8:00 a.m.  He says he's got "other people" plus his own house, etc., so wants to get mine done. He says "better safe than sorry."

So I spent several hours today, in the heat, carrying porch furniture, patio furniture etc. into the garage,  some of it in the house, bringing in potted plants, plant stands, decorative items (heck! I've got too much outside, including two pairs of pink flamingos) And I am exhausted. And still haven't taken wind chimes down.

I'll either look stupid, if the hurricane goes the other way --- or smart if it hits us.

Either way, not looking forward to spending the next 3-4 days in the dark, with the house boarded up. And only one door (back door) to get in and out of here.  I've done that before -- claustrophobic.

Do have my bottled water, car gassed up, supplies, batteries, cat/dog food, peanut butter and bread for me, and of course junk food and booze for stress  --

Waiting for the storm, if it is indeed coming, here at The Pink House.

Freaking Out!

State of Emergency in Florida, the whole state as Hurricane Dorian coming our way. The tract keeps changing, back and forth, east then west, latest tract had it circling our area....

I hate this.  Went to the store today, stocked up on bottled water, as I know that's the first to disappear on the shelves. Also got dog and cat food, bread and peanut butter for me.....

Wish Bob were here. Hate going through this alone. Scared.

Everyone Reading this Please Knock on Wood!

The AC is fixed, knock on wood! Charles was here today, told me all the techs had it wrong, cut hole in my "5 ton" HVAC unit -- don't ask me what "5 ton" means, I don't think that's what it weighs, something about the about the amount of air it spews out...

Anyway, he cut a hole in the end of the box surrounding the unit and made my "5 ton" into a "4 ton" and the other one ton is now air conditioning the attic. He did that last week as "an experiment" to see if it worked.

His thought was it wasn't "cold attic syndrome" (like the other company told me and told me pull out all my insulation) but the attic was too humid, therefore the AC unit was sweating condensation which was causing the leaking through the ceiling and other problems.  So today he showed up to see how it was working, and guess what, no more condensation, no more leaking, so he put a "collar" around the hole he made to make it permanent and says I should have no problems now.

After spending over $1000 with this other company.

And Charles didn't charge me a dime. He was the guy who originally installed it and guess felt sorry for me.

So knock on wood everyone, that this works!

Big sigh of relief here. Fingers crossed. Knocking on wood. One problem solved.

And so nice to know, there are still good people out there, honest people, angels in disguise. Thank you, Charles!

Creeping Creeper

I think I've mentioned that I signed up for an online class called "Spiritual Mentorship"and it deals with a lot of mediation and connecting with your "higher self" and spirit guides and loved ones on the other side -- and it has been helpful, except the two classes before last night, I feel asleep during the mediation... and woke up after class was over, oh well.

So yesterday was another class and I was determined NOT to fall asleep. Class starts at 8:00 p.m. and I always light candles and incense to set the mood and so the house is dark except for candles, a couples lamps.

Anyway I am listening to the class and around 9:00 p.m. there is a knock at my front door. First I think I imagined it, but Kona goes nuts. She runs to the front door, barking barking barking like crazy and I'm thinking: who the hell is knocking on my front door after dark? Kona keeps barking, doing this telepathic dog to mom thing, i.e. Kona: bark bark bark bark, stop  and looks at me.  Interpretation: "Mom, someone's at the door, why aren't you answering it?" Me -- I am just frozen in  place, cause who the hell is knocking at my front door in the dark? Kona: "bark bark bark bark bark bark" and looks at me, i.e. Mom, answer the door!  but I'm still to afraid to go the door. Because I'm not expecting anyone, it's dark out there and my friends would tell me if they were stopping by or call me on the phone or yell "Hey Diane" or something, so I just stay frozen on the couch.

Meanwhile the class is going on, but I can't concentrate on it, because now it sounds like someone is walking back and forth on my front porch and Kona is barking like crazy, and I am scared shitless. I am, in fact, so afraid, the class has a online "chat" where you can type in remarks and I type that someone is creeping outside my house and I don't know what to do.  As I'm thinking, if I'm found dead in the morning at least there's a record...

Anyway, Kona settles down, lays down so, I figure whoever is gone and I get up, turn on the front porch lights, also the back yard lights, check everything is locked, then peek out and don't see anyone or anything....

Crap, I'm wondering if I should buy a gun, for self defense. I don't like guns, actually never have owned or shot a gun, but thinking buy a small gun, something cute with a pearl handle? And then I wonder if I can actually buy a gun with all these new background checks, not that I have any criminal history, but I do take Xanax and have anxiety issues and a service dog and would that disqualify me from purchasing a gun? Of course I would take "training classes" to learn how to use it....

Anyway freaking out here, at the Pink House

The Silent Blogger Returns....

Sorry, it's been so long since I've posted. Hopefully, gentle readers, you haven't forgotten me!

It's been hectic, seems like one thing after another here.... AC problems continue, first time it was a cracked drain pan which was replaced and supposed to have taken care of the problem, but the thing still leaked or shut off completely and every time I call the company, they send a different technician out with a different view/idea of what the problem is, I think six or seven have been here so far telling me everything from it's my fault for keeping the AC temp too low (69 degrees), then one says I burn too many candles, another says the drain line isn't angled correctly and repipes the drain line, but the damn thing is leaking again and/or shutting off, so I call again and the next tech says I need more insulation as the AC system is sweating and attic is too hot, but before I have time to look into that, the ceiling is leaking again, so I call again the last one says I have "cold attic syndrome" and need to pull out all the insulation....

Are you confused? I sure am. And the last time the ceiling leaked, I had the temp set at 73 degrees. And I have two candles I burn at night.... and I really haven't changed my habits at all...

Finally I gave up on that company, called the original installer who showed up and told they ALL were full of BS. And have been overcharging me, $975 + for an $80 drain pan, etc. He said keep the insulation, the attic is too hot that why the system is "sweating", he actually cut a hole in the AC compartment to air condition the attic -- that was Wednesday, he's coming back today to check if it's working  -- all this at no charge. So we'll see what happens.... but so far no new leaks and AC is working....

Then, devastating news from my writing partner, the one I met at the writer's group who kicked me out, and we've been sending chapters back and forth via e-mail as she is up north for the summer. This past week or so, her oldest son died in his sleep. She's the one writing a memoir about her youngest son's death. I feel so bad for her, it just sucks, and certainly brought a lot of "grief triggers" back for me. And she's also "out of the loop" (which I totally understand) as a writing partner for now....

So my "pressure" to keep writing came to a screeching halt.... and I seem to be "stuck" after Chapter 18. Big time writers' block.

Then the termite guy comes and finds (below) this after probing the front french doors.  I tell you, I'm near tears watching the door crumble before my eyes....

 Only good news is that it seems to be the central spot, he found two other smaller spots in other rooms, but not much damage.... and it's being treated under my warranty. I use a company that injects the wood with a mostly organic chemical.... I'm hoping I can repair the damage with putty and paint (?) and hold the door together that way.... But have to wait 60 days to make sure all termites are dead. I do not want to "tent" the house or replace the doors (they are original/antique).

Frustrating.....

Add to all this crud, keep getting scam calls, some worse than usual including a courier service calling to tell me they were coming with a court order to appear in court Friday (today)....

For what? I have no clue, but am told it's for an unpaid bill.... I called my attorney and he said "Don't answer the door." So spent last few days sneaking out the back door, stressed out, even though it sounds like a scam.

And the calls keep coming, usually I just don't answer the phone, but one morning when the phone rang at 8:15 a.m., I picked it up (pissed) said "Hello?" in a rather gruff tone and this jerk asks to speak to Robert: I scream at the guy, literally SCREAM: "DO YOU REALIZE IT'S 8 FUCKING O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND YOU ARE CALLING A DEAD PERSON????!!!!"  I don't think that one will call back.

And the "Microsoft rep" who called saying my subscription was due for renewal, that one got me concerned because last year my subscription lapsed and (thank god I backed up my ms. on a flash drive) but I lost my entire manuscript, so I did answer that one, only to find it suspicious sounding, then spent an hour trying to talk to someone at Microsoft to find out my subscription is good until Feb. and set up for an automatic renewal. They asked me to file a complaint regarding this "phishing" company, which I did. Still, shook me up a bit.

Then the pool overflowed and flooded my back yard. Ha! So I'm out in the middle of a storm, ankle deep in water trying to drain out the pool to keep my garage/apt. from flooding....

And Kona has another ear infection....

A lot of heavy rain storms, keep losing my internet connection, oh then a power outage that lasted from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. one day.

Oh it's been a fun month, some days I just don't want to even crawl out of bed....

Oh, and forgot to mention the mold -- caused by the AC leaking... and me, falling off a ladder -- good thing I landed on my butt! Still hurts.

Just another day/month in paradise....