Housebound

"Our houses are such unwieldy property that we are often imprisoned rather than housed in them." - Henry David Thoreau

The new patio door was finally delivered yesterday to replace the shattered one that we've been living with for the last three months. The service man put it in, holding his breath throughout the installation. I was relieved to get it done. The final work to the repair to the kitchen cabinet was also scheduled for this morning. That left me just one more day to have to greet a service man at 7:20 A.M. The early morning visits have been brutal. I don't feel I can greet someone in my pajamas or robe so I've been getting up long before the sun to get myself together. That would be okay if I could sleep at night but sleep has been illusive lately.

I had a board meeting last night that went on far past the scheduled time. When I got home, well after 10:00 I noticed a note Merv had left on the banister. There is a problem with the new door. Though it is unusual, Merv was still up so I followed him to the basement to look at the problem. The new door doesn't slide properly. Attempts to glide it result in it tipping up from the track. Add to that, there is a distinct breeze coming through the bottom of the door - enough that it blows out a lighter held to the base. God help me. I sent a note to the window company today which surprisingly was answered immediately though it was close to 11:00 P.M. They would send someone out ASAP and call me in the morning with details.

So, I have been housebound all day waiting for the call or the service man. I just called them for the second time today only to learn no one will come to look at it until tomorrow. I did, however, have a painting service come in to give me an estimate to do the painting in the foyer, living room and dining room that are now required because of the damage done from the window installation. They will start next week. In the meantime, a plumber will be here tomorrow to work on the leak in the guest bathroom that resulted in water damage to the dining room ceiling. The time frame for his visit is 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. so I guess I'm housebound again tomorrow.

Some days, being housebound isn't a big deal. Yesterday I used the time to prepare an investigative report for a client, do some work for one of my boards and complete some Christmas gift projects. I really hoped to get out today to get some errands done but instead I spent my day waiting. Tonight I have another board meeting so those errands aren't going to get done today.

The consolation for me in all of this, is that if all goes well, the house will be perfect for Christmas. The painting should be finished by December 15. I plan to take the following ten days to turn our home into a welcoming Christmas wonderland.