Saturday's Story

I had set the alarm for the normal time. I didn’t want to be late for my doctor’s appointment, you see. So, since it was early, it gave me time to fill in the Blog for Friday. I put on a pot of coffee and toasted one of the last two bagels from Friday (I took them and the cream cheese home). I smeared the bagel with butter and then cream cheese. I ate that and drank the coffee while I watched some of the morning news. Then I shaved, showered and got ready. Before I left, I put the carrots, garlic and the roast in the slow cooker, added in 2/3 cup of beef broth and turned it on low.

Now, here’s the dilemma: last time I left 1 1/2 hours before my appointment, drove through construction and still got there 45 minutes early. So, today, with no construction reported, I left at 45 minutes before my appointment.

Okay, so with light traffic, no construction and the cruise control set at 9 mph over the limit, I got there 15 minutes late! WTF?

This was my first physical with my lady doctor. It took a long time, but other than the blood work results (which I will have to wait for), I passed with flying colors. She said my EKG was “excellent,” for example.

There were two interesting episodes: One was getting my blood drawn. It took the poor nurse three separate times and three different spots to get my blood (I have crappy veins). I probably didn’t help by asking her, “Hey, are you trying to draw blood or playing pin the tail on the donkey?” She was not amused.

Also it was weird to get checked for hernias and my prostate. I had to hold a paper sheet over my groin area while the doctor felt around under it. She also called a nurse into the room. I told her I’d been in and out of hospitals most of my adult life and I really wasn’t that shy. She laughed, but said it was “policy.”

I left there a little after 11:30 AM. Now, this is where I usually write that I stopped by B___’s or my brother Carl’s. But, it’s supposed to be a nice day and I still have a LOT of outdoor work to do, so I reluctantly pointed the car towards home.

I got home just before 1:00 PM (there was a lot more traffic). The house smelled great from the beef roast, BTW. I treated the cats, checked my email and my voicemail. Both B___ and Lu had called, but they both said I didn’t need to call them back, they’d try again later. But, there was one call I had to return. Ken had called to let me know the clock was done and to ask when he could drop it off. I called and we decided he would be here in an hour.

There was no point in going outside yet. So, I tried to install my dryer platform. Damn! It wouldn’t sit level and the dryer just rocked on top of it!! I pulled it out and jumped on it several times, but I had “glued and screwed” it and it wasn’t moving. I gave up and put everything back just as the doorbell rang.

It was Ken and the clock. The glass door is now attached and the faceplate did not get marked. It’s cleaned with all new bushings and perfect! He said he did have to replace one of the gears for the chime (it’s more like a “bong”). So, I asked him what I owed him. He said $160.00, like he quoted. I said, “Are you sure that’s enough? You didn’t figure on replacing a gear.”

Sidebar: Why do I always end up trying to convince people to charge me more money? I dunno…

He said, “No, $160.00 is the price.” So, I went and got it for him (I’d had it saved in a drawer). The time on the clock was just after the actual time, so he offered to set it right (which means he would have had to go through every hour and half hour to let it bong. I told him I hadn’t heard that sound in like 15 to 20 years and I would like to do it myself. I also told him that if there was a Heaven, my Mother and Grandmother were looking down on him and smiling. He nodded gravely (it was not a corny moment) and bowed to me. I bowed to him, we shook hands and he left.

Sidebar: One of the things I learned in Korea is that bowing to an Asian is a bit tricky. Too little or too much is sort of an insult. So, I duplicated his bow and hoped it was right.

So, I took the time to get the clock set right. About halfway through, I was beginning to wonder if this chime business would keep me awake at night. It turned out to be a non-issue as I always almost close the pocket door between the living room and the kitchen (I leave about eight inches open for the cats to pass through) at night and I never even heard it at all, later.

It also dawned on me that I could have just stopped the clock and let the time catch up, but that dawned on me too late.

So, with that out of the way, I went and put my coat on to get outside. Then the doorbell rang… It was my neighbor Rick and a guy named Chris. I had mentioned to Rick when I was borrowing his ladder I wanted to paint three walls of my living room and the little entry room and asked him if he knew any painters who were good, but inexpensive. So, he brought over Chris to check out the project and give me an estimate.

They measured all the walls and said that it would take two gallons of primer and two gallons of paint (good to know, even if I don’t use him). He said he’d get back to me on a price.

Now, why don’t I just paint the damn room myself? If you remember, Jake, Carla and I painted it the first time. Then, when “somebody” (I’m not naming names here, Carl) called it “pink,” I repainted it alone in a darker “wine” color.

But, I did a crappy job. So crappy, in fact, I ended up ripping off all the moldings and replacing them with expensive stained wood ones. And, I don’t want to screw up these moldings. Besides, I hate painting. In fact, the only person I ever knew who liked to paint rooms was my sister-in-law, Jean.

And, come to think of it, why repaint it at all? Because, with the dark walls and the heavy curtains on either end of the picture window, the room sucks up all the light. Even at noon on a sunny day, you have to turn a light on to read!

So, I thought I’d get it painted in a light cream color and replace the drapes with white tab ones. I already bought the drapes and gave them to my friend Michelle in Facilities. She knows somebody at her church that does sewing and will hem them for me.

It was after 4:00 PM by then, so I turned the slow cooker to “warm” and decided it was too late to get started on any outdoor projects (the sun now sets just after 5:00). So, I started doing the weekend wash.

About 7:00 PM, I shredded about four cups of cabbage (I admit, I had to ask Jake the best way to do it). I turned the slow cooker to “high” and added the cabbage. I put the lid back on and let it steam for about 30 minutes.

Then I plated it and ate the best roast I ever made in a slow cooker! I guess it was the herbs and spices (or maybe the garlic) but it was fantastic. And, the carrots and cabbage was a nice side and a nice change from potatoes.

I watched TV for a little bit and then fell asleep. When I woke up the first time (I woke up all through the night) I put the roast, cabbage and carrots in the fridge and filled up the slow cooker insert to soak.