I get to be a host for a change!

I woke up at 5:30 AM without the alarm on Saturday morning. I posted the pictures and the Blog entry and then went back to bed to eat breakfast and have a cup of the coffee I’d started when I first woke up. I did my tests and recorded the results on the computer. Then I shaved and showered.

I filled out the ToDo list that I realized I hadn’t done earlier after I mopped the kitchen floor.

I was expecting the people to pick up the chair at 10:00 AM or so (that’s what Bonnie said yesterday when she called). I had already moved the “torchiere” (I always thought that name sounded pompous and call it the floor lamp to myself) into the office and out of harm’s way. But, she called again at 9:45 this morning and said one of the guys was late and they’d probably get here around noon. So, I suppose I’ll have to clean the cat hair off it again (I had it perfect already) And, I hope that doesn’t interfere with my visit with Melissa! BTW, Melissa called about 10:00 AM and said she was leaving Fran and Jim’s house and would be here in an hour or so.

So, I kept putzing and straightening up the house (not that it’s that messy). I mopped the wood floors and read in the living room while they dried.

Melissa got here about 11:30. She said the GPS in Fran’s vehicle kept having her get off a road, then recalculating and get back on the same road. Never having used a GPS, I didn’t know what to say, except that she took a very strange way to get here.

[Sidebar: While being chauffeured to various doctors a few months back, I learned a few things about these GPS. My brother Joe, for instance, has his GPS voice feature turned off, so he is essentially looking at a moving map and that’s not too bad. But the one in B___’s car talks all the time and I find it very annoying! Even if I was sleeping with her, I wouldn’t want some woman telling me what to do every time I was in my car!]

I showed Melissa the front yard and the house. Since I couldn’t remember exactly when she was last here, I pointed out how Jake, Carla and I remodeled the kitchen, the colors I’ve painted the rooms, the tile I put in the downstairs shower, etc. At one point, she got down and locked the wheels on the new bed (I couldn’t and it was rolling around the room whenever I got in or out of it).

I wanted to show her the back, but not until the guys came for the chair. They finally showed up around 12:30 PM. I showed them how the chair worked (it turned out these weren’t just “helpers,” the chair is going to one of the guy’s mother) and explained they would need pillows for it. Then Melissa cleared off the front porch to they could get it out easier (unfortunately, I was unable to afford Joe and Kathy that luxury when they brought it here).

The two guys loaded it up and asked if Bonnie had taken care of everything. I didn’t understand and asked what they meant. The son said, “Money-wise.” I said, oh no, I wasn’t selling it; I just wanted to give it to somebody who needed it. We shook hands and they took off.

So, finally Melissa and I could go out back. She seemed to like all my gardens and I certainly liked showing them off. We talked about the window box that I haven’t been able to hang up and the raised bed herb garden project that still hasn’t shown up.

Back inside, she took a picture of us with her camera and said she would send a copy to me (if she does and neither of us look stupid, I’ll post it for you). She’s also supposed to send me the name of a fast growing evergreen, but she didn’t know if it could take the winters in Michigan. She couldn’t remember the name of it (I hate when that happens and it happens to me all the time).

I showed her the photos and the stuff from Lake Orion and explained the picture project. I also showed her my apothecary jar collection.

She invited me out to lunch, but I really wasn’t hungry, so we just talked until she left a little after 2:00 PM. I told her how I would go back to Fran and Jim’s house, ignoring that whole GPS thing. I didn’t know if she would use my directions but she said she’d call when she got there. All in all, it was a very nice, pleasant visit!

I was going to take a nap, but first I changed out of my long pants (it was getting hot outside). Then instead, I thought I’d take a shot at that damn window box again. I got out the tools and the step ladder (the kitchen window isn’t all that high, but I still have difficulty reaching up higher than my shoulders).

Drilling the holes at the edge of the sill was a snap because under the aluminum was wood. Drilling through the concrete sill (near the window) took a lot longer. One side went slowly, but perfectly. The other must have had a rock in the concrete mix, because I couldn’t get down further than half way, no matter how long or what I tried.

But, I was tired of messing with this, so I said screw it. No, really! I said, “Screw it!” out loud. So, I installed the four screws, three all the way and one half way. Unfortunately, this type of concrete screw is blue, so they stand out and it’s pretty obvious (at this point in time anyway – the plants may help to hide it) that the one isn’t all the way down.

Now, as you may remember, I couldn’t find anything under the siding where I needed to screw the bottom brackets into. But, I figured the siding has to be nailed to “something” unless it’s magic floating siding. So, I cut down a 1x6 pine board to the size I needed. Getting the table saw out was quite the challenge!

Then I spray painted the ripped down board cream colored. When it dried, I screwed the bottom brackets to it and bolted those brackets to the top ones. [Note to reader: I realize you are probably having great difficulty picturing this. But, I was busy trying to finish and will take photos for you on Sunday.] I figured the top brackets will hold the planter and the bottom ones will push against the siding and one or more of the furring strips, 2x2’s, 2x4’s or whatever the siding is nailed to and give it stability.

Next I put the planter in the brackets and filled it with a mix of potting soil and garden soil. I watered it thoroughly and it seemed to be holding. I’ll let it sit overnight and if it’s still up there in the morning, I’ll go to Home Depot and get some plants for it.

Back inside after brushing off as much dirt and sawdust as I could from my clothes and the brace, I started a load of laundry and put on my robe. I realized it was over two hours since Melissa left and I still hadn’t heard from her, so I called Fran and Jim’s house to see if she made it back. She herself answered and apologized for not calling (her nephew was there and she started playing with him and just forgot). She said the only difficulty she had was not getting on the “local lanes” exit to get to the Southfield (damn, I forgot to tell her that!) but she got back to it and got home okay.

It was almost 6:00 PM when I put the clothes in the dryer and now I was getting hungry. So, I warmed up the last hamburger steak and sweet corn for my dinner.

I ate that watching the news. I cleaned up and then hung up and folded clothes. I was tired and sore, so I started watching taped TV until a movie called “U-571” came on at 8:00 PM. It was about a World War II submarine but, even though it was riveting, I still managed to doze off every now and then. So, when it was over at 10:30, I programmed the DVD to record Saturday Night Live (Mick Jagger was the host and musical guest – start me up!) and went to sleep.