So, this is how it's going to be.

Yesterday, Heidi and I decided we were going to go ahead and erect our GIANT OBAMA SIGN in the front yard. So we’re walking around the house to get materials and tools ready, and I hear this sound that reminds me of a faint dripping. And for whatever reason, I am hyper-panicked whenever I hear dripping because I assume it’s going to be the worst leak ever and I’ll open up the walls to find the whole house frame is rotting away, and so on.

So. I hear this sound so I stop what I’m doing, stand very still and listen hard. And it gradually dawns on me that this is less of a dripping sound and more of a ticking sound, like a ticking clock. Now this area of the house is full of construction materials and trash and all kinds of tools and things, so it’s hard to figure out where such a sound would be coming from anyway, so at this point, I’m convinced that it’s something in the walls, or in the basement, that will surely cause the house to collapse. And now I’m going to switch to “screenplay” mode for the rest of the story.

Me: Hey, come over here for a sec…

Heidi (walking over to me and telling me something): What? I was…

Me: SHHH! Listen!

Heidi (listens)

Me: Do you hear that??

Heidi: What, the washer?

Me: No, it sounds, it sounds like a clock, ticking. Do you hear it??!?

Heidi (looks at me for a looong second)

Me (face completely twisted up in confusion and worry, because of course the ticking is a time bomb)

Heidi: Oh! OOHH! I threw a clock away!!

Me: What? What?

Heidi: I threw the clock away because it stopped ticking. I guess it started again.

Hee! This is exactly the kind of ridiculous conversation we have pretty much anytime we get together. I hope Heidi posts her pics of the BIG OBAMA SIGN soon, so you all can enjoy it as much as we do.

Now, for something completely different: Monday Updates

1 – Stella is fine. It turns out she got into a fight and got a cat bite. They gave her some antibiotics and painkillers at the vet’s office, plus they sent home a little vial of pink liquid that looks like Pepto-Bismol but is actually some antibiotic/painkiller combo. I have to pull it out with a syringe (no needle!) and then shoot it into her little mouth, and it splatters around every time. I mean, if they were going to come up with all this stuff, it seems like they could have made it chicken or turkey or shrimp flavored while they were at it. Oh well. She has to go back to the vet on Friday to get some shots that I didn’t even know she needed. Did you all know that you have to get them updates for their various shots every year or so? I had no idea of that.

2 – My foot is doing better but I still have 5 days until my next appointment with the doctor. Also, it occurred to me that I might not be psychologically ready to get out of the boot. I mean, on the one hand (foot?), I am tired of lugging the boot around and only wearing my tenni-runners because they are the only shoe with a thick enough sole to match the boot (and it’s not actually thick enough, but it’s the closest thing I have). But on the other hand (foot?), I am nervous that if I take the boot off and go back to my normal life, I might re-break the bone. I am pretty clumsy, and I have a lot going on right now where I could end up dropping something heavy on the foot, which might also break it. So, I’m a little concerned about that.

3 – The working kid did a good job on Saturday and I hope he wants to come back. I actually ran out of things for him to do because I didn’t manage to get the plywood I needed to start the cabinet installation. Oh, and I paid him $8/hour, so thank you all for your survey responses. However, there are some things I don’t feel comfortable having him help with, and I’m not sure when (or if) he’ll be back again. From you, kind readers, I could use any and all kinds of help at just about any time to get the kitchen finished. Heidi is also going to help but she has a LOT going on right now, so if any of you can come over on a weeknight or on the weekend, please let me know. There’s plenty to be done, but the jobs that I really need help with are as follows:

        Installing wall paneling and cabinets (I think the kid might be able to help with this)

        Re-routing of plumbing line to the new sink location

        Extending the electrical line for the dishwasher to the new dishwasher location

        Installation of the actual tile

        Countertop installation

So, please let me know if you can help at any time. There are lots of other things to do like painting and cleaning and other less-burly types of things. And I will feed you dinner (that Heidi will cook, because you really don’t want to eat anything I cook!)