So, summer is finally here as the daytime highs in Irvine climb into the 80's. We're pretty lucky so far this summer that the really hot weather is elsewhere, as though the really hot weather is flowing around the OC area rather than through it. We had that last summer too. Today was the first day I ran the air conditioning, not so much because it is the warmest day we've had but rather because our housekeepers were here and I didn't want anyone having to clean in an 80 degree house. Going to be interesting to see how much our electric bill goes up running the air for a few hours. Normally we're fine with keeping the slider at the deck open and the front door so the air flows through the house, but today with the housekeepers and the fact that we've had a sewer-like smell coming off the golf course pretty strong today, the air was the right choice.
In other news, hormones continue to be an annoyance with the stomach thing having continued over the past 9 weeks, to varying degrees of uncomfortableness. I got an appt for a gastro Dr who couldn't see me until Sept, but luckily someone canceled for next week & i took the appt. Should be interesting to see how bad things are in the microbiome of Z, hoping for the best, acknowledging it may continue the bummer fallout of menopause and have permanent damage.
Things are rolling along at the speed of snail in our quest to improve our home. Even though we got the ball rolling in Feb for our new windows things have not progressed due to the city not issuing a permit yet; they keep on asking for more and more information on the house for a single window becoming a slider door. The new blinds are still sitting on the floor as we have been waiting for the install guy to come back and put them back up including the new blind to replace the damaged one. Our 'handyman' never did come and do any of the work he gave us an estimate for (we originally had to reschedule of May 25th date because of the blinds guy being sick on the 24th, and the handyman said he was busy for the next couple of weeks but then would have time for us). So, over the holiday weekend we let him know that since things weren't happening after 3&1/2 weeks of waiting past the date the he said he could do the work, we were going to do the drywall repair and painting but obviously would still need his services to repair the baseboard, wainscoting and minor floor repair if he was still interested. He wasn't happy, all he responded with was, "I have your baseboard and floor repair stuff". No, "I can't do the work", "I can do the work in x amount of time and here's a new estimate" or "I understand, I've been busier than expected."
So, we did the work; well, I did most of it and it doesn't look great, but if you're not looking for it, you'd never notice the repairs we did. Now we've been waiting on the blinds guy who is dragging his feet, it's been almost a month since the home office said the new blind would arrive and he would then call to install, not a peep out of him until after the holiday when he asks if we're ready to re-install, no mention of the new blind having arrived. I mention the home office called and said they were shipping it and he was to let me know when it arrived. He says he'll check if the blind is there (it is) and says he'll schedule us for the next week. Not hearing from him I text the following Monday to confirm he has the blind and can install everything...all he responds with is that he has the blind...it's July 10th. A couple of more texts and here we are on Weds July 19th having sent another text and so far, crickets. We've been without blinds as some of the hotter days of summer have been beating down on our back windows. Good thing we've been using our sail shade put up at an angle to try and help shade a portion of the windows.
We have given up on trying to put in a skylight over our courtyard, too many different companies and organizations involved so much so that it seems impossible to do. We decided to go the easy route and just roof the opening in...turns out, that may be just as complicated, one being that the HOA may say we now are responsible for the whole roof, which is total BS, because when you put in a skylight, which is a lot more work and infringement on the roof structure, you're only responsible for the skylight. The one thing we have learn from being in this kind of muliti-family unit community is that you can't just get things that need to be done (like covering the courtyard so the water doesn't intrude wrecking havoc with your wood beams & stucco walls and leaking into the basement) and often the process is just too much work, time and money. Next time, we buy a single family home so the HOA can't complicate the situation making it tough for us to fix the roof, changing out a window for a slider (although the city has to permit) getting new front doors, or putting solar on the roof. I'm all for HOA's and the processes for that's what keeps the buildings safe and secure; it's the lack of just being able to do it ourselves, and having to go through so many people to get one thing done.
On the kid front, Josh is in Michigan with his girlfriend, for her sister's wedding. He seems to be enjoying himself and likely convincing himself he wants to live there so when Brenna gets accepted to law school he feels good about relocating with her. I don't see that working out, but what do I know. Christine is trucking along with her career and adjusting to a life not somewhat driven by her parents now that she's moved out. One downside is she has put on a bit of weight and isn't happy about it. We'll see if she can get her ducks in a row and get back on her good health and well-being track now that we've agreed for her to come over on Thursdays, chart her weight (something to keep her accountable to her goals), do a park walk and spend some time focused on herself and her personal health. Mom is doing well, although she still suffers some pain and just takes a tylenol now. It's not lost on me that pain is the undoing of being older for some folks and I'm probably going to be one of them based on my menopause journey; I can't remember the last time I was pain free...maybe that time my stepsister did that weird crystals/meditation/breathing session with me and the next morning I had no aches and pains even though I had done tough workouts and had some lingering aches from injuries. I was 35. And by the next day, everything was back to normal. I don't know if it was the combination of relaxing, breathing, meditating with her doing the crystal thing or a fluke, but for a day, I knew what it was to live without any aches. Dave says he doesn't have any aches and pains, except when he pulls a muscle or stubs a toe or is working out and an old injury causes pain, but on a daily basis, he doesn't suffer aches and pains. That said, he is beginning to notice some aches and pains more regularly when we're doing not-normal activities like moving Christine out, or doing manual labor/working on the house. Old age ain't no place for sissies - Bette Davis.
Lastly, Micheal's has started an Etsy-like website which I was invited to join (probably because I buy so much yarn!). It's not live yet so just in the setting it up stages so I figured why not give it a go. I'm not expecting much as I'm sure they have every single crocheting human on their invite list and competition will likely be pretty stiff in terms of price and items available. But it's not like I have a career happening at this pint so, why not?
Images: 16th Wedding Anniversary pic of us, 4th of July pic, getting ready for a 2nd round of putty, prepping the walls with pink putty, sanding the walls stuff to get it ready for texture, a mask is a must when sanding!, texture on, painting all the repaired wall areas, pulling off all the tape, end result.
