Surviving the Time Warp

This past weekend, I entered a black hole. A vortex of frenetic activity that actually bent time itself and allowed me to get more stuff done than any one household should be able to achieve in 3 days. Strap on your helmets and sit down. I’m not sure how I’m still standing, but you’ll be tired when you’re done reading.





On Friday morning my Dad arrived for a visit. We almost immediately jumped in the car and headed off to Ikea to buy some mattresses. I had picked up the girls’ new Big Girl beds. Pine bunk beds from Sears and decided that Ikea foam mattresses would just fit the bill. I did have to explain that no one would “on top” because the girls are not old enough to have the beds stacked. But when the time comes, let the record stand: Calla is going to be on the top bunk. (I figure this is quite fitting as Fiona was the twin who was on top before they were born.)

So while I got the groceries, Dad started to put the new blinds and curtain rods up. Buy the time I was finished the shopping (more shopping…god I hate shopping) and put away the food and hid the surprise for the girls, we were ready to put together the beds. Pine bunk beds are heavy, so Dad and I took 15 trips up and down the stairs to load everything we needed into their room. We got the frames together and the girls helped us spread out and secure the slats. They put all the screws in the holes and we were able to quickly fasten them with the drill. Already the children’s eyes glow when they see power tools. It brings a tear to my eye just to think about when I can get them their very first power tools.

As soon as the mattresses where down, the new sheets went on (damn me, they’re expensive) and the girls were into their beds faster than I’ve ever seen them move. Finally, after a year and a half, their room is complete. Well, they could use a few pictures on the walls. I’m working on that.

This is how happy they are with their new room.

With that job done, we enjoyed dinner, the girls had a bath and then they were off to their new big girl beds for the first sleep and Dad and I collapsed on the couch and stumbled upon Transformers which neither of us had seen. What a score! The computer graphics were amazing and the story is pretty good too. I vaguely remember there was a cartoon and the toys when I was a kid, but let’s face it, my track record with the toys was not good then and it hasn’t improved any. Why is it when I pick up one of those things I don’t get a cool vehicle or plane. I get a severed head or an arm or a wheel. Really, it might just be for the best that I leave the toys alone and enjoy the movie. I’ll watch it again for sure, even though I know very well that no knitting is possible while its one. That should tell you something.

Saturday many things happened all at once. The grass got cut. It was in danger of swallowing the children, so I cut it just in time. The veggie garden was widened in the hopes that it will produce vegetables this year. Last year was a bit of a fallow year for the garden. I purchased last year’s seeds at the dollar store. That was a bad idea. The only thing that came up were inedible radishes. Seriously, there were like fire. This year, I smartened up and bought seeds every grocery trip for a month. And the number of seed packets meant that the postage stamp garden needed to be bigger. So I set Dad to work with the shovel turning over the sod. And I spent the rest of the day on my knees in the garden shaking the dirt out of the sod and throwing it into the wheelbarrow and emptying it onto the compost pile. I could have put it elsewhere, but then I’d have to mow it too.

While I was shaking the dirt (with the help of the girls who were treasure hunting and flinging dirt around in the garden), Dad went and got me my birthday present. Two new screen doors for the kitchen. Now we can sit with the metal doors open and fewer bugs will come in. Must get a couple of magnet sets to ensure the doors stay closed in the breeze.



And the guys showed up to install…drum roll please…the air conditioner!!!!! This summer the house will NOT become an Anasazi bake oven. I will sleep through the night in July! I swear it.

Three Cheers! to Carleton Clean Air Technologies!!! Rubin, Shawn and Chris did a fantastic job and I would recommend them to anyone for any of your heating and air conditioning needs. They were honest, efficient and cost conscious. They did good work fast. I am totally happy with my dealings with them. Thanks also to Gaynor and Adrian for putting me on to them. Fantastic!

Then we got out the surprise. My kids love to jump up and down. So now, they can.

So I shook dirt out of clumps of grass all day and then cleaned myself up and got ready to do a gig in Almonte at the Naismith Pub. Yes, I played drum for 4 hours with the same arm that shook out all that dirt. And I can still move it now!

And on the way to the gig, not far beyond the tracks on Hwy 29, Dad and I saw something very interesting cross the road. I kid you not. We saw a wolf run across the road in broad daylight. I’ve never seen one of those before.

On Sunday, Dad went home (after letting me sleep in a bit…bless you man). The girls and I planted our veggie seeds (broccoli, lettuces, carrots, beans, peas, tomato plants) and they ran through the sprinkler while I weeded another bed and got wet the more I pruned the roses. And we laid plans for the afternoon. Nicola, Andrew and Harry were coming over for a play (and a relax) and BBQ. A very nice way to round out the weekend. I learned again (after 30 years) how to play Crazy 8s and man, it is crazy. Somewhere around 10 pm I kicked everyone out (except my children who were blissfully sound asleep) and lost consciousness.

When I checked on the kids I discovered that they had decided that their night lights no longer needed to be in their windows when they’d work much better perched up here.