The Moment We've Been Waiting For

Making tacos in a skillet on top of the stove:


Rick pointed out that it was exactly 4 weeks since we last made tacos.*

I got a little misty-eyed when I clicked on the gas burner -- it was the first time I've cooked on a gas stove in nearly 4 years. Wow, cooking with gas is sooooo much easier than with electric. (Also, I had had about 9 hours of sleep in the preceding 60 hours; I'd like to think I wouldn't normally get weepy over appliances if I'd had less stress and more sleep.)

* Tacos are normally a Wednesday night meal, but we switched up with the remodel.

Three More Leaks Fixed

So far this morning we've had 3 more gas line leaks fixed.

Last evening we had one fixed (while the kids and I were at the Muny). The plumber was really kicking himself this morning for not re-checking the entire line -- every single join -- while he was here last night. Although 2 of the 3 leaks this morning were on already existing joins -- I guess maybe they jarred loose during the new piping installation? Really, I've no clue.

Here's what I know -- I'd really, really like to sleep tonight. You know, go to bed at a decent time, in sort of a carefree, calm manner built on the security of knowing that everything is going okay.

Right now someone is actually installing the stove. Which I guess could cause another leak if something goes wrong with that. But I'm really over the gas leak thing. It no longer bothers me. The past couple of days have been sort of like a giant desensitization therapy session for that.

But don't worry -- I have plenty of other things I obsess about. S the loss of this particular obsession isn't going to leave a gaping hole in my life. Like, what if one of the tires fell off the car while I'm driving? (Actually, Uncle Chelsea explained to me how to handle that if it happens -- RULE #1: DON'T USE YOUR BRAKES -- so I'm a little calmer about it, but still sort of tend to ponder it whenever I'm zipping along the highway.)

It is Now Midnight

Thalia, Annabeth, and I just got home from the Muny -- we went to see Annie.

Walked in the house and the kids immediately held their noses because it smells so strongly of gas.

We got Rick out of bed. He shut off the valve. I hope it was the right one.

Yowza. It's not really easy to just plop into bed and go to sleep under the circumstances.

We Haven't Blown Up Yet

A few years ago I read a news story about someone doing something with a gas line in a house, and then leaving the house empty (no people moving in and out) for a few days, and then the house blew up because of a gas leak.

This has always stuck with me. In a bad way.

So when it came time to run the gas line for the new gas stove, I spent an evening beforehand online reading stories about exploding houses. Because, of course, that's the best way to spend your time if you're worried your house is going to blow up.

I mentioned this to Linda last week. At the time I thought they were going to run the gas line that afternoon, and that she might be the last person I ever talked to since both kids and Rick were out of the house for the day, leaving me alone in the explosive house. She was very sympathetic. Then she asked if we really did have a horrible accident, could she please have my ticket to Mary Poppins at the Fox, since I wouldn't be needing it.

So. This morning they finally did the gas line. And all day I kept thinking I smelled gas. But then I thought maybe I was just being a bit hyper about it. But when we got home from piano Annabeth commented that the front hall smelled like gas to her with no prompting from me whatsoever. Later I ran an errand ... and when I got back the front door was open.

???

When I came in the contractor said, "You've got a gas leak." Wow. He had turned the gas off, and called to have it taken care of.


Yowza. Does this mean I should start making psychic predictions? After all, when we bought the new dryer I accurately predicted that the little knob would break off within a couple of years. And now this.

Cheap Filler

I'm going through and filling in the gouges in the subfloor left by the ripping up the luon-glue-staples, using cheap wood filler from Lowes. The consistency of the filler reminds me of cookie dough. Butterscotch.



I'm wondering if opening a container of wood filler and immediately thinking of cookie dough could be a sign that I've gone too long without an oven.

Also, we can now track animals in the air conditioned comfort of our kitchen:

I Finally Get to do Something Fun in the Kitchen

I've had several hours with no one else at our house today. Which means I've finally had a chance to put something away in all of these spiffy new cabinets.

When we lived in Ohio we had an upper cabinet next to the stove that was for spices -- it had a spice rack built into the door. I thought that was pretty nice, so when the Diamond catalog said they had a spice cabinet I said, "Sure, definitely!" figuring it would be the same thing.

So the cabinet was installed right next to the stove, where it will be handy for cooking,



and we discovered that, no, there weren't little shelves on the inside of the door. Instead, the little shelves are actually inside the cabinet itself



and swing out



to reveal even more little shelves behind.



I sort of want to spend the day alphabetizing the spices, it's just so much fun to put stuff on all these little shelves. If you ever get new cabinets, you gotta get one of these.

Shorts Marathon

The challenge: Make 3 pairs of shorts for Thalia to wear during camp this week. She will be leaving Tuesday at 1pm, so we're working on a deadline.

Saturday evening: Purchase fabric at JoAnn's on sale. Thalia wants brown, black, and blue linen. There's no blue linen, so I get some sort of cotton/poly blend in dark blue.

The brown has this interesting detail in the weaving:



The black is nice and thick. I wish I could think of something I want for myself in linen, because this is really fun fabric and it's 60% off.


Sunday: Wash fabric, ignoring care instructions. Trace out size 12 of pattern, as Thalia has grown since last year. Cut out brown pair.

Monday: Pack lunch for Rick. Pack lunch for Annabeth, and take her to dance camp. Stop by grocery on the way home, since lunch-packing has revealed a lack of food in the house. Home, put away groceries, laundry, go mow lawn (at 10am the temperature is 89F and the heat index -- which factors in high humidity -- is 99F). Back in, re-hydrate, deal with phone calls and emails, laundry, discover I've lost the pattern envelope and directions, decide I don't care, begin sewing.

Break at noon to fix lunch. Answer knock on door. It's a couple of contractors. WHAT? We were told no one would be here to work on anything this week! I stare at them blankly. They say they are here to accomplish this and that. I tell them maybe they shouldn't do that because the pipes seem to be run in the wrong place. They say they'll do it anyway, and then just rip the drywall back out if it's wrong (umm, why would you spend time putting joint compound on the drywall while someone is telling you that you're probably going to have to rip it back out in a couple of days? In what universe does this conversation make sense?)

Decide to go out to get something for lunch. Contractors are gone by the time we get home.

Take Thalia to piano lesson.

Home, Thalia tries on Pair 1, decides they fit, so we are good to go on the next pair using the pattern as is.

Go pick up Annabeth from dance camp. They will be having a "wig rehearsal" Tuesday, so we need to have her wig organized for her to take in -- I have no clue if it still has bobby pins hanging in it from the last feis, but we'll deal with that tomorrow morning. Cut out blue shorts. Sew.

Take Thalia to Beginner Class, at which she is a teacher's aide (earning service hours for her Silver Award). Drop her off, discuss various things with the teacher, come home. Make supper.

Rick comes home. He has called the head contractor about the drywall and various other issues. During the conversation he discovers that the plumber and electrician are scheduled to come at 9am Tuesday. Surprise! Too bad no one will be here to let these people in the house, since we were told no one was working here this week and had planned our lives accordingly. He has sorted that out -- they'll come Tuesday afternoon while he's here to let them in and supervise them.

I go pick up Thalia from dance, which is running late. Home. Thalia and I eat. I sew. Blue shorts done. Take Thalia to her dance class (Novice/Open). Stop to pick up more elastic and bias tape at fabric store. Home. Cut out black linen. Sew.

At this point I'm getting fairly good at this pattern, which is a simple one from New Look. Not that I can tell you what number it is, having lost the envelope and all the pattern pieces -- I'm cutting it out from a Pattern-Ease tracing because 1. I altered it, and 2. Pattern-Ease holds up better to multiply cutttings. But, it's just legs and a waistband, with elastic in the waistband and also a drawstring. Buttonholes allow the drawstring through the waistband, and I'm using bias tape in lieu of making my own drawstring. Easy.

Pick up Thalia from her dance class. Come home and start elastic and waistband -- the home stretch. Things start to go wonky. Something is wrong. Egads -- the elastic is totally too short. Also, why have I been fussing around with these waistbands -- why haven't I just finished the inside edge, folded the whole thing down, and then stiched-in-the-ditch from the right side, just as when making trousers?

Up early Tuesday morning, take the waistband apart, put more elastic in, re-sew. Thread bias tape.

Done.



Except my camera's fogging up because it's so humid. Let's try getting another shot.



Hey, those shorts are pretty boring. You know what would really make this photo better? Put a cat in it.




As a matter of fact, I think these shorts need my special finishing touch -- a boatload of cat fur.