D-I-Why????

Jeff came up with that clever blog post title today after we were about to tear our hair out. It's been a stressful past few days after returning from our trip to Edmond, OK. We had some fun final days with the nieces and a much needed break for the weekend, but now it's back to the grind!

While still away, we received a phone call from our pet sitter that there was a problem with the inground dog fence. The transmitter was beeping the warning tone that something was wrong with the electronic barrier and the dog collar wouldn't work. Thankfully, she caught the problem before DaVinci got out. But that meant he had to go back on the tether, which he now hates after having a taste of freedom.

The tether had accidentally been cut by the limping lawn mower (more about that later) in a necessarily hasty cutting of the grass a few days prior. So first Jeff had to repair the tether. Then he spent hours on Tuesday and almost all day today trying to find the problem. He cut, he spliced, he repaired, he replaced, he tested; and still the problem remains. We will make one last attempt tomorrow after purchasing some needed supplies, but if this doesn't fix it, I really don't know what we'll do. We're just thankful this didn't happen while the girls were here.

Then there is the problem of the lawn mower. Using an eight year old bargain basement push mower on an acre isn't easy. Add to that the rickety bolts and sloppy handle that let the deck either rise up or scrape the ground at inopportune times, and it's a real treat. Then, the rear tire finally fell off while Jeff was trying to get the yard mowed the morning we left town. He had to rig up a chain to hold it on while he finished, and it still meant he had to hop the back end around on every turn.

The (blessedly) frequent rain recently has meant lots and lots of mowing. Jeff told me he has parked that sorry mower at least five times and said "never again", only to be forced to get it out and crank it up to keep the yard tidy. We have been too busy with other things to research and buy a new one, but as we stare at the jungle that is our lawn already, I'm afraid it just can't wait.

Then there is the gas line. Our propane tank is (finally!) almost out of LP, but now is a bad time to try to get the black iron installed. It means temporarily taking out a piece of ductwork under the kitchen, so no air conditioner while the work is being done! And it requires moving my big Thermador range and a base cabinet, which will likely scrape the kitchen floor and necessitate repairing the finish. And it's another work crew tromping in and out, which means DaVinci has to be shut up so he doesn't accidentally escape, and a whole house mopping once they get done.

Oh yeah, and then there's the fridge door repair. The refrigerator handle suffered some abuse while the girls were here, and on a fancy appliance such as ours, it means the whole paneled door has to come off. That's nine screws and a bit of wiggling and finagling. We have gotten that part done, but now I need to do the required touch ups and repair. And then reverse the process and put it back on. Which is guaranteed to be harder than getting it off!

Add to that the undercabinet lighting and backsplash we need to finish. And the two different contractors I'm meeting with this week regarding our bathroom addition upstairs. And the fact that my favorite chicken was killed a few weeks back. I didn't have time to post about it, but Jeff and I were so upset. Some loose dogs came on the property and got Atomic Cluck. If I had seen it, she might have had a chance, but it was too late by the time we knew about it. So now we're trying to monitor the young birds and keep them safe, which means additional upkeep and repairs to the coop, since they are in it more frequently.

If only there were someone we could hire to do these things. But finding a knowledgeable person you can trust and afford isn't an easy task. So we continue to DIY it all. I'm just thankful Jeff has a flexible work schedule and can devote more time to the fence tomorrow. Because Sunday he'll be driving about seven hours total to two different clubs that will take all day. At least I'll have plenty of projects to keep me busy while he's gone!