What a Week

Wow, am I glad this week is over! It's been quite a doozy. After almost burning down the laundry room due to a dryer vent problem a few weeks ago, we thought the worst was over. Turns out, that overheating somehow damaged the dryer (even after replacing the electrical cord, downsizing the breaker, and putting in a new, better dryer vent) and allowed it to short out several days ago. It "went to ground" (whatever that means; the electrician kept repeating this as if it explains everything) and popped light bulbs, caused outlets to stop working, and worst of all, blew out the control boards in both the washer and the dryer. And let me tell you, frontload washers and dryers have very expensive parts.

As if that weren't enough, we had horribly gusty winds Thursday and into last night which took off about 15-20 shingles on the back of the roof. It's mostly where the new addition and roof penetrations are, so we suspect the shingles were weakened by that. But it's going to rain Monday and Tuesday, so we have to get someone out here Sunday.

Then, in the midst of those terrible winds, we almost cooked the chickens. We had placed a heat lamp in the chicken coop to give the girls a little warmth. But the post that the lamp was clipped to got blown down and the lamp scorched the pine shavings. If the lady who boards her horses behind us hadn't seen it smoking, we might have lost the chickens, the coop, and the shop!

To compound our animal concerns, DaVinci has not been eating well for a month but has been guzzling water lately (and experiencing the frequent bladder urges you would associate with that much liquid). After an exam and thorough workup, the vet found that he has a significant hypothyroid condition and wants him on a twice daily medication, probably for the rest of his life! We'll test it out for a month, but we're not ones to subscribe to lifetime drug regimes as a solution.

And to top it off, I've hurt my back and am hobbling around with a forward tilt like an elderly person. I strained my low back muscles carrying several 80 lb sheets of subfloor upstairs for the new closet (with Jeff of course, but somehow hurting myself over 40 lbs doesn't sound as noble). Anyhow, I've started to notice the abundance of dust and dog hair accumulating on the floor, now that my eyesight is directed downward. And just when I'm least capable of getting down there to do anything about it, too! But thankfully it's Friday and the Sabbath and weekend are upon us.