Chris leaves for a gaming weekend

Tuesday

I got up at 7:30. I watered most of the plants rather quickly. The man called and asked if we could clean his house by Thursday. I texted Jamie, then went to the garden to water the plants at the garden, and fertilize between the rows. Mrs. Pace stopped by to chat and said her stuff just isn't growing like it used to, and birds were eating it. I discovered a leak in the irrigation system in the potato box. I was able to fix it, then went home.

Jamie gave me a tentative yes. I filled out some paperwork, then went to Jordan's house to sign for it. He gave me $500. It was the cleanest house I had seen and later I felt badly that I didn't give him some of the money back. I chatted with the housing team and asked about signing for the apartment at 10. But they didn't have that signing on their schedule, so I went by the apartment and the resident said the signing is next Monday. Whew!

When I got home, I threw my cleaning stuff in the car, then called the first guy and said I would have to start right away to be done by Thursday. He said ok, so I went right over. He was still doing stuff in the garage. I started on the fridge, disassembling the shelves and washing them in the sink. He finished up and left. I don't know what yellow stuff got splattered on the fridge, but it was hard to get off the outside and impossible to get off the rubber door gasket. I also worked on the stove, finally engaging the self-clean feature. After 2 hours, Jamie came over and we chatted, then I went home.

I made and ate breakfast, intending to play with Saronna, but the littlest one had a fever so she canceled. I went back to the house and put in another hour. Since the stove was still cleaning, I worked in the living room, washing windows and walls. I discovered there was a thin black coating of some kind, that was so even and pervasive that it could not be seen until I ran a sponge through it. Then the demarcation was obvious. What's up with that?

After an hour, I went to the gym to walk with Terri. We had a nice chat about talking in tongues. Afterward, I chatted with Tiffany about having her daughter help me with the company house. Then I went home for a long drink of tea.

I went to the house Jamie was working on and did a walk-thru. The only dirt I saw was on the front of the front door. Just as I was leaving, she arrived. We chatted for a bit, decided we needed to write down all these houses so we could keep them straight. I went back to the house of the day and cleaned for another hour. This time I worked in the kitchen, cleaning behind the stove and getting grease off surfaces. I also did the blinds.

I went home and greeted Chris who was just finishing his supper. I made a salad and ate some of the leftover chicken. He finished his packing and moved his luggage to the car. We said goodbye and he left. I read e-mail until 8, then went out to the side yard to rake and mow. I kept expecting the sprinklers to come on, but they never did. At 9, I put everything away and went inside. I made tea and watched a documentary on child trafficking. Horrific. Chris texted to say he had reached his hotel room near the airport and was going to bed.

After the documentary, I worked on my blog, trying to remember what all I had done during the day. I finally posted it and went to bed.

The pre-inspection quote

Monday

I got up at 7:30. I watered the plants at home. I went to the garden to water and check on those plants. I harvested some mint and kale and a pea pod. When I got home, I stripped and washed wild lettuce leaves and laid them out to dry.

Then I got a phone call from a man who wanted to know how much we would charge to finish cleaning his house after moving out. I called Jamie and we went over there to look around. Things he said he had cleaned were not up to the standards we usually have to meet. So after much discussion, we decided to estimate 13 hours of cleaning at an hourly rate if done before the inspection - meaning we don't sign for the house. I called him and gave him the info. He said he'd get back to us tomorrow.

We went out through the garage, the way we came in. Jamie found a note on her car because she parked in the neighbors driveway. I don't know why she drove since the house is on her street. Anyway, after she wrote a note back, we left. When I got home, I got ready to plant some things, but then Michelle called to say the chaplain's wife was back in the hospital and she was rounding up people to cook for their boys.

I planted the sprouted garlic and some rooted mint. Then I made breakfast, and ate fruit and seed crackers. I spread shredded paper on some of the flowerbeds. I listened to videos while reading e-mail.

At 3:30, I went to the post office, then walking with Terri at the gym. I read e-mail for a bit. Chris came home from work and started steaming broccoli and cauliflower. I raked 1 part of the yard and mowed it. I raked a second part and mowed that. Then I ate some leftover chicken and made a salad. The steamer still wasn't done.

I put on a suit and went to the pool. No one was in it. The sky was overcast and I could hear rumbling. But the lifeguards were ok with me swimming so I did laps until my foot cramped. I swam two more laps, then got out and dried off. After a little chatting, I left.

When I got home, I changed into dry clothes. I could see Chris had been packing for his trip.I finished a video on tomato hacks. I worked on my blog, then made tea. I heard rain hit the roof and knew it was too late to rescue the drying herbs. We watched three episodes of Cheers. I read e-mail after Chris went to bed, then retired myself.

* I think I'll make my own clothes. *

A chat with the colonel

Sunday

I got up just shy of 8:30. I handwatered all the plants with a dilution of whey, and then water. I went to the garden to water. I used whey there, too. I added a tomato cage, and two mousetraps to hold the end of a drip line shut.

I went to the Mustang Run house to drop off Mop-n-Glo for Jamie. We talked, then I went home. I whipped up a batch of cheese sticks and stuck them in the oven. I watered the flowerbeds with the hose.

I asked Chris for a coconut oil massage, but he said it was too late. I took a shower, then got dressed. I made and ate breakfast. I put the cheese sticks in a container. I brought in the crock pot from the car and put my trombone in. Then I went to the chapel.

I dropped the snack on the back table, then took my trombone up front. I got it set up then practiced with Sebastien. New people came and chaplain's whole family greeted them, including their therapy dog (who licked my hands which probably smelled of cheese).

We sang two praise hymns, with the lyrics on the overhead. Then the chaplain gave his sermon. Afterward I played two hymns with Sebastien. The chaplain said the closing prayer. I chatted with various people there. I got lots of compliments on my cheese sticks. I was the last to leave.

When I got home, I ate fruit and listened to Chris game while reading e-mail. I took a nap. Later, I went to the gym. Chris came and moved the weights, then went home. I worked out for half an hour, then chatted with Mickie and went home.

I saw a black truck in front of our house. I found the colonel and Chris on the back porch. I sat on a 5 gallon bucket and the colonel told me about his experience at the pool. We talked about other things, too.

After he left, I made a salad and ate it plus some watermelon. I texted with Michelle, and worked on my blog post. Chris and I watched three episodes of Cheers. I watched a video on what your face tells you about your health. After clearing more e-mail, I went to bed.

Pioneer Days

Saturday

I got up at 7 when Chris' alarm went off. I got dressed and watered all the plants at home. I resisted the gopher mounds. Chris cooked me 4 eggs for breakfast (since I missed supper last night). I read some e-mail, then got my stuff together so I was ready when Michelle arrived at 8:20.

We had a nice trip to Tooele. I thought Pioneer Days was a Tooele-wide event, but we went to a church and all the events were inside. We listened to a young lady talk about the old days. Then we walked around the church, seeing the different activities in the various rooms. In one room they were making dolls out of fat quarters. Michelle made two and gave me one. In another room, they were tying quilts. I put in half a row (because I ran out of thread). I met some people I know from the base. We stood in line to make candles. We skipped the ice cream-making activity and the fried bread station. But Michelle got some bread for Chris.

After that, she took me to a nursery. They had bigger stuff, like bushes and trees. Then we went back to the base, chatting all the way. She dropped me off at my house. I ate some seed crackers, plus chicken and rice that Chris made. She came back with the fried bread for Chris. I gave her the goat cheese I had left and she gave me $10 (even though I didn't ask for money).

At 1:45 I went to the house to clean with Jamie. I worked in the kitchen, cleaning behind the fridge and stove, then cleaning the inside of the fridge. I also did two windows and their blinds. Then I dusted all the walls, and a ceiling fan. After 4 hours, I was ready to go. Jamie had to leave for a short while. She said she would finish the house herself and gave me $150 plus told me to keep the $45 change from the other day. So after she left, I pulled my car into the garage and loaded all my cleaning stuff into it. Then I went home.

Chris heated chicken on the stove for me. I jotted notes for my blog. I read e-mail while eating, then put on my suit and went to the pool. I got an earful about the family with the 10+ kids. I came home and told Chris. He said he can't do anything until someone files a report. I made a note to tell the lifeguards to file a report. I made tea and we watched a movie called One for the Money. Then I read e-mail and went to bed.

Never got to the pool

Friday

I got up late. I watered the home plants. I killed gopher who was trying to avoid the water. Then I went and watered the garden. I pulled diseased leaves off of the potato plants. Were they too wet? I discovered a leak in the irrigation system. I folded up the end of the leaking line and covered it with a rock.

When I got home, I read e-mail. I made breakfast and ate it while watching gardening videos. Chris came home for lunch. Then we went to Tooele, shopped, and came back. Before going home, we stopped at post office.

It was 5pm. We unloaded the car. I raked a portion of the side yard and mowed it. Then I put on my bathing suit and went cleaning, intending to stop at 7 and go to the pool. However, Jamie didn't show up until 7, at which time I had been cleaning for an hour. She showed me her new cleaning tools: cordless vacs and microfiber dusters. She got a call for a quote, so we went over there to see the house. I had never been in one of those houses, so it was nice to see. But with two stories, it was a lot of house to clean, even though they obviously took care of it.

We went back to the house we were cleaning. We talked about coming up with a formula for a quote. We went through the stuff left in the house, dividing it up between us or consigning it to the swap shop. We divided up what was left in the fridge. I took a bag home.

As I was carrying stuff into my house, Michelle called. She wanted to take me to Pioneer Days in Tooele tomorrow morning. I was tired and not enthusiastic, but she convinced me.

Chris and I watched two episodes of Cheers. He set his alarm for 7am. I read some e-mail, then went to bed.

Finding an alternate at the swap shop

Thursday

I got up at 7:30. I watered all the plants at home, then went to the garden. The timer was dead so I came back for batteries and a spoon. I replaced the old batteries, then tested the old ones. Inexplicably they tested fine.

I watered gopher holes. One popped up and I killed it and threw it across the street. I reported to Mindy that the irrigation system in plot 15 was leaking. I texted with Michelle about finding someone to mind the swap shop this afternoon. I searched for a piece of paper with names on it of two ladies who volunteered over a year ago. No luck, but I did find a check to the church that I forgot to mail in June!

I checked e-mail, refilled the 'push' combos, and made breakfast. I watched The Highwire: Dosing of Paxlovid is too complicated to allow pharmacists to prescribe it when people request it. It interacts badly with 75 other medications.

I went walking with Terri at the gym. I went by the post office to unlock the swap shop. Then I went to the latest house and cleaned for an hour in the kitchen - so much stuff left behind. Half of it was trash.

I went home to get more cleaning supplies, and to hydrate. I read some e-mail, then went back to the house and cleaned for an hour and 15 minutes: I vacuumed all the rooms and worked on the grease on the stove hood. In my head I finished writing lyrics to the Gomer Pyle theme song.

When I got home, I picked lettuce and made a salad. I ate it while watching Facts Matter. Chris came home with a pizza. I worked on my blog, then made tea. It was 9 by the time we sat down to watch four episodes of Cheers. Chris kept pausing it to make passes at me.

Afterward, I read e-mail until after 11:30, then went to bed.

The cleaning business is looking up

Wednesday

I woke up early when Chris' alarm went off. It took some effort to go back to sleep. I got up at 8. I started coffee morning and watered some plants, then got a call from a guy who wants to sign his house over to us for cleaning next week. I remembered that we already have an apartment for next week and Jamie signed for a house two days ago. So I texted her that I needed to start cleaning it now and she had me come over to get the keys. She also showed me some dusters that she loved and wanted me to get more of at the commissary. She gave me a $100 bill.

I went to the garden to water and fertilize, etc. Then I returned home. I did my exercises and tappings. Then I cleaned the bathrooms and started the kitchen. I vacuumed the floors and emptied the dust cup. Then I washed a grunchload of dishes.

After reading some e-mail, I went to commissary and got the supplies Jamie asked for. Then I stopped by the library to return Gomer Pyle and get the next season of Cheers. I stopped at the post office, then met Terri at the gym for walking. We had a good chat as usual.

When I got home, I dried the dishes and put them away. Just as Chris came home, I left for the cleaning quote. I arrived at 6. I inspected the house, starting with the kitchen. The house was pretty clean. Then I called Jamie to discuss it with her. I suggested $450, and she thought maybe $700 but left it up to me. I quoted him $500. We agreed to meet at 9am for the signing on Tuesday.

I went home and changed into my bathing suit. Chris wished me fun at the pool, but when I got there, it was full of kids. They were in constant motion. I wanted to do laps, but most of the time could only tread water and stay out of their way.

I got out a little early. I dried off and went home. I changed into dry clothes. I worked on my blog while listening to a video on strange blood clots. Aluminum foil is contaminated with other metals. Recycled foil is even higher in contaminants than 'fresh' foil. These clots are not made of blood and have a high concentration of tin.

I made tea and we watched four episodes of Cheers. Then I read e-mail until 11:30 and went to bed. Chris told me later that I forgot to turn the router off.