Well, it was another chilly night…of course. The fourth blanket didn’t make a noticeable difference, and the early night just left me lying awake ‘til my usual bedtime rather than awarding me with blessed sleep.
So, once again I got too few hours in actual sleep, since the monster Boxer was being a pest and forced me out of my bed just four hours after finally getting to sleep. I had a genuine battle with her as to see who is the boss, and it was a doozy.
It earned me a grazed knuckle from her where her teeth scraped over it, and more than a fare share of disgruntlement when I finally wrestled her against the wall, just so she’d stop trying to win from me.
I wasn’t happy, to say the least, with the adrenaline pumping through my veins after this tussle that is far from easy or safe with a dog that doesn’t know the meaning of submission. But, in the end I’ve got her in a firm grip and hold her still until she stops trying to grab either my clothes–or me, she isn’t at all picky about that.
Giving her jaws, which I needed to grab in order to evade her blunt but strong teeth, a good shake, I haul her onto the bed and take her into a headlock for a few more hours of much needed sleep.
She keeps blissfully quiet until about half an hour before the alarm is supposed to go off, so I get up and start with the normal morning rituals not in the best of moods.
My knuckle hurts and knowing that the day ahead is going to be busy, I’m not happy with the lack of sleep either.
What with the schedule for the day being filled, I know that my workout simply isn’t going to be doable, and don’t even bother starting the mental discussion with my “lazy” self, when I just decide to skip it for a day in favor of getting some other stuff done before we need to go to town.
A big load of laundry is waiting once again, and after removing the dry clothes and sheets from the lines, I hang the new batch up, to head into the much warmer house ASAP.
It takes me a little while to get the dried stuff folded but by that time big brother has joined me and mom is on her way down the stairs as well, creating the usual ruckus amongst the cheerful pack members.
Breakfast is a hasty affair of stuffing some bread down my throat–and then settle down on the new kitchen counter to repair the pants I’ve taken out of storage now that my Jeans are really overdue for a quick wash. The buttonhole tore off sometime during the last winter, and I need to flex my cold fingers several time before I manage to handle the needle and thread that soon attach a new buttonhole to the waist.
Seeing as we can’t postpone our lessons another day, big brother and I delve into our school books, rereading the bits that didn’t stick and going over the questions the tests will cover, while the other sibs come down from their rooms and start they own morning rituals.
Little sister comes moving past with her small gray and black Cocker Spaniel in her arms, while the rest of her pack (the majority of the same breed) dash on ahead into the courtyard. My other sister follows suit with her own pack ten minutes later, leading her Boxer Groovy on a leash, since Groovy has developed a certain pleasure in making granddad’s life miserably, by tearing into his pants the moment he sees him.
Big brother and I get less than half an hour of going over the bits of information in when the time to get ready for our departure arrives. Leaving the dogs behind in the courtyard, I head to my room to change from work clothes into something clean and neat before we head for the car and depart.
First up is a small supermarket that will be closed at six, and therefore needs to be visited before school. Then we need to head for the home improvement warehouse to get the sink we’ve been waiting for over a month for. It still hasn’t arrived when we get there, so after some debate big brother and I pick another model–which is held in stock–and continue to roam around the store for some more screws, construction glue and several aluminum strips that we’re going to need for finishing up the counter around the new stove.
That done, it is time for school at last and after dropping us off, mom and granddad head for the supermarket for some veggies that we’ll need to make it to next week when the actual grocery shopping will be done.
Not a good day for tests on a computer while piled into a tiny room with at least five other students, and my eyes heavy with fatigue, but at least I come through four of six tests without error, and have only two wrong in the other two before today’s session is over and we head back out, to wait for our pick up.
Pleased that all the necessities are taken care of for a week–under the presumption than to emergency pops up–we head back home, where a quick meal of fries, some salad and an apple will have to do for the day’s nutrition.
We watch some TV for a bit, mostly just winding down and then start back on the kitchen.
While big brother and I set to the task of cutting out the section for the new sink, the sisters resume painting more spice drawers. They certainly get more done than us, until it becomes clear that our figure-saw won’t go through the four and a half inches of the counter and an alternative needs to be thought of. There’s some fretting, until genius strikes.
After drilling a lot of holes along a large portion of the cutout section, little sister is involuntarily volunteered to crawl into one of the drawer cases to use the saw in our stead. None of us really fit into it, so she is the only one available.
While I hang over the counter, with one hand on the saw she is directing, and the other holding the wood still for treatment, we finally manage to cut a proper opening and the new sink can be placed.
Since only a part of the metal casing can be fastened with the little hooks that come with the sink, construction glue is used on the portion that isn’t accessible from below.
Though an excellent solution, it brings a new dilemma to the fore. How do we brace it while it dries?
Ideas of placing a lot of weight on top of it are soon dismissed–there really is nothing that is heavy enough–and an alternative plan is put into action while big brother climbs on top of the counter and wedges a large beam between the high ceiling and counter instead. It works, and the metal is neatly pressed down to the counter.
Next comes the aluminum finishes. Two large strips will be placed on the outer edge of the counter, and while big brother searches for a small metal saw, I measure and prepare the strips for cutting.
Midnight is already approaching by the time the first two strips are cut, and we only attach one because there is still a lot of cleaning to be done before we can call it a night.
It looks good by the time I clear away the last bits of paint splatters and look at the end result with considerable delight.
The two sinks are different, but still match in shape and material. The counters are clean, except for the tools and supplies neatly piled against the wall, and soon we can start on the elevated center of the large kitchen island.
By this time the younger sibs come back down from whatever it is that kept them occupied up in their own quarters and with his return little brother carries with him his old CD player. He heard me lament the dying machine in my cabin, and decided to offer an alternative. His is apparently still working, so for the time being I’ll be using it instead of my own.
The day has definitely left me exhausted, but it’s well worth the effort by the time I plunk down at the table and watch an episode of “Frasier” before heading up to my quarters with the dogs in enthusiastic pursuit.
Temperatures are a little higher tonight, almost ten by the time I reach my cabin, right after the night rain has abated just a bit. The dogs hurry on into the rooms and eat their dinner while I have fifteen minutes of reading with little brother’s old CD player blasting full force from the moment I set it up.
With my daily dose of reading taken care of, I switch on the computer and go over the day’s messages.
Had another sale of W.I. Investigations/Shape Shifter today, (YAY!) and I have a message from the buyer, apparently. It is always a pleasure to hear from readers, of course, not to mention that an e-book download actually provides me with a couple of bucks in revenues. Hah.
He (the buyer) thought the story was great and said that he really liked the idea of my paranormal detective series on the overall. But, he thought that what the series really needed was a book trailer, which he could supply, since he makes the things.
It’s a wonderful idea, by any means, but at the moment simply not doable for me…which is certainly regretful. But, what with the bad economy and more than ninety dogs to feed and take care of, along with a family of seven/nine, funds are always a tricky thing all ‘round. Still, maybe some day. It would certainly be grand that’s a fact.
Ah well, that dealt with, I went through the other messages and finally ended up on today’s blog.
I do hope that what with this week’s necessities taken care of, I’ll get some more work done on the Cajun Vampire story. It is just begging me in the back of my mind, and from the sound of big brother’s complaints about not having been able to do any serious work on the short story for days now, he’s feeling it too.
Time to call it a day, I’m thinking, knowing full well that I’m bound to be late again since I totally lost track of time while having my fun on the forums and chat sites. Who needs sleep anyway?
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