Decisions

Yesterday, I walked up to the bar where my husband works to get a burger and say hello. It's only a small deviation from the path I usually walk with the dog - a circuit through the park and down a street along the river. On the way home, rather than finish the circuit, I returned the way I had come, walking back through the park. This decision treated me to several moments engrossed in nature.

The Canadian geese that nest along the tributary through the part have all hatched their young. While I walked along the path, seven or eight adult geese and forty or so goslings were walking and pecking in the grassy area adjacent to the path. I stopped and walked several paces towards them and then just stood quietly as they approached. It was such a peaceful moment to watch the birds move slowly toward me, fanning out and then hurrying back to the group. The goslings are older, half the size of the adults, but without feathers yet. They are fuzzy, covered in down. They walk expertly though and eat the little gnats and bugs out of the grass. Several came within two feet of me. Because I stood perfectly still and just watched them, they were not frightened of me. It was a wonderful few moments, just observing.

Slowly, they turned away and moved in a different direction across the grass. I backed up to the path and made my way home, thinking how fortuitous it was to deviate from my usual path and retrace my steps. And how glad I am that I paused to take in the magic.

A Note About the Title

Yes I am aware that the title is partially borrowed from Alice Hoffman's book Practical Magic and the movie of the same name. It is one of my favorite books in fact and I own the movie (of course!) despite it not being nearly as good an interpretation as I had hoped for. Having said that, it is not just borrowed from a favorite book, but rather a way of living in the world. Let me explain.

Today has been a day of, for lack of a better description, intrusion for me. Perhaps it is because I feel like it is Monday and the rest of the world is clearly aware that it is Saturday. Not just any Saturday, it is the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. So, while I want to enjoy a peaceful day of rest and relaxation (it is my vacation after all), the rest of the neighborhood has been droning on like a hive of bees in activity.

There are three houses across the street from me on my block. The neighbors in the first house showed up this morning with a moving truck to begin a day of hauling possessions back and forth to their new home. My ever-alert and protective labrador has spent the day barking at them off and on to warn me of the dangers of their presence - whatever these may be. She will not be placated and she is tireless in her guarding. So every few minutes, the air is punctuated with her barks. Even our walk today was difficult for she insisted on stopping every 3 feet or so to either sniff or dribble - literally marking our way. While she always does this when we walk, it usually only at the beginning until she has completed her business and then we are able to enjoy a nice brisk, continuous walk. Today however, she persisted throughout the entire walk. I don't think I have ever started and stopped something so many times in a single endeavor!

The neighbor in the center house across the street had his driveway repaved. Apparently this takes a large, loud machine to accomplish. Although it did not take very long, it was a loud incessant noise and it gave the dog yet another thing to warn me about.

The neighbor in the third house spent the entire day in his yard, with a leaf blower and a lawn mower and a trimmer. None of these things operate quietly. And I swear he had one or the other running all day long.

And finally, I love my deck, sitting in the sun on my deck and generally enjoying a book or magazine in peace and quiet. But even the weather did not cooperate today. It looked deceptively warm, like a nice day to sit on the deck. It was however, quite breezy - with a chill in the air. And each time the clouds passed over the sun, it was downright cold. So I battled blown pages and shivering. Why not just go inside you might ask - well, simply put, I find it difficult to be inside when it looks so nice outside. And I am on vacation and want to have a little relaxation, not all housework....

What does all of this have to do with the title of my blog? Well, around 5 o'clock, all the incessant activity on the block came to an end. I can only surmise that it is dinner time and everyone has retreated indoors to prepare and consume. And for a few moments, there was nothing for the dogs to bark at - not a soul or a sound. It was, for me, magical, this silence. I stopped making the bed and lay diagonally across it on fresh sheets. I watched the wind blow the leaves on the tree ouside my bedroom window. I watched the late afternoon sun sparkle across the leaves. And the mild irritation that had followed me all day finally dissipated. I actually dozed for 15 minutes or so. To me, that is practical magic. When the mind and body join to enjoy, embrace, or just plain old take advantage of the moment. A peaceful, short nap in the late afternoon. Heaven.....

As for other random acts of lunacy, I think my previous entries are beginning to sum those up nicely.....so, seek magic everyday, and don't forget to stop and embrace whenever, wherever you find it.

And the saga continues

Well, let's see - it turns out that the lovely scent emanating from my basement wasn't actually standing rain water gone foul, it was in fact sewage that had backed up through our drain. By I have gotten ahead of myself here, let me backtrack...

After the first set of plumbers sent by the warranty company told me that the clogged drain wasn't covered, I took the advice of my wise ol'dad and called Roto Rooter. $578 later, they informed me that the main line from the house had collapsed and they would have to dig up my front lawn and driveway to reach the breakage in order to fix it. This excavation would cost me an addtional $6500.00, half up front. I don't know about the rest of you, but the change in my couch cushions did not quite add up to that much. (They also discovered that the pipe that drains all water usage in the house was corroded and broken - hence the lovely odor aforementioned. This is an entirely different excavation adventure which will cost yet another $3800.00.)

At this point, I realize that some or all of this may actually be covered by warranty as it is not just a simple drain clog. So I call them back. I am informed that anything within the foundation of the house (broken sewage pipe drain) is covered. Anything outside the foundation of the house, (broken main pipe under the driveway) is not covered. And Roto Rooter is not an affiliated company, so their company will have to come back out. So I put in the work order and wait for the appointment. In the meantime, we still have 4-6 inches of water in our basement - despite the mighty but small little pump which we are using almost non-stop. The water heater is now leaking as well. So we pump water, light the pilot light, take a shower (only one of us) and then start the process over again. Have I mentioned that this has been going on now for a week?

Twenty-four hours later, the company has not called me to make an appointment (I know, I am very impatient) and so I call the warranty company again. They tell me that the company maybe didn't get the work order, they will send it again. At this time, I also indicate that I think there may be something wrong with the water heater, could they look at it too? This is when I am informed that the first two plumbers that came out who did nothing except tell me my warranty didn't cover clogs, had submitted that the water heater needed to be replaced since it had been sitting in water for two days. The warranty company denied this as it is not normal wear and tear. At no point was I ever informed either of the assessment or the denial. But really, I am only the client, why would I need to know what is going on? I am assured however, that they will call me within two hours to schedule an appointment to come and fix the broken pipe. For the water heater however, I will have to request a second opinion. I am given the name of a second company and told they will also call me.

Yet another twenty-four hours later, I still have not heard from the first company. The second company has made an appointment for sometime between 8am and noon today. I call to check on the first company and I am told that the order was cancelled - again, without informing me. Apparently, I can't request that they come back out as a recall on the first order since the pipe is a separate problem - nevermind that this is all related to the backed up drain - I instead have to request a new order and pay another deductible. FINE - WHATEVER - JUST COME AND FIX MY BASEMENT! Did I raise my voice? They have now made an appointment with me for tomorrow. Hallelujah!

But wait, there is actually more! The company that came to give me a second opinion found that the water heater was indeed malfunctioning and that it could actually have blown up! Those were the technicians exact words: blown up! He adjusted something and changed something and immediately ordered a new water heater. This will be installed on Friday. Truthfully, my basement has seen more action in the last 10 days than, well, fill in your own metaphor here. (I am a little worried about turning on my furnace now....)

The latest revelation is that yesterday, the city was working on our street - apparently something is wrong with the sewage lines on my block - curious...they flushed all the city lines and amazingly, the drain in my basement became instantly unclogged - all the water drained right down. So, it would seem that Roto Rooter tried their best, but in fact there is no break in the line only an incredible back up all the way from the city lines. (Phew, I was afraid I'd have to take up lapdancing to pay for the excavation under my driveway.) Instead, now I have to continue to work back and forth between my warranty company and my insurance company to juggle who will be paying for all the repairs and replacements in my now damp, but no longer submerged basement. (You see one will cover any expense due to normal wear and tear, the other will pay for unforseen accidents, maybe.) I think I will be calling on the city of Geneva tomorrow. Wish me luck - oh and don't take your hot water for granted.

Footnote

As an addendum to my May 9th post about loving the smell of rain - today, I truly do not love anything about the rain. (See previous post for clarification.)

It could be worse

Hello friends - I just wanted to say I hope you all are having a great day. If, however, I have caught you on a not-so-great, or even a bad day, perhaps this little story will cheer you simply by letting you know that it can always be worse.

Tuesday night I came home from the gym to find that I had no hot water. The stove and dryer worked however, so I knew it could not be a problem with our gas. Too tired to deal with it at 10pm, I went to bed. Wednesday morning, my husband awoke and discovered what I had not yet had a chance to convey to him. He being worldlier in these matters than I, immediately deduced that the pilot light on the water heater must be out. Upon investigation, the reason for the pilot light snuffing was that our basement had an inch or so of water in it. We don't have one of the those new-fangled homes with luxuries like sump pumps, instead, a small drain in the floor supposedly keeps up high and dry. I'm sure you can tell already how effective this method is. Dear boy that my husband can be sometimes, he labored all evening while I was away to try and fix the drain clog so that we might once again have hot water and enjoy the modern ammenities of a shower.

But, nature was against us as late last evening the heavens opened and dumped onto Northern Illinois several million gallons of water - much of which, I would argue, I am now providing storage for in my basement. So at 4am we gave up the fight and went to sleep. I awoke with an epiphany - we have a home warranty! I will call and get this fixed immediately. At first I was
told that they could not come until tomorrow morning. Well really what's one more day without a shower? But then we were blessed with a cancellation and an afternoon appointment opened for us. Two burly men arrived, in rather inappropriate shoes I might add, to assess the problem. They were not very pleased to be sloshing around calf deep in the now six inches of water that is in my basement in their tennis shoes. But I guess we are even as I was not very pleased to have them
tell me that they could do nothing to fix the problem as the water was too deep to find the clog and they did not have the equipment to pump out the basement. They were quite informative however in advising me on my next course of action.

So, heeding their advise, I have purchased a submersible pump, a twenty-five foot garden hose, and a fifteen foot extension cord so I can pump the 6 inches of water out of my basement and into my neighbors back yard. (This is much cheaper than the alternative which is to break the concrete floor, create a pit, insert a sump pump and put a hose through the wall of my basement.) But I wonder if it is as effective? Just wondering as I listen to the sky rumble and try and guess how much more water can actually fit in my basement. (Of course, on the bright side, who needs how water when I can take a bar of soap outside and stand in the pouring rain? I may get a shower this week after all!)

Let me just add that I truly love my pink and yellow striped galoshes that come up to my knees. Every woman should own a pair. And did I mention what a lovely fragrance standing rain water mixed with drain overflow emits? I'm not sure I'll ever be able to get that scent out of my head...hope everyone is having a truly lovely day. If not, I invite you over to shovel sludge when the little pump that could finally clears my basement and I am left with whatever is floating around down there - remember, it could always be worse.

I love the smell of rain. I love the way the air smells just before it rains and I love the way it smells just after it rains. These are three rather different scents, but all three fresh and clean. It has been raining off an on all day - so that scent of rain is thick in the air. Standing in the parking lot of Lowe's, I was looking up at huge swollen rain clouds. But these clouds were low -and heavy, hanging just above our heads, so that the sun-filled blue sky peeked through from above. These big, grumpy, gray clouds were just passing through. No lingering rains - but instead alternating showers with rays of sunshine. Earlier it was raining while the sun was shining. This was the kind of day that creates rainbows and prisms in raindrops.

Today was one of those rare and wonderful days when the weather is like a moving painting across the sky.The clouds were so thick and so low that they bled down to the horizon and started to resemble great mountains in the distance. There was a spot to the east where the clouds parted, and the light of the sun made the uppermost curves sparkle like snowcaps. To the west, there was another break in the clouds revealing the late afternoon sun. It was bright still - a wonderful contrast of light to the dark underbelly of the still swollen rain clouds. Pale gray deepened into a dark almost charcoal. Finally, as the sun started to set, the palest parts of the clouds turned to pink and orange, while the grayest parts bled purple. As the whole mass moved east, the colors streaked and pulled across the sky. It was beautiful and awesome and majestic - watching the sky today made me feel both lucky and small all at the same time. I truly love being able to watch nature play across the sky.

Half Full, Bright Side, Silver Lining and all that crap

I am not a morning person. For those of you who know me, this is perhaps the greatest understatement ever uttered. So you can imagine how elated I was to have my puppies wake me at the ungodly hour of 6am today. Despite my nausea at even contemplating getting out of bed, I let the nurturer in me drag me to a more or less vertical position and shuffled downstairs to care for the fur-covered joys of my life. They wiggled and made their weird howl/grrr/dog sounds of appreciation. Wiggly and cute is great, but even that doesn't cut it before 8am. This could shape up to be a truly craptacular day.

Whatever. I hooked them up outside and was shuffling back inside when I realized how quiet it was outside. No real traffic sounds, no kids, city workers, neighbors...just nature actually. And it was warm this morning, so very comfortable standing outside in my pajamas. The birds were chirping; the bunnies scurried for cover; the duck pair waddled further from the edge of my yard. It was actually quiet pleasant. And blessedly, there was nothing for the pups to start yowling and barking at, so even they were quiet. I actually paused on my deck and inhaled the air. (Love that fresh off the river scent of stale water and fish.) For a moment, I even contemplated brewing a cup of tea and staying up to enjoy this unexplored time of day. The eternal optimist that resides right next to the cranky cynic smiled at this truly peaceful moment.

And then, thankfully, my true self (the cynic rules the morning hours) remembered that I didn't have to be awake for another three hours. That I was not actually fully awake now. So I shuffled back upstairs, crawled back into bed, and let the freight train resonance of my husband's snoring drown out the newly discovered, sweet sounds of nature. And slowly, was lulled back to sleep.

How to Start A Revolution And Other Useless Thoughts

http://carbonfour.blogspot.com/

I like this Blog. It's entertaining and thoughtful and thought provoking. Enjoy.

A Four Coke Day

I usually like to mix my liquids up throughout the day - tea, milk, water, juice, coke. One or two of each. Depends on mood and what I am eating of course. Mostly I try to balance the playing field between my nutritional intake and the teeth-rotting sugar swill that I adore.

Today however, is a very different day. My love of Coke has taken over. One for breakfast - which I have everyday. Sometimes after milk on the way to work, sometimes instead of milk if I am running late. The second for the drive out to school - 70 miles - and to wash down the sandwich I was eating. These two are not so unusual except that I drank them both so quickly. Chugged really. I'm much more of a Coke sipper. In fact by the time I finish a can it's usually warm....so why the urgency today?

The third when I got to school. Oddly I am still thirsty. Water did not feel appealing today. I think I am trapped in some sort of sugar craving. What makes us crave anyway? And in quantity?

I should be ashamed. I should be fearing for the lining of my stomach and the rotting of my teeth. I've gotten that nasty Coke bashing email about it's dangerous acidic content. I know it can disintegrate a nail and clean bug guts off my windshield. But I don't care. I love Coke. I will always love Coke. It tastes so much better than that other cola (which I will not even name here.) And I have faith in the strength of my stomach lining and toothh enamel.

So I am going to go ahead and have that fourth Coke on the drive home. Maybe even a fifth because I love it...

and because I believe in my cravings...
and because love should be demonstrated...
and cravings should not be ignored.