2020 Life Logs, Day 306: Exhaustion
2020 Life Logs, Day 306: Exhaustion
Date: Monday, November 2, 2020
Weather: Mostly Sunny and Windy; High 47, Low 36 Degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
Many Americans are exhausted watching these pre-election days play out. I am one of those Americans. But I find that I simply cannot tear myself away. I just have to know what is happening, play by play. But today I got an unexpected break from that with an issue that needed immediate attention and was even more exhausting. I got up, did a few chores around the house, and prepared to take a shower. So far, so good. But before hopping into the shower, I went ‘potty’, flushed, and then heard an unwelcome gurgle. Uh-oh. The water was filling the toilet and not going down. I watched for a few seconds and then the water went down. Okay, I flushed again to make sure everything was working right, but the same thing happened. I thought if I kept flushing, maybe I could clear whatever was causing the problem. That was the wrong thing to do. On about the fifth flush, I heard some strange water noises, so I went down to the basement to check things out. There was water everywhere. Not a ton, but obviously every time I had flushed, all of that water was just going into the basement. But how? And why? And who should I call? Where exactly is my septic tank? That last question led me to Peter Baranowski. He and Karen lived in this cottage for a year and Peter has been doing basic maintenance for Karen’s Aunt Shirley next door since her husband died. Peter would know what I should do, so I called. Peter came right over and we started calling plumbers and septic tank maintenance businesses in the area. The first plumber didn’t answer, so I left a message. The septic business that deals with Shirley’s septic tank next door couldn’t come for a few days. They put us on the waiting list. Another place apologized and put us on their waiting list. More calls. On the seventh or eighth call, I got an answering machine message giving me the name and cell phone number of someone. I called the cell phone number and left a message. While Peter and I were waiting to hopefully hear back from someone, we decided to do our own investigation. I went to the basement while Peter flushed the toilet, and we found the water was coming out of the overflow pipe. Duh! We used a snake. Nothing. We then decided to try and solve the issue ourselves. Peter asked me if I had followed his advice when I moved in here and left the concrete block that he had placed over the spot where the septic tank is located. Indeed, I had. It is in the wooded area behind my house. While Peter went home to get some tools, I got a call back from one of the messages I had left and a man named Shawn said he could come to pump out the septic tank today. Hurray. I knew that wasn’t going to solve our problem, but it was moving in the right direction. He said he could be here in a couple of hours. In the meantime, Peter returned and raked the leaves away from the area surrounding that concrete block. Then we got our shovels and started digging. About a foot down we hit paydirt. It took awhile to dig all around the septic tank lid and get all of the dirt off the top. Once we swept the top off, Peter used a shovel to try to lift the solid concrete lid, almost three feet in diameter and two to three inches thick. Heavy. But he did it and we discovered that the tank was full, but not above the drain pipe coming in or the drain going out to the drain field. Hmmm. Obviously there was a blockage between the house and the septic tank. But that’s all we could do without a powerful snake to go into the drain pipe. Peter went home and I made more phone calls. The story goes on and on, but the bottom line is that Shawn from Falmouth Cesspool arrived, used the huge suction hose to try and clear the drain pipe from the house, and then emptied the septic tank. After he thought he had cleared the drain pipe, he had me go in the house and flush the toilet. It worked. We had no idea what was blocking the drain pipe, but whatever it was had been sucked into the tank of his pump out truck. If the blockage happens again, I’ll have to call in the ‘big guns’ with the electric snakes with cameras they use for diagnostic purposes. But for now ,things are working. Shawn has to return in two weeks to install a new lid that will make pump out easier in the future. And I still have not cleaned up all the water on the basement floor. I not only have to get rid of the water, but I have to disinfect everything. I was just too exhausted, probably more mentally than physically, to deal with that issue anymore today. I am just so thankful that I didn’t have to live for two or three days without running water in the cottage. Clean up can happen tomorrow. It was 4:30 pm before I had time to take Shadow for a walk and then get to today’s planned job—canning chicken mineral broth. I made the broth yesterday and left it in a huge pot on the back porch overnight as the temp was going to be in the 30’s. For once, I am glad the temp today stayed in the low 40’s so that the broth was fine while I dealt with the septic issue. Tonight I have been busy canning. Starting basement reorganization was also on my list for today. Now that will happen tomorrow by necessity.
Tonight, when it was time to write today’s thankful note on my thankful pumpkin, I had to decide between so many things. I am thankful that I have friends who are willing to drop whatever they are doing to come help me out. I am thankful for the people that answer the phones at some businesses who, when they cannot help you, are willing to spend extra time giving you names and numbers of others who might have the time to help. I am thankful that when a very busy Heather and Jed heard about my ‘issue’, they were willing to drop everything and come to my rescue. Not needed today, but so thoughtful.
I am thankful for a daughter-in-law who took the time to send more photos of their new puppy today. In a picture of Ziggy holding Lenny, Ziggy looked happier than I have ever seen him in a photo. He hates having his picture taken, but it didn’t look like he minded today. And in another photo, it is obvious that Coco will take good care of Lenny. I am thankful that they seem to have found the perfect way to fill the hole in their hearts left by the loss of Alfie. There was so much to be thankful for today, but in the end, what I wrote on my pumpkin was, “I am thankful for friends who I know have got my back.” Maybe it should have been that I am thankful for having so many things to be thankful about.
Now I am going to sit in front of the TV and catch up on the political news of the day while canning the last load of chicken broth. Exhaustion is going to be replaced by anxiety tomorrow as we await the first results from this very consequential election.
It is the first day of the month of thankfulness, so I started my day by writing my first thankful message on my thankful pumpkin. “I am thankful for . . . my grandchildren who keep me young at heart.” And my day was full of examples. Jonah had a soccer game today but only one parent could attend, so I didn’t get to see him play. But after the game, Jonah and Heather stopped by and I was taken aback a bit when I saw Jonah in his soccer uniform. I have seen him in soccer uniforms since he was three, but today he looked so grown up. Maybe it is the new uniform or maybe he is growing up. Let’s hope it was the uniform. They stopped by to pick up Ollie and Sam who had come over this morning to help me with yard work. We used my new leaf blower to corral the leaves and we used their lawn mower to mulch and bag them. I could do this work by myself, but working with them was so much more fun.
Then this afternoon I had a long Skype video conversation with Justin and family. Coco introduced me to Blanco Brown and his version of the “Git Up” song and choreographed dance. My challenge is to learn the dance and send her a video of the results. Not sure that will happen! Ziggy is working on programming three-dimensional computer games, which I think makes me feel old, not young. But I really enjoy listening to his excitement about his computer programming adventures. I got to see bits and pieces of their Halloween costumes—Justin a unicorn, Coco a vampire, and Ziggy a piggy bank. I didn’t get to see Jo in her costume of gold, but she did join Justin and the three of us had a great conversation. We talked about politics, and on a happier note, we talked about a puppy they were going to meet later in the afternoon. Losing Alfie last week was very traumatic for all. They have known for a while that Alfie’s time was limited, and in anticipation, Jo has been researching livestock guardian dogs that could help protect their animals, especially the goats, from wild dogs in the area. She has been looking at sheepdogs from Turkey and from Italy. And this week she found a male puppy Italian Maremma Sheepdog in the town next door. So, they were going to meet the puppy after our phone call. Jo sent lots of wonderful photos that show it was love at first sight. The puppy is a white fur ball, just as cute as it can be, and now the newest animal acquisition on Finca Maravilla. My favorite photo was one of Justin holding Lenny, the name they chose for new puppy. Justin has always loved animals and he looked particularly joyous holding Lenny. Congratulations to Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco on the new member of their family.
Jed dropped Ollie off with me and we proceeded to have some Fall fun. I bought a leaf blower last Saturday just in time for a week of rainy weather. Ollie has offered to do yard work for me this fall, so he has been anxious to see how the leaf blower works. It is a battery-operated Ryobi, a little heavy, but very quiet for a leaf blower. Ollie had a great time learning to use it this morning. He worked until the battery needed to be charged and then came inside for some hot chocolate to do some Halloween artwork for me. I asked him to decorate three paper lunch bags–one for him, one for Sam, and one for Jonah—that we would then fill with candy. Because the family really wanted to go to a Crooked Coast concert this evening at the Falmouth Drive-in Theater, it was doubtful that they would get to go Trick or Treating. It is probably just as well because of Covid. But because they love Trick or Treating so much, I bought some of their favorite candy to fill the bags. Ollie also had to make a birthday card for his good friend Raylan whose party he was going to attend at 1 pm. It was time for lunch before we knew it and then I took him to Raylan’s house for an outdoor party with all the kids in their Halloween costumes. I came home and tried out the leaf blower. I have always hated them because they are so noisy. But this one is not and I found that it exceeded by expectations. Raking is really hard on my back, but I can use this leaf blower with no problem. Ollie was so cute this morning. He told me to watch him use the leaf blower and then when he is not here, I will know how to operate it. And I must say, he was a good teacher. That was basically my day.
Then mid-afternoon when I went to pick Ollie up after school, I noticed that the raindrops on my windshield were a bit icy. It is only a 4 to 5 minute drive to where I pick up Ollie, but in those few minutes, those icy raindrops turned to snow. By the time Ollie was walking across the street with Mr. Tom to meet me, it was really snowing. As I waited for Ollie to walk across the street, I noticed that he and all the other kids were dressed in their Halloween costumes. Halloween costumes and now just don’t compute. The end-of the-day parade with parents attending had been cancelled due to Covid, but the principal allowed the kids to wear their costumes all day. Gorilla Ollie was in an exceptionally exuberant mood. He had a really great day. I brought Shadow with me today, despite the rain turning to snow, and it was amazing how much the two looked alike. Ollie’s gorilla costume has the exact same look as Shadow’s coat. 
So, when I delivered Ollie home, we went out on the deck to get photos of big gorilla and little gorilla. At first, Shadow tussled with Gorilla Ollie, then he just stared at him, and finally he walked away. I think he figured out it was Ollie and not another dog. Ollie felt a bit rejected, but I’m just glad he got to have a little Halloween fun today.
I have been meeting with this group since July of 2017. I already knew two of the couples, Bruce and Jane Wooden and Terry and Olivia White—but the Baranowski’s and the Frieswyk’s were new to me. We have all become close friends and value our monthly time together. We are all so thankful that Peter and Karen have provided a cozy and Covid-safe environment for our continued meetings. During Covid, we have moved from inside to outside, from dinner to lunch to try and capture heat of the day, and now from outside to inside a double car garage where we keep the garage door open. And now we all bring our own food with someone providing dessert for all. Today the dessert was brought by Bruce and Jane Woodin. It was a flourless chocolate cake, one of my favorites, and it was delicious. The heat of the propane heater was much appreciated and we all got a kick out of Peter, who is 6’8” tall, standing on the garage steps to capture the temperature at the ceiling level of the garage. We are going to try another lunch-in just before Thanksgiving. We will then figure out how we might do this when the weather gets even colder. I am suggesting we dig out our snow pants and jackets and continue meeting. But whatever, thank you, thank you, to Peter and Karen for providing the space.
I used tomatoes from my garden that I harvested in the rain on Tuesday and I still have half of that last harvest to use in another recipe. I also made one of my favorite fall recipes, acorn squash stuffed with wild rice, mushrooms, and cranberries. If it is going to continue to be dreary, I at least have plenty to eat!
