Finally back at home after a 10 day excursion to Thunder Bay and back. I wonder where vacations illicitly bought their “relaxing” credentials, because there is no part of being away from home and travelling that counts as relaxing. Fun? Yes. Interesting? Yes. But not relaxing. Maybe it’s just vacationing with kids that takes so much energy.
The home front has suffered a technical glitch while we were gone, and I threw my shoulder into fixing it today. I dismantled and (hopefully) fixed the drainage pump on our washing machine. Though it might seem manly and brave to undertake such a repair, the honest truth is that I was already in the process of taking parts off of the thing before I even considered whether or not it was a good idea. So far, there have been no jets of errant water, or bolts of deadly electricity shooting from the machine, and it looks like it’s doing its job. As a bonus, Max saw me putting it back together and he wanted to fix things too. He went around the entire house (under supervision) fixing all sorts of things with a small screwdriver. I feel pretty rugged right now.
Of course, there were a few prices to pay along the way, in the form of a couple of small but bloody cuts on my hands. You wouldn’t think that they would put razor-sharp edges on the interior of a washer, but oh, they do. I guess I was on such a self-injury roll that I kept it going during dinner prep (threw something into hot oil, splattering my hands). During a brief bit of gardening I grabbed something that was sharp enough to prick my thumb. Didn’t fall asleep, so it wasn’t enchanted, whatever it was. Maybe something wicked is on the way. And then, while I was showering the days dirt off, I dropped a soap bottle on my toes. Also, it’s very difficult to enjoy a hot shower with a variety of wounds on your hands.
Chris Loblaw, Author 