8 to 12

Today is my day off. No work, no babysitting…just off. Kinda. I am waiting for the dishwasher repairman who has tried twice to fix the damn thing and after several parts ordered and installed I am still washing my dishes at night and cursing Sears. I made the earliest appointment possible so I don’t waste the whole day. 8 am to 12 noon It is almost 11 and still no repairman and so in my impatience I have called the automated recording twice to hear that my repairman will arrive between 8 and 12 today. God, did they say TODAY?? I better call back. Ok today, phew! I got up early to vacuum before the guy gets here. Wouldn’t want him to see that on any other given day the kitchen is a mess and anywhere my husband has eaten in the last 8 hours has to be re-vacuumed. I threw in a load of wash, checked my email, paid three bills on line, updated my Facebook status, organized a junk draw, cleaned out my pocketbook and refilled the salt shaker. I watered my plants including the two I got for Easter, ate a Sugar-free Peeps (with breakfast), called my mother in law (got no answer, hung up….there is a God), and checked just once more to be sure the recording still says that the repairman is coming today. I fluffed the couch pillows, sprayed Febreeze on them and the dog (who, as my son loves to point out…really stinks). I attempted to organize the coat closet but abandoned that when I realized that I would soon need to find a place to put all the winter wear. (Ok where is this guy, I am exhausted! ).

I switched the laundry from washer to dryer, gazed wistfully at my son’s empty closet, and as I neared the stairs heard my phone ringing. I jetted up the stairs (lol lol, yeah that didn’t happen) to what I was sure was the repairman’s call. Nope, just Mr. Wonderful asking me to do him a favor since I was ‘off’ today. I tied up some newspapers and magazines for tomorrows recycling, cleaned the soap dish in the bathroom, lost then found my bra which I had hidden under one of the Febreezed pillows. I made another pot of coffee, ate another sugar-free Peeps which made me nauseous, and sat down hoping to watch some mindless TV I recorded earlier. The phone rang. It was Sears. The repairman has been delayed she said. And with that I took some comfort and some pain. Stuck in the house longer, but at least I was certain he was coming.

 

I can see the sun peeking out from behind the clouds just to annoy me a little more. The bird feeders that my husband almost compulsively refills daily are covered with red cardinals, beautiful jet black…..blackbirds (duh), and green quakers which are like little mean parrots that snip at any birds that come near them and scream for god knows what reason. Done with bird watching I sat down at the computer to play Poppit. That is a game where you pop ballons of various colors until the least amount of balloons are left unpopped. Mindless like some of my TV shows. The game wouldn’t load. Loading…loading….loading and the little hourglass just stood there where my cursor should be. I shut the computer, no patience this morning…oh wait, technically it is almost this afternoon now.

I started a pot of split pea soup using the ham bone from my daughter’s Easter dinner (gonna be 80 tomorrow and I am making soup…jeez what timing), cut WWE wrestler figures out of cardboard for party centerpieces, and coaxed the dog outside with a piece of cheese in preparation for the arrival of the repairman. I sent an irate email to the Daily News about the 12 year old graffiti-ist who is now suing the city, and I called my mother in law again…with still no answer. Since her Life-Alert did not call me I am assuming she is ok and either out enjoying the sun (that I am missing) or avoiding my call because she is mad at me again for a reason that completely eludes me.

The bell rang. He’s here! The dog is going wild trapped outside. He is trying to tear through the screen to get in. I am yelling, he is barking, the bell still ringing. Not Sears, just my grandson who wants to see the wrestler cut outs. The dog contained, my grandson satisfied, the birds fed, the laundry done, Poppit still loading and my mother in law MIA….I sit, still waiting!