The repair guy from the appliance place came over today with the new part to finish the repair on the dishwasher, but he couldn’t do it. Apparently we have palm rats who are still at work and they chewed on the remaining hose, making the part he brought not the right one.

So he went away to order yet another part and will be back probably in about a week, and Ed called an animal removal outfit who are coming tomorrow to give us an estimate. And one of the things they advertise is closing up access points where the animals get in.

So I am to continue my dishwashing and, yes, it is a big deal because my kitchen is not set up for it. I am using a little bar cart to hold the draining dishes, and I am pleased to have bought it just in time, even though Ed complained that it “added to the clutter”. My problem is that I am rather undone by evening, so I have to find a second wind after dinner to deal with the kitchen mess. I listen to my iPod while I am doing the chores because it distracts me from the drudgery.

Meanwhile, DH (drunken handyman) is sealing our driveway, but he put down more oil spot cleaner and didn’t wait until it had done its work, so now the white residue that It forms that has to wash away, is trapped forever under the sealer. Ed says that to get rid of it, we have to replace those pavers.

Anyway, when I got back from the market with stuff, I had to haul the large garage cart we have, over the grass, to avoid rolling it on the driveway, to the roadside where I filled it with stuff, and then drag it over the lawn to the garage. Then I had to drive the car to a place down the road to park it because our driveway isn’t ready for cars yet.

I know I am only a girl so I may be forgiven for thinking that you get what you pay for and cheaper is not always the way to go.

Finally, I have a recommendation. If you haven’t heard the new phenom, I recommend you Google YouTube, Amira Willighagen, a 10-year-old Dutch wunderkind who sings opera and is so stunning with her voice and interpretation that she will knock your socks off.

xx, Teal