Soaking wet…but back at it.

I’m f*ckin’ sick of rain. It’s been raining almost non-stop for more than a week.

My basement leaks, there’s a river traversing the floor. I’ve learned my gutters need to be repaired in some places. I can’t go in and out of the garage without passing through Niagara Falls. My car leaks. The seal at the top corners of the windshield is no longer. The cloth seats absorb the drips. My ass blots it every time I sit in it. I must get some epoxy… Mel and I are tired of walking around with wet spots on our pants. My puppy has had many more ‘accidents’ in the last week because she doesn’t like to go outside in the rain. You can stand out there with her for 15 minutes or more, she’ll shake and cry the entire time but she won’t go. Perhaps she thinks she’s melting or something.

Last Thursday afternoon there was a torrential downpour. I had left a window in my computer room open and Mel had already left for work by the time it really started to pour. I left work as soon as I realized I needed to close the window but still had to dry off wires, half of my desk and the floor when I got home. Fortunately, no water landed on the monitor or computer, which I had left on. That might have been real trouble, or at least, very expensive.

We had a short reprieve between Friday and Saturday – just enough time for the lawn to dry up a bit. So, Mel was out mowing and blowing on Saturday afternoon. While she was using the blower, someone from the national landmark across the street came over and asked her to stop. Apparently they were filming some function outside on the veranda and she was making too much noise. She tells me her response was “Sure, but you’ll be the first to complain if I don’t keep my yard up.” That was pretty much a true statement. Not that anyone has ever complained to us, but we do have a hard time keeping up with the yard, or the snow in winter, sometimes.

There are benefits to living next to a historic landmark. The security in the neighborhood is pretty good, the streets are always plowed in the winter, the trash is always picked up on time, it’s nice to look at, etc., etc. The drawbacks are not having a single parking space within a one block radius any time there’s a function or a tour at the place, having a bunch of tourists around surveying (and taking photos) of your property because it’s part of the immediate vicinity and pretentious docents who give you dirty looks if you’re out cutting the grass (or making any sort of noise) while they’re giving a tour. Rain does not keep them at bay.

On the bright side, my lawn and shrubs are growing quickly and everything is a bright, emerald green. Green is my favorite color.