A collection of disjoint thoughts and pictures

In our storage boxes, we found a couple of costumes for Jonathan, which he has been very excited to wear. Yes, he has played dress up before, but never full-body animal suit dress up, complete-with-tail dress up.



After two days of new outfits, Jonathan asked me what costume he got to wear next. Alas, we only had the two.

Now, were I a bit more crafty, I would post pictures next of the tool pouch I sewed for him out of an old kitchen towel. But I can't, because I am afraid my truly crafty cousins will be reading this blog, and take pity upon me. And I do not need any more pity right now. Nevertheless, Jonathan was very pleased with his tool pouch, and wore it over the tiger suit so he could fix things, just like all the contractor men who come in and out of our house at completely unpredictable times.

In other news, our new nanny has been sick for two days, and will be out again tomorrow. I have been waking up early so I can finish work at 3:30 pm and cover afternoons. Today I arrived at work by 6:30 am.

Campus is very peaceful at 6:30 am.

There are no meetings at 6:30 am.

I accomplished a lot between 6:30 am and 8:30 am. If I were more of a morning person, I would be rejoicing in those two hours. As it is, I still do appreciate the lack of meetings between midnight and 8 am. Thank you for those precious hours, oh Committee Heads. And if you are reading this, oh Department Chair, do not get any ideas about free hours for more meetings.

And finally, it's amazing what a big difference a little wood can make.

This is a picture of the hole that has been in our kitchen. It is an ingenious hole. The previous owner set up a secret laundry shoot down to the basement, hiding it in a secret kitchen cabinet. Alas, our new cabinets were not as large as the previous owners' cabinets, and so the hole was no longer secret.

Finally yesterday, after months, a couple of pieces of flooring were put in over the hole. They still need to be finished, but there is no longer any risk of sending dinner down to the laundry room. Much better!


And our other gaping hole was also fixed yesterday. That hole has been next to the staircase. The previous owners had another ingenious idea: To carpet the walls going down the stairs. Practically, I'm sure it saved them many a dent and ding to their walls. Visually, well ... let's just say the carpet had to go. So it went. It seems that going isn't a problem. Things are easy to tear out. Getting them fixed up afterwords is the real issue.



Finally, last night, the stair rail was installed! And this morning, we got bead board. The difference is amazing! And I no longer need to worry about tigers and/or dinosaurs falling down the stairs. Or at least not falling into the stairs. I don't think I can help tigers and/or dinosaurs and/or their mothers if they trip at the top step like everyone else.

Of course, the bead board on the other side has not yet been finished. You think you can have it all, but you can't.


Even so, what a difference a little wood makes, eh?