Hits And Misses

Welcome to sunny California.  I guess we begrudgingly have to admit it's winter.  I looked out this morning to see water everywhere.  The is what tule fog looks like.  It's heavy and very WET.  Walk around outside the house and you will have to change your shirt.   If we're lucky, it lifts and/or disappears around 10 or 11:00.  Sometimes it can last all day and all night for a week.

This is me in the morning.  Okay, I'm not quite THAT old, but my slippers are huge and my coffee cup full.

After feeding everyone breakfast, including me, I got busy on this log cabin quilt block.  I decided to make one out of scrap material to check the size.  It is of course not correct.  It came out 8-1/2 instead of 9-1/2.  BUT ... my circle cutter worked great.  Okay, not really, since I had no idea where to put it on the square.  

Yay I got it.  NOPE ... this was a MISS.  This is why I only do things with a pattern to follow.  I had to laugh ... better luck next time buttercup!  No kidding, I watched that video of how to do this twelve times and I STILL didn't get it right.  Maybe another day.  On to more exciting things.

I'm studying to become a plumber.  I'm not paying anyone $150 to take off the handle and insert a cartridge.  I called Delta and got a lady this time.  Ummm Delta ... I know more than she did.  She gave me a part number, but even after sending her pictures, she gave me the WRONG part number.  I know because I took the handle off, and it looks nothing like what she said was the cure.  A big MISS on this one.

I called back to get another really nice guy ... also sent pictures ... and he said OH YES, you need a ball valve, not a stem cartridge.  I'm learning the lingo.  To my shock and amazement, they are sending me not only the valve, but all the springs and whatevers to fix it, along with complete directions.  Well thank you DELTA!!  This was a HUGE HIT!!

Hey ... might as well fix this one too.  The shower leaks, causing drips that sound like the smoke alarm batteries need to be replaced.  No kidding ... lots of sleepless nights.  He had to transfer me over to the "Shower Department" for that one.  Another picture and this time springs and rings are in the mail ... FREE.  They are even paying for shipping.  HIT #2!!  I'll be a full fledged plumber in no time!  

Not really, but I think I COULD become a flag pole installer.  I don't know where it came from ... probably the thought of drilling through my sprinkler lines ... but I got a surge of energy to go out and dig the hole myself.  I wield a pretty mean shovel from my years of fixing irrigation boxes and pipes on the ranch.  

I cut the weed barrier back and started digging.  We've had so much rain that it was fairly easy to do.  I got down about 18 inches before hitting hard pan.  Luckily there were no sprinkler lines, but quite a few tree roots. 

My sniper friend who got the quilt had ordered this pole for me upon my request.  We mixed up some concrete in his 1964 wheel barrel (they made things to last back in the day) and shoveled it in the hole.  It was a tad bit wet, but we waited and threw in another batch.  He shoveled, I leveled.

And here we are ... done with the bottom.  Should it have been deeper?  Heck if I know, I'm not a flagpole installer.  There are four or five pieces that slip together, along with cords to raise the flag.  Do I know what I'm doing?  That would be a no, but we'll find out on Sunday when we set the thing up.  He even ordered a big Eagle to sit on top with a large solar light.  I can't wait.  Hoping this is another BIG HIT!

That was pretty much my day.  I've decided it's to my benefit to stick my head in the sand when it comes to the news.  I turned it off and deleted most all of it from my phone.  It was a nice day not getting nervous about communist New York City.  I watched three hours of Genghis Khan's life instead.  It was fascinating to say the least.  Maybe because they all rode horses.

I've got three quilts to quilt on my longarm today, so let's get to it.  I'm hoping for three more HITS!!!