we're heading into the final days before school's back in session and things can get back to what goes for normal around here.
and if you guessed i can hardly wait for monday and school to start, you'd be right.
it's not that the kids are any trouble or anything -- usually they are very good. it's just the disruption in routine, the distraction from my editing work and writing (especially with taz), and so on. and i know taz misses school. he likes going out on community skills and working in the library and all that. he's not so keen on the book work and such, but what kid is? and he's been telling me all day that today is friday...a good indication that he's pretty much ready to go back as well. really, we can't provide the same kind of activity level and skill work the school can, so him being in school is the better option for everyone, especially him.
but it's not just the kids being home that makes it not quite normal around here.
the christmas stuff is still up. i usually keep it up until the 6th, but i just might take it all down this weekend. not that there's a lot to begin with, but...my frame of mind just isn't there this year. maybe it's that it all relates to last year and i need last year as far behind me as possible. not sure. all i know is that i'm definitely ready to reclaim my living room and kitchen from the holiday.
kitten and baby cat have been gone since tuesday. oh we've heard from her, she's even stopped by a few times, but they've not been home. kinda funny how quickly having them here became part of "normal", but it's true -- it no longer feels normal with them gone. the house is quiet...too quiet. even when she's napping and i'm sitting here working away, there's a sense of presence when baby cat is home, and that's missing right now.
and just a few days ago i was whining over having too many people over. :P
and a whole lot of not normal spilled over this morning as well. when i got up (at 7:30 no less! must be gearing up for the morning wake up call for the kids!), the dog's blanket was wet. my first thought was that she had gotten sick. but there was too much wetness for that. so my second thought was that she had not been taken out late in the day yesterday and couldn't hold it, but that didn't seem right either. i mean it was possible she had to piss A LOT, it just seemed...too much. and i don't recall her groaning at all last night, which is her cue that she needs to go out.
later in the day, i realized it could be the washer. or worse.
and it turned out to be worse.
our washer has been sitting with water in it since the day it died. it won't drain, which was the signal that it had died. so it's been sitting there. with the amount of water, and the placement of all the water (by the wall connecting the living room to the garage...and yes, water from leaks and whatnot seep into my living room from my garage), it was a possibility that the drum had finally rusted out or the line had broken or something.
close, but not quite.
it was saxy who made the connection to the continuous leak going on right outside our front door. so it looks like we have a nasty pipe problem and the plumber will be here on sunday to take care of it. the landlord will bring a dolly so we can move the washer out of the way (hell, move the washer at last, period). and at least we don't have to pay for this mess. which is definitely also not normal.
but it looks like normal is heading our direction and aiming to start on monday. kids will be back in school, more than likely the holiday decor will be down, kitten and baby cat will be back, and the leak will (hopefully) be fixed. no, it's not normal around here yet, but it's definitely heading in that direction.
thank god!
~*~
word of the moment: presentiment
a feeling that something will or is about to happen : premonition
