Timing

Yesterday while waiting for R to get stamps, I sat in our van and watched people come and go. Then I saw a woman, probably in her 60's or 70's, go into the post office wearing a basketball uniform. Shirt and shorts both. It didn't look like the uniform of someone playing parks and rec basketball, but it looked like an officially licensed uniform of some NBA or possibly NCAA team. The number was 45 but I don't know what team. Wow.

Today was a dichotomy of accomplishments and busts. We finally fixed our kitchen faucet so the hot water comes out at full force rather than the limp trickle I've been fighting for months. In fact, I wanted it fixed before Thanksgiving last year, but I guess we're only 6 months behind in our goal. But BEFORE we tackled that little task, R was getting ready to mow the yard and cut his thumb sharpening the blade. He did it while I was in the shower, and staunched the bleeding with paper towels. He was looking for electrical tape to use tie on the paper towels (you can't take the mechanic out of him sometimes) when I finished my shower and he called for me to look at it. I dressed in a hurry and when I saw it, it was one bleeding mutha. We managed to get some gauze pads on it (using actual medical tape thank you) and tried to figure out what to do. It appeared to be closing together pretty well but was still bleeding unless pressure was applied. I called my son to see when to start worrying and he said we shouldn't let it go too long (maybe an hour or two). We were to go to have it checked if it continued to bleed without pressure or unless the edges wouldn't close together. We removed the gauze pad, still bleeding, and then I re-wrapped it.

We ran into a couple of neighbors, both nurses, returning a DVD to the nearby rental store. They suggested we get some butterfly strips which would really hold it closed. We got some strips and made a quick run to the hardware store for items needed to finish the faucet and fix my mother's lamp. He wore a jersey glove over the bloody gauze so he didn't freak out other shoppers. While there, we saw a woman buying a small lawn cart just like one I've been wanting to get. It was on sale, 50% off. We got one, and before we left the small neighborhood hardware store, they were all gone. Good timing!

When we got home and got the lamp and faucet finished, we saw the neighbor again. She looked at his thumb. Though she thought it might need stitches, she agreed to help put on the strips after R protested. When we removed the gauze this time it didn't bleed and she managed to get the strips on nice and tight after pouring peroxide on it. I think it will be okay but we'll have to watch it.

After a quick lunch we headed to a nearby college town to find a replacement for my beautiful blue gazing ball that R accidentally kicked over and shattered a couple of weeks back. When we went to the shop where we bought the stand several years ago, a metal fabrication place that creates whimsical designs for garden statuary, we asked if they had any more of the smaller gazing balls that would fit our stand. They sold the last one this morning. They didn't think they would get any more in for now. Bad timing!

We wandered into an old fashioned, downtown hardware store while we were there, looking for an old-time popcorn popper a friend told me about. We found the spot where they should have been on the shelf which was a challenge since the shelves were packed to tipping. That one spot was empty though, and the young man we asked said unless there was one in the window display, he didn't have any more. Hooray! There was one in the window display and we bought it. Good timing!

And I found a penny on the asphalt in two separate parking lots. Good timing! Good timing!

We got home this evening and R mowed the lawn. I potted some plants and washed off the mess I made on the deck. I tossed the trash into my new lawn cart. Then I washed my hands in my fully-functioning faucet. Awesome. I'm going to go fold some laundry and then maybe I'll make a little popcorn. It was a good, simple Sunday.