Friday, March 6: A Dramatic Whoosh of Flame

There's a lot going on, sports and kids' schoolwork and our work and our torn-up kitchen and travel planning for Spring Break. And Andrew left today for eight days, part weekend with college friends, the rest business trip to Peru. The girls and I remain here, basement dwellers, ready to shop for a week's worth of frozen prepared foods at Trader Joe's because cooking is just something I cannot do on top of everything else. Convenience foods will get us through.

The kitchen is progressing. This week they put all the insulation in the walls. We selected our fireplace--more difficult than it may appear; there are a lot of options called "fyre features" (their spelling) with apps and automatic everything and glass beads instead of logs and I just cannot. I emailed Andrew a copy and pasted list of language from the brochure and typed, simply, "no" after each sentence. We did eventually find a suitable option (it does come with an app--inescapable--which we will not be downloading). We are not allowed, because of "codes" and "safety," to keep the fireplace setup we have, which involves manually opening the gas line and lighting the stream of gas with a lighter in a dramatic whoosh of flame. Ah well.

Things are, apparently, on schedule. The contractor told us today that next week the Mystery of No Cold Water will be solved (he did not use those words). 

Nutmeg has been feisty this week, going up to the attic and then refusing to let us bring her downstairs, squirming out of our hands like liquid. That bun! I've been trying to teach her how to go downstairs. Today, she hopped down one step a couple of times, lured by treats. Small progress. Farrah is currently under Greta's bed, growling when we try to get her out for a walk. The pets are not cooperating.