Sunday, March 9, 2014

Decrepit Old Houses Need Love Too......and Lots of Fixin'

Oh, hell........it seems all I do lately is apologize for not  blogging..........so, nu, nu, you were expecting something different this time maybe?  Fat chance.  It appears that  it is not only the good old, faithful old, ancient old body (the house of my Spirit) that keeps falling apart , it is also the House house that houses me, my cat and birds and all my worldly goods.  Now, the house is not nearly as old as I am, and in some parts of the country and certainly some parts of the world it would be considered practically a spring chicken of a house, but that does not keep bits and pieces of it from turning up their toes and expiring.

This week it seems to be the roof which is only 18 years old......a mere child........but I am told that in roof years that is something like 2,384.  All I can say is, "I know drought is bad, but it must be good for roofs  because I did not have a  bit of trouble until it started to rain here a week or so ago."   Then, on Friday my blessed cleaning lady, Ana, pointed a shaking finger at some suspicious yellow blotches on the dining room ceiling and, after discarding all other explations (like a family of mice with weak bladders living in the attic) I had to admit that the roof might have developed a leak.  I am waiting nervously now for Mr. Fixit to come by, climb up and give a diagnosis.  Please gott it should only need a heavy applications of Henry's.

I am constantly giving thanks for our weather here........Drought, fires and earthquakes aside, we Californians have nothing to complain about weatherwise.  However, though I welcomed the rain I could really have done without the leak in the roof.  But......whatchagonnado??  Shit does happen as they say.....constantly and with borning consistency.

The leak remimded me of my dear old yellow 1948 Ford convertible.  I loved that car.....except when it rained.  For one thing, the windshield wipers hardly worked.  I rigged up a string attached to the  one  on the driver's side,  threaded it through the window which didnt' quite close and would pull on it when it got stuck to clear the windshield.  It also had a a leak in the fabric roof, right over where the driver (me) sat.  You all know that I pride myself on my problem solving ability........therefore it should not come s a shock to you that Lois could often be seen driving up Sunset Blvd, with my unbrella open inside the car when it was raining.  I was really poor in those days.....but always resourceful.


I know this is a poor excuse for a blog, but that is about all I have to say today.  I am still hanging in here, whining and complaining but alive and certainly kicking.   I will try to keep you updated on my fascinating life........and that of my assorted ailing house parts.

Love  Ya.

Lo (the original and only)


12 comments:

  1. I had a Morris Minor in the early 60s. An essential component was a hunk of wood, 2'6" long, kept on the back seat. When the car wouldn't start, you opened the bonnet and used this to give the starter motor a gentle whack - worked every time.
    Happy days!

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  2. I had no defroster in my VW bug. On cold mornings I drove with the only visability via whatever a Bic lighter could provide. Only a quarter size hole for a block or two then it started to clear up.

    Driving with an umbrella? Don't tell me you are older than duck Tape.

    Love ya

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  3. Alive and kicking. Keeping it real with the houses, both spiritual and real.
    That's you, Lo.
    And I love you.

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  4. You need a good supply of duct tape, Lo! I use it everywhere! And it now comes in designer colours!

    Hope your roof isn't in too bad shape, and certainly glad the problem isn't a lot of mice with weak bladders!

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  5. Good luck with all your varied house problems, Lo. We had to get out and rake snow off the roof to avoid further leaks. Even a new roof can't weatherproof a house against two feet of snow, sadly.

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  6. Slapping some sealant on a roof to stop leaks adds decades to the life of roofs here in the SF bay area. Too bad there's no Henry's for humans.

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  7. I hope the Henry's does the trick. Even your sporadic posts are lovely and something to be grateful for.

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  8. Your old Ford reminds me of MY old Ford, a '68 Ford Falcon with floorboards that doubled as sieves. Man, when it rained, you got a thorough rinsing from the knees down...

    Pearl

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  9. The (unending) joys of home ownership!! (the real estate tax thing is the worse part!)

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  10. You do not have to write only fantastic things in your blog. It is not a Christmas letter. You can absolutely scream and yell out if you need to. There are so many things we need to vent about from cars to homes to our own health.We are here for each other to listen and support. Take care

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  11. I'm glad you are ok - I think of you often,Lo! x

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  12. Ah the joys of home ownership. Somebody should have warned me about deficient shingles and septic tank lines that freeze up. I'm definitely commiserating, Lo! :)

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