More Cowbell
Posted on November 18, 2005 - Filed Under Personal |
Thanks to the bunch of you, sending me emails concerned about my stress.
I woke up Tuesday morning, realizing that I wasn’t managing my life but my life was managing me. And this is poor form for me. I know better. I was feeling overwhelmed because the things I have to accomplish are staring me in the face every single day I step foot into the houses. I would see boxes everywhere, a room with paint skin hanging from the walls, a lake in my bathroom . . .
Tuesday, using that high-powered spreadsheet program, I created a list of everything that has yet to be done. I organized it in order of priority and then separated them out into various days. And I limited how many items I would do during that day. In this case, it was five items. If I got those five items done, I would stop for the day. No more. I would force myself to relax, read, rest, whatever.
And this has worked for me. I’m getting stuff done and I’m not stressing out.
Speaking of getting stuff done, I have the Gas Man coming today to light the stove. Now this I don’t get. The neighbor gave me a hose, because the one that came with the stove was too big to fit the gas valve on the wall. The gas man arrived and I told him about how I couldn’t get the hose to connect. He said he would work on it. This I thought was nice of him considering the only thing he’s suppose to do is light all the pilot lights.
After working for 30 minutes behind my stove, the sweaty mass of the gas man stood up and announced he couldn’t get the hose to connect. He advised me to get an adapter for connecting the hose to the gas valve. Disappointed, I thanked him for his time. Since then I’ve been making periodic trips to Home Depot, my second home, to get a part that would allow me to connect the hose to the wall. This has proven to be a fruitless search. The Minimum Wage Workers at Home Depot are clueless when it comes to anything ‘gas’.
On my list, Wednesday was the night to get the stove connected. Come hell or high water. I went off to Home Depot, yet again, to buy another part that certainly would work this time. And it didn’t. As I stood in my kitchen, holding my head in my hands, something occurred to me. I grabbed the end of the hose and then I looked over at the gas valve on the wall. They looked to be about the same size. Why not? So I took the end of the hose and attached it to the valve.
Perfect fit.
I was stunned! How did this happen? I unscrewed the hose, checked it out, then screwed it back on. It was perfect! How could this be?
Not wanting to tempt fate, I grabbed the gas tape and wrapped it around the gas valve. I screwed the hose back on and tightened it down with my wrench.
Thursday morning, I triumphantly called the Gas Company and requested that the Gas
Man return to "Chateau de Clifford". This will be the real test. Is my hose connected correctly to the gas valve? Did I put the gas tape on correctly? Will Chateau de Clifford be reduced to a cinder block and ashes?
I’m anxious to get the stove fired up so I can start cooking again. With any luck, I’ll run across my baking dishes soon so I can make something. Like lasagna.
I am forced to wonder something. It took me about two seconds to connect the hose to the gas valve on the wall. What was that Gas Man doing behind my stove for 30 minutes?
Maybe ignorance is bliss.
If you liked that post, then try these...
Tough market on December 6th, 2006
Yes ladies and gentlemen, it's another .
Living Conditions on January 16th, 2007
This is nice.
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