I wrote about our too-big tree. I decided I wanted to replace it with a Dogwood. I assembled the paperwork and submitted it to our HOA (Home Owner’s Association). I thought I could get the tree swap done in a couple of weeks. Wrong. The HOA rejected the application and provided wording that would meet their requirements. I modified the application to include their words, which included the requirement that the tree should be at least 8 feet tall (along with some other requirements). I figured a new application made the swap a sure thing. While waiting, I called a couple of tree specialists. They told me nobody sells an 8 foot Dogwood. A large one is 4 to 5 feet. I went to the HOA meeting and explained the problem. They said “Nope. It’s gotta be 8 feet”. If I want an exemption, I should have the tree specialist write a letter. Plus, I should take a picture of the tree I propose to buy. And by the way, there’s a specific specialist who works with a specific company I might consider consulting. Whatever. It’s clear I can’t get the tree done quickly. I didn’t want have my front yard dug up while construction was going on in the kitchen. I will wait until spring, gird my loins, and re-approach the board. There’s one silver lining. While going through all this, I found another tree that is even better. An Eastern Redbud is on the HOA acceptable tree list, it has a root structure that is less aggressive, and it doesn’t drop as much stuff.

We saw Downton Abbey movie. It was nice, but not compelling.

My hearing aid company came out with new devices that do a better job of cutting background noise. I’m skeptical, but I got a trial pair at no cost. In two weeks I’ll decide whether to keep them.

That’s it for this week. I hope everybody is doing well.

Concentration

There are a few more pics on the website.

It’s been quiet, but not totally without drama. I got my flu and Covid shots. Danita got her flu, but delayed the Covid to this coming Wednesday. Here’s hoping she gets her shot before RFK raises the minimum age to 75.

We went to a house fixtures store to select faucets, door handles, and other miscellany. There’s not a lot to think about, but the cost certainly adds up. And we didn’t pick the fancy expensive stuff.

We had a Chill ‘n Grill party. It’s well done hamburgers and hot dogs, paid for by the association. Everybody brings a side. Attendance was down a little, but the noise level was way higher. I spent the evening not understanding what anybody said. Still, who can argue with a free hamburger and some chocolate chip cookies?

I’ve been doing wrong by Mom. When she goes to a doctor that’s not associated with Charlestown, I’m supposed to request a yellow jacket several days before the appointment. The jacket has her abbreviated medical history. The doctor adds his notes. I return the jacket to the nurses. I wasn’t doing this. Shame on me. So I went back and added a “YJ” reminders several days before each of Mom’s outstanding appointments. I made it a yellow event. My stupid phone saw a YJ for Mom’s dental appointment and decided to be “helpful” by replacing the yellow reminder with a picture of elves cleaning teeth. I don’t know why “they” decided I didn’t want to see the yellow reminder that I explicitly requested. Thank goodness for the good guys on the internet. There is a way to turn this useless feature off. All you have to do is know where to click. It’s a good thing I found the answer on the internet. I would never in a hundred years stumbled into the secret sequence of taps that make those silly pictures go away. Even Indiana Jones himself wouldn’t have figured it out.

The tree in our front yard is too big. It blocks our window and also our neighbor’s window. We’ve been having it pruned at a cost of about $500 per. This year it’s not clear we can prune enough away to clear my neighbor’s view. I’m tired of spending the money in any event. The tree is too big for the tiny yard we have. We need a smaller tree. The HOA says the yard is mine, but I can’t make changes they don’t like. What are the rules? I don’t know. They don’t seem to be written anywhere. Instead, I have to write a proposal and send it to the board. After a month or so, they will let me know if the changes are OK. Stupid HOA.

I hope this finds everybody doing well.

Our home improvement project moved a step closer to reality. We approved the cabinets, countertops, and tile. This means they can start ordering the long-lead items soon.

My Mho’s surgery is healing nicely. I no longer need to cover it with a bandage.

Danita and I both got a cough from our cruise. We are finally well along in shaking this stubborn bug.

I got a few bike rides in this week. They were easy 10-milers. It’s a start. After taking the weekend off, I’m planning a 20-miler that includes some significant hills. I’m anxious to put this ride back in my active itinerary because the ride includes a stop at a bakery that makes excellent muffins.

Other than that, this has been a quiet week. I hope this finds everybody doing well.

We had a huge wasp nest on our deck. It would have been a long time before I noticed it because I don’t use the deck much. (I prefer the lower level porch.) One of my neighbors noticed it and let me know. This was far, far beyond a can of squirt-and-run. The bug guy said it probably took them two weeks to build this. And he said these wasps were aggressive. Unfortunately, he didn’t have his bee suit. I offered him a sun hat and netting. What are the chances a bug guy would not have netting, but I would? Pretty amazing.

The bug guy did a great job. But there was plenty of leftovers. The next day I grabbed the pressure washer and spent a few hours cleaning off dried wasp spit. Since I cleaned the deck, I decided the porch was overdue. While the pressure washer is out, why not do the garage also? All together, that was two days of pretty hard work.

We’re still hacking and coughing from whatever it was floating around the ship. So far, Danita’s doing better than I am.

My Mho’s surgery is coming along nicely. The good folks at the doctor’s showed me the correct way to apply a dressing. Their technique was a 5-layer wonder, but it had one slight problem. It wouldn’t stick to my face. I didn’t want to wrap gauze around my head, so I simplified. I now have a two layer technique using Vaseline and a rather large band aid. It’s not elegant. It doesn’t look pretty. But it sticks. The healing is coming along fine.

I hope this finds everybody doing well.