Daily Routine 4

After about an hour perusing the statistics from my blog's site meter, I learned a lot about who is looking at this site, when and for how long. Obviously, the more I post, the more it gets viewed. It was also interesting to see what search results brought people here. That is a future entry I am sure, after I analyze the data a bit more. Some did give me a chuckle, though. Anyway, to my readers in Minneapolis and Israel and Ireland as well as throughout the Pacific Northwest, I extend a hearty welcome. Post something and say hello.

I spent the morning doing a quick bit of yardwork and then reading out in the back yard on the chaise lounge. The weather was pretty much perfect -- warm enough to feel good on bare skin but not hot enough that you could feel a burn or so you would sweat profusely. I was so into reading my book that I did not hear the phone ring and was startled when my brother walked around the side of the house at about 12:30.

He had stopped by to continue working on the light switches in my bathroom. He tested a bunch of switches. We shut off every breaker on the panel -- located very inconveniently at the far end of the garage, at the farthest point from my bathroom -- and finally after about 30 minutes of investigating, an offhand commenta bout the bedside lamp provided the answer. Turns out that old, hand-me-down lamp had some sort of defect inside (I remarked how it had stopped working) and was not only drawing all the power from the circuit, it was interrupting the electrical flow to the bathroom lights. Suddenly, it all made sense. We unplugged the lamp, and all the switches worked. Wish was had done that at the beginning, so we could have avoided a bunch of testing and unscrewing and such. More for Jay, not so much for me. Anyway, another half hour of putting everything back together and it all works fine now.

I treated him to lunch before he had to return to his job site here in town (he'll be working at one of the area's hydroelectric dams for about a week to complete an installation of alarm systems). We had a nice chat over lunch as he explained to me a lot about his work and the business and such. It was a good chance to sit down and talk, and I don't remember the last time we have done something like that because of other relatives or just being too busy.

He is also nearing completion at his place in Ellensburg of an apartment for our mother, but he has had little time to work because when he is off work, his wife is at work as a waitress. So, it makes it hard to watch the two little boys, ages 3 and 1, while he works on completing the house. So, I am set to go down there Saturday to help -- to babysit and also to help him if I can. I am probably more use keeping an eye on the kids than I am in building because I am not at all handy. Anyway, we'll see how it all goes.

After lunch, by now 2:30 p.m., I stopped by the offices of the local newspaper to pick up a past edition and to say hi to some of my newsroom friends. I heard many groans about me being on summer vacation and they also expressed some frustration at the failure of a new software package that they had spent months working on. Then, home for more data entry, some phone calls and some e-mails. I had leftovers for dinner and read the newspaper. Today's local top stories include the sentencing of a 15-year-old for murdering a playmate three years ago, a story which gained national attention, as well as the total of damage to the region's fruit crop resulting from last week's hail storm just north of here. The total in just two counties is over $90 million in lost fruit, and dozens of workers will likely be laid off since there is a meager crop now to pack.

Tonight my favorite show of the summer. "Last Comic Standing," is on. At least there is something funny on TV this summer. Although, I caught an episode of the new show "Treasure Hunters" last week while in Phoenix, and it has a lot of potential as well.

Tomorrow, I just may be shopping for some new bedside lamps.

-- Wenatchee, Wash.