Friday, October 11, 2024

Loose Screws

 The last hot spell seems to be over which is a relief.  I am focused on the rewrite of MURDER BY THE HOOK.  I tried working from the on screen version of my last couple of books, but I'm back to working from a hard copy.  I have gotten pretty good and reading e-books, but it just isn't the same as reading something on paper.  

I find it hard to feel where what I'm reading fits in with the whole book. And, reading on a screen is different because apparently you don't blink as often and your eyes dry out.  I think there is a vibration to screens that is too fast to be noticed, but is still there.

 There is nothing like that  with paper.  

I want to just work on it and forget about everything else, but life goes on.  And it seems like there is always a whole trail of details with every chore.  Take the kitchen cabinet door that is hanging on by only the bottom hinge. The holes for the top screws have gotten too big over time and just full out if you try to screw them in.

We need wood fill, or at least that is what I called it.  There maybe a brand new kind of stuff that does that now.  That means a trip to Home Depot or Lowe's to see what's out there to do the job.  It also means that most likely Jakey will be along.  And that means a lot of time with the Halloween decorations.  He loves Halloween and decorating our house and yard. We already have a lot of stuff, but there is always something new  I will have to spirit him away from the grave stones and witches that say creepy stuff when you walk by to get to the reason for our visit.

The great thing about Home Depot and Lowe's is that they seem to have everything.  But finding it is another matter. Sometimes the employees can help and sometimes they don't know where something is either. And then we always get distracted by something else like pots of fall flowers.

Assuming I'm right about the wood fill.  There is doing the actual "fill" and having the patience to let it dry completely.

The final challenge is will it actually work.  Can the screws be put in or will all the wood fill stuff fall out and bring the screws with it.  Will there be a feeling of triumph that a problem has been solved or will it be just a lot of time spent and extra Halloween shopping before being left with the hanging cabinet door that looks like it's drunk.  I'm hoping for the best.

All of that is trivial compared to what the people affected by the hurricanes are dealing with.  I hope Sally Morrison is okay.


10 comments:

Miss Merry said...

In my head it is called "wood filler". But I have no faith the employees will know what you are talking about or where it is located. My advice is look for an older guy of retirement age who is working there for something to do.

Patty said...

Good morning -- Sounds like lots of fun stuff going on with you!! I agree about reading online -- much better to have a paper book to hold. Occasionally, something will happen to the computers in my daughter's classroom and she will have the kids use Big Chief tablets and a No. 2 yellow pencil -- they hardly know what to do!!

A guy I used to work with carved the most intricate jack o'lanterns (is that the way it's written?)-- he usually did at least half a dozen and brought them into the office. My Halloween decoration is a dish of candy corn on the kitchen island.

I'm using a Red Heart Stripes yarn called Baby Rainbow -- the colors are lovely pastels and the yarn is soft as silk -- makes a great baby blanket.

The weather here is beautiful -- my door would be open except for the fact that the lawn guys are scalping the lawns before seeding with winter rye and their equipment is very noisy, plus it kicks up a lot of dust.

Enjoy your day, your writing and your trip to Home Depot!!

Betty Hechtman said...

Miss Merry, I asked a woman youngish working in the paint department and she not only knew what wood filler is, but directed me right to it. There was a lot to choose from. I picked the one that wasn't highly flammable.

It turned out Jakey was blase about the Halloween decorations. It was kind of funny because there was Christmas music coming from the display of trees and giant nutcrackers next to the Halloween goblins.

Betty Hechtman said...

Patty, It's great that your daughter gives the kids the experience of a pencil and paper. It is a different experience than typing.

My son did the coolest thing one year. He hunged colored flashlights from the orange trees in our back yard. I'm guessing you don't get a lot of trick or treaters if you can get buy with a dish of candy. We gets hundreds. I think you got jack o' lantern right. Now people carve plastic pumpkins which last for years.

That yarn sounds lovely and soft. I'm glad you have cooler weather too!

Linda Osborn said...

The idea of the old guys working at Home Depot because they have nothing better to do. My husband was one of those. He retired from a shirt and tie Aerospace desk job, and since he loved to build and repair, he went for Home Depot to fill his days. The BarbeQues and plants and plumbing stuff really gave him a thrill.....until the first Christmas arrived, They have this huge, sticky tree lot in the parking lot. He was put in charge because the teen age part timers kept quitting after one day. He was not a quitter--but I'm sure he ruined more clothes with sticky sap than his wages covered. Those trees and so heavy, and he had to lift them to the cutting table and tie them on top of cars. He worked on through the next Fall, but quit before they set up the tree lot. He did win an award for top yard salesman that summer!!

Sally Morrison said...

I am OKAY!! We live in Orlando and caught the northern edge of the storm which saved us a lot of heartache. We lost some tree limbs and such but did not even lose power. It was the longest night though. I felt like one of the Israelites with Moses waiting for the angel of death to pass over my house! Thank you for remembering me. Prayers for those in the worst of it.
Meanwhile I'm looking forward to your new books. Love keeping up with you!

Anonymous said...

I had a squeaky cabinet door. I thought if I used a screw driver to tighten the screw I would solve the problem because I noticed the screw was loose. After I did that the screw disappeared. But I solved the squeak. Yesterday I had two kittens fall asleep on my lap. That is the best.

Betty Hechtman said...

Linda Osborn, your husbands sounds like the perfect Home Depot employee. Someone who knew about all the stuff and what to do with it. I'm sure your husband did a great job with the Christmas trees. I can just imagine the teenagers clueless about the whole thing.

Betty Hechtman said...

Sally, I'm glad things turned out okay, but I can imagine that the waiting and wondering was horrible. I feel for the people who lost everything. How do you even know where to begin.

Betty Hechtman said...

Anonymous, there is nothing cuddling a pair of sleeping kittens.