SHEs Organized

Dinner is done. Dh heated it up and then washed up the dishes.

I'll get to the kitchen chores eventually.

In the meantime I did finish up the dusting so all dusting, mopping, and vacuuming is done for the week.

I'm learning about air quality numbers.

In Canada we use the Air Quality Health Index which is a scale of 1 - 11+ (or 10+ in some places.) It measures fine particles (PM2.5), O3 (ozone) and NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and scale is based on the effect the levels will have on one's health.

In other places, they use an older system, the Air Quality Index which lists pollutants (including the same 3 as Canada) and gives a number that is based on how high the levels are compared to where they should be to meet the air pollution goals. So it is based on how the levels compare to the goals for those pollutants, not on how the number will affect health.

So I'm currently a 6 (yay! we thought 8 was going to be the low of the day) and at 170 depending on which scale you use. Both summarize to unhealthy.

It is cold outside compared to inside (60 degrees compared to 75) so when I stepped out onto the balcony to see what it felt like and smelled like through a mask, I got cold really fast.

I'll head off to bed in a bit but need to prep for a meeting first.

Tomorrow I have to leave by 9:05 to catch the bus to the concert rehearsal and then we'll leave the rehearsal early and because I have a 1 p.m. zoom meeting (and if I can make it, a 12 p.m. residents brown bag lunch.)

K inC that is great news about the lower than expected numbers. I am impressed with your progress.
That reminds me of the items I did not get to today like dusting & floors & swish and swipe.
I took a sick day this afternoon but am better now.
I watered it is great to see the green tomatos!

Well, I have been taken to task by one of the neighbors. She came to my front door and complained for 23 minutes. She didn't have anything kind to say about teenage boys.

She complained they go to the end of the dead-end street. I wasn't sure how to respond to this complaint. It is true. I explained at the end of that street is the house where a friend lives, and another house owned by DS14 boss and a path that leads to 10 acreas of land owned by boss. They have 3 reasons why they go down that street. When I asked if she is requesting for them to stop using that public road she said, "Of course not."

She complained they wave at her. DS14 said we are just being friendly. She doesn't like them waving at her. I asked DS14 and his friends to not wave anymore.

She said that 3 of the teenage boys went to the end of the road yesterday and did who knows what (her words). I explained that Mason called and invited them to swim. They went to Masons home at the end of the road and swam in his pool. She said "Well, I couldn't see what they were doing" The swimming pool is surrounded by a privacy fence. I didn't know how to respond to that complaint. I asked if she is requesting the boys don't swim anymore. She said "Of course not. I don't want to be the gripey neighbor."

She kept saying "I have cameras and I watch every move they make" I asked if the boys have ever said anything to her, been disrespectful or come to her property. She said they had not but she is always watching. I didn't know how to respond to that but it felt almost like a threat the way she kept saying it. I told her that we also have cameras that cover everything. If there is ever a problem I can watch live and replay the videos. She seemed surprised that we had cameras.

She said, "We get up in the morning and go to work. We come home and do nothing. The boys are having fun every night." I wasn't sure how she expected me to respond to that. I said they are full blown teenage boys that have lots of energy and are constantly doing things. I told her the boys are not drinking or doing drugs. They aren't vandals. They keep their music down. She agreed they weren't bad kids.

She seemed to run out of things to complain about, so she left and returned to her home. The thing is there isn't much we can do to make her happy. She moved to a residential area full of kids. There are over a dozen kids within a block of us. Kids are a fact of life in our neighborhood that isn't going to change any time soon.

I am tamping down the Mama Bear part of me. I want to give her plenty of understanding if she is just having a bad day and needed to gripe. However, I am not going to let her mess with the kids. This neighbor is well known in our small town. It isn't nice but she is referred to as "that crazy lady". Her husband has called the cops 3 times on domestic abuse in the past 2 years because she freaks out. She has been put into cuffs and removed from her home. Everyone knows that she can become violent and out of control, so I am thankful that tonight she just used her voice to express her displeasure. Hopefully since we listened and responded with respect then she will feel heard.

I am ready for this day to be over with. Tomorrow is a new day and fresh start.

LadyM, you be careful. Maybe when they are invited as a group to swimming next time they could gather at your house and all go in the same sensible family-type vehicle with windows up? Other than that, when ds has occasion to go by her house, I'd advise that he acts like the oldest man he can think of, wears old-man clothes and frowns the whole time. I wish I could loan him HRH's costume long thick gray beard. Perhaps ds could act like himself if he looked old enough.

((Ramblin')) I am so sorry to hear that you have lost your friend. What a senseless and tragic moment. Prayers for her children.

Today was a big declutter push for me. This was partially under THREAT. Because the fellow who was coming to help HRH outside had decided he wanted to investigate our indoor attic access. It is in my bedroom closet, and things have to be pulled out in order to get to it. So he and his son went to the bedroom, stood around the closet shaking their heads, and ultimately decided NOPE not trying to get up there through that little space. They advise that we hire a person they know who replaces gable-end venting with hinged access from outdoors. That seems a worthwhile possibility to me. (we don't want to store up there - we want to insulate better and ventilate better, insure against squirrels.)

They said when this house was built, repairmen were skinnier.

Anyway, because so much had to be moved for them, I decluttered and organized more than I had any earlier intention of doing!

Since it was Tuesday anyway, I was putting trash and recyclables out for pickup in the morning, so a lot was done.

I agree that I am first checking for any news from Dee each day. I appreciate Kathryn's update on air quality. It does seem as though an RV would be difficult to deal with in such a situation, so that's worrying. Glad Kathryn's situation has improved.

They said when this house was built, repairmen were skinnier.

LOL, Harriet! My parents, in-laws, and grandparents had/have attic access just like that!!! I’ve often wondered how a grown man could get through that sort of space!
I did see my dad do it, however. Of course, he probably weighed less than 130 pounds when he and my mom got married.

And (((LadyM))) — well done! I admire you so much!
Hopefully, crazy neighbor is just having a bad day and will leave you alone now.

Hope all of you in the northeast have better air tomorrow.