warm winter

It's 70+ and sunny, very warm out in the street. I have the windows open, but there isn't much of a breeze. I'm thinking about maybe tending to my tree cutout down by the curb -- the cacti and some of the jade I planted have been flattened, which pisses me off. I would like to erase that feeling.

It's too hot for that right now, though. I am sitting here drinking seltzer with lemon in it, and the neighbor with the shiny red car is finally driving off, with his baseline booming.


While I was walking over to the farmers market, several men wished me a happy valentines day. The contrast between the men in this neighborhood and the men in Bernal seemed particularly stark today. Over there, they rarely make eye contact or smile -- too busy and important for that. I never thought I'd say this but I really don't like those skinny white guys. But I do kinda like this mural, which was probably created by a skinny white guy.

I put off the kitchen/laundryroom redo so I can save more money. I had to have the flashing replaced on the dormer window -- after I came home from NC I discovered a brown stain on the living room ceiling. I got a good recommendation from Des -- Juan and Manolo Landeros. They are not certified but I think they did good work. They also put some flashing on the garage roof. And, of course, they didn't charge all that much. Now I need to see if Liam is willing to come over and repair/paint the siding, and maybe also the front steps.

Maybe I will get a nice raise this year? And that will help me, psychologically, when it comes to paying for the redo. Des came over earlier this week to measure and give me a very general sense of the cost, from her pov. It is less than what Christi was projecting. But, as Des said, it really depends on my "finishes." And on undiscovered "old house" problems.