Diary of a lady waiting for a repairman...

Oven repairman scheduled to arrive sometime between 8:00am and 5:00pm.

7:50am: Clean kitchen, including washing dishes, clearing countertops, so repairman does not think I am a complete slob.

8:15am: Remember that classes started yesterday, and though this was supposed to be a summer to glide through, after starting summer school yesterday there are already several assignments looming to be completed during the next six weeks; decide to prepare for and knock out a few online quizzes so that there is something to show for a full day home by myself.

8:20am: Consider that this is a knitting blog, and I actually have been working on a new stole. Post photo of current knitting project (Hanami) having first pattern repeat completed:

While pinning out knitting project, decide to measure it, just to get an understanding of what the finished width will be; reach for yardstick but realize one of the kids must have taken it for some very important magic trick or something and not returned it to its home. Make mental note to advise kids for the bajillionth time that they may borrow Mommy's tools but only if they put them away *as soon as they are done with them.*

8:25am: Walk by kids' bathroom and examine towel holder which is no longer attached to wall due to seven year old pulling on towel which had been hanging there because he "didn't know it would come out of the wall."

Wonder if I will have a chance to get to hardware store today to purchase slightly larger wall anchors for use as an after school project with seven year old to re-affix towel holder to wall ("you break it, you fix it"). Realize that towel is covered with toothpaste. Decide to get going on some laundry.

8:30am: Recognize that school work can wait, and what I really must do right now is sew a Sweet Harmony Tote Bag lining. Make secret pact with self to get tote bag completely finished *before* repairman gets here, in a covert attempt to actually get him to show up here early in the day so that I am not tethered to the house for the entire nine hour service window.

10:00am: Rip out small section of bag lining which is not fitting together perfectly and set aside to take ten minute break for snack and to check e-mail to see if results of private practice contest have been sent yet, after five weeks and two hours worth of waiting to hear response to essay submission. Think about calling DH to see if he might be available to meet for lunch and then realize that I am still tethered to the house awaiting visit from repairman. Get back to making bag and continue with secret pact to complete it before repairman gets here...

11:35am: Finish Sweet Harmony Tote and determine that I LOVE THIS BAG. It is large and very, very sturdy because of the three types of stiffeners/interfacing in it, and it has five pockets and will easily hold my laptop. Decide that *this* is the bag I will be carrying when I see you in Chicago in August:

While making this update to the blog, receive phone call from GE repair guy indicating that he will be here in five minutes. Decide that it is better to *not* tell him that I *just barely* finished my bag *before* he got here, though I secretly know that I WON! Wondering if I should take bets as to whether or not the part they sent to our house ahead of the repair will be sufficient to actually fix the range; also wondering if the fee to make the repair will exceed the cost of a new model. Take cursory glance around kitchen and decide to move the two beer bottles from the countertop to the recycling bin in the garage.

Noon: Repairman working on range right now. He came here this morning from his home in Kenosha. After I pointed out an issue with the element, he indicated that the part sent ahead is the wrong part; however, he has the correct part (a new element) on his truck. Anticipates that he will be done fixing the oven in a few minutes. He is quite chatty and lived in Indiana for a while; fun to talk about my former state of residence, though of course this *does* include talk about basketball.

12:15pm: Repair complete; repairman gone. I suppose I should get started on some school work... Planning baked shrimp with tomatoes and feta for supper -- nice to have the oven back!

(Edited to add: 2:45pm: Realized that repairman left signed work order and check for payment of parts/labor lying on kitchen table. Do I phone them, or wait to see if they figure it out on their own?)

Warm regards,

Laura (YarnThrower)