Last Friday morning, I had no idea what I would write about this week. I had no idea that my eyes and the garage door would become such problems beginning later that day and that this past Tuesday would be the start of long-awaited deck repairs. You just never know what each day will bring.

What’s wrong with my eyes?

One eye felt irritated on Friday and the other on Saturday, which meant both eyes were also extra watery. So, I went back to the drops I used to use for my dry eye problem, even though I had put in different drops when I got up that morning. Mixing drops may not have been such a good idea.

And I also got out the eye mask type compresses that heat in the microwave and provide a moist heat to help irritated eyes. I let the compresses cool a bit and then applied them. They felt wonderful. I lay down and elevated my legs because I’m supposed to do that every day. After about 10 minutes, the heat was gone from the compresses, but I left them there and sort of dozed off. About 40 minutes later, I awoke, removed the compresses, and got up. My eyes now were super sensitive to light and one felt actual pain when confronted by bright light or if I touched the lid. I guess, leaving the compresses resting on my eyes for about an hour was not such a good idea.

I thought I was doing the right thing. I’m sure spending the next three hours in front of the computer did not help my eyes. I tweaked the Backstreet Gallery minutes I had written the day before from my notes. I was listening to the recording of the October 4 general meeting, which lasted nearly two hours. With all my pauses to tweak certain sections, it took about three hours to get through them and make any needed changes.   

The next morning, my eyes were worse––so blurry, I couldn’t read anything. I took a hot shower and they felt better after that and cleared to the point that I could see to read once again, but still sensitive to light Then I remembered my super sunglasses from when I had the cataract surgery. They made a major difference. So, I went ahead and did my shift at the museum from noon to four.. Those sunglasses made my eyes feel much better because it cut the glare of the bright light. I didn’t take them off all afternoon. They were a Godsend.

What’s wrong with the garage door?

Last Friday was not only the start of my eye problems, but it also was the start of my garage door problem. When I got home last Friday about 6:30 p.m. from Backstreet Gallery, where I’d been on duty as clerk all afternoon, the garage door would only open a few inches––not all the way. I tried disconnecting it from the garage door opener, so I could lift it manually. But it just gave a strong springing sound, like I had released great tension and the door settled down and was immovable. Now I had a problem with the garage door as well as my eyes. I was batting a thousand!

On Monday, both eyes were better—less sensitive to light and less watery—but still not normal. I called my garage opener repair fellow and discovered that he had retired. But he told me to call Pro Lumber to get the phone number of the fellow he has trained to replace him. I did. I got the number and left a message.

Deck repair––a reality!

As soon as I hung up, the doorbell rang. Paul Garrett was at the door. He thought that he and brother Evan could get to my deck repair this week, as well as power washing the decks and the pieces of outdoor furniture that were beginning to grow moss and fungus and really needed cleaning.

Paul and Evan have been my go-to guys for years. They did the last house painting, put on my fabulous new roof, put new posts under the main deck, and other jobs over the years. I thought the power washing would commence on Wednesday and the deck repair on Thursday and Friday. I was mistaken.

On Tuesday, I had to go into town to run a few errands. After I got home, I planned to remove everything from my decks. I was only gone two hours.

But when I returned, there were two vehicles in front of my house, nearly everything had been removed from the decks, and the large deck railings and cabling were partially dismantled. Once these guys decide to do something, they don’t mess around. I opened the sliding glass door, so the rest of the plants from the upper deck could be placed in the dining room. And I was able to clear off my balcony before they began working on it. Those plants are in my bedroom.

With four men working all day, they got an amazing amount done. On the large deck, they replaced some boards, the long facia boards on both sides, and the railings and all posts. And they replaced a board each on the lower deck and the balcony and scraped the remaining boards, power washed both decks as well as the posts and railings and deck furniture that I had left out for that purpose. They also power washed the upper and lower steps and their railings and posts. Whew! Just writing this makes me tired.

Then on Wednesday, it was mostly the youngest worker that showed up. He spent hours power washing the upper deck. Afterwards Evan appeared and drilled holes through all the new posts and restrung the cabling. Then on Thursday, the young guy was back with an outdoor vacuum cleaning up all the hundreds of chips of past stainings blown off by the power washing that was littering the gravel area down below.

The fun continues . . .

Now the decks need to dry. On Friday or Saturday, the plan is to apply stain. I have a gallon, but will need more. I’m pleased with what has been done so far. I had been hoping they would get to my decks all summer. When it got to be October, I figured, I’d have to wait til next year. So, this has been a wonderful surprise.

As to my eyes, they are better, but still a problem. I will call my eye doctor today.

And the garage door is still in the down mode. The fellow who will be working on it, has been out of town. I did speak with him on Tuesday and expect to hear from him today, Thursday. We’ll see! Tomorrow, it will have been a week. Thank goodness my car was outside, instead of inside, when it happened.

This past week has been full of surprises, some bad, some good. Such is life!

Note: Today’s title is patterned after Lewis Carroll’s famous stanza from The Walrus and the Carpenter,

The time has come,’ the Walrus said,

To talk of many things:

Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax —

Of cabbages — and kings —

And why the sea is boiling hot —

And whether pigs have wings.’

which is one of my favorites.