I'm A Voracious Reader : AVR Weekly News ~ 603rd Edition

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by
Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer.
~ Recap the past week ~
~ Show what's upcoming ~
~ Share news ~
~ Display book hauls ~

Sunday ~ Meme ~ AVR Weekly News ~ 602nd Edition
Wednesday ~ Tour Review ~ Madame Eldridge's Wayward Home for Unruly Boys by Benjamin Ryan

Monday ~ Tour Spotlight ~ This Is Me Trying by Jenna Adams
Wednesday ~ Tour Spotlight ~ People's Choice by Litty Williams
Thursday ~ Tour Review ~ Madame Eldridge's Wayward Home for Unruly Boys by Benjamin Ryan
Friday ~ Meme ~ Friday Featured Spotlight ~ BBNYA2024 Finalists 6 & 5
Sunday ~ Meme ~ AVR Weekly News ~ 604th Edition

Hello and Happy Sunday!

On the Home Front

Sunday ~ It rained nearly all day Sunday. At times, pretty hard. Lots of thunder rumbling, too. I pretty much did nothing the whole day. I even sat out on my non-leaking porch and had a snack then fell asleep for a bit. lol

Monday ~ So, Kyle is back on OT and we were up early and gone by 4:20. However, we had no idea the mess we were driving towards until we were already on the road. Apparently there was severe flooding in areas and the Haw River overflowed, closing many roads including the main highway right in our travel path. So we had to do a detour with everyone else along dark country roads. Thankfully, that early, the traffic wasn't too bad. Instead of making it to work before start time at 5am he got there at 5:15. Then I didn't get home until nearly an hour later. Round trip should only be about 50 minutes. What a mess. Then he calls and says everyone is being sent home at 10, but he got a ride. The rain gauge showed 5.5". Anna spent the day at work trying to clean up water from where the roof leaks and pulling orders while the floors were still wet. The AC couldn't keep up and they had to have the bay door open to squeegee the water out without and actual squeegee. I swear she just needs to find anther job.

Tuesday ~ No problem this morning getting Kyle to work. After the Haw River crested in spots at record breaking feet since Hurricane Fran in 1996, it started to recede. However, damage was done to the Graham-Mebane water treatment plant and Mebane went on Stage V water restrictions. Once again Kyle and everyone were sent home around 2:30 so the company could bring in bottled water and porta johns for 2nd shift to start at 6. He once again got a ride. Trip was going to do the weed eating but the weed eater wouldn't start. I had him take the mini blower and blow the junk off the top of the Library Shed. Then he helped me start the mower. I have to take the air cleaner off and dump a bit of gas in the carburetor because the primer bulb doesn't work. Then he starts it up and I put the air cleaner back on. Once it has run awhile I can usually get it started again without doing that. Which doesn't matter anymore because while I drilled some holes and used a ziptie to pull the frame back together at the front left wheel, the metal was too fatigued from being bent back and forth to hold and the wheel and metal fell off completely. Luckily, I was nearly done down here. Up the drive still needs done because I haven't done it in like a month.

Wednesday ~ Trip and I did the grocery shopping. Also picked up a new mower at Lowe's. The old one was about 20 yrs old so it had a good run. That was pretty much it besides taking Kyle to and from work.

Thursday ~ Plumber showed up at 8:30 to do his part in moving the plumbing from under the main house to under the new living room addition. He also set up my dehumidifier near the HVAC in the crawl space. Our water was off all damn day because the electrician didn't show up until 3pm to do his part. And even then he didn't install Anna's sconces or install her closet light or hook up my generator. The contractor said he took off and wasn't answering his phone. WTF Just as Kyle and I pulled into the drive at about 4:10 it started to rain hard. The contractor was sitting on my front porch waiting for me to get home. He wanted me to turn on some faucets to make sure the water was running and that the hot water was also working. All good! We went back out to the porch and the heavy rain was turning my drive into a river and the thunder and lightning was a near constant. He ran to his truck and left. The rain just kept coming down harder and harder. My drive went from a slow moving river to a raging river. That's when I noticed the water was flowing to the house foundation and down along the side, but the worst part is, it was going in the one vent I couldn't get closed! And the insulation guys had just been here today putting down a new heavy vapor barrier under the whole house! I ran to grab a shovel (it's still lightning out, but I had other more immediate problems) and started shoveling gravel to cover up the vent. I haven't had a chance to go look to see how much water made it under the house. I'd have to go in the access door and crab crawl then actually get to my belly to get to that particular vent. Ugh. The water came down the drive so fast it was washing gravel into one of my new flower boxes! The creek turned into a raging river. It was a fucking mess. It rained like that for an hour. An hour where we got 4.5" of rain. That is completely insane. We haven't had a rain like that since Hurricane Ivan. I'll share some pics, but I have a bunch of videos of how fast the water was running. It was fucking insane.

New flower box becomes a gravel box.

Running so hard it creates a new way under the porch.

After the water stopped roaring down I was left with the Mariana Trench.

The creek. It's actually the water on the right. The water on the left is just all that extra water coming from the woods that took the path of least resistance.

Friday ~ The contractor's guys showed up to pick up their generator and install Anna's sconces, saw the mess, grabbed rakes and shovels and helped us dig out the gravel and mud away from the front porch so I could get to it with the Kubota. I couldn't have picked a nicer contractor! These guys are all so awesome! I got to work on the Kubota and Trip did some weed eating. Then he took a break while I finished. It is so fucking hot and humid out. So, so gross. Once I had filled in the trench as best as I could we took rakes and smoothed it all out. I'll need to get gravel when the Pack Rats are gone. However, we need a more permanent solution to this 25 yr problem. My oldest brother suggested diversion ditches with cattle guards. I think we could probably make that work. Trip showered then I showered and by then it was time to pick up Kyle. Once we were back Trip and I took the Pilot to pick up the grandkiddos for an overnight. They haven't been over in forever, so I thought we'd take the opportunity between Phases I and II to have them come over and help us set off fireworks.

Fixed for now.

Saturday ~ Took Kyle to work, came home, went back to bed until 8:20. Fed the furries and walked the dogs. Folded towels and had some breakfast. Left to pick up Kyle (off at 11) and everyone but Trip was still sleeping. By the time we got back everyone else was up and Trip was sleeping. lol I made everyone eggs and toast for breakfast/lunch then washed up some stuff I had in the laundry room tub then did the dishes in the sink. I hate not having a dishwasher. I'm really looking forward to Phase II of construction. Oliver helped Trip take the mower out of the box and was going to help "put it together" (really, just the handle needed attention), but the instructions were ass, Trip wanted me to help, but then I was getting frustrated so I sent Kyle out to figure it out. They finally got it correct. Just need to put in oil and gas and start it up. Took the grandkiddos home around 3:00 and hit McD's like we always do. Came home and folded clothes and cleaned up the living room. Fed the furries and started working on this post. It's 7:20 and I haven't had dinner yet. I really really need to remember to update the Sunday Post each day so I don't have to think back or add so much on Saturday.

Today I plan to do the cleaning I didn't do yesterday. Then Anna and I will tweak her furniture placement before unboxing her clothes and moving the clothes she has back in my room to her room. She'll move her CPAP and we'll wash her blankets and pillow cases she was using on the rollaway bed. She will start sleeping in her new room tonight. We'll try to tackle a box every other day. Hopefully that won't be too overwhelming.

Construction News ~ The contractor was going to find another electrician to finish up what needs done. That only leaves my mantel pieces and my brackets for my wood burning stove. I'm still waiting on drawings from the carpenter so I'll ask the contractor to light a fire under his ass. We met with him on June 25th!

Touching Nature: Rain, rain, and even more RAIN. Hot and humid. It is so gross out. I did the mowing on Tuesday. Trip did not weed eat until Friday because we couldn't get the weed eater started. More rain in the upcoming week's forecast. Like we fucking need any more.

Book News: I have nothing to share here. I finally finished another audiobook. Still haven't written any reviews.

Don't Touch That Dial!: Still watching CSI:NY.

At the Flicks: Nope

Cyberspace Playground: Wordle, Word Lots, Crossword Jam, Solitaire, jigsaw puzzles, the Finch app - is anyone wants to be friends just let me know.

Randomness: