November 4, 2008

Random thoughts on the election evening

I'm thinking that whomever dreamed up just randomly gaining or losing an hour a couple of times a year to maximize our daylight hours was probably a genius. However, I'm also thinking that genius didn't have a two-year-old. This morning ours began asking for a ride downstairs at 5:42 a.m. A week ago we would have deemed that wake-up call to be reasonable and would have even felt like it could have been worse. That was back in the good old days when 5:42 was 6:42. 6:42 a.m. I can live with - 5:42 a.m. stinks. Someone send the kid a memo.

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Andrew came home from school today prepared to take the United States' citizenship test. His teacher set-up a little mock voting booth in their classroom and each student cast a ballot either for Obama or McCain and then she taught them about the electoral college. He knows that one of these dudes needs 270 votes to take it all tonight and he also knows that here in lowly Kansas we've only got six points in the ring. He informed me that while I'm now old enough to be President he didn't think I was qualified and he's a little concerned about Wyatt's ability to someday run for President since he's Japanese and all...
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I had planned a post tonight that would show off the two beautiful new lighting projects we've conquered here at Chez Henderson this week. On Sunday Mark slaved for three hours on hanging a new light in our entry way that is, if I do say so myself even though I chose it, perfect there. It's a wrought-iron and frosted glass number that is a dramatic improvement over the Star Trek-inspired heap we had lived with for seven years.

The second project is recessed lighting for the kitchen. Installing recessed lighting into a ceiling that has another story above it comes with some challenges and risks. We knew there would be no guarantees about exactly how things looked up in the ceiling until the electrician actually starting drilling some holes. We had been warned and were proceeding cautiously (Mark) and enthusiastically (me) anyway. My new friend Steve, the electrician, talked me through the process this morning and then got to drilling. It turns out that our kitchen ceiling is full of rogue water pipes, vents and various other impediments to drilling evenly-spaced holes for recessed lighting. The result is that I now have a kitchen ceiling that looks like swiss cheese, not enough fixtures installed to adequately light the room and a hot date with Howard the sheetrock repair specialist later this week before more lighting work can continue. Oh, and I have a husband who hasn't said a word but who has a face saying, "I told you so!"

Pictures to come when it's not so depressing.

3 comments:

Amber said...

If it makes you feel any better at all, I have a 12" x 2" hole in my floor that looks down to the basement. I decided to tear a wall down the other day...Brad says big ideas get me into big trouble!! I say it's big trouble for him because he is the one who is going to have to fix it...I am hoping it will be done by this time next year ;-)

Anonymous said...

Butch & Maria & I just today discussed the merits/demerits of the time switch. Claire got up at 5:30 a.m. today, and Maria felt that was a tiny bit early!!! It get dark way too early for those of us who don't plan ahead. But, I figure we'll adjust. Yay for Mark on the new light in the foyer. I'm sure it's beautiful if you selected it. And, hang tough on the kitchen ceiling. Keep telling yourself: It WILL be great - someday.

Stephanie said...

Time change = unrested mommies everywhere. We've compensated by keeping him up later, taking ourselves to bed earlier and then I still make him wait it out until it's at least the sixes. 5:48 this morning was waaaaaaay too early. And then? I went to get him at the very late hour of 6:11 and he informed me it's very dark outside. No kidding!

Kitchen repair = good times. As long as it's torn up, you might as well tackle the cabinets and countertops! I mean, they'll have to do some drywall repair then, too, so you're really saving yourself some cash in the end :)