Thursday March 2 2017  MOMENTS COUNT

OUR GOAL IS SCORED

Kathleen Martens

March 2 2017

www.visionsofpoetry.com

Moments count when I’m in a hurry

Less time to write as I must scurry.

Just remember I am retired

But to me it means being RE-FIRED.

I’m really trying to take things slow

I do well unless I must go.

And best laid plans sometimes go astray

When I can’t do things my own way.

Mr. Repairman must once again come

And it causes our day to be on the run.

But first our appointment to “do” the taxes

Which cannot be changed as our boiler relaxes.

We must have heat that will not fail

So day four of workers we do not quail.

And then tomorrow an added delight,

A day the painter can fix our plight.

So lots of work we must do

In order this week to get through.

When it rains it seems to pour

But if all goes well our goal is scored!

A note of explanation as to why I chose the topic of today’s poem:

I think I previously mentioned that our heat system was not working.  Mr. Repairman came on Friday and tried to repair it but needed a part.  We had no heat and he could not return until Monday.

Monday bright and early Mr. Repairman returned.  With Dave’s help he was able to dismantle what was needed in order to replace the new part.  After he was gone we discovered that no part of the system was working.  We made it through another cold night.

On Tuesday Mr. Repairman returned with a helper.  After much consternation it was determined that the system had died after $650.00 worth of labor and parts has been paid.  The entire boiler had to be replaced.

With the promise of returning on Wednesday to replace the aging system we weathered another freezing night.  In the morning it was snowing.  This time Mr. Repairman came with three additional workers.  The boiler was made of cast iron and it took the back breaking labor of four strong men to get it out of the house and into a truck.  Once it was loaded one man took off and three stayed and worked the entire day, from sun up to sun down. 

All was well…ALMOST.  As I was working on my computer my circuit breaker started making noises and seemed quite stressed.  I have a lot of equipment plugged into a large CYBER POWERED unit that will keep my appliances working for one half hour if there is a power outage or major power surge.  Something definitely was happening.  I went into the boiler room and asked what was going on with the electrical system.  They didn’t know but they did know they had a problem.  They worked for several more hours and determined that when the copper pipes above and been soldered some of the metal particles had worked their way through a small opening on the top of the unit and short circuited the computer system which manages the boiler.

You guessed it!  They are coming back today to replace the “mother board” of the system.  No extra charge and they also deducted what we had already paid for the “repair work” from the total installation fees.  This heating system cost almost nine thousand dollars.  Even with all the extra workers they did not increase their estimate of cost.

So, needless to say, sometimes things just happen to discombobulate our best laid plans.  We did not want to reschedule with the tax man this morning because he books up ahead.  So, Mr. Repairman is working around our schedule today.  But it means we may abort some of our plans in order to be back on time to accommodate him.   

And then, just before going to bed last night I receive a text from the painter who will be repairing and painting our ceiling in the dismantled photo studio in the lower level.  We had metal tracks on the ceiling for years which allowed me to maneuver hanging backdrops during photo sessions.  I had three shooting bays and so we have three areas to patch.  I sold the system and the buyer removed all the hardware which left us with lots of repair work.   Our painter was scheduled to come in five weeks to repair and paint the ceilings.  We asked that she would call if she had any cancellations.  And so last night amid all the other chaos, she texted us saying she could come on Friday.  So folks, this week “ain’t” over yet!  We said yes, and now we have even more work to do in order to be ready for her at such short notice.

As soon as Mr. Repairman leaves tonight we will start moving things into our utility room which is quite large.  The larg pieces of furniture will be moved as needed while she is here working.  We have many recessed ceiling lights and all the light canisters must be lowered in order for her to cut in properly.  That makes it necessary that everything is cleared for ladder work.  We have our work cut out for us.

Though this was not to be a blog day I just wanted to explain why I wrote the poem I wrote. 

Thank You God for the early call from the painter.

Thank You God for keeping our bodies strong and able to work.

Thank You too for the invention of portable room heaters!

Thank You that we have a home to heat.

That You Lord for Your provision that allows us to pay for repairs.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!  GOD BLESS YOU!