stepless, but applicious

The weekend was busy (work, orchestras, church conference), and today has been rather fast-paced.

We received a delivery of wood today - the fam is big into lighting a fire in the fireplace insert (yup, no longer a hearth for us; we're upgraded), and it was necessary to receive a cord of oak this morning. Now is the time to get it: if the 5 inches of rain we got on Wednesday night last week had been received on Thursday night, it would've been over 4 feet of snow. Isn't that exciting? Today, by contrast, was gorgeous and sunny, in the 60's. The front sugar maple is turning a startling red and I've already been enjoying apple crisp and baked apples and apple cider and everything apple. Mmmmm.

Then this evening I came home to no front steps. These nice men came and jackhammered them all away; i am grateful I was not around for the jackhammering part. I am also grateful there are other ways to get out of the house and that I don't have to step into a big hole that reaches down to the old well in the basement (it's capped, but I guess it's there if we need it? hah!). The nice men are supposed to come back tomorrow and dump the exposed part of the hole full of cement, while maintaining the openness of the well room (like I said, in case we ever need it? I don't know why, the thing's been sealed off forever. And we now expect the city to provide the over-chlorinated water for which cities are famous; but at least it doesn't taste as bad as well water and can be purified...).

The Goofy Gophers are spectacular. I am very pleased that they won over the weekend; the little brown jug came home, carried by its rightful owners (not those lousy Michigan-dwelling Wolverines). Next up: Wisconsin and the Badgers. Isn't it a great country where there's a football border battle between two teams named after rodents?

Minnesota is finally in the big leagues. an H & M store opened up at the Mall of America in late September, and tomorrow night I'm going to check it out. See if it's as good as those in Europe. Speaking of cold weather and shopping, I felt the need to go out today to buy a new winter jacket. Living around here (where there are only, oh, 7 months of possible snow season?) requires numerous options.

Picked up a book from the library a couple days ago: Why I Am a Reagan Conservative. Anyone out there read it? I haven't had a chance to get into it yet, but I am looking forward to finding out what it's all about...

And with that, I'm off. To fall into a well, or start a fire or read a book. Something.