Today -- brief posting of 20 May 2020

Apologies for the gap, and this will not fill it.  This has been one of the longest gaps in posting since I began this effort back around 2004 or whenever ( now I'm not sure).  Been a ragged week and we're not done yet.  Among other things, several other things, our water heater sprung a BAD leak.  Soaking the flooring beneath, leading to some damage, black mold, and other nasties.  Brother-in-law came over yesterday afternoon and helped swap out the bad fittings, etc. etc. etc. so that we have a reliable connection now.  I think.  Part of the problem is that the unit is in a closet in a room used for "storage", and we often don't go in there for a month or three at a time.  So the harm had a chance to build up.   When we discovered the awfulness of it, we were several days short of the monthly SS check so funding was an issue.  Check hit yesterday, so that's when I bought parts.   But there are about NO "local" shutoffs in this hovel, so when the problem was discovered, I had to cut ALL the water to the place (and flip the breaker to the water heater).  So we we drinking out of pitchers I'd filled first, eating off paper plates, all that stuff.  OK now, but I'll be fighting the damage and the mold for a while.  And it hasn't done Wife's health any particular good either.  Just more fun.

We did get one bit of not-so-bad news.  Nephew's wife has been diagnosed with breast cancer,.. It runs in her family, killed an aunt and a grandmother, and is an aggressive version.  But we were told just today that it's still Stage 1, limited to the lump, so surgery plus all the other stuff should have good results.  We shall see.

And I'm not feeling all that chipper myself.  But gotta be about stuff.

Finally, this is an important week in the church calendar.  Sunday marks Pentecost.  That is a hugely important event.  And tomorrow is marked as Ascension Day, the day Jesus returned to the Father.  The two dates are linked.