More Insulation, College, and Christmas

On Wednesday, November 11th we completed the deposition of the remaining 70+ bails of insulation into our 3000 sq ft attic, which now looks as if it was down wind from a significant volcanic eruption. The good news is that the whole insulation job cost me only $335 for labor—which is only twice my original estimate (I am a Government engineer, what did you expect?) plus 9 hours of my time that otherwise would have been spent celebrating (read as lounging around) Veteran’s Day. After hoisting up 70+ 25 lb bails of insulation and feeding them into a noisy cantankerous hopper style insulation blower (designated as Blower # 1 -- more foreshadowing), I was sore for 3 days. I will not go into much detail, but after dispersing approximately 3 bails of insulation, the aforementioned hopper style insulation blower (#1) did suffer what I would call an unfortunate mishap involving twisted/broken rotating metal parts followed by a raucous clanging noise that, had it not been for one key safety shield, may have resulted in careening metal projectiles that would have surely slashed through my garage door opener motor mounted to the underside of my garage ceiling. Let’s just say that the aforementioned hopper style insulation blower was prematurely retired from service.

I believe that the Home Depot service representative that checked in the “defective equipment” was so flabbergasted by the situation; i.e., the prospect of property destruction and/or bodily injury, and the ensuing cacophony of paperwork that would have been required, that he gladly issued me a replacement hopper style insulation blower (blower # 2), no questions asked, for the completion of the job. In the end, it was all worth it though as I seemed to have redeemed myself with my very benevolent spouse.

Speaking of which, she has now completed all but her last class (7-week senior capstone) of her bachelor’s degree and can clearly see the light at the end of the tunnel; a tunnel from which we will emerge on December 14th. I say “we” because it has been a total family effort with all of us pitching in, but with most of the hard work done by Ms. 3.87 GPA Amber.

When we’re all done this year it will truly be surreal as we will forego a home cooked Thanksgiving dinner for a Thursday afternoon reservation for 12 at Mimi’s Restaurant, and supplant our traditional Harris/Taylor Christmas extravaganza, which is rivaled in pomposity by only the wedding of Charles and Dianna, with a Christmas cruise in the Caribbean. It is very strange indeed to be well into November with no plan for a home cooked Thanksgiving dinner and not even a hint of preparation for Christmas. No lists, scheduling, wrapping paper, ornaments, shopping (cyber or otherwise), menus, secret presents, budgets, baking, decorating, snow village, Christmas letters, cards, stamps, lights, wreaths, parties, pajamas, late night marathon present wrapping-sequencing-numbering sessions, stockings, candy, or cinnamon rolls. No Christmas day dinner, no Christmas Eve party, no midnight mass, no journey to Bethlehem, pageants, or choirs of angels.

The impact of not doing all we usually do this time of year has not quite set in yet. I know I will mourn the loss a bit and I suspect that Amber will too, but we will also perhaps create a one-of-a kind memory for our family. And also, hopefully, we can come out of it with a greater appreciation for all the effort that my wonderful wife puts into making our traditional Christmas celebration so special. Please pray that it will be so.

I close by saying that hopefully we will be seeing some of you at Christmas breakfast in Bella Vista.

Hope all are well and stay that way. Mark (also for ATH &B)