big storm on the lake this morning...

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I woke up about 3AM to the sound of our dock breaking up. Huge storm and now the lake is even a bit higher. The waves were crashing into our retaining wall and moving or breaking and washing away the heavy old ceramic tiles that line the top of our retaining wall. We are very happy to know that our sump pump (put in by the previous owner the Summer that Lake Delton emptied and Cedar Rapids flooded) works. Unfortunately the pipe that goes from the pump outside leaks. We've had it wrapped with towels and keep changing them. John is now on his way to the basement to do some caulking.

This morning all up and down the lake everyone is finding their dock pieces and reassembling them. John tied a rope to my kayak and while the guys were putting our dock back together I went looking for our wooden pieces. I found a big one up on some rocks on the shore. And I towed home a piece that belonged to a neighbor. Luckily John wrote our address on all our pieces. But we ended up with 2 pieces not ours...

Right now Lake Monona is about 2 feet over the targeted maximum. I think at 3 feet our basement floods sump pump or no sump pump. And I was just telling my meteorologist brother-in-law how much more in tune I am to weather living here.

the birds...

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Two weekends ago we came downstairs to see a flock of swallows flying around and even flying into our large glass windows. This photo does not do it justice. There were probably 5 times the amount.

When not flying madly they were relaxing on our dock, our neighbor's dock and the other neighbor's porch railing. John noticed that it was just us 3 and other docks further down had no birds. I wonder if it was our old wooden docks vs. the newer white possibly fiberglass ones.

Actually it was pretty creepy especially when they were flying and so close to us. It made me think of the Hitchcock movie, The Birds.

The Birds 1963PG-13120 minutes Chic socialite Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) enjoys a passing flirtation with an eligible attorney (Rod Taylor) in a San Francisco pet shop and, on an impulse, follows him to his hometown bearing a gift of lovebirds. But upon her arrival, the bird population runs amok. Suddenly, the townsfolk face a massive avian onslaught, with the feathered fiends inexplicably attacking people all over Bodega Bay. Cast: Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy Director: Alfred Hitchcock

And now the birds are gone... it was just the one day that we saw them. But now I have an urge to watch all the old Hitchcock movies. I think I have Vertigo in my Netflix queue.

Pet Peeve

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Y es this is going to make me sound crazy and OCD but I am not either. I just have an eye for detail, and think about the little things in life. And good little things can really please me.

I really hate crooked light switches. Our place was built in the 70s and not very well. We forgive all of this and soldier on fixing things because the view makes it all worth it. I do not understand when electricians put in light switches that they put them in any way but straight. Like most of the little things in life I ponder the reason why people do this. I've decided that either they cannot see the difference or they don't care.

This sort of thing engages my overly busy mind... and my mind becomes one long run on sentence... thatlightswitchiscrookedwhyisitcrookedwhowouldhaved onethathowdoImakeitnotcrooked blahblahblahblah. And the next time I see it the exact same thing goes through my head. My eye does not get use to it.

My darling husband put up 4 new switch plates, took down the 5 dimmer switches and put up these lovely large switches. Don't they look nice? And I cannot believe this but he made them ALL straight. And now when I flip on a switch I am delighted and charmed. These will please me forever.

(Thank you Sweetie, especially for making them straight.)

As I reread this I can see how I sound OCD... but it is that same thought process that helps me be creative and make good fonts. I guess it is a double edged sword.

Ice Fishing Shack...

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After lunch yesterday I suggested a little walk on the lake. And there was this one lone ice fishing shack. We've been watching people with sleds go out and put their ice fishing tent-like structure up and then in a few hours knock it down and leave. I've been wondering if we'd see a community of little shacks near us but apparently not. I don't think the water is deep enough here and I don't think there is a good place to put them in. Downtown just off of John Nolan Drive on the Monona Bay there is a big community of ice fishermen. They all look like they are just there for the day. Fishing must be good as there is always a lot of them. But then I don't understand ice fishing. I always just assumed it was a way for men to get out of the house and drink beer. Seems like an awfully cold way to drink beer, but then this is Wisconsin.

New light fixture...

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Finally... this has been I think a 6 month project. I thought the new light fixture could just go where an existing recessed light was. But it couldn't because this one is 400 watts. So that meant an electrician and if we were getting one in then we needed to add more outlets and fix the problem in the basement where EVERYTHING was on one fuse. (If the sump pump kicked in when the washer & water softener, etc were running... well you get the idea.) Then the hole in the ceiling needed to be patched and then painted and then the electrician had to come back for the final install. Oh yes then there was the month when we'd see a couple droplets of water on the table which had to be coming from the hole. And where was that water coming from anyway... the tub, the roof, the fireplace chimney? You get the picture.

Anyway the story is too boring to go on but the finished project is lovely. And there was a moment of doubt in the very end as the light is big in our little space.

But when we turn the light on the light is magical. And on a second switch that I never used there was already a rheostat. So all is well that ends well.

BIG, FAT, Snow storm is here...

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L ots of shoveling to do. Big, heavy, wet snow. Blizzard conditions until midnight. More snow, blowing snow and cold temps to come. The city is shut down, no buses. Apparently the city has only shut down like this 3 times in the last 40 years. It's a Winter Wonderland. This is the Winter of my childhood. A perfect day to work from home.

BIG, FAT Storm coming...

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T omorrow morning we should wake up to 12" of snow, very cold temps and blowing snow.

John ran out and got Ryan some new tires. I will run out and mail ebay auctions before the snow hits hard.

And tomorrow we will hunker down and stay in. I have a plan for a condo potluck so the world will be Winter white and I will be making turkey, sweet potato soufflé, pie, etc... I love to cook when we have a blizzard.