Busy day today.
Actually worked hard all day at work, which hasn't so far happened this week. My 10,000-or-so word report is now full of edits from the proofreader. I hadn't had this happen before but I'd been warned about it, from how many there would be to the fact that they might re-write policy recommendations (which is the whole point of us writing these reports). Which is good because both of those happened to me. It meant I was better able to spend my shock and outrage on him materially changing the content of quotes and of also making some truly bizarre and incorrect changes. He has changed all of my em dashes to hyphens! Of all the things!
Right after work I started trying to put together the new raised bed for our garden. I've done like two of these every spring for, this will be the third year now. There's only one this year but it's a chonky boy, as big as the two smaller ones put together. But of the same style: corrugated metal in curved parts that form a semi-circle for each end, and then straight parts for a long section in the middle. It all just has to be bolted together.
I did half and then "ran out of" screws/bolts (I actually found one bag but missed the other in the packaging). Which was an okay stopping place anyway as it was time to cook dinner. With no one else around I took it upon myself to make (veggie) bangers and (sweet potato) mash, with broccoli.
As we were finishing that up, V who had been very patient about all the rubble and dust that had fallen down into the fireplace while builders were busy capping off the chimney yesterday started work on the cleanup I'd promised to help with. Their OCD is bad at the moment because they're having a flare, and this had been there since yesterday, and they were really struggling with it not having been cleaned yet especially as it's time for our regular fortnightly visit from our cleaners tomorrow. We'd taped cardboard over the opening of the fireplace but heard dirt and rocks fall down it all the while the work was going on yesterday, so were wary of what we'd find when the cardboard was removed.
But I got the little cheapie Shopvac out of the shed and used it for the first time, which was an experience. It's so loud! And our masks continue to come in handy. It wasn't eaay cleaning up soot-covered rocks and dirt from a black hearth but I did my best, with damp cloths for the bits too small for the vac to pick up at the end. V was pleased with the results, and did a good job of leaving the bits they noticed as soon as we'd put the room back together -- because of course spots you missed are immediately going to stand out -- for the cleaners. It's at a level now that can be dealt with by normal cleaning tools, which was my measure of success. I emptied the vac and took the filter off to clean in the sink, making some progress but of course covering my hands and arms and torso in soot and filth in the process. I love cleaning really dirty things though. And my Bruce Springsteen tour knockoff t-shirt, with the sleeves newly cut off, seemed like a great one to anoint with the grime of Honest Work.
Just before I'd started in on this, tough, a local friend had messaged D and I to ask if we wanted to go for a drink on this beautiful evening (high of 81°F today! I also got the big pillar fan out of the shed when I got the shopvac out). Having just resigned myself to immersion in dirt and sweat (at one point I had to stop holding the filter under the faucet because I had so much sweat in my eyes it was stinging me enough to make it impossible to go on without cleansing my hands enough to wipe my face!), looking forward to a shower and an early bed, I was suddenly incredibly motivated to get through this so I could go meet our friend. My extrovert batteries that didn't get the recharge they expected last night perked right up at this, ha.
So after I did what I could and tried to keep V from doing too much more than they could, I ran upstairs, changed into a clean t-shirt (a Minnesota Gophers one thus time; wow I really am hashtag dad vibes these days), convinced D to come out with me despite his sleepiness, and I had a great time.
I got home, finally did have that shower, and now I'm in bed.
Today has been non-stop, but so nice. And I can't remember how long it's been since both those things were true at the same time.