while waiting

It is about 11:30 a.m., and I am on the big computer while the plumber is fixing a drippy sink pipe left from the lousy job the jackleg remodelers did back in March.


When I called this recommended plumbing company, I was immediately put off by the "We may be recording this call for quality purposes" recording and hung up. I had enough of that annoyance while working for a hospital! A little later I called back and a young woman answered. Everything she said was scripted. The hospital wanted us to respond in a scripted way too, but when you are talking to actual human beings, it sounds so cold and ridiculous. Beggars can't be choosers, so I made an appointment for this morning. Right on time, the nice plumber showed up. He has been willing to communicate, get on his knees in a tight space, and hopefully fix the problem. Now I hope it won't be too expensive.


It is another messy rainy day outside. The irises I planted behind the house a couple of weeks ago are sending up leaves! It is the first gardening I have done since being here. One of my new Wilmington friends, a wonderful artist, gave the bulbs to me when she divided hers and said they will be beautiful. I can't wait! I was missing gardening so much I considered being a volunteer weed puller at the Arboretum. Now...not so much.


When I moved here, I wondered if I would ever run into someone I knew and who remembered me when I was a child. No, I haven't. But once I met the daughter of neighbors/friends that I remember, even though I was only about six years old. She would have been a baby when we lived near each other, but still I was thrilled to have met her. And last week, I met two women who graduated from the only high school (for whites) back in 1962. I had briefly been in ninth grade here with people we both remember. In Margaret's building is a woman who went to high school with my mother. That is pretty cool.


The plumber is about finished. He was efficient and nice and gave me a few options and quotes. It looks like I won't have to pay as much as I anticipated. Thank goodness.