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Last Thursday, after enjoying some fine BBQ courtesy of Dave, Henry and I left the safety of our backyard and headed off to explore the cemetary down the street from us. Henry's a big fan of flags, and the day before, new flags had been installed at veterans' graves in time for Memorial Day. He ran from flag to flag, stopping and pointing at each one, impatiently waiting for me to say "Yeah, Henry, that's a FLAG!" before moving on to the next one.

On the way home, we stopped a chatted with a neighbor who was sweeping grass clippings off of her sidewalk and into the street. Dave caught up with us as she was herding Henry and me into the backyard. We spent the next fifteen minutes lounging in her patio swing, alternately watching her sweep her patio and keeping an eye on Henry who had his entire arm up to his shoulder in her watering can. Our neighbor was telling us about all of the things she had to do to get ready for some guests that were arriving on Saturday. As she finished sweeping and we got up to take Henry home for a bath, I told her she should relax, have some lemonade, and enjoy the evening. She laughed and said she didn't have time to, then said she should add lemonade to her grocery list because her guests would probably enjoy it. That's when I noticed a carpenter bee fly up underneath her porch. Then I noticed the big pile of sawdust on the ground. I pointed it out to her and she was obviously unhappy to have yet another thing to deal with. We both commiserated over how once you make any kind of headway with your house, something else falls apart. On the way home, I felt vaguely guilty about having added yet another item to her "To do" list.

There's a saying that most everyone's familiar with: "Payback's a bitch." The next evening I heard a buzz and looked up to see a carpenter bee flying up through a gap between our stone facade and the roofline. Then I saw a pile of sawdust on our gutters, directly beneath the gap. Nothing gives me the heebie-jeebies like the thought of bees drilling holes in our eaves. Then, after giving the dog a bath in the upstairs bathroom, I came downstairs, went into the garage, and stepped right into a puddle of water. We have a leak that appears to be running down from the second floor bathroom and leaching through the wood frame of the door that leads into our garage. Plumbing problems are the worst, although I think Dave's a little excited about the prospect of sleuthing out what's going on. Better him than me.

Both of these recent developments just make me want to take a nap.

Here's our updated to-do list:

1. Finish refinishing the hardwood floors.
2. Finish the living room.
3. Fix range.
4. Fix upstairs sink.
5. Find 2nd floor leak. (The one that happens when it rains.)
6. Paint back hallway.
7. Paint back room.
8. Paint hallway to upstairs.
9. New front door.
10. Bathroom ceiling.
11. Repaint trim in living room.
12. Recaulk around the fireplace.
13. Buy (and install!) a proper mailbox.
14. Find 2nd floor leak. (The one that happens when we use the tub.)
15. Call exterminator about carpenter bees.