A man's home is his hassle

Entropy is a term from physics, describing how energy in a closed system gradually runs down faster than it can be revved up. There is a little-known but oft-experienced parallel phenomenon in the lives of homeowners, wherein the systems in your house break down faster than you can fix them, and faster than your bank account can replenish itself. It could be a TV show: This Old Money Pit.

I decided to fix my leaky basement by installing over-sized gutters. These work, but I still have to keep them cleaned out, else they'll spill over and we're back to a very damp square one. Gutter helmets, you say? Nope. I'm surrounded by seven--count 'em, seven--gorgeous old century oaks. Helmets may turn away the leaves from a couple of these giants, but not seven. And helmets won't do anything with oak blooms, which pile up like snow drifts. There's nothing for it but to get up there every two weeks and blow the gutters out.

I called a plumber to come and fix what turned out to be a very minor problem. He essentially charged me for just the service call, as the part--singular--was too cheap to price and the job took no time at all. A good deal, since I had gotten an estimate from another company that wanted to pull the whole water works out from the street to the house and replace it. But now I've got an HVAC problem, from a power surge from a storm the other night. The problem is juu-uu-uust above my skill set, so I'll have to call someone. Hope I get lucky again.

So that's why I've been slacking off on the free ice cream this weekend. Hope yours has been good nonetheless!