Everything but the kitchen sink

August.We started construction in May, I really thought we would be done by the Fourth of July. Ha. Jerry put down a 1/4" sub-floor instead of 1/2". The tiles we waited 2 weeks for were installed over this, by a sub-contractor. The result was a wavy floor. The tiles are named "Caribbean" but really, waves are superfluous at this point. When Jerry arrived to view the damage, I'm afraid I burst into tears, a delayed reaction to too much dust and take-out food. Alarmed, he promised to fix it and put 1/2" plywood over it and reodered new tiles- but at the cost of another 2 weeks. Ironically, this works out because the order for the cabinet that holds the damn sink was lost and will take... another 2 weeks. These have passed in a hot and sticky way but everything is set for delivery tomorrow, a day that promises to break all heat records as well as my patience. At least the electricians are finally done, those stupid-heads. We waited a month for "special" bulbs for the bathroom lights (" they were in the box, did you throw them out?") 3 times they came and none of them worked. You know how some people (men) never read the instructions or test the equipment first? Well, it wasn't the bulbs but the improperly wired light fixtures that didn't work. Mon Dieu. Now that we have lights, I can see that the paint job has to be re-done.
The debris in the backyard has been removed but the garden is covered with volunteer morning glories, strangling all the perenniels. So it shall remain, it's too hot too garden. Caramel thinks so too. We met a another basenji today, Jasmine, and she was too hot to be bothered to bark at her! One needs to stay indoors between 10AM and 8PM when the sun and air are really toxic. I am presently sitting 8" from the fan but will quit this position for a bath and some AC presently.
Poor Steve works in Queens where the electricity demand is huge and they are cutting power, so the AC in his office is set high. He's luckier than his sister who lives in Queens and was without power for a week! What, they didn't know it was going to be hot this summer? They really put the con in Con Edison.
On 7/15 we celebrated my Aunt Sarah's 96th birthday at a party at my cousin Janie's. It was great to see everyone and it was so wonderful to be with my Aunt, who looks incredible. She reminds me so much of my Mom, who was her little sister. Both of us still have the urge to call her, so we call each other instead. It's a good plan.
We saw an Israeli movie, "Ushpitzin" It was OK, sort of an updated Sholem Aleichem story.The best thing was, a character used the phrase Oivavoi. It was the first time I heard it spoken, having read it in a book. Turns out, the accent is on the first syllable. I've been saying it wrong! Dios Mio!

The deity of the day is Iris, goddess of rainbows!