Week 45 - Boil Water Order

Well, I got a mix of things again, including a fun road trip, but there was also lots of frustration. I guess I need to be careful what I wish for.

The week started in the 70's but we were having our first hard frost at the end of the week so my priority was to finish the outside work and bring in the plants I overwinter. I started Monday afternoon, dumping containers and potting up plants to bring in. I was outside again Tuesday afternoon, clearing veg beds, cleaning dahlia tubers and dealing with more containers. On Thursday, I brought my plants inside. On Friday, I dug up all the daffodils that needed dividing, which I'd marked with white plastic knives in the spring. I dug a new bed and enlarged another and got many, many bulbs replanted but still have lots to share.

When I came in on Tuesday after working outside, I saw a Facebook post from the city saying that they'd found e-coli in Wahoo's water and we were under a boil water order. That's a first in the 29 years I've lived here. Now I'd been drinking tap water all day while working outside so I'd probably already been exposed but I got busy and started boiling water. I spent the week using boiled water for drinking, cooking, brushing my teeth, etc. Total pain in the ass! Luckily my dishwasher wasn't full but I had a sink full of pots and pans. I finally gave up and boiled water to wash them on Friday morning. Between boiling then cooling some then boiling more to wash them and more to rinse them in a dishpan, which I found in the laundry room with canning jars in it, it took me all morning to get those pans washed. They started hyper-chlorinating the water (the smell when running the faucets!) and said we might get the all clear on Friday but didn't until Sunday. It made for a long, frustrating week.

I had my appointment with the medicare agent and am now all signed up for all the parts I need - medigap and prescription - all effective January 1st. Cross that off my to do list.

Wednesday was a fun day. Anne, Rene and I were going on a day trip to Nebraska City. We stopped in Unadilla for the meat market and thrift shop then headed to Arbor Day Farm hoping to find apples. Nope. They were sold out so we took this nice pic of the 3 of us and left. We found a great restaurant for lunch then walked downtown, checking out all the stores. When we left, we took the scenic route rather than the highway and checked out all the small towns along the way. I had tickets to dinner at Southeast Community College and got back to Rene's just in time to change into more presentable clothes and get there. Lorri met me there and we thoroughly enjoyed the meal, which was a mix of midwest and Korean fare. It was a long but fun day.

Merry Market started Friday night and I always work at the library with Denise staffing the library's holiday decoration sale. I picked up pizza and was there at 5:00 when the library normally closes. We had more customers than last year and made some money. I fed and medicated my neighbor's cat on the way home and called it a day.

I woke up early Saturday and threw clothes on and went to do the cats again. When I got home I got back in my nightie (ha!) and enjoyed a morning sitting in the sun, knitting and chatting with friends. After lunch, I went to Fremont for HyVee's annual baking sale. The prices on everything needed for holiday baking are so cheap that it's worth the drive. I chose Fremont because I wanted to pick up turkey dinner at a church in Cedar Bluffs on the way home. I usually get early turkey from Project Close Up at Wahoo High but they aren't doing it anymore. This was a good replacement.

Sunday is normally chore day for me and it was cold and windy so a perfect day to stay inside. When we got the word that the water was OK, I started cooking. I made corned beef casserole with fresh green beans and a pumpkin pie to take to knitting. I'd been eating out of the freezer all week so I wouldn't have more dishes to do. I was so happy the water was safe again!

Despite the water issues, I still had some fun. Everything was just hard with having to deal with water but I survived. Let's hope that doesn't happen again.