Day 2877

We're making progress. I'm pretty sure the refrigerator actually works now because I saw the defrost heater come on. You can tell that the defrost cycle has begun when the refrigerator is silent. The compressor and the fan shut off and the small heater at the bottom of the freezer section starts to emit an orange glow. The heater is actually hidden behind a metal plate, but you can see the glow through a small vent at the bottom of the freezer. After about two hours, the glow went away and the refrigerator turned itself on again. This has been happening behind the scenes for many years and I never even noticed. I've learned so much about refrigerators in the past two months.

My work on the roof was also encouraging. The patches I applied several days ago didn't wash away in yesterday's rain. The elastomer coating seems to have cured properly and appears to be waterproof. Since it's getting colder, I need to call the manufacturer and find out if this stuff can be applied in the Winter. I suspect that when it gets too cold outside, the stuff won't cure and might just remain liquid. I'm not even going to bother calling the roofer. I'm sure I'll get better results by just calling the manufacturer.

The rain has stopped, but it was still a nasty, damp day. By the time I'd walked Dash several times and removed all the standing water from the roof, I wished we had a fireplace so I could sit by the fire and warm up. It seemed like a cold night to go to the arboretum, but actually it turned out to be perfect.

We bundled up in warm coats and explored twelve elaborate victorian gazebos representing each of the twelve days of Christmas. The arboretum is wonderful at night. The trees are illuminated with tiny lights and the twelve glass gazebos filled with rotating animatronic clockwork glowed like beacons in the night. It was so cold outside that it actually felt like Christmas for a change. Janet says they have this exhibit every year, but I'd never heard of it before. The arboretum is actually part of the same huge park where I walk Dash every day. I guess there have been rare trees here forever, but the area changed dramatically when the city passed a big bond issue and turned the place into a Disneyland for nature lovers. They stage elaborate events throughout the year and charge a lot to see them. I liked the place better when it was wild and abandoned, but that's just me. I never thought people would pay money to see a bunch old old trees, but the city has done a good job turning the place into a weird outdoor museum.

Much to my surprise, I remembered to take the trash out to the curb when we returned this evening. It felt like I got a lot done today, even though I really didn't. I used to measure success by how much I accomplished. That seems kind of silly now. A successful day is just a day where nothing goes wrong.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day