Oh how I missed my sprayer! Cognizant of the need to be respectful of water conservation, I did not spray all night long, but I wanted to in gratitude for its return. Really, cleaning a sink is ever so much easier if the sprayer is working.

The repair I effected was not without its missteps, however. When I took the faucet apart, I discovered the diverter in three pieces. I carefully removed them and then probed for any stray debris. All was going well until it came to reassembly. You see, I had to complete the repair with no instructions, only parts. The top of the valve gave me fits as I tried to finish the assembly. Four times of putting all back together, twisting open the water shutoff valve, checking the faucet was what it took to get all the pieces in just the right position. Still, even with the stumbles, I was quite thankful the faucet had been repaired.

When calling for the part, I did take the opportunity to point out to Kohler that this was the fourth time a repair was needed on this Fairfax faucet and perhaps there was a flaw in the design or manufacturing process of the parts. I really wanted them to send me a whole new faucet, but while I have successfully repaired it four times, I do not know how to completely replace a faucet.

Since I had to empty out the cabinet beneath the sink, I took the opportunity to clean it, recycle a few items and throw some others away. Since that cabinet was cleaned, I went on the clean the rest of them, deciding to recycle a few containers that had blistered with overuse. I must admit, though, that in that fit of appliance cleaning before B arrived, I neglected to notice the dishwasher. There I was, sitting on the floor emptying out the cabinet to be able to reach the water valves and I glanced at the dishwasher. Oh, my..was it dirty! At least B didn't notice. But...how does an appliance get dirty just sitting there?

Keeping on track with productivity, I repaired the molding around the front door that had been removed by the handyman who was going to install the new door and then backed out of the project. I nailed it back as best I could, but since the wood had been painted again and again in the last 60 years, I could not fit it back as it once was. A careful application of caulk covered the remaining crack. Tomorrow or the next day, I shall paint it and the doorway will be as good as new. I will say that not seeing the gap in the molding did much for my spirits once this repair was completed.

I also washed the sheets and towels from the guest room, made the beds, and cleaned the bathroom so that all was set to rights after B's visit. Much of this was because a realtor is coming for an interview on Tuesday, and I do want the house to show well to her.

The mail brought the news that my county believes that all this talk of a housing crash is mere footle. The tax value of my home, in their opinion, has risen another $40,000! An accompanying pamphlets gave all sorts of reasons why in this particular time the assessment is actually a positive step. Hah! They just want more money. I was discouraged by the realization that I will have yet another escrow shortfall and a higher mortgage payment should I remain here. That realtor cannot get here soon enough.

I will finish by saying that my brother surprised me once more, calling to see how I was doing and checking up on my goal of finishing my novel and the scanning project by the end of February. With B's visit, I was not able to do so, but I have started scanning and writing again. He listened to me and encouraged me to finish my two projects.

Hmm...something to be thankful for in a week that has been quite stressful.