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| Blue Flowers, watercolor, 2014 |
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| Blue Flowers, watercolor, 2014 |
In our case, the heating and cooling guy and the computer repair guy made quota. We woke up to a freezing house--ice cold everywhere--threw on multiple layers of fleece and called the HV emergency when we read 65 on the thermostat, 8 degrees on the barometer with minus degrees promised over the next week. We sat down to wait. Watching our breath come out in white puffs, gloves--a ski hat--I thought. Instead, I lighted the fireplace and got out the heavy throw. Ellis and I bundled.
The guy came to the rescue with a quick fix an hour later, but couldn't guarantee it would last the weekend. We needed a new exhaust motor or a new furnace; the box in the basement was seventeen years old--older than the expected lifetime--how long did we expect it to last? He wished us a happy valentines day and left. telling us to call when we made up our minds.
We made our choice at seven thirty and went to console ourselves on the net, EXCEPT Ellis' computer was running unusually slow and I couldn't get mine started. It just kept screaming these raucous, irritating beeps while I stared at a gray screen flickering like crazy in an attempt to spring to life. Honey rebooted. It worked. I rebooted. Nothing--just more loud beeps. I called The Geek Squad. I let the guy in Atlanta hear the beeps. They meant something. My hardware was broken. The number and the sequence of beeps told you what was wrong if you knew the code. He didn't. I didn't. I needed to take it for repairs; he couldn't tell me how much. I hung up and looked around for locusts.
At ten in the morning on the blackest Valentines Day morning ever, Dinner out was out. Honey and I cracked open a bottle of champagne to try and save the day. The bottle was empty by noon; and we were on the couch in time to watch Godzilla wrecking havoc in Japan, Hawaii and, neither of us doubted, our house next.
The Day After Tomorrow, a new day with a new exhaust motor installed. I rejuvenated my old laptop where I found these grim, blue flower paintings. They were perfect for this post of woe. While the colors are weird for a flower painting, I like them. They're wild--a lot like the look in my eyes.
Well, when it rains it pours, doesn't it?! Maybe your laptops were reacting to the cold, as well as the broken furnace? sympathy pains... At least your water heater didn't cave... knock on wood... love the flowers!. Today's gotta be better.
ReplyDeleteIt is. Except I'm waiting around for tomorrow when I can take the laptop in and get repairs started. I think I got a lemon. It's been acting up for a while, but the screen did open after the beeps, which I thought were an anti-theft alarm. I did spend time looking through the control panel for a way to disable it, but never found it. I spent time online trying to find anyone else who had this problem, but was unsuccessful. Of course there is no owner's manual and troubleshooting never mentioned that should you hear a series of beeps, it meant the laptop needed service.
DeleteYes, we're warm for how long nobody knows. We took the least expensive way out, Ellis gets his crown this week. Working on Vista here, seems primitive after 8.1. I keep touching the screen and nothing happens.
I like these flowers too--they're not pretty.
I think they are pretty, though they don't say flowers to me. Stay warm, stop beeping and paint some pink flowers!
ReplyDeleteThey are not pretty. They are grim. That's what I like about them--and the lines that have the feeling of script.
DeleteSo very sorry to laugh at your misery, dear Linda, but laugh I did as I read how the evil events kept snowballing! I am sure your sense of humor got you through - and I am sure the champagne didn't hurt! Hope all can be repaired, replaced, rejuvenated and you and your dark flowers will perk up and lose their somber mood!
ReplyDeleteI never liked painting flowers. These two say it. My dislike came from art school where the still life set up for beginner painters were always a vase full of flowers. They didn't fit my nature. It was nice to pick up that piece of info early on. Now, flowers are something to paint when in between paintings.
DeleteGreat abstract - strong colors and lots of movement.I do not see them as grim, but I do not see them as pretty either - I see these as strong abstract paintings...full of movement
ReplyDeleteI am with Susan. I was grinning ear to ear. Been there done that!... I mean a disaster followed by champagne part in the middle of the day! Quite civilized.
We thought so. It was a great weekend to learn we were in that part of home ownership where big deal repairs may be necessary at any moment. The computer going bad in the same twenty four hours was an unnecessary rub it in. Add to this what I didn't tell you about Ellis crown that's being made and scheduled to go in this week. When it rains....
DeleteI sort of like these flowers because they are more of an abstract expression than a painting from life. If I recall right, the flowers were dying and I found that withering look interesting. I love cut flowers in the house, but I'm always a bit sad cutting them; the cut starts the decay.
God, you really did have Godzilla drop in with a vengeance!!! I am so sorry to read about this horrible - est weekend!
ReplyDeleteThere are catastrophes going on all over the world way more devastating, I know. That's why I hate it, when I wake up and find my sanctuary broken--especially when it minus degrees out. I can't tell you how cold it was walking on those bathroom tiles. It was like walking barefoot on the ice at the ice rink. What a way to wake up! You just know the day isn't going to be a good one.
DeleteOh dear oh dear, what a Valentine's Day. Had a laugh too reading it, sorry. Hope you are warm now, and the computers working again.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that saves us all from despair is humor. My problem is I use it all the time to bolster me up--at times when others think a more somber outlooks would be more fitting--like at funerals and bankruptcies and when some doc tells you you have cancer. My sense of humor brought me through loss and major worries--and again this last weekend.
DeleteKan het helemaal begrijpen Linda je had wel even kleur nodig en dat zie je wens je sterkte en hoop voor jullie dat het met alles beter gaat lieve groetjes Danielle
ReplyDeletedankzij Danielle. ik heb een beetje hersteld van zijn plotseling geraakt met onderhoudskosten, maar ik ben nog steeds een beetje chagrijnig over de dood van mijn laptop.
Deletethanks Danielle. i've recovered a bit from being suddenly hit with maintenance expenses, but i'm still a bit chagrined over the death of my laptop
I'm sorry this Valentine plagued by so many unpleasant events.
ReplyDeleteYour "wild" watercolors work well because they are manifestation of you.
So perfect,as here, when your artist work is mirror of your soul, it came straight to deliver its message to viewer.
Julie is right these are abstracts more than they are paintings of flowers. I was surprised to find them on my old laptop. I thought I had transferred everything into my external drive. They were appropriate though. We have reached the horrible part of homeownership: big price tag maintenance.
DeleteIt makes the Valentine Day Massacre pale into insignificance. At least your flower paintings warmed the posting!. Do you remember when furnaces (boilers to us) seemed to last forever? Nothing is built to last any more: a throw-away society. Roll on Spring although our little peninsula, that sticks out into the Atlantic, has had days of springlike weather whilst the rest of the UK was suffering from winter.
ReplyDeleteChuckle. Hardly. I'm glad to hear it's warmish somewhere. We've actually been pretty lucky till the last week. Now minus degrees, pulled drapes, slow drips from faucets on outside walls. Ellis drives down to the mailbox to get the mail and newspapers. I don't leave the house UNLESS my computer needs repair. This was a first time situation for me--as was the furnace thing. It's a good thing we were built to last forever. ;-))
DeleteHear, hear!
DeleteI love the flowers lots of energy coming through spontaneous brush strokes. Sorry about your day, has happened to us also, it's miserable. Hope it's all ok now.
ReplyDeleteThanks Carolann. You're not the Carolann of Poltergeist fame all grown up are you? I loved that movie. If it's before your day, watch it sometime. It's fun--a lot more fun than waiting for the furnace emergency squad and taking a one year old laptop in for repair. Furnace is fine now, thanks. And computer will be on its way to Dell in a couple of days. I'm finally off the phone after hours of being on hold and passed from department to department. :-))
DeleteWhat a story Linda! I'm sure you heard me laughing....I'm so sorry you and Ellis had to freeze on Valentine sDay.
ReplyDeleteThese paintings are fantastic!! Outstanding colors....
Thanks Hilda. They are not typical that's for sure. We're warm again. My computer is packed up and ready to be shipped to Dell for repairs. Ellis got his crown put in and we're cheering up-- till the next bout of breakdowns.
DeleteOh my goodness what a morning. I have to confess to laughing at the 10am champagne :) I love the energy in the flower paintings as well as the colours.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. I'm so bad at visiting recently.
There's only so much time. Happens to me too. I fall behind, but eventually catch up. Thanks. Weird colors though, but not for January and how I feel about winter. :-))
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