Rain, rain, go away...

We've had a lot of rain lately.
A LOT.
Right now we're sitting in an YPF station waiting for the rain to let up enough to make a run for the car. All morning it's been raining off and on, mostly a light sprinkle, but a few minutes ago the skies opened and the drizzle became a downpour.

It's not just a matter of making it to the car without getting too wet, but Ivan also has to hook the battery back up before we can leave. For a while the car's been having issues with the turn signals coming on and staying on, at odd moments, and if we don't catch it, it drains the battery. Ivan's gone to the electrical guy a couple times but it never acts up for him.
Of course not.
It hadn't been a problem for almost a week, when suddenly last night they came on again when we stopped for gas.

If something actually worked we'd probably fall over in shock.

Every.single.thing has been complicated and/or difficult. From the actual move to getting water to getting gas to hooking up lights to trying to get internet to...

You get the idea.

The purpose for our trip to YPF was so Ivan could use one of their phone booths to call Telecom to have our account switched from our old address to our new one. He couldn't just use our cell phone, the call had to be made from a landline.

Thankfully we had not cancelled our account outright, but waited to see whether we could find a different internet provider. After trying two different internet por aire companies and finding out that wasn't a viable option for us, we realized we'd have to stick with Telecom/Arnet after all. Switching our account to the casita is cheaper than starting anew with them, so I'm glad we had the forethought to hold off on canceling the account.

Another good thing that came of our trip to YPF is that we got to skype for a bit with our daughter. First time since we moved!

My favorite phrase: "Es lo que hay" has received a heavy workout this past month.

Like last week when our septic backed up. Trying to look on the positive side, we decided we were glad it happened before the guy with the bobcat comes and levels out our lot -- and in the process buries our septic tank cover. While we'll be able to dig it out easily, it was nice not to have to do it last week, making the job a little bit easier.
As easy as dealing with backed-up septic can be, anyway.

The rain has revealed some leaks in both roofs (garage and casita). The positive spin: we'd been debating whether to use a rather expensive Sherwin Williams product on the garage, and this tipped us in that direction. It's a specialized rubberized paint that requires several applications but is supposed to be great for flat roofs. We'll have to buy three 20-kilo buckets, which will leave a little bit left over that we can then use on the casita.

In the process of installing light fixtures in the kitchen, something happened and now none of the outlets work in there. One of the outlets in the hall also quit working. I'm still looking for a positive aspect to that. I'm sure there has to be one, but I'm clean out of ideas. Care to suggest any?

Despite the rain, we've made slow but steady progress on projects around the house. The kitchen cabinet sports a new base, the countertop was cut to fit and the sink installed, and now the whole shebang sits proudly in our kitchen, hooked up to the water and fully functional. It's been SOOO nice to be able to do dishes there rather than in the little bin on our folding table. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can check out photos and commentary on my latest Project 365 blog.)

I started cleaning the stove on Saturday but ran out of time and energy before the job was done. It's looking to be a two-can job at minimum (meaning it will require at least two full cans of oven cleaner). I've never seen so much caked-on gunk in my life! I'm not only using the most heavy duty oven cleaner I could find, I'm also using a heavy duty coarse steel thing (cannot think what to call it...it's not steel wool, but something Ivan had in his shop that's made out of steel shavings) because nothing else worked. This is a used stove we bought after looking at it at night, in poor light. Pretty sure it ranks up there among our top ten worst purchases. Live and learn. At least pouring pure bleach on the stovetop reduced the discoloration there significantly. Now if I can just work up the motivation to complete the job, we'll be in business. Meanwhile I'm continuing to use our large toaster oven.

I'm really happy with the shelf we put above the cabinet in the kitchen. Ivan cut it, I painted it, and he installed it. Then I loaded it with various dishes and bowls that were either white, clear or stainless steel, plus the turquoise glasses my mother-in-law brought to Argentina many, many years ago. It's a spot of pretty in a still chaotic space.

But we are getting there! Like I said, slow but steady progress...

We also have a shelf ready to put above the bed, where I'll use some large, fabric-lined baskets to store a variety of things (everything from personal care products to vitamins to craft supplies). Ivan will also be building an open wardrobe in the next week or two, so we can finally unpack the suitcases.

Each item checked off our To Do list is cause for celebration, and makes us all the more grateful for what's getting accomplishing. We realize how each one is a gift and a blessing.