Penelope Gets Ready For Odysseus' Return

I don't know what to make of this. It looks like The Man is coming home. The Boy and I are thrilled. Then we asked each other, But where will he live? And we burst out laughing.

But seriously, I need to get the house ready for The Man's return. He could arrive as early as June 26. As eager as I am to see him, his return is badly timed.

For one thing, I have to give up a vacation to be home for his arrival. Construction workers are still on the street blasting away at the sidewalks starting at 8:00 a.m. Dust is everywhere. Our next door neighbours have moved out and contractors power up tools everyday to improve the house's curb appeal. Noise every minute. And then there is the tree with the split trunk in the backyard.

I've had six tree companies promise a quote. I've only received two so far. Two said they are backlogged and will get to us as soon as possible. Two were no shows.

To cut a mature tree, I need to get a permit from the city, which takes 90 days. But the two arborists who provided quotes said in our case, taking the tree down is urgent enough that they would do so without a permit. But they still have to submit paperwork and photos to the city, which means two weeks before they can start the work.

The Man will be coming home to a house taken over by workmen. Meanwhile, I'm devastated by the heat and am unable to move about much. So the house will be dirty too. And the garden unfinished. I don't want to seed grass and put in any more plants that could be destroyed with the tree removal. He's asked for cold beer.

Thank god the wind came in tonight to provide some relief. But the temperature promises to be hot for the rest of the week. Welcome home, dear.