now i feel like a homeowner

yes we had HUGE storms this past week. which is to say no thunderstorm, but pouring pouring rain for days on end. i think i saw an ark float by the other day. our house was relatively unscathed, except for the part where water was leaking into our basement in one corner. however, now i know that the sump pump actually works.

considering where the leak occurred, it underscored that i had perhaps put off for far too long the one thing the housing inspector had reminded me that i needed to do: clean the gutters. certainly when it had rained in the past and the water dripping onto the deck was a reminder (“oh yeah. the gutters.”), but once you actually have water spilling INTO YOUR HOUSE that really drives it home (“dammit! gutters!”).

so this morning snapper and i make a pilgrimage to ikea to buy some more shelves for the basement and then to home despot to get a ladder so i can finally climb up onto the roof and clean those gutters (she liked ikea fine, but home despot not so much. too loud for sleeping babies with all the noise and people throwing lumber and stuff about).

up there scrabbling about on the roof, scooping mucks of leaves and dirt out of the clogged gutters, it was really at that point that i really felt it: welcome, homeowner, this is your life.