So here it is, another Friday indicating another “work” week is coming to an end. Actually, I’m writing this Thursday evening. I figure I will be busy tomorrow morning with my two “jobs”, writing and stock trading. Friday is my busiest day with the latter.

It has been a good week, yet I once again have an unsettled feeling. I wrote about this before., though I can’t find that post right now. What was good? For one thing, at the close of business on Thursday, I’m beating the stock market both on the week and the year. I put in an order to take profits on a certain trade today, since I was to be tied up and couldn’t watch it. That trade filled at exactly the best possible profit today. One penny different and it wouldn’t have filled. Since the trade went way down toward the end of the day, that was an unexpected success.

The deck work finished last Saturday. We had them pull off the old flooring and handrails and put in synthetic wood for both.  It looks good and feels good. The spacing on the support joists were irregular in one spot, and the contractor installed an extra joist. I’m quite pleased with how it came out.

I was also able to write some today. I reached my minimal daily goal but not my hoped-for goal. The Bible study I’m writing marches on, hopefully to be finished in November. Today I had a meeting with my new pastor to discuss a couple of things that have been bugging me (not things about her, for I have felt good about her leadership and preaching in her four months here). That meeting went well. It was the first time I got to speak with her other than salutations.

Yardwork is up to date. In fact, I’ve had almost nothing to do in the yard the last two weeks. That’s a good feeling, because until this year, I have always felt perpetually behind on yardwork. We had plenty of leftovers for supper so I didn’t have to fix anything tonight. And we have plenty for the next few days.

So what’s unsettling? It’s the problem of water damage at my home. The deck work revealed some water damage due to a gutter that was incorrectly attached, possibly due to the new roof put on back in 2020. They did temporary repairs, but the damage is done. Two door frames are rotted and will have to be replaced. This also seems to extend a few feet on the flooring in the sunroom. We looked around and saw two other places that need repair from water damage. One might require the removal of built-in book cases, the other removal of our master bathroom vanity and even a wall that creates a dead air space between the bathroom and the exterior walls.

Last week I had a mold inspector out, and it turns out we do not have much mold in the house—one bit of good news. I had the insurance adjustor out today, and it’s possible, no probable, that this is not insurable as it appears to be long-term in three of the four places. I hope to hear from insurance tomorrow, but I figure the worst will result and I’ll have to pay for all the repairs.

And I need to make the repairs. Some day we will downsize and sell this house. It won’t sell with that damage showing. But as of yet, I’m waiting for the names of the certified remediation companies so that I can get proposals and estimates. I’m also waiting for the gutter guys to get me on the schedule. I spent so many years working with contractors in my employment that I hate working with them.

Until I have the water damage repairs under contract, I will feel unsettled. There’s no getting around that. We were planning on replacing the 37-year-old carpet in our bathrooms (why did the former owners do that?), the living room, entry, and dining room this month or next, but now that will be delayed until the other work is done.

I hate feeling unsettled, but it will have to be. I feel sort of good that I’ve been able to get to this point in getting things done. Two more months of this to go.

Meanwhile, in other news, today I sold the postcard collection we picked up years ago in North Carolina. One small dis-accumulation task accomplished.