i thought sophia had gone to work but she'd actually taken a sick day and was at home recuperating. i only realized i wasn't alone in the house well after noontime, when i heard her coughing in her room. by then i'd already been on a conference call with client N and made myself an english muffin sandwich for lunch.

soon afterwards i left for my parents, to continue with my war against dandelions. my father had pruned another tree, a rotten apple overhanging into a neighbor's yard. he'd actually hopped the fence with a chainsaw to work. not sure if he asked for permission, but the house was recently sold and remain uninhabited while undergoing major renovations, and the demolition workers didn't seem to mind. i kept hailey occupied with some bubbles. i did so much weeding that i started to get a blister on my hand which eventually forced me to stop. i also got some bloody scratches from handling tree branches without gloves but they're like badges of honor for a hard day's work.

in the early evening i went with my parents to the waltham costco. although it's only may, i bought a new air conditioner (sharp, 6000BTU, $180) to replace the non-efficient one i normally use during the summers (this one is also lighter so i can install it by myself). before we left, we got one of those pizza supremes for dinner ($10). afterwards i returned to cambridge, where i was relieved my roommate was still alive.