after 2 days i checked on my wet paper towel bitter melon seeds germination: out of 34 seeds, only one of looked like it sprouted. i wrapped the seeds back up and left them to germinate some more. if by the end of this week they still haven't germinated, i'll need to buy new bitter melon seeds online.
my father was due to arrive sometime after 10:30am. i started moving out my plants and setting them on the front steps. that's when my new upstairs neighbor sheri came downstairs. she was with another woman whom i learned was her sister kim, here in town helping her move from her central square apartment. sheri sent me e-mail last night saying she couldn't figure out how to open the basement door, so i showed her how i do it. the secret turned out to be the key, the one that she had was rusty and didn't work as well. when we went back to the front of the house, my father had already arrived. together he and i moved the plants into the back of the honda before leaving for belmont.
since rain was in the forecast for later today, i suggested we mow the lawn for the first time this season, then we could get a free watering afterwards. while my father mowed, i assisted by weeding dandelions and moving lawn furniture out of the way. i also unpacked all my plant swap haul, resoaking those that needed to be water, and trying to figure out where to plant them. we didn't do any planting today because it was a little cold, hopefully it'll be warmer tomorrow.
my mother made some wonton soup for lunch which i ate around 12:30pm. my sister was supposed to drop off esmei around noontime, but didn't arrive until almost 2pm. she's leaving her dog at my parents' place until tuesday while she goes to vermont. she brought several bags of dog stuff, including food and treats and toys, as well as additional dog fencing. she was giving us a list of instructions, none of which we'll follow once she's gone.
esmei spent some time in the backyard before coming back inside. around 3:30pm she took a nap on the living room floor. after an hour she woke up and went to sleep on her dog bed inside the open play pen. occasionally we put the cone on her so she wouldn't lick her wounds, including a cut or infection at the base of her tail.
in the early afternoon there was a magic-cavaliers game. winner would face the celtics in boston on tuesday. cleveland ended up winning, even though orlando had the lead for most of the game until the middle of the 3rd quarter. cavaliers are the easier matchup, so this is good news for the celtics, especially since it looks like porzingis will be out for the second round while nursing his soleus strain.
my mother made dinner, while esmei hung out in the kitchen. completely fearless and no regards to consequences, esmei jumped up to the kitchen counter a few times, trying to get to the food. she's tall enough that she can see over the counter, and with some hops can get to some items with her front paws.
my father gave me a ride home after dinner around 7pm. by then there was a light drizzle.