I came out of teaching an online lesson to see this evidence of foul play on the back decks of Chez Gainey: Normally this would be a common occurrence, as Dan, aka, ‘Mr. MacKenzie’ (his home repair alter ego), is always working on projects around our century-old home. However, this ladder was not a welcome … More Upon Which Mr. MacKenzie Breaks Parole
This morning I uttered words that I never dreamed would come out of my mouth: Honey, will you cut my hair? Yes me, the daughter of the always impeccably coiffed Dorothy Williams; the same woman who spends way too much money each month on my short cut and battling the ever-encroaching gray. Here’s the thing; … More Shear Excitement at Chez Gainey: Flying too Close to the Sun
The Gaineys are back at UAB Highlands yet again, this time so that Dan can have a Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate. I know– I wasn’t sure exactly what that procedure was either other than the general idea, but after the surgeon described it in excruciating detail, I cringed, having sympathetic flashbacks to my … More Mr. MacKenzie: Repairs and Odes
I spent the afternoon at the laundromat today, but it was a much better experience than the one I wrote about in a recent blog, thankfully- a nice, clean, and happy place…or as happy as a laundromat can be. Just as I pulled the Mini into my garage with the huge basket of clean clothes, … More Repairmen Alert: A Critter Dialogue
The Gaineys are back at UAB Highlands this morning yet again, this time at the Pain Clinic for Dan to have the first of two procedures in preparation for a nerve ablation on his neck to combat severe arthritis. We are working on some pretty impressive frequent flyer miles here at Highlands, and I do … More Mr. MacKenzie: Repairs, Acrobatics, and Magic
I came home from a long day at work exhausted, looking forward to jammies and a good book. I had also been anxious to check on Dan, as he had been acting strangely at lunch, complaining of a severe malaise, dizziness, headache…not good for someone three days post-surgery. He was still not himself, sitting on … More Upon Which Mr. MacKenzie Scares the Living Daylights Out of Me
Obligatory goofy selfie prior to surgery…a Gainey tradition. We sort of collectively gasped as we counted up the surgeries that Dan and I have had since we became a couple over fourteen years ago while Dan lay in the hospital bed awaiting stem cell replacement/ arthroscopic knee surgery; two ankles, two knees, two shoulders, a … More Mr. MacKenzie Works on Bionic Man Status
It has begun. Only three days into his retirement, and I came outside to find my husband on a ladder. A really tall ladder. A really tall ladder precariously placed on a rock outcropping between our two garages. Is it any wonder that I have to color my hair? He decided that it was time … More Mr. MacKenzie Untethered
Things have been so peaceful in the attic above our bedroom for quite some time now. No more waking at dawn to the patter of little feet running above us, no sounds of gnawing through walls, no squirrels, possums, or the like making a grand entrance through our bedroom fireplace and scaring the bejeezus out … More Mr. MacKenzie Goes to Battle…Again
The funky and fun door to the coolest new photography studio and art gallery in Birmingham, Studio Goodlight… Andy Warhol said everyone has fifteen minutes of fame at some point during their lifetime. As Dan and I work in the arts, we often have occasion to poke our noses into the limelight, and we’ve ended up having … More A Yoga Dan Tale: Another Fifteen Minutes of Fame for Mr. MacKenzie
The View from Here 