Top 5.

1. My washing machine now requires no intervention on my part to finish a cycle. For approximately years, my washing machine has decided to take a little sabbatical in the middle of each and every load, so that when I would lift the lid to move the wet clothes to the dryer, there they would be, still sitting in soapy water.

Of course I figured out various workarounds, including (a) a heavy weight on top of the lid, (b) a weight on top of the weight, and (c) hovering around the machine at the midpoint of every wash cycle so I could goose it along. As I say, approximately years of this. But on Tuesday I said ENOUGH and called a repairman.

As I led him back to the laundry room, explaining my problem, I concluded by saying, 'But you probably know what's wrong,' and he said, like a genius and a wizard, 'I do, just from your explanation.' Which: obviously I'm a champion explainer, but geez, I should have had this fixed approximately YEARS AGO.

2. Finally watched this and wow. (Also, to quote a friend on FB, I have been doing little but reading feminist critiques of Lemonade, then critiques of the critiques.) Also: finally got to talk to Scotland daughter about it, a reward in and of itself.

3. Suave open-faced sandwiches for lunch, at Finn's with Ann. Seated outside where the sun was bright and balmy. Topics of conversation: the situation in the Environmental Humanities program up at the U (verdict: those administrators sure could have handled a complicated situation better); The Good Wife finale (verdict: TERRIBLE).

4. The library's robot has informed me that the Hank Williams biography I requested is IN.

5. I found a perfect pair of shoes today that I did not buy (bad call!), but which I am going back to buy tomorrow. I plan to be there the minute the store opens. Lesson learned.