Spring musings

As we inch into summer, my first summer living on my own, I find that this is a season of utility management challenges. Fall and spring seem to have few utility challenges, with winter and summer having more. As this utility season starts, I remember the issues from when I lived with my host family, but they were already prepared and had several ways to mitigate. Primarily a secondary cooking source and a water cistern. I have neither of these so need to keep my water management up to date and have food available that I don't have to cook.

Water seems to be the easiest to manage since it is somewhat predictable. Water has good pressure until around eleven in the morning, then the water pressure either drops or there is no water at all. Water seems to return in the evening between five and six, but usually low pressure until ten. I think this has a lot to do with the watering of gardens that seems to begin around six. Lack of gas and electricity seem to be quite random but frequent. There is a lot of construction going on. Baku is hosting the first European Games next year and it seems that no matter where you go something is being dug up, paved, torn down and constructed.

Sunday's utility schedule was as follows: 9:00 am took sheets and towels over to my host family's house to use the washing machine while there was good pressure (a load takes just under two hours), water cut off just about then. Back home, hoped to make another cup of coffee - no gas. Read and finally made coffee, but no water. Went to the store and bought a chicken to roast for my upcoming week's protein. Got the chicken ready, no electricity until just before 9:00 pm, popped chicken in and ate just after 10:00. Since I had clean sheets, I wanted to take a shower and wash my hair. Initially no water then really low pressure. Took my shower anyway but washing and rinsing my hair took 3-4 times as long.

The chicken came out great and I went to bed clean. As the saying goes; all's well that ends well.

P.S. While I was washing my clothes, I asked my host mother for some potatoes. The potato crop is in. So off to the garden we went. First we hit up the tut (marionberry) tree and noshed a bit there, then on to the potatoes, red basil, cucumber, green beans, apricot, cherry tree and some fruit that has a stone and is tasty but I have no idea what it is. I came out of the garden with two small plastic bags with all of these items and she threw in four eggs. Cut down on my shopping list. Later there will be pomegrande, apple, figs, pears, carrots, tomatoes, and eggplant. The garden is large and a huge amount of work, but it provides lovely food.