15 posts from March 2008

Wet

So, I don't feel so terrible about having hurt myself this weekend. The weather hasn't been cooperating either. Today s drizzly, and cold, and ick. It reminds me of back in Seattle. Bah! I guess, instead of yard work, later today I will work on my garage. I have a friend who is having a garage sale next weekend so much of the stuff out there will hopefully get sold. The rest is going to Goodwill. Once I get it all out of there, I can finally get the organizational racks put up that I bought over a year ago...I had thought I would wait until I got the garage insulated, but that isn't going to happen for quite awhile yet and I need the organization now. 


Maybe I will vacuum today too. And of course there is always the never-ending pile of laundry. 


Or maybe I will truly take a vacation day and just relax.

2 comments Tags: weather

Burned

Well, part of the trees got planted...one of the crape myrtles and the three maples. Then, as I was reheating pizza for lunch, I did a nice job of burning my left hand. the palm side of my thumb, middle, and ring finger are the worst. The rest is just tight and red. The whole thing hurts like hell.


I still have six major holes left to dog in the yard, and I have discovered that the front and side yards are FULL of large rocks. Not quite sure how I am going to manage the rest of the planting, but I will find a way. I also have to dig up and replant the old, half-dead, maple that is in the front yard. Tomorrow, though, my big plans are to go to Home Depot and get the edging materials and also several bags of red rock so I can at least get the old pine straw out of the front yard and finish rocking the existing planting bed. I can do most of that with one and a half (or so) hands...assuming I can get someone to help me load and unload the truck. 

On another note, I was starting to get worried because I hadn't seen Mr. M in awhile. Then it occurred to me that he might have gotten stuck in my garage when I had it open while I was doing yard work yesterday. Heh. As soon as I opened the laundry room door I saw him...curled up sleeping soundly on a pile of dirty clothes. He has been in there since yesterday morning and not once did he make a sound! The dogs never even alerted me to his being in there! I do remember at one point noticing that the door from the laundry room to the garage was open so I went and shut it...I never thought to look for kitties who didn't belong inside because the neighbor cat was the only one I had seen around and he was out on my driveway at the time. 

That's my news for the day. Now I am off to put more ice on the hand and watch a movie.

Post a comment Tags: burn, yard, mr m

We have trees, yes we do! We have trees...

...how 'bout you?


Yup. Now I am committed to this thing. I got three red maples (Autumn Blaze), six crape myrtles (Acoma - very pretty white), and a euonomous...I forget which variety...evergreen, upright to about six feet tall and about two feet wide. Oh yeah, and three bags of mushroom compost. 

Of course, now they are calling for thunderstorms and rain tomorrow. My hope is that we get a little rain tonight to make digging tomorrow a bit easier and then maybe just some cool overcast weather for at least the first part of the day. We'll see. Then, once these puppies are planted, I go to the big home improvement store with the orange sign and get some edging materials, some paving stones, and work on some of that. Once the edging material is staked in I need to go to the rockery and look at how much red rock I need and what it will cost to have delivered. Heh. That means some other weekend I will be hauling rock. I am not at all looking forward to that task.

1 comment Tags: yard

So the sweet turned a little sour...

With the exception of about the first five minutes of the game, it was pretty abysmal. They simply didn't play their game...and they were completely outsized. Eh, it was still cool they made it that far.


Woohoo - it's Friday! I am currently working on my yard shopping list and as soon as I am done with several conference calls and some other administrative stuff, I will be heading out to start my shopping. (boring shopping list below)

I am really looking forward to my long weekend of "me" time. I get to spend it doing what I want (and need) to do...which of course will be mostly yard work, but I am seriously looking forward to that. I am excited to see the results. I got my wide-angle lens back from Neil so there will be before and after photos of the yard and of course additional shots as things continue to progress, grow, and change. I think after this weekend at least the front yard might actually start to look like someone lives here! Heh.

Hmmmm really nothing else to report. Life is moving along at its normal pace. Boring is good sometimes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  • shrub/tree fertilizer stakes
  • 3 maples
  • 6 dwarf indian hawthorns
  • 3 lilacs 
  • 3 nandina
  • 6 crepe myrtles
  • boarder edging material
(I am sure there is more that I will need, but this ought to be more than enough to start me off...)

2 comments Tags: weekend, basketball, yard, shopping list, cougs

Sweet, sweet sixteen...

GO COUGS!!!



OK for whatever reason I can't get the font size any larger on the above...stupid Vox. For the first time (I believe, ever) the Washington State Cougars have made it to the Sweet Sixteen. In an even kookier turn of events, they are playing tonight here in Charlotte - against UNC. Unfortunately, it is essentially a home game for UNC making tickets hard to come by and outrageously expensive, so I am forced to watch from home.


It really would be the coolest thing ever if they won this game tonight...

3 comments Tags: ncaa, basketball, sweet sixteen, cougs

The big yard to-do...

Nothing spectacular here...just my outdoor to-do/to-get list:


Trees
  • 3 Red Maple (Autumn Flame)
  • 6 Crepe Myrtle (white)  OR 6 Dogwood (white)
Shrubs
  • 6 Dwarf Indian Hawthorn
  • 2 Lilac (white)
  • 3 Nandina (some tall variety - for along side house)
  • Azaleas (white - around trees along lot lines)
Hardscape
  • red volcanic rock
  • edging/boarder
  • pavers (measure area next to patio)

Oh, there is much, much more. This is just the big stuff that needs to get put in so it can start growing.

2 comments Tags: to-do

Monday morning update...

Easter was nice...had brunch and a lazy day with some friends and then we all went to dinner before I headed home. The dogs got to come along too (for the lazy day part) - I think they had fun. 


Now today it is back to work. This morning has been a combination of lazy, goofing off and some decent productivity. Both with work and around the house. This week is a quick jaunt up to Raleigh to do a review there Wednesday and Thursday...I am glad for the easy week. Then next week I am taking a couple days of time off and will work from the office (read: home) the rest of the week.

Marly ate my new hairbrush this morning...my bad for leaving it out on the bathroom counter. I shouldn't say "ate" since it doesn't appear that she swallowed any of it judging from the mess and pieces on the floor around her. She just chewed it to bits. Man, I really liked the new brush too. I will have to see if I can find another one somewhere. It was a terrific round brush that didn't get caught up or tangled in my hair. 

Sadie is favoring her knee again. It is the one that hasn't had surgery on it yet. I am hoping we can avoid surgery on this one, but we'll see. She is such a tough dog...she never complains, so I don't really know if it is hurting her or if it just gives out on her so she is careful with it now. When her other knee went out she never yelped or whined, she just stopped using that leg. Even when the vet was poking around she didn't whimper...the vet commented on how most dogs would be trying to get away because it hurt. I think it is great she is so good, but it makes it hard to diagnose what may be ailing her since she can't really communicate with me any other way. 

My photography has yet again hit a lull. I am hoping this coming weekend will allow me some time to mess around with the camera. If nothing else, I will have some before and after shots of the yard and whatever progress I make with planting things and landscaping.

RIght now I am off to fling some poop in the backyard and then come inside and vacuum the place after I put in another load of laundry. Then it is back to the work stuff.


Post a comment Tags: work, dogs, life, yard

Monday morning update...

Easter was nice...had brunch and a lazy day with some friends and then we all went to dinner before I headed home. The dogs got to come along too (for the lazy day part) - I think they had fun. 


Now today it is back to work. This morning has been a combination of lazy, goofing off and some decent productivity. Both with work and around the house. This week is a quick jaunt up to Raleigh to do a review there Wednesday and Thursday...I am glad for the easy week. Then next week I am taking a couple days of time off and will work from the office (read: home) the rest of the week.

Marly ate my new hairbrush this morning...my bad for leaving it out on the bathroom counter. I shouldn't say "ate" since it doesn't appear that she swallowed any of it judging from the mess and pieces on the floor around her. She just chewed it to bits. Man, I really liked the new brush too. I will have to see if I can find another one somewhere. It was a terrific round brush that didn't get caught up or tangled in my hair. 

Sadie is favoring her knee again. It is the one that hasn't had surgery on it yet. I am hoping we can avoid surgery on this one, but we'll see. She is such a tough dog...she never complains, so I don't really know if it is hurting her or if it just gives out on her so she is careful with it now. When her other knee went out she never yelped or whined, she just stopped using that leg. Even when the vet was poking around she didn't whimper...the vet commented on how most dogs would be trying to get away because it hurt. I think it is great she is so good, but it makes it hard to diagnose what may be ailing her since she can't really communicate with me any other way. 

My photography has yet again hit a lull. I am hoping this coming weekend will allow me some time to mess around with the camera. If nothing else, I will have some before and after shots of the yard and whatever progress I make with planting things and landscaping.

RIght now I am off to fling some poop in the backyard and then come inside and vacuum the place after I put in another load of laundry. Then it is back to the work stuff.


Post a comment Tags: work, dogs, life, yard

Hunger makes the tummy say "grrr"!

I had an exhausting drive home...it is raining buckets, with terribly high winds, and there was fog so thick you could barely see three feet in front of the car. Everyone had their emergency flashers on so you could see people better, but it was still scary as hell.


I made it home though...and now I am exhausted and starving.

Time for dinner.

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"Monday, Monday, can't trust that day..."

I have these lyrics floating around in my head. Traveling for work every week is bad enough...having to leave on Monday morning magnifies my distaste for it infinitely. Generally, I try to travel Tuesday through Thursday so I have time during normal work hours to prepare and then debrief for each trip. Losing my Monday prep day means prepping/printing the Friday before (if I have time - otherwise it happens over the weekend), cleaning house to get it ready to be empty all week, and packing. All on my weekend days...supposedly MY time. Frustrating.


Mostly, though, I miss my girls. Marly is growing up so fast and is turning into such a sweet, snugly big girl. She is so good (when she isn't getting into the cat food or eating my conference call notes that she just stole from my desk). And Sadie is a darling pup who is getting on in her years. These next years are going to pass before I know it and I am missing them. I need to be there for them both...the preliminary job hunt is not promising. So now the more difficult internal discussions are beginning - do I slice and dice my budget, live bare bones without much promise (at least for several years) of being able to save for emergencies, let alone retirement, in order to find and take a job that would offer up normal hours in a field I actually enjoy?  

It is nights like these that I wish I was in a traditional, dual income relationship...my options would be more doable.

4 comments Tags: bah