19 posts tagged “to-do”

Finally...

Oct 2, 2009
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I'm feeling human again. The Crud seems to have finally lost its grip. My chest is still tight...feels like I can't get a full breath, but no coughing and my sinuses are back to their normal level of stuffy (allergies and all).

I still owe Amanda one more "word" entry...maybe I will get around to that this weekend sometime.

Tomorrow will be full of exciting things - mostly yard work. I need to move one of the abelia, it isn't happy in the full-on sunshine. It gets too hot here for it in the summer. I have a good spot on the side of the house where the other two are that should make it happier. Next spring I will get a couple more crape myrtles to finish off the front lot line where the abelia used to be.

After that, I need to pound fertilizer stakes in around all the other trees and shrubs. Once that is done it is on to wrapping the water pipe and re-insulating the wall where the broken one from last winter was replaced. Maybe I will even attempt to patch the sheet rock. Maybe.

Last but not least, I need to clean out my garage. The spiders are in full-force this fall...I need to get them cleaned out of the indoors areas (black widows galore out there - eek!). I also need to figure out a way to store the plastic wading pool that the dogs use. I want to somehow hang it from the ceiling, but that may be a project I need additional hands to accomplish.

Good times! After all that I might try to get around to cleaning out my closets - I need to figure out what fits (ugh) and what doesn't. I have to be realistic, I have a lot of stuff that I will never fit into again. Once I get through it all I will bag it up and haul it off to Goodwill. I also have a filing cabinet that should go. We'll see...that might wait until next weekend.

To-Do & Want-To-Do

Jul 22, 2009
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To-Do (Either can do now, or can reasonably expect to be able to do in next few months)

finish painting the master bath (can and should do now)
paint the kitchen (have the paint, should do soon)
paint a third coat in the dining room (also have paint and should do soon - before the kitchen)
buy two whirly-gig sprinklers
scoop up red rock on left side of garage and replace with pine needles
install hose holders (I have them, just need to get them up)
get electrical breaker fixed - this is a must-do even though I don't have the money for it right now.
finish pressure washing the front walkway
plant flowers around the mailbox area (probably in the fall)
clean out/organize the garage (fall or winter...way too hot out there to do it now)

Want-To-Do (Someday it will happen...but probably not until next year)

Build two raised garden bed/boxes (and fill them, of course)
Build/buy a planter box/bench (one of the cedar ones with a box at each end and the bench in between
Get two more vitex (chaste berry trees) - one out by the bird feeders and the other will go out front by the mailbox. The abelia will get transplanted late winter/early spring to the side of the house where the other two are.
Transplant the euonymus - not sure where it is going to go yet - maybe in between gas and electric meters on the side of the house
Buy and plant a purple leafed tree at the master bedroom end of the house (maybe purple leaf plum...) - bed out that side of the house with pine needles
Plant a lavender hedge along the edge of the front planting bed
find a flowering vine that will handle some sun and quite a bit of shade (clematis aren't making it there)

Vacation & Independence Day

Jul 6, 2009
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The time off last week was much needed and wonderful! The best part was that we really didn't do much of anything. The plumber came Wednesday and fixed the exterior faucet/pipe leak - can I tell you how awesome it is to finally have a hose on that side of the house again???

Thursday we sort of puttered around - I think it was Thursday that we got some pressure washing of the porch and front walkway done...and then the washer ran out of gas. I also got some Sevin dust sprinkled on my crape myrtles to deal with the bad Japanese beetle problem. Later we went into town and did a little shopping for random things (like a new hose for the new outside faucet!) and a headphone amp for Neil. Friday there was a BBQ at Neil's house - much fun was had, and WAY too much alcohol was consumed by moi. Seriously, maybe I was thinking I was 21 all over again or something? At any rate, that ended poorly in the wee hours of the morning.

Saturday, we really lounged around and did a lot of nothing. Neil was tired from entertaining and (I am sure) taking care of me and just generally being up so late. And I was hungover like I haven't been in a long, long time. I did see some fireworks when I took dogs out for their night-time potty breaks...Sadie is totally freaked out by them and wouldn't even go outside at one point (Bandit is also terrified by them, I discovered). Moo, however, didn't seem at all phased by them. Thunder makes her much more upset. She just sort of looked in the direction of the noise and then continued about her business. I think the thunder scares her because it doesn't seem to come from any one point...it is just sudden loudness all around.

Yesterday I was pretty productive. I got the overspray from the pressure washer rinsed off the front door and siding. I watered plants. I flicked more beetles off the vitex (I didn't use the Sevin dust on it because I wasn't sure if it would also kill the bees which are VERY happy with the flowers on that bush!) I scrubbed down my BBQ and sprayed bug spray in the propane tank cabinet where it was scary. I also dismantled the dog crate that was in my bedroom that never got used and then vacuumed the whole house. And I sprayed the inside of the wall and underneath the base of the wall board in the garage with bleach water where the leak had been.

Today, I have to get away from posting here and go do some actual work stuff...I have to prepare for my trip tomorrow morning (WAY too early a flight, but it saves me from being gone two nights). I have a couple con calls today and I also need to clean out my closets and dresser to get everything put away that had been piled on top of the old dog crate so I can find the things I need to pack. Heh. Oh, and laundry. That seems to be a given, though.

Less angry...

May 2, 2009
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I finally feel a little more under control today. Of course, now I am under the gun for getting the house cleaned up and all the random little unfinished projects I have around here done before my mom comes to visit in a week. Ha! I did get the HVAC filters changed this morning...maybe this afternoon I will drag the ladder back out and get the burned out light bulbs changed in the kitchen. (Stupid vaulted ceilings...)

Really, after that it is simply a matter of laundry and some Spring cleaning. I need to wash all the guest linens and get that room thoroughly vacuumed and dusted. The rest of the house needs the same. Luckily, I am doing a local review next week so I will have evenings to work on it all.

Oh, and next weekend I will finally get my bathroom ceiling painted and get everything hung back up in there. Right now I am going to go find myself some lunch.

Fitness, to-do lists, and other random stuff...

Mar 23, 2009
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I have joined our company "Spring into Wellness" challenge. The goal is to hit 100 miles of walking between the first day of Spring and the first day of Summer. While I don't expect to actually reach 100 miles, I am going to use the treadmill every day that I am not on the road between now and then. Rather than miles, I am aiming for time - I figure additional miles will tack themselves on as I get into better shape.

In addition, I have decided curb my soda intake between now and mid-May when my mom comes to visit, along with other "junk" food. We'll see how it all goes. All I know is that I desperately need to shed some pounds.

To-Dos:

finish painting master bathroom (ceiling)
dismantle crate in master bedroom
hang art
change HVAC filters & light bulbs
trim shrubs
fertilize trees & shrubs
weed & feed grass
top seed front yards
finish spreading red rock in front bed
mow back yard/get estimates for lawn service (need someone to take care of top of hill and not destroy house siding with edger)
get edging down along side of house
install solar garden lights
install citronella torches by patio
put out bird feeders

Finances...I need to save up to buy a ticket home to see my sister this fall after the baby is here! I also need to put aside some cash for rock for the yard. Oh, and I need an oil change/tune-up on the truck and possibly brakes. And I have credit card debt to pay off...the truck to payoff...it just seems never-ending. The current events of the country make me worry about the debt I have. I am single and live on my income alone. Overall, I do pretty well for myself, but projects on the house helped feed the debt (along with my fondness for electronics). *sigh* I have no one to blame but myself...given time it will all get paid off. The worrisome part is that though I make my payments on time for everything (and yes, I pay more than the minimum on my cards), financial companies are doing insane things right now...like demanding payment in full. If I had that, there wouldn't be a balance in the first place. And so I worry. And I compound the worry with the fact that I work for a major financial institution and if things go badly, I don't know if or how it might affect my employment status. (And here most folks worry that they might loose their jobs and then not be able to pay bills....how did I get so backwards?) The reality of it all is that nothing will probably happen, but I will not be rocking the yard this year, I will indeed be squirreling away cash, and I will continue to worry. Because I wouldn't be me if I weren't fretting severely about something or other.

Even being lazy, I've been productive.

Feb 5, 2009
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I got most of the laundry done yesterday. Today I just need to do sheets and dog bedding. The kitchen is clean and my bathroom is relatively so. Also, I finally broke out the guest room paint and touched up the one corner that needed it. That room is officially and finally done! Now, if I could just get Neil and the dogs to be a little more careful around the office and dining room walls. The dark paint gets dinged up fairly easily I am noticing. The office already has a few spots that need touching up. But I guess that will just always be the case.

Today my goal is to do a little grocery shopping, return some things to Target, and exchange some things at Home Depot. (I got the wrong kind of energy efficient light bulbs...I got the yucky fluorescent ones. I hate the light they make. It feels like my house is an office building.) This afternoon I am going to tape!

*gasp*

I know! It's about time, eh? As soon as I get the hall bath taped I am going to paint it. Since it only needs one coat, it should go rather quickly. I am hoping it will get done today, or tomorrow morning at the latest. Then I am going to start in on my bathroom. Maybe by the end of the weekend that will be done too!

Then all that will be left to tackle is the kitchen. Luckily, there isn't a ton of actual wall space in there. Unfortunately, what wall space there is, is all hard to get to. Heh. There will be photos when it is all done!

UPDATE: Well, groceries are purchased. Extra sheer panels returned to Target (after standing in line waiting for some crazy woman to return a TON of stuff that was purchased on a bunch of different receipts/credit cards. Apparently they all have to be separate returns. And who returns packages of batteries anyway?) And painting supplies and a shelf for the office closet were obtained after returning the icky fluorescent energy efficient light bulbs. Now it is time for lunch and then taping! Whhhheeeee! Tonight for dinner I am making sweet and sour chicken, Neil is going to cook the rice (I always burn it) and I am going to stir-fry some green beans. MMmmmm!

More procrastination!

Feb 3, 2009
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I did get a few things done that make a big difference in the organized look and feel of the house. I moved some things around in the garage and laundry room. I took a small 3 level shelf from the garage and put it in the laundry room for storage of random things (like bags of potatoes and extra bottled water). The laundry room seems to stay the coolest all year round which makes it an OK place to store those kinds of things. Then, in the place by the garage door where the shelf had been, I put an old sofa table and under it three trash bins that had been in my kitchen that I am using for recycling. It gets them out of the way, but still easily accessible and when they are full it is an easy haul to put them in the truck to take to the recycling center.

I just talked to my sister and am working on helping her get a new monitor set up and installed on her computer. I am also trying to help get a loan moving that is being processed through my company. I provided the branch manager name and phone number as well as the area manager. I don't want to become directly involved, but this loan shouldn't be taking this long.

Now I think I might finally get around to vacuuming the house. I hate vacuuming. But, the house is a mess and desperately needs it. And the house really isn't that big...I should just do it already. First though, I think I will finish reorganizing the laundry room and then start another load of laundry. Yeah....that's what I'll do! ;)

Productivity!

Feb 2, 2009
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Thus far I have done all my grocery shopping (I am pleased to see that Costco is carrying Kirkland brand environmentally friendly dish and laundry soaps), returned two shirts to Old Navy, found sheers and curtain rods at Target, scheduled an oil change for the truck, and scheduled an eye appointment for me. I did try to schedule an appointment at the vet for Bandit's annual shots, but their computers were down so I will call them back later.

I have also sent several work emails and am now getting ready to hang the new curtains. The only real bummer is that the curtains for the dining room are about 3 inches too long because of the shape and location of the window. So, I can either order shorter ones online (they will come down just past the edge of the window sill) or I will need to get these hemmed.

This afternoon I need to mail a couple packages...returning the consumer whoredom facial products and also sending some things to my sister. I also need to go to Home Depot to get some paint roller covers and trays and a shelf for the office closet. (I am going to just install a second shelf in there...that vinyl covered white wire stuff.) Maybe tomorrow I will actually get the bathrooms taped off so they are ready to paint. At least the hall bath. I think I am going to paint my bathroom in sections so the task won't seem so daunting. I have a ton of doors and such to paint around...it is really rather insane. Both my closets are in the bathroom along with the linen closet, sink area, tub, and separate shower areas.

Since I forgot to actually post this entry I will add: I love my sheers! I got them up and they are perfect. They let light in, but from the outside you can't see inside at all during the day. Woohoo! Now my house won't be so cave-like from keeping the blinds closed all the time for privacy.

Bandit is going to the vet at 3pm. I guess I should make some lunch and get cleaned up before it is time to go. Today is flying away from me!

To-do on Monday

Jan 31, 2009
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call electrician (and pray that this is an easy fix and is not going to cost me my yard fundage!)
schedule oil change
schedule eye appt
schedule vet - Bandit

I think that is all I have left on the 'must do' list. I hit Costco today and will swing by the grocery store tomorrow to get the few remaining items I need. Also tomorrow: Target (curtains), Old Navy (return a couple shirts), and Home Depot (more painting supplies).

To-Do:

Jan 7, 2009
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clean out coat closet/move bulky coats to guest room
clean out/organize master closets
organize linen closet
sort/organize toiletries
clean under sink cabinets
laundry
vacuum

Exciting stuff, eh?