June 4, 2004
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Yes, I am still here.
It has been another busy week. Just 11 days to go before Bernie’s union exec. board meeting is going to be here. I am trying to get the yard and patio in shape, because he hopes to have it outdoors, with a BBQ. I am also trying to get the living room in shape in case it rains. And the whole place in shape, because, well, I just want it to look nice for company.
Of course the new floors are scheduled to be installed the day after the meeting. Isn’t that the way those things always work out?
The bamboo grove is nearly done. still have to put a little more soil in one end, plant 2 plants, and finish mulching it. Then I will plant the 6 daylilies I have started in pots along the fence next to the bamboo grove, set up a bench, and that corner of the back yard will be done. I want to get a couple of solar lights for the bamboo grove, and a nice buddha, too, but that’s not work, that’s shopping
I have my eye on a couple that I like, I just have to find out if Bernie is going to pay for them. I want a birdbath for the front yard, too…
I have reserved the Mantis Tiller at the corner hardware store for rental tomorrow and sunday, to work on the grading of the back yard. I have taken the sod and some excess soil off the high spots on another big section, and now I have to till the exposed soil so I can rake it smooth and hopefully get the grade to slope away from the house.
Because of the ground settling, and because of the lousy job my dad and his buddy did filling in the swimming pool about 15 years ago, the back yard was sloping toward the house in most places, which was probably contribting to the water in the basement. And then in other places there are just really rough spots, holes and bumps, and lots of rocky soil with weeds trying to grow on it. Not really an actual lawn in the back yard. So I am working in sections to fix the grade, till the soil, smooth out the rough spots, and plant real grass (instead of weeds) This is the second section, and the second time this year for renting the tiller. Wrestling that thing is a major workout. Hopefully Bernie will be able to help on sunday. I don’t know how much I will actually get done tomorrow because it is supposed to rain.
If it rains tomorrow, I still have a project indoors to work on (of course) The hall leading to my bedroom is all prepped and ready to paint. I am going to use several different colors of leftover paint and do a color-wash finish there. Most of it will be covered up eventually anyway, because the hall is going to be a “family gallery” lined with framed pictures of Bernie’s and my families. I have quite a collection of old pictures I have been gathering up and putting all in one closet in the one remaining room I have yet to work on (the Red Room) including the only known pictures of my great grandparents from Hungary. I want to get them all into frames and just cover the walls of the hall with them. We don’t really have any family photos on display anywhere else in the house, it isn’t something that Bernie and I really do, but we both like the idea of a special place for all of them together.
Another truckload of mulch arrived yesterday, and I have been working like crazy to get it spread. This makes 4 truckloads — 34 cubic yards total — and it looks like it still isn’t going to be enough to cover all the areas we are mulching. So I probably will have one more load after this. And by then, I sure hope that some of these saggy muscles in my flabby upper arms look a little more toned!
Other than work, work, work, there isn’t much new at all. Decided to take a week off from having eBay auctions listed, so I didn’t relist anything when my auctions ended on Wednesday night. I will start them up again next Tuesday. Meanwhile, I can get caught up on my paperwork some (I hope) and maybe even write up some auction listings for the new book titles I have just gotten in last week.
Got an email announcement of a concert just booked for August 4 at the historic Keswick theatre, one of my favorite venues. Boz Scaggs, one of our favorite artists, and from what we could see from his website, this is the only east coast venue on his upcoming tour. So Bernie went into work and found out he could get the day off after the show (the concert is on a wednesday night, and he gets up at 5 AM for work) So I ordered tickets online, and got the confirmation today. Woo Hoo! Now I have tickets for 4 concerts this summer. But this one is the one that Bernie is equally excited about, one of the rare instances where our musical tastes overlap.
A challenge for you (yes, you):
As I was working in the yard, my mind was wandering (as it usually does) and I started thinking about favorite animals, and wondering what our choices of favorite animals say about us. I wonder if anyone has done studies about that. I am sure they have.
Anyway, I have 2 favorite animals. The critters that are my favirites are rather unusual choices (surely that doesn’t surprise you)
One is known for giving birth to identical quadruplets, and the other has a brain smaller than its eyeball. One runs very fast, and the other get hit by cars a lot. I have met, and petted both of them, but have never had either for a pet (not sure if I would want to) Neither of them are native to where I live.
Can you guess what my favorite critters are???
Extra points for anyone who has any ideas what this choice of favorites says about me (okay you armchair shrinks — I am leaving it wide open here, take your best shot)
Have a nice weekend, everyone!
Comments (5)
Gosh…I could use a good yard workout right now, wish I could help. Quick suggestion—take some of the older / more rare photos you have to KMart/Target and use their photo scanner to make some nice copies of them. Great quality and you can adjust the color etc etc etc to make a better print for display and still safe guard the original. As soon as I finish writing this I am going to shower/read paper/plant the two roses & wildflower seeds/bake some bread for Sean…keeping busy.
Good luck with everything!
hmm… brain smaller then its eye.. tell me its not george dubya!!!
haha- identical quadruplets… hmm – well that could be many animals that have large litters…
i’ll think on this one
)
I get tired just reading about all the work you are doing. It must keep you young!
Brain smaller than it’s eyeball? Is that an ostrich? If so, that would also be the one that runs very fast. The one that has quadruplets and gets hit by cars a lot, would that be a skunk?
What that says about you would depend on why you like them. The ostrich and skunk are both very noble beasts in their own ways. They are caring parents and tend to live alone by necessity (or associate only with their own kind by necessity) Because of that, they have both evolved into very self-sufficient creatures.
Just a thought.
My favourite creatures are frogs and cats. Both are self-sufficient survivors which are either loved or hated, never tolerated. Gee … sounds like me.
Ah, here’s where the original challenge was. Sorry I missed it first time around.
Just reading about all that stuff you are doing makes me tired. Where do you find the energy? The yard leveling sound sespecially tough, but necessary as it may help your basement.
Hope you get the stuff done in time for the meeting. Are Dolly and Pearl going to be little hostesses?