This Week

Honestly not much to talk about this week. The weekend was one of debauchery. Got very drunk and couldn't find anything the next day. Was picked up by Mo and stumbled to the pool where I got crispy burnt. Hangover means forgetting to put on sunscreen - OUCH.

I've also been getting ready for the third annual Fourth Of JULY party. Biscuit is helping me throw the party this year - shout out to little Biscuit. Going to be burgers, dogs, kids, fireworks and Sangria. The combination of those things usually provides the setting for some good stories.

It's an open house atmosphere, come on by if you're not afraid of the east side. Maybe this year it wont storm cause God knows there isn't enough room inside my house for all those people.

Fun with Technology

OK, I know that webcams are not anything new by any stretch of the imagination, but it's new to me. My upgraded WORK laptop has one.

I am now skyping with Padre and having fun with the "photo booth" application.

See below for the comic book version of me. (much better than the real thing. I've got to get better makeup!)



You'll notice I'm in my cube, so it's the Clark Kent side of things. Wait till I superman this shit up.

HUSBAND and I are going to have SO much fun with the T-Shirt maker!

Test House

I have a new perspective that is helping me tackle some of the more daunting home improvement projects and it is this: Our house is just a "Test" house. This house is just for us to try out our skills or get better at them so we're ready for our next house.

In other words, before moving in I didn't know how to tackle painting paneling. We tested it out and discovered that you should have more ventilation when applying primer. Lost a lot of brain cells to that test.

AND

I didn't really know how to change a light-switch. Let's test it out. OK, maybe I didn't need to turn the power off to the entire house, but I didn't get electrocuted.

So when I got the idea in my head to re-caulk the tub, i didn't worry that I had NO IDEA what I was getting into. It's just a test.

So let me just fill you in on what I learned.
Removing caulk:
The people that flipped our house didn't know the meaning of craftsmanship
Mold isn't as gross and slimy when it's dry
A razor blade can't get all the caulk off but it will scrap plastic off the bath-fitter
Old caulk doesn't come off in nice big strips like on TV
This was a bigger job than I anticipated
I should have planned where to shower before I got started.

Applying Caulk
Make sure you have a working caulk gun BEFORE the store closes
This is a good one - you can cut the tip of the caulk, but nothing will come out until you break the seal
DO NOT TOUCH THE CAULK it is sticky and will stick to everything
Do not get meticulous—the clumps come from trying to add more, clean up, or smooth out the caulk
Have a wet rag handy (or a couple of them if you're new to this)
Warn the spouse that no criticism will be tolerated, since I had the guts to take on the daunting task, i mean test.

Finally, last lesson - clean up's a bitch, which is why I still haven't done it yet.

Belated Spring Cleaning

So Husband is out of town this week, which is a rare occurrence. Usually I am the one out of town and he manages the house.

Since i have all of this alone time, I've decided to do some major cleaning. My first project will be a big one so I'm going to start tonight. I'm going to re-caulk our nasty bathtub. This will be a big chore so I'm sure I'll have a long post about my mishaps and before and after pictures.

I also have to tackle the volcano of laundry and ironing that has piled up, clean the nasty oven and do the typical sweep/mop/dust. THANK GOD the dishwasher is fixed.

Gotta get ready for our party so the house can get thoroughly trashed all over again.

How does your garden grow?

I am so proud to show you how my baby grass has grown. It is still young and fine but you can see how it has started to fill out. I’m so proud. If this is indicative of motherhood, watch out. You know that Family Guy episode where the guy slams his pictures of his kids into strangers’ faces?


In addition to the grass, I planted some Clematis to try and cover the ugly but functional chain link fence. It doesn’t look like much, but only a month ago it was an inch off the ground. Hopefully by next year it will grow to a lush blanket of blooms hiding the old, rusting fence.


Finally, there is my first attempt at a vegetable garden. It’s a small bed with tomato plants, peppers, cucumber and a couple flowers. I’m a little worried about the cucumber, but we’ll see.

Summer Nights

We spent this past Monday night at a Clippers game, admiring the new field. Not only was it a beautiful summer night, it was dime a dog night. Husband’s brothers and I bought 20 hot dogs for only $2.00. Between the four of us we ate all but one. Leave it to Lincoln to eat SIX.

It was a great night and one of the reasons I really enjoy living here.

Growing

I really enjoy gardening. I wouldn't say I have a green thumb, but I'm not killing everything I touch either. All of my plants were gifts or purchased at a local nursery. There have, of course, been some casualties due to the kids rough housing. There was an indoor christmas cactus that survived the first crash onto the floor only to succumb to a life-ending game of 'get the kitty'. Out back, we have a rhododendron that was so pretty until Sammy chased a basketball into it. It's still alive but has been crippled, relying on crutches to stand up. And then there are the ornamental grasses that both kids like to eat. They walk over and much away with their back teeth, as if they're goats or something.

I've come to realize I need to buy only the most substantial, hardy plants. No orchids or roses at our house.

So, in my ongoing attempt to maintain the life of my plants, I decided to seed the bare spots in our lawn, (other greenery that battles the wear and tear of Sammy). I've seeded sections of the lawn before, so I know I can do it successfully.

Why then, I wonder, was I so surprised and delighted to see the first sprouts of grass covering the soil this morning? Maybe because I can't believe something that fragile can find life in our rough and tough life. Maybe it's because it is the only thing I've actually grown from a seed.

Despite the reason, I was so proud and happy this morning to find the green stubble appear like a five o'clock shadow. Let's hope it can make it through the chaos! I'm rooting for you baby grass!