Remember those dominos???

You would like to think that when someone puts something together...say...like a gazebo over a hot tub...that they would do it in a uniform manner. For example, when installing the cool panels at the top common sense at least would say screw the screws in in the same direction, or common courtesy for the next schmuck who follows after wanting to pressure wash all the green gunk off and make it look pretty again. (We're getting to the dominos) In order to pressure the top panels, each one has to be unscrewed to be removed. I am armed with my handy dandy cordless drill, my safety goggles (didn't need a hat...no stain this time) a little hand screw driver...just in case, and my two ladders...ready for bear as the saying goes. The first panel comes off without any trouble at all. Four screws and presto! I prop the panel up against two chairs and wishy wishy wash! Up the ladder and put it back...down the ladder...move ladder...up the ladder to panel #2. Two screws out, one is stripped...down the ladder for pliers...up the ladder...yank that sucker out! Panel two comes down...wishy wishy wash. You get the picture. On side 3 who ever put this baby up had to have gotten bored because the screws are going in from top to bottom, are in strange places, and are stipped...down the ladder...LARGE hammer...up the ladder!

Anyway, after several hours the gazebo is now mostly free of green stuff...and stain...so now I can buy some stain and make it pretty again.

(And the dominos continue to fall) As I'm standing back admiring my new masterpiece, I look over to the back fence and see Aragon, the big service dog from next door, stuck half way through my new fence. He has decided to come over and play with Bella, but after forcing a fence board down, can't seem to fit all the way through the single hole. In order to get him out I have to pull down another fence board. I then have to go call Michael next door to make sure the dog hasn't been hurt, find some nails and go fix my new fence.

I'm done now and sitting in my softy chair wondering whatever possessed me to begin this project! Tomorrow I have to re-pressure wash some of the gazebo because I can see several spots I missed...and I can't apply new stain over missed spots!

I've decided I'm entirely too damn old to do stuff like this! Everything in my body aches now...it's a good ache, but an ache none the less. But in spite of everything, it sure feels good to sit down at the end of the day and know that it's mine.

Oh, I almost forgot the most important part! After finishing putting the gazebo back together and putting everything else away, I was standing there admiring and smelled Mom's perfume. It was like she was standing right there admiring along side me. Made the whole thing worth while!

Love me

From my heart to yours

Imagine what I could do with this camera if I read the instructions!

Well, my weekend is laid out for me. I'm going to borrow the pressure washer from work and pressure wash my gazebo and, if I have enough energy left, add a coat or two of linseed oil. Hopefully it will pull my gazebo out of it's dried up condition and make it look as nice as the rest of the back yard. I also have to get some special screws to fill in the missing ones from the skirting on the hot tub. Damn...I can see the dominos beginning to fall already!

Today wasn't bad. It was an extremely bad body day, but I get those. Work is work, still have people that just make you shake your head and wonder. I'm absolutely positive people wonder about where my brains are at times. Have you ever had to work with someone who, for no apparent reason whatsoever, just has the ability to annoy the crap out of you by just walking in the room? I have one of those, and it's all I can do to be nice. Ah well, the world is full of unique individuals.

Well, happy Thursday and here's to Friday!

Love Me

On the downhill slide

Ahhhh, mid-week is upon us again and we start the downhill slide. It amazes me how some companies survive in this cut-throat world. For example, today I received 3 boxes of fixtures that had been ordered for our health and beauty aids dept. Unfortunately, they were the wrong fixtures so we have to return them. According to RTC (said company) in order to return the fixtures, they have to be in UNopened boxes (which of course I had already opened one to see what was in the stupid thing...common sense if you ask me) we have to pay for the return shipment (which is a given since it was our mistake) there is a 15% re-stocking fee (common, but it can't be that hard to toss 2 boxes back on a shelf) AND if the boxes are damaged in transit back to them, we don't get credit at all. It makes my brain hurt thinking of what an incredible waste of time this is, but have to remember that IT'S NOT MY NICKEL!

The above picture is of one lone little sprout coming out of the side of my hazelnut tree in the back yard. I got a little camera crazy yesterday and took some flower shots.

Tonight when I got home I decided to make a dent in the back 40. I took the pick-axe and picked my way through and under the two juniper stump remains from the bushes I whacked down last year. My ultimate goal is to get rid of the railroad ties, pull up all the shade cloth (about 200 miles of it) plant bamboo against the north and east fence line, and seed some nice grass in the rest of the area. Right now it's an oasis of weeds and not much else. I also have to remember that it doesn't have to be done immediately. I'm going to be here for a while so I can take my time. I can't seem to get over the feeling that it needs to be done NOW.

Anyway, sore muscles are winning out so it's time to end today's ramble and head for the hot tub.

Yup...I made it!

When Pete and Robin were here, Pete started on my "Honey-Do" list and pulled out the ugly boxwood hedge that ran the length of the front porch. He then raked a river full of rocks out, dug holes, and planted the roses that Robin and I picked out. This one is being dedicated to Mom, since she loved yellow roses. Tomorrow it will be two years since she died. It's hard to believe that time has passed so quickly. Anyway, here's to you mom, I hope you like it!

Last Friday my lawn people put down a turf builder/greener upper and a weed killer. Well, now my beautiful green lawn is kind of yuky brown...seems the only green in my yard was the weeds! I mowed it tonight and since it's going to rain in the next couple of days, I'm hoping the greener-upper stuff will kick in and build that turf back up. I figure I'm going to have to do my mowing early on a Saturday when I have lots of energy. I used the rabbit mode on the new mower Pete got me and the kids next door had a good laugh when it dragged me screaming around the lawn...those corners around the tree are sketchy in rabbit mode!

I'm heading for the hot tub now, all that exercise made these old bones ache. Love to all my family, hope your Tuesday was as energetic as mine. Love Me!

Monday's Words of Wisdom

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

So love the people who treat you right.

Love the ones who don't just because you can.

Believe everything happens for a reason.

If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.

If it changes your life, let it.

Kiss slowly.

Forgive quickly.

God never said life would be easy.

He just promised it would be worth it.

Ya gotta love words of wisdom, no matter how strange things turn out to be. Monday turned out to be a typical Monday...clean up the office from the weekend...it's like leaving the kids home alone for the weekend...ya come back and there is crap everywhere! When I was growing up, when my parents left us alone, we had parties that would bring down the house. BUT...when the parents came home, that house was spotless! That's how they always knew about the parties...the house was always cleaner then when they left. Ah well, we lived and learned.
Here's to a more organized Tuesday.

In all of my Butterfly Garden, there is one white poppy amid the orange and pink and lavender.

Father's Day

This is something new for me. I need to keep myself positive and moving forward and maybe by sharing what's happening in my little corner of the world I'll continue to find the positives. Be patient with me and my ramblings...and there will be many ramblings!