Staycation Day 7

I had a crappy night’s sleep and woke up with a sore back, but once I was dressed and ready to get the day going it turned out to be an awesome day!

Just before I left to go to Home Depot and the food store, a pink/purple/yellow object caught my eye.  I immediately grabbed my Rebel and a step-ladder than stood outside snapping away.

Unfortunately it was taking the balloon driver so long to get going and rise above the block wall that I gave up and went on my merry way.  The balloons launch at the nearby airport (where I did my skydive) and sporadically launch from the fields around my house, but no matter where the launch site is, they launch all the time.  Like 3-5 times a week, and not just this guy, but other brightly colored guys and/or more than one at a time.  I’ll never know why after nearly 6 years they put a stupid grin on my face and cause me to grab my camera, but they do.

After doing my errands I tackled the projects in my front entry.  Not only did the front door need to be painted…

…but upon closer inspection, so did the door handle.

Amongst all of these supplies is a can of Rustoleum Hammered spray paint, color Rosemary.

That’s the paint that I decided would be semi-perfect, totally acceptable, for the door hardware.  The problem was that it came in a spray can.  Oh, there was something similar in a quart-sized can, for double the cost of the spray can, but really, painting such a small area once every 5+ years?  A quart??  The problem with the spray can is that spray-painting and I do NOT get along unless there is a huge area that won’t look crappy if dusted with the paint.

It took mere seconds for me to decide on the spray paint.  Why?  I could spray into a container then paint it on the door handle hardware!!! 

The plan worked perfectly!!!  Two coats of Hammered Rosemary on the hardware and two coats of the reddish color on the door that I used on the shutters last year and one more item was scratched off my to-do list!!!

What do you think of the new hardware??  Pretty awesome huh?

Well…I was so energized by that success that I tackled the privacy film on the entry window.  This pattern is different from the one I used in my master bath.  I thought it most appropriate to use Etched Leaves in the front entry since it looks out on the front garden.  Putting this up was a piece of cake — and it showed me the secret.  Spray LOTS of water/soap mixture on the window before applying the film!  Lots – like enough to take a bath in!  It words wonders – honest…all bubbles are gone!!

This is how awesome my front entry looks from the outside…

…and here’s a closeup of the entry window from outside…

…and from inside!

If you noticed in the “before” picture that viewed the entry from the outside, vertical blinds were hanging in the entry window.  I’ve opted to remove them and let the privacy film do its work.  I’m not sure if this is a permanent removal or just temporary, only time will tell.

I took a lunch break then removed and washed the three windows I hadn’t already done (check off #1) before surfing for that 2012 vacation that my sister and I are going to take in celebration of our 50th birthdays (I turn 50 eleven months before she does).  The  verdict??  It looks like a late August or September 2012 cruise to Alaska!!!!!   Hopefully we can more firm this up in the next week or two 

The balance of the day was spent working on one of my Dad’s Christmas presents.  I can’t go into any details on this ‘cuz he reads my blog posts 

There are big doings the morning of Staycation Day 8 — I’m so excited about them that I foresee a sleepless night in my immediate future!  Check back Sunday morning for all the details!!!

Staycation To Do List

My staycation starts when I leave the office tomorrow and I can’t wait!!

Given what I’m calling this cluster of days, you already know that I’m not taking a trip anywhere.  Am I sad?  Heck NO!  I am lovin’ it!!!  Thanks to my genes, I am way beyond content to just stay put and putter…  I am also a list person, so there is a piece of paper entitled “Staycation” that is held in place on my fridge with a heart-shaped magnet.  Appropriate since I am so in love with and looking forward to each and every item on the list!

So, what does my list look like?  Here, take a gander:

1.  Wash windows inside and out

2.  Guest room de-smell

3.  Front room valances

4.  Kitchen linoleum repair

5.  Privacy film on front entry and master bath windows

6.  Finish final backyard path

7.  Paint tree branches in laundry room

8.  Replace driveway expansion joint filler

9.  Make bar stool cushions (3)

10.  Make dining room chair cushions (6)

11.  Paint side gate

12.  Figure out iTunes upgrade re: conflict w/existing songs on iPod

13.  Make pillows for swing

14.  Buy new front yard bench

15.  Wash/wax CRV

16.  Assemble/seal/install backyard arbor

17.  Old Town Temecula photo adventure

18.  Update grab ‘n go evacuation bag, list of goodies to grab and house photos

19.  Select vacation for 50th birthday celebration with sister

20.  Work on Dad’s Christmas gift

21.  Work on cross stitch ornament gifts for nieces and nephews

22.  Replace family room gallery pictures

23.  Visit Linda and Bill

24.  Purchase matboard for Front Yard Conversion photo display above buffet

25.  Work on Young Adult novel – at least 10K words

26.  Get printer working

27.  Get new front tire for bike

28.  Paint front door

29.  Get pots/extra cacti for backyard

30.  “Spring clean” entertainment center

Umm…as a list person, once I create one I start attacking it, hence the three items that have already been accomplished (they’re the words with lines through them  )

As for exactly what each item is, well, have no fear, I’ll be blogging all week and entertaining you with explanations, pictures and tales.  Hopefully the posts will be full of accomplishments and humor…and not frustrations, injuries and sarcasm.

The Longest Day

Before I regale you with my Longest Day tale of woe, a quick note about Monday.  I spent an hour puttering in my absolutely favorite Barnes & Noble then met my friend Lois at the mall next door.  We spent a couple of hours shopping before enjoying a yummy lunch at Pizzeria Uno.

Once back at Dad’s house I tackled a few more chores on my list, one of which was securing some of the insulation in the garage ceiling that had sagged.

Since Dad doesn’t do his own lawn care anymore, I decided I’d put some of the large roll of weed whacker cord to good use.  The cord plus a few strategically placed nails and problem solved! 

Dad and I hung out all afternoon and evening, but it was early to bed for me in preparation for my journey back to CA.  It was going to be a long day, and the only way I could mentally get through it was to divide it into 6 steps:

1.  Morning at Dad’s house before heading to the airport
2. Waiting at the airport for flight to Newark
3. Flying to Newark
4. Waiting at Newark for flight to San Diego
5. Flying to San Diego
6. Driving home from San Diego

Well, Step 1 was hard – as much as I wanted to get home I really didn’t want to leave my Dad.  And he definitely did not want me to leave.  He was so choked up when he said good-bye, and watching him standing and waving in the doorway as my friend Tracy’s car pulled away was horrible.  It always is.

Step 2 was fine and dandy.  I spent a peaceful wait time at the airport and enjoyed a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and bagel.

Step 3 was, ummm, interesting.  The flight attendant greeted me with a “Welcome aboard, ma’am”.  The first thought that crossed my mind was that she was either retired military or from a military family.  After we all boarded the prop commuter flight and the pre-flight instructions were given, our trusty flight attendant sat in her jumpseat and proceeded to munch on her fingernails.  While taxiing she appeared to be saying a prayer, or two, or talking with an imaginary friend.  Once airborne it didn’t take me long to figure out why she appeared stressed before take-off.  I also had an instant flash as to why I hate flying the east coast in the spring.  Can you say bumpy?  OY – talk about turbulence!!

Step 4 was a bit long but not unbearable.  I spent a solid hour working on my YA (young adult) story while charging both the Netbook and my cell phone.  I stretched my legs and wandered through the airport to a diner where I enjoyed a Reuben.  For “dessert” I bought another coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts before heading to my gate and boarding the plane.

St?  ep 5, the longest and most dreaded part of the entire day ended up being AWESOME!!!  Why?  I had an aisle seat, a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, a flawless takeoff, a fully charged Netbook that lasted the entire flight AND I ran my cc through the TV thingy in the back of the seat in front of me and watch Law & Order SVU episodes the entire flight!!!

Yes, I spent $7.99 so I could watch whatever I wanted on DirecTV, and I wanted Law & Order, SVU!  I also wrote blog posts and played computer games, so before I knew it we were landing in San Diego.

One half-hour EARLY!

I’ve never been on an east to west coast flight that has landed more than 5 minutes early.  Needless to say I was NOT complaining since it was 11PM for my east-coast based mind and body and it would still be at least another 1-1/2 hours before I pulled into my garage!  You do remember me, right?  I’m the person who joyfully hops into bed by 8PM even in the summer when it’s still light outside. 

Fortunately for me, my luggage came out quickly, the shuttle for the parking lot arrived moments after I called and the traffic on the freeways was non-existent (by CA standards that is), so Step 6 was over before I fully realized it had begun!  Of course, I got home and was wired even though it was 10:10PM CA time, 1:10AM body time.

I fed kitties, scooped litter boxes, played with kitties, sorted through mail and e-gads, UNPACKED!  I never unpack right away…I procrastinate on that chore for days, I guess in part to still feel connected to the trip.

Wednesday was a bit of an adjustment day, but not as bad as it could have been.

My trip was awesome – filled with lots of family, friends and fun, but as always, it’s good to be home!

The Busiest Day

The Sunday of my extended Memorial Day Weekend trip back east dawned sunny and humid, the only difference between it and the previous two days was the sun.  The humidity was a repeat component.

I left the house at 8:30AM and headed to Subway to pick up a meatball sub for Dad.  I stopped at Dunkin’ Donuts for a coffee and two 50-count boxes of munchkins (all flavors but plain).  I dropped the sub off at Dad’s house then headed out for the day.

The first part of the day was a drive past my old house.  During the 12 years I lived in that house I worked very hard in the yard, creating gardens that made my house known for all the right reasons.  I was disheartened but not surprised when I saw the house again for the first time in a couple of years.  Now it’s know for all the wrong reasons.

I was a bit surprised that I didn’t feel any anger or disappointment bubbling to the surface.  Instead what I felt was sympathy for my former neighbor who still lives next door.  He and I used to play a game we dubbed “annoying neighbor”.  It was all about who could tend their yard first every week so they looked like the leader rather than the follower.  His yard is still in tip-top shape but my old yard?  Ick.

Who could have predicted that just 4 days later this house would be the envy of many in the neighborhood as it was one of a small percentage that were left undamaged by a tornado’s direct hit.

From there I took the back roads to Walmart and picked up a new tablecloth for Dad before heading off to my friend Ali’s house.  We worked together years ago and had lost track of each other until Facebook brought us back together.  The years melted away and for two hours Ali and I had a blast – fantastic conversation, lots of laughter and of course, Munchkin nibbling by the two of us and Ali’s son Jake.

Ali and I hugged goodbye then I picked up my friend Anita’s son, grandson and parents, and the five of us headed to Anita’s house for a Memorial Day picnic.  This was my first opportunity to see Anita and George’s new house and I can’t tell you how impressed I was!  Not only was the house lovely, but the yard is an awesome expanse waiting for George’s gardening and deck-building skills to transform the space.  There were 30+ people there, including lots of kids, yet it didn’t feel crowded, loud or overly busy.

Just over 4-1/2 hours after I arrived I was backing out of Anita’s driveway and pointing the Blazer east as I headed to Tracy and Mike’s log cabin.  I so enjoyed the drive along  New England’s scenic back roads!  I’d forgotten how incredible it is to drive along very green and very lush roads!

As I crested their driveway I discovered that Tracy’s sister Diana and her husband Patrick were still there – all four were sitting on the porch and chatting away.

Mike was thrilled to discover that my sense of humor and quick wit had not been dulled by too much Southern California sunshine.  In fact I was firing on all cylinders.  At one point the conversation had turned to our ages and Diana said that after hitting 50 she now subtracts a year at each birthday instead of adding one.  Since her husband is several years younger than her, 13 I think, I said “So, what started out as cradle-robbing by Diana will eventually turn out to be statutory rape by Patrick”.  Diana  seemed a bit flustered, then kept saying “no, no, no”.  I just raised my eyebrows and watched her face.  I could see her brain working this one through and knew the instant she realized that I was right.

The conversation continued on the age theme, finding its way to menopause.  I made some crack about that time of life being such a problem because the men paused, to which Mike made a comment defending his sex.  Not willing to let him have the final word, I said “We women take our share of blame too ya know.  After all, there are hurricanes not himacanes.”

I love making people stop in their tracks, turn to look at me then burst out laughing while shaking their heads.

Three hours after arriving I left Tracy’s house then headed home to Dad’s.  I pulled into the garage around 9:15PM, briefed Dad on my day then apologized for heading straight to bed.

I was exhausted…but happily so!

Memorial Day Weekend Vacation – The First Couple Days

As with most red-eye flights, sleep was fleeting for me.  I might have gotten 3 hours, and that’s a big might.  Thanks to all the storms battering the Midwest, the pilot’s efforts to scoot around the majority of the turbulence still resulted in me being jolted awake shortly after falling asleep…every time.

There was very good news during my pit-stop at Dulles…the first of many!

After a short flight, my friend Ursula picked me up at the airport in Hartford, we pit stopped at my Dad’s house then headed up to Vermont to spend the night with our friend Joan and her husband Earl.  I’d been to Joan’s other Vermont house but not this new one.  This 198 year old farmhouse is spectacular!  It sits on 33 acres, has a babbling brook, gardens, fruit trees, woods, fields and an amazing interior.  Not to mention awesome owners.

After touring the grounds and chatting, I took off with my camera for a bit and took some pictures.

Mid-afternoon found we ladies relaxing on the porch with a bottle of wine.  Needless to say it didn’t take long before my eyes were refusing to stay open.  A short nap later and the four of us were sitting around the table enjoying an awesome salmon dinner and more wine.

The nap was just enough to give me a second wind, one that found me wide awake reading in bed until midnight.  When I shut off the overhead light a light show of another kind flashed through the window.  I walked across the room, moved the lace curtain aside and looked out the window.

The sleep Gods were lining up against me.  First it was the airplane and now?  A thunderstorm.  I hate thunderstorms even when I’m in my own home, never mind when I’m in someone else’s.

I closed the window then picked my way back to bed where I watched out the window as the storm approached.  The thunder wasn’t loud but the lightning combined with all the tree branches made for a very spooky light show – a perfect horror movie kind of light show.  When the storm was overhead the thunder was mild compared to how it can be, but the noise from the wind-rattled old window more than made up for the lack of earth-shaking booms.

The storm blew through quickly which allowed me to sleep soundly until 7:30AM-ish.  I trucked downstairs where the four of us enjoyed breakfast on the porch while looking out over beautiful raindrop soaked gardens sparkling in the morning sun.

Ursula and I left late morning and I was hanging with my Dad shortly after noon.  I had a sandwich for lunch then Dad and I headed out on a bunch of errands before I tackled some of the chores on the to-do list that had been made for me:

awnings were lowered,

lightbulbs replaced, kielbasas purchased, one kielbasa cooked.

Dad and I went to dinner with his cardiologist/friend Joan and once back home, the cooked kielbasa was sliced, placed into baggies 5 slices at a time, then put in the freezer for future nibbling by Dad.

Saturday morning we headed up to Bernie’s Dining Depot for breakfast then on the way home filled up the Blazer and picked up a birthday card for Dad to give to his granddaughter.  He filled it out, added a check then placed the envelope in the mailbox before we headed north to my cousin’s house.

Dad and I spent an enjoyable afternoon hanging with family and catching up on all the news.  We headed home in the early evening.  After making sure Dad was all set, I walked down the street and spent a couple of hours visiting with an elderly neighbor who was a fifth grade teacher at the neighborhood elementary school I attended.  Fortunately for both of us, I didn’t have her as a teacher and she didn’t have me as a student.  I’m very creative and she was more of a black & white kind of teacher.  I’m not sure if either of us would have survived a year together.

Just think…these were nearly the quietest two days of my trip!

How I Spent Mother’s Day

As wonderful as Mother’s Day is in theory, there is a group of people for whom it can sometimes be a painful reminder of a loving person no longer in one’s life.  

I belong to that group.

Within that group there is a subset of individuals who do not have children, and who therefore do not spend time honoring their significant other or being the center of attention.

I belong to that group too.

*sigh*

My Mom passed away on November 14, 2003.  Some years Mother’s Day really bothers me and other years it doesn’t.  This year started out to be overwhelming but by the middle of last week things were looking up.  I tuned out as many electronics as possible in order to avoid being slammed with sale ads, AKA painful reminders, and that seemed to swing the pendulum in the positive direction.

Sunday morning I was up before the sun, puttered until it was time for my weekly sister chat, then headed out to Lowe’s to pick up some plants for the front yard.  Once back home I fortified myself with a couple fresh glazed donuts then headed outdoors to putter in the front yard.  I love gardening, as did my Mom, so what better way to spend my day then thinking of her while doing what we both love?

The forecast was for clouds and maybe some drizzle so the wardrobe was a t-shirt and jeans, no shorts.  Unfortunately, the sun came out for a couple of hours.  Though I believe Mom sent it to brighten my day, she seems to have forgotten some of her Mom-responsibilities as she  forgot to remind me to go inside and slather my arms with sunscreen.

No, I’m not trying for the Michael Jackson white glove look, I wear gardening gloves (sometimes) when I garden.

I spent nearly 5 glorious hours puttering the front yard.  I added some plants, unburied all the sprinkler heads and removed all the flag markers, re-staked 2 trees, finished the dead-heading I started on Saturday then took more than two dozen pictures of the now really completed front yard.

And now my fingers will shut up and instead let you enjoy some pictures of my front yard.  While you are doing that, I’m off to massage some sore muscles from all those hours of bending and stretching.

My New Year’s Wish

I wish all my readers, family and friends, and myself too, a year full of awesome adventures, stupendous surprises and everything needed to have a successful 2011.

I also wish everyone the wisdom to know the difference between “need” and “want” and the vision to recognize and appreciate all the good things they have in their lives.

May 2011 bless everyone in ways they can’t even imagine!

Progress In Spite of Mother Nature

I made some progress in the front yard this week.  It really may not seem like much but given holiday plans and Mother Nature’s decision to wreak some havoc this weekend, I’m pretty happy with where I am.

First, and very important, my replacement bridge arrived safe and sound this past week!  I haven’t done the post switcheroo and new bridge assembly yet, but I’ve got what I need in order to do so.

Now, on to the front yard…

Saturday was a lazy, drizzly day that also included a holiday get-together with friends, so nothing was done in the front yard.  However, Sunday morning I was outside shortly after 8AM to start putting plants in the ground.  I was soooooo excited even though it was showering!!!!

After 4-1/2 hours I had a whopping 13 plants in the ground!  Now before you think I was digging holes with my fingers not shovels, let me explain the process.

For each plant I had to move mulch out-of-the-way, place the pot on the black plastic then cut away a circle of plastic twice the diameter of the pot, remove sod from said circle, dig a hole for the plant, mix amendment with the clay soil, take plant out of pot and put in hole, backfill part of hole with mixture, water, fill balance of hole with mixture, stomp it down, create plant well border around plant, water and then pull bark mulch back so it butts up to the well wall (and small amounts are against the plants).  Eleven of the plants were in 1 gallon containers, one was in a 5 gallon container and the last was in a fifteen gallon container.  And I do mean the last – once that one was in the ground I stopped.

I wasn’t totally wiped out from what I had done to that point, but I was tired of rain being blown into my face, wet tool handles and sneakers and hands covered in mud, so I called it a day.

But…I have plants in the ground!!!!

This is my Fern of the Desert tree.  I have the green support stakes in the ground but I need to tie the tree to them – that should be done one night this week.

And here is the other tree — my Howard McMinn Manzanita…

This actually looks like a bush right now, and if I don’t prune it, it will be a bush.  Since I want it to be a tree I’ll prune some of the lower branches in January so it looks more tree-like.  This is the time of year to do the pruning but first I want Howard to get over any transplant issues.

Now, when I say it was wet and muddy outside, I can offer you pictorial proof.  Here’s the path I managed to create from repeatedly walking into the garage to throw away the black plastic circles I was cutting out…

…and here are my wet/muddy jeans…

…and sneakers.

Did I happen to mention that it was showery and windy?  Take a look at my wet and pushed-forward-in-a-Justin-Bieber-style hair after I stopped for the day…

Did you notice my dirty hands in the above picture?  That’s nothing compared to how mud-caked they were before I hosed them off!

If you need any further proof of the windy conditions, once inside I happened to glance out back and noticed that my canopy had a couple of tears in it.  It’s been in the yard non-stop for more than 3 years, so I wasn’t surprised that it was showing its age.

I was surprised however a couple of hours later and found that  3/4s of the canopy was shredded!  The wind had been whipping it so much it was now torn on all sides and only attached to the metal supports by the velcro wrappers.  I grabbed my ladder and went out back, in my jammies, and cut away the rest of the canopy and tossed it in the trash.

I ordered a replacement canopy this past summer but I won’t put it up until next spring.  I rarely use the table/chairs during the winter and see no reason to subject the new canopy to the elements now.

This coming week will be a short work-week thanks to the office shutting down for the holidays.  And the shut down will give me 11 days to play out front so expect semi-major progress in my next post and a completion celebration in the post of 1/3/11!

Almost Ready For Plants

When last we’d discussed the front yard conversion, Mother Nature had been wreaking havoc with my progress.

That was last week.  This week?  Lots of progress!

First, all the mulch was moved out of my driveway and into the yard by the end of the day Monday.  I only worked a half-day Monday so I was able to spend the afternoon checking the bark mulch off my to-do list.

Thanks to a four-day holiday weekend I was able to spend a few hours Friday removing the sod from the path before I shifted my focus to indoor projects.

Saturday morning I covered the wagon area of my CRV with a piece of the black plastic that had covered the bark mulch pile and put all the sod on the plastic.

I dumped the sod in the compost pile at a friend’s house before she and I headed out for breakfast.  After enjoying yummy pancakes and eggs, and then visiting with my friend for a couple of hours, I was home and in the yard by noon.

I spent a few hours digging trenches on either side of the path, inserting the plastic edging, stomping the dirt back into place and then using the steel rake to pull the bark mulch up to the edging.  I have to admit that I was VERY pleasantly surprised at how easily this task went in the area where the big tree was removed.  I was expecting a lot of problems with smallish roots still being in the way, and though there were some that required me to clip or cut them away, overall there were a lot fewer than I thought there would be!

Yay!

When the edging was in and the mulch moved, I hauled some extra pea gravel from the backyard to the front and put it in the path as a base.  I also used the steel rake to pull up as much of the dead grass in the future dry creek bed as possible.  By the end of the day Saturday I was pooped, but the yard was looking good!

That brownish strip coming towards the bottom of the picture is the future home of the aforementioned dry creek bed.

Sunday dawned sunny but cold so I didn’t get outdoors until 8:30AM, and even then I was wearing a jacket even though I was laboring in the sun!  I was back indoors by 11AM, the decomposed granite successfully moved to the path!

As I packed the DG down, I even stamped the path with a pattern!  People pay a hundred bucks or more (depending on size of area) to have this done when concrete is poured, but mine was free!

The pattern name is called Reebok…as in sneaker.  Yep, I walked all over every square inch of the path to compress the DG!

The best part?  Look — no more piles in the driveway!

Next weekend I hope to get the dry creek bed completely done.  I was going to work on it Sunday but I discovered that I have 5 sprinkler heads that need to be capped as they are in the creek bed, so that put the brakes on any additional work.  Besides, I still had a huge bowl of turkey meat in the fridge that needed to be used in meals, so I had some serious cooking to get done (chili, lasagna and pot pie).  During this week and next, I’ll seal the bridge and arbor after work so they’re ready to place in the yard once the dry creek bed is done and set.

After that?  It’s time to buy the plants and put them in the ground!!

As much as I had hoped to have the dry creek bed done this weekend as well, I really can’t complain about the progress in my front yard.  Not when I look at the “before” and “current” pix…

Just a teeny bit of difference…with more changes coming! 

Topsy-Turvy

Those are the best words I can think of to describe my plans for the next 9 days.  Due to circumstances beyond my control, my plans have undergone a wee bit of a change (to put it mildly).

ORIGINAL PLAN

River rock, boulders, mulch and decomposed granite would be delivered Saturday morning the 20th.  All the mulch and decomposed granite would be in place by noon on Sunday and the balance of Sunday and all of Monday would be spent building the dry creek bed (I took Monday off from work as a sort-of comp day for working through the weekend at a trade show).  If it wasn’t completed I would finish it sometime over my four-day Thanksgiving weekend.

Speaking of said long weekend, I was going to cook my turkey Thursday morning and make stock Thursday night.  The afternoon would either be spent outside on the dry creek bed or inside making the annual tri-colored vanilla Christmas cookies.  Friday my car would go in for a timing belt/water pump replacement while I spent the day making meals with the turkey then freezing them in individual portions.  Saturday would be Santa’s Bakery as I made the traditional Anise Christmas cookies — a 9-10 hour project that nets 24+ dozen cookies.  Sunday would be spent on the dry creek bed or the vanilla cookies – whichever I didn’t do on Thursday.

Now for the two issues which have turned my plans topsy-turvy.

First – Mother Nature.  As I stated in yesterday’s post, it’s going to be a rainy weekend.  Fortunately, the majority of the rain is scheduled for Saturday.  Sunday is supposed to be showery (50% chance) and Monday even less showery.

Second – death.  Assistant’s brother-in-law passed away rather suddenly on Thursday.  She’s not going to be in the office at all next week as she needs to fly to Kansas for a wake and funeral.

My subconscious spent a goodly amount of time Friday re-arranging my 9 day schedule so that I’m able to get everything done in a timely manner based upon “real” priorities as opposed to “desired” priorities.

PLAN B

I’m not even going to worry about whether or not the rainy Saturday forecast is correct.  I’ll welcome all the new additions to my front yard, watch the boulders be placed and cross my fingers that the forklift can get the river rock into my garage.  I will cover the mulch and decomposed granite in my driveway with leftover black plastic weighed down with blocks, then ignore all of it and spend the required 9-10 hours baking the anise cookies. YES – for the first time EVER, the cookies will be made BEFORE Thanksgiving!  But don’t worry – they last for a whole year without going bad 

Sunday I will start moving the mulch and decomposed granite, ditto for Monday and Tuesday afternoons after I spend half a day in the office.  Boss told me I could still have Monday off, that I have more than earned it, but the work-me doesn’t feel comfortable with that since I now have to cover the customer service aspect of things Assistant does.  Sooo…I told Boss I would work Mon and Tues mornings and leave around 11:30AM both days.

Thursday and Friday will remain unchanged, but next Saturday will be spent in the front yard working on the dry creek bed…ditto for Sunday (if necessary).

If you haven’t already figured it out, I’m a major planner.  I have to be since I’m single and responsible for everything.  At the same time, I know that I need to be as flexible as possible, definitely NOT my strong suit.  The front yard conversion to drought tolerant landscaping and the holiday preparations are both HUGE projects, and the fact that they are happening simultaneously is stressful on their own, never mind adding in the double trade show chaos AND missing Assistant next week.

It took my brain nearly 20 hours to rearrange and accept the new schedule (Assistant had called me at home Thursday night) but by mid-afternoon Friday I was totally fine with it.

Besides…there are three silver linings!  Honest!!!

1.  The storm that is bringing rain to the So. Cal. valleys will be depositing snow in the mountains!  Once the clouds disappear on Monday I should have awesome views of snow-capped mountains (these views NEVER cease to catch my breath).

2.  My work-me halo is shining for being responsible and going into the office both Monday and Tuesday

3.  The reduced front yard hours on Monday and Tuesday are a HUGE benefit to me as they prevent me from overdoing it!

Don’t congratulate me on the way I’ve readjusted my schedule…at least not yet.  Should I have to make any additional changes you will most definitely NOT want to be the reason.  If you are, you will be the target my flexible rubberband self hits as it sails across the room from the finger/thumb launching pad.