Wood Pile

Wood Pile

No Wood Pile









Makes for a very happy Tinkerpro. And a huge shout out of thanks to the guy who came and took it all, pick-up truck load by load. It took him 6 days, and over the weekend TinkerSon and a few of his friends "played" in the wood pile and split the bigger pieces so Mr. Nice Man could get the last of it.

Of course, now thepoor little tree Mr. Tinkerpro and I have fought over for years needs to be removed because it didn't quite survive the removal of the big oak, and sun shock. And I now have a yard full of sawdust instead of gress, but it is better than the moss I had instead of grass.

I think when it is all said and done, and the yard is re-planted a gazebo will look just lovely out there.

Ten on Tuesday - Fourth of July!

Hmm, Carole's challenge, your ten favorite things about 4th of July.

1. My friend Anne's birthday. She was 8 before she realized that not everyone got fireworks on their birthday.

2. Cooking out. Except I like doing that all the time, and with a gas grill that is connected to my gas line in the house, I can grill in the snow if I so choose. And I did when we lost power this winter and I needed warm food & drinks. Was ever so glad I had kept the camping perculator

3. Fireworks. When the kids were little, three other neighbors showed up in our yard a dark with their fireworks too. It took hours to get them all done, and the last 5 years or so, it wasn't the Fourth of July if the police didn't raid our display. It was rather sad actually. But we had a blast anyway. But we knew we were a success!

4. The neighborhood parade. Full of kids, bikes, fire trucks, bands, and babies. To this day (30 years later) I hop the back fence, cut through the neighbor's yard and sit and watch the parade go by.

5. The concert on the Mall. I haven't been back since that stupid James Watts declared the Beach Boys weren't "patriotic" enough and couldn't participate in the Capitol Concert anymore. What a ya-hoo he was. It was great to go into DC in the afternoon, party and then watch the huge firework display on the Mall. TV isn't quite the same.

6. Potato and Macaroni salad. Staples of any picnic or festivity.

7. A day off to do nothing I don't want to do.

8. I get to wear my red white & blue star earrings, they scream 4th of July, and aren't really appropriate most days. But for a week I wear them!

9. The Flag. Usually some real estate company or some one will put flags at most people's driveways in the neighborhood. The streets are so fun to go down.

10. Our soldiers. TinkerBoy being my current favorite.

Wildlife

Saturday morning I scheduled all sorts of "me" time. Well, just a massae and a manicure, but TinkerSon was working and MrTinkerpro was suppose to go out of town for the day. My first stop of the morning was with Kathy, a most magnificent massage therapist. I've known her as a friend before she ever finished training, and was one of a group of five who encouraged her, once she got her license to give up cleaning houses and open her massage office. Full time. Just go for it! It took her awhile to let go of the house cleaning business. I understood. She had been cleaning houses for over 25 years, it was comfortable, and steady income. Massage therapy was a new venture and untested waters. Well, less than 10 years later, she has two offices, more clients than she can manage and a website.

While she was torturing me and working out sore muscles I didn't know were sore, we caught up on the kids and families and life. I asked her about fox in her neighborhood. She lives about 5 miles from me. Yep, she said they are everywhere. And they steal news papers. Huh? She said that there has been a problem in the neighborhood, and they though the delivery guy just wasn't doing his job until they kept seeing fox running down the street with the entire plastic bag with a paper in it.

So of course Sunday morning, I go outside rather late for me, 7:30 am to get my paper and what do I see? Walking up the sidewalk is a fox. With a paper in it's mouth. After making sure it wasn't MY paper, I just stood there with my hands on my hips staring it down. It stopped and stared back. So I said good morning. And then with some authority, Drop it. After all, that usually works with dogs.

Nope. No such luck so some poor neighbor was without their sunday morning paper. Evil Tinkerpro hoped it was the neighbor down the street she isn't too fond of.

Pretty soon the fox will be running for office in the county since they are catching up on their reading. They certainly can't do any worse than the yo yos that are currently running the government.

Progress

Two weeks ago, we had a tree taken down in the back yard. A big tree. We didn't have them haul the wood away because, well it was expensive and we were already paying a boatload to have it cut.

The picture doesn't do the pile quite justice. It starts about 1 foot away from the garage, and goes across the yard about 20 feet. In fact, when I think about it, it is a 20x20 pile of logs and sticks, that is piled about 2-3 feet high.

I advertised on craigslist free wood, because I wasn't paying to take it away. One guy has been working on this pile for the last three evenings, about two loads a day. He should be done tomorrow.

Time

For some reason, there just doesn't seem to be enough of it anymore. Or to be more accurate I'm not maximizing my time to the best of my ability.

Crazy Aunt Purl wrote about how people stuck in traffic couldn't wait 3 - 5 minutes to get past an accident and instead were involved in their own accident, which does truly delay you more. Traffic lights are the same way. While I get annoyed as the next person when I've pissed off the red light fairy and she makes me stop at EVERY STINKIN LIGHT between where I am and where I want to be, I remind myself that a red light is no more than 2 minutes. It's true. I've timmed it. Several times, different lights. So then I take a deep breath and remind myself two minutes. That isn't so bad.

Carole's Ten for Tuesday is books you would recommend to your friends. I don't have any. I haven't been reading lately and that is a shame because I love to read. I use to empty shelves at the library and read. I read while riding the bus to work, I read at lunch, on the bus home, and I would stay up half the night reading. When I was single, by Sunday afternoon my back and legs would ache. I'm so slow that it took me 6 months to realize that laying on the couch and reading all weekend was a great way to rest my mind, but my body was rebelling and I needed to get my fat ass off the sofa and move.

I keep counting down the days until July 1st. Work is crazy, the staff is crazy and we need to get through the year-end stuff. July first marks the new fiscal year, a fresh start. Now that I know what needs to be done at year-end next year I will truly do things differently. In the meantime I'm trying not to wish my days away. I realized that it is almost July. Today is the first day of summer. I don't want to have to think about fall and winter quite yet.

There things I want to accomplish this summer and I need it to last.

So, I'm slowing down, smelling the coffee (yummy) and not going to stress anymore. Stress is not something I usually do anyway. The work will be there tomorrow. The world won't tilt off it's axis. I won't get fired if something gets delayed. And the mafia isn't going to come after me if accounting doesn't get the invoice processed before next Monday.

Last week I walked around the lake on campus since I haven't been down there for awhile. The baby turtles were lined up on logs near the shore. So cute. Then I saw the biggest goldfish I'd ever seen. I swear it was a foot long.

Note to self: Go sit by the lake for 10 minutes every day for the next two weeks, enjoy the scenery.

How Many Days!

Exactly please, how many days does it take to move a one bedroom apartment? TinkerDaughter moved out of her large one bedroom apt. (the one with the dishwasher and washer/dryer) but in a neighborhood that went bad. Really bad. Into a half the size one bedroom, with no dishwasher or washer/dryer. It took three days to move her from big into storage room for most things and my house for her, some clothing and the cats. Three days. When we were having an early heat wave. And on a holiday weekend in which I had other plans.

Last Sunday, her brother and a friend moved all her furniture out of storage and into the new (smaller) apartment. I helped with my truck to move some boxes. Today she moved a load or two out of the house and the cats into said apartment. That leaves some small miscellaneous furniture and boxes in storage. Which she just called to ask if I will help move today. Before the storms come. After I spent all morning unpacking for her waiting for the cable guy (a long story for another day) and calming two unhappy kitties. But she got an opportunity to work this morning for triple pay, I told her she'd be a fool to turn it down when I could wait just as easily as she could

But, I want my knitting room back. Desparetly. Which is where 90% of her take to mom's stuff went. I couldn't even dig anything out. :(

This exercise better be worth a lot of calories is all I can say.

National Lobster Day

So, go free a lobster.

No I'm not a member of PETA and quite frankly think they are all looney, but I don't eat anything that lives in the ocean, so this is my way to celebrate a day.

Why isn't it a government holiday?

Moving Day

TinkerDaughter needed to get out of her apartment. She accomplished that painfully. Why she didn't connect the dots that if you are moving on a certain weekend, you actually need to pack your stuff up, I'm not sure. Nevertheless, all furniture and non-essential items were safely placed in storage and DD and crew moved home for a few weeks.

Last friday she got the keys to her new apartment. The one she had never seen before. She called in a panic because it was too small for all her stuff. Half the size of her old apartment. Not a problem I replied, you will de-clutter and just sell what won't fit. And donate some of your clothes. The ones that as you were packing kept saying "oh, I didn't know I had this".

This exercise is about saving money and revovering from some unwise decisions. And it is only for 365 days. The biggest problem was her bed. King size. And she dug her heels in and said no, she wasn't giving it up. So we agreed that the living room could become the bedroom, and the bedroom could become the large storage room/closet. She would treat her one bedroom as an efficiency. She is busy working full time, going to school and put the social life for the most part on hold. But she forgot to tell her brother who was moving the furniture. He set the bed up in the bedroom. I'm glad he forced the issue, it actually fit and there is about 3 feet on two walls leftover. So she got her dresser in there too.

We got risers for the bed so she could use the underneath space for more storage. She is a happy camper again, now she just needs to figure out where to put things. Oh and the bathroom is full size and pretty big for such a small apartment. THAT was a bonus. I had shown her some videos of people in NYC who live in 90 sq feet and one girl's bathroom was so small there wasn't room for her in it.

The kitchen is a galley kitchen, with an apartment size stove, regular size refrigerator, sink and about 18" of counter space. With her noew positive attitude (since the bed fit) she has some plans for shelves, and a drop down added "counter" her dad will put up for her. She will become very "continental" and shop for food a few times a week, seeing as how there aren't very many cabinets either. But there is room for her microwave and coffee maker (on top of the refrigerator) so all is not lost.

And there are only 362 days left.

Tree Day 2

Monday I came home to traumatized cats. There was a pile of wood in the back yard, there were strange guys in the yard all day. A lot of them, and noise. Oh the noise! I came home at lunch just to check on things, and while I was in the kitchen a limb dropped and hit the patio arbor, shook the entire house. That explained why I couldn’t find a cat. I think Stanley was in the basement under the work bench. We’re still not sure where Jack was.

Monday night after the workers left, I opened the door for the cats in case they wanted to go our. Jack walked toward the door, about a foot away, he stuck his nose out as far as it would go, and then backed up. Stanley didn’t get as close to the door as two feet. I felt bad, but what could I do. I knew if I made them stay outside during all this they would never come home.

When I left Tuesday morning for work, Jack was hiding in the knitting room, stanley was in the play room - not quite as bad as under the workbench, but rather below where the guys would be working.

Stanley

Jack

Tree being "pruned"

Tuesday night when I got home, and after the guys had left, Stanley came out of hiding and sat at the top of the steps. He was actually shaking. How often can you feel bad for upsetting your cat?

Busy

It has been a busy few weeks, which is no reason to neglect the blog, but there you go. TinkrArmySon was home for a few weeks, and then last week we finally found someone to take out a tree from the back yard. Not just any tree. A good 80' white oak that was too close to the house. We have talked about taking that tree out for most of the 27 years we have lived in this house. Now it is pushing at the wall in the basement so it was time.

First three estimates were anywhere from $4,700 to $5,500. No. The guys last fall who were working next door said $2,000. But they weren't able to prove they had insurance and I wasn't too sure about their skill. Sure my insurance would cover an accidental tree dropped on my house, but it wouldn't cover their life and limb. Two weeks ago, a friend had a tree removed and so I asked the guy to come estimate. First he said $3,800, we countered with $3,500. Then the dad, who actually does the climgbing - did I mention the entire thing had to be roped down? He countered with $3,750 after they looked at it for about 15 minutes. Done. They came back the next day to look again and sighed. We agreed to up it to $3,900. It is a BIG tree. Fully in bloom, not any dead branches. Tall. Did I mention it was tall? I haven't had sun in my back yard for over 20 years. I grow moss and ferns and hosta, no grass. No matter what. Even shady grass wouldn't grow.

First they were going to come Wednesday, then called because it was too hot. Yeah, 99 with 80 percent humidity is hot and I didn't want anyone in a tree with chain saws who might get sick from heat. So then they said Friday, fine. Then they called Friday and said a regular customer called and had a tree on their garage. I understood, that is more important. They promised Monday. I said fine. We're in no hurry just call the night before so we can move cars.

Monday when I left at 7:15 am, the house was serene, the cars were moved and I didn't see any tree guys. This was Jack and Stanley

Oh so happy in the yard, not a care in the world . . .

10 Ways to Beat Insomnia

I also have this problem from time to time. It seems to work in phases. One thing about me: when I am hungry or tired, I get cranky. Really cranky. Fortunately as I've gotten older I've learned to control the crank, or at least remove myself from others who may suffer from my mood..
Carole’s challenge this week, 10 things to help beat insomnia.

1. When I exercise regularly, and drink enough water I feel better.
When I feel better I sleep better, or at least am able to moderate
the “phases” better.

2. I’m hot a lot now. Except when I’m really cold, which is usually
only when the a/c is cranking at full blast. Can’t stand that
cold air blowing on my skin. But waking up in a full sweat is
pretty gross.

3. If I’m laying in bed trying to go back to sleep, I start counting
backward from 999. No images in my head, just counting. Some
nights I’ve been known to do it three times.

4. After the 3rd set of 999 and down, I just get up. There is some
truly bad tv on at that time of the morning. Especially since we
don’t have cable (or dish) tv and rely on rabbit ears and the whims
of public television. Lately though there have been some really
old (and bad) movies, or old StarTrek, and Sea Hunt with Lloyd
Bridges. I watch that and think it’s rather racy for it’s time.

5. I have turned my clock to face away from me, mostly because I’ve
read that the light isn’t good for sleep, but also then I’m not
tempted to look at the time and start obsessing about when I need
to get up and how much sleep I’m not getting.

6. Hot tea. Sometimes I’ll have a cup of hot mint tea, or cocoa
before bed. Especially on a cold evening.

7. I try to be off the computer for at least an hour before bed, but
that doesn’t always work, since I‘m in bed around 9 at night.
Yep, that’s me, Ms. Excitement. But I’m also up at 5 most every
morning. ‘Cept last Sunday I slept in until 6:15.

8. Get up and knit. Sometimes if it is close enough to get up time
anyway, I just start my day. Sometimes I’ll fall asleep in my
chair and hope I don’t oversleep.

9. Sometimes I am quite happily sleeping and get head butted by Jack.
He wants me to know he is curling up in my neck for his middle of
the night snooze. Like I wouldn’t know a 15 pound cat was curling
up in my neck? Oh, and when said cat head butts me, it is a good
thing my head is attached to my body otherwise I fear it would be
sent flying across the room like a playground ball

10. I haven’t tried Ambian yet. Guess no sleep isn’t enough of a
problem yet. My mom asked me about it once, said she is up in the
middle of the night a lot, or can’t fall asleep until midnight or
1 am. And she gets up at 7 every morning, has breakfast with her
friends at 8 and doesn’t want to give that up. I said if she wants
to sleep past 7 then go ahead, she’s 90 years old and is allowed.
Her theory is if she does it once, it will be easy to do again
and she doesn’t want to become one of those old women who stays
in bed all day. I was visiting and diagnosed her sleep problem.
She falls asleep sitting in her chair. A lot. So then she isn’t
tired at night. We “re-calculated” her internal clock and now
she is back to a “regular” sleep pattern. She just needed to
become more active during the day.

So, I guess I do have 10 things.

Five - Four - Three - Ten

Nope. Not random numbers. It has been a challenging week here at the Tinker house. TinkerArmyBoy came home for two weeks. That is always a lovely time he has a little down time, we all take randm days off work to spend one-on-one time with him, we do family stuff, and are sad when he leaves.

TinkerDaughter moved home for 3 weeks in between apartments. Her new apartment isn't "quite ready" yet. Hmmm, hope they get their act together. Most of her things are in storage, the rest are spread over the house.

That gives me the Five. Five adults in my house.

TinkerArmyBoy and TinkerSon shared a room growing up, but as childen moved in and out, rooms were shuffled. TinkerSon moved into TinkerDaughter's room when she moved out. Tinkerpro converter TinkerArmyBoys room into the guest room when he moved out, and turned the old guest room into TinkerWomanCave full of yarn, fiber, spinning wheels, sewing area, comfy knitting chair. That room now also has TinkerDaughter's fiber/yarn in it because it should not go into storage. If I get brave enough, I'll take a picture.

That is my Three. Three Bedrooms.

TinkerDaughter has two cats. Tinkerpro has two cats. They've not met yet. Poor Flynn has been hiding uner the dresser since he moved in.

That is my Four

Vehicles. TinkerDad has always had cars. The first car he ever bought sits in our driveway. When there were three teenagers living in the house we had so many vehciles, the insurance company gave us fleet rates. It was embarassing, but a good discount. I counted last night. I have ten cars and one motorcycle in my driveway/front of the house/ across the street.

Five Adults
Four Cats
Three Bedrooms
Ten Cars