Dad is Dad backwards
Mom is Mom spelled backwards
Dog is God backwards
Trevor's idea of Haiku Poetry
Trevor couldn't find his phone. He borrowed mine so he could dial his number and see if he could hear it ring to help locate it. Neither of us could remember the complete number since I have it on speed dial. I have both his number and the house phone listed under his name on my phone. He dials the first number that comes up and the house phone rings. I pick up and say "Hello, Trevor".
He gets all excited on the other end. "Mom, you found my phone?!!".
"No, Dear, You called the house."
I had the boy on speaker phone and a guest in the kitchen listening in to the exchange. We started laughing. The whole exchange was so funny.
My neighbor on my other side is back from her winter trips. I caught her in the yard so we could talk about the trees we want to cut down. She was so pleased with my wanting to cut the dead trees out. They had been a concern for her also. She had asked her gardener, before we moved in, if he would take them out but he said they could get in trouble, like anyone would notice on an abandoned house, but best to be good and not trespass. Besides now you can reach the trees where before they seemed miles deep into the blackberries.
I have found the full bottom of our property. My gardening neighbor already has a debris pile going. I am now adding to hers. She is going to have her gardener do a burn for both of us. One big burn and get it all done at once. I will notify my neighbor on the other side of the date so he can leave while it is smoky. I can blame my nice neighbor for the burn to my other neighbor who would prefer I just let everything be and not clean up the yard and definitely not burn. Then we will be done with burning for good for this year.
I have made great progress on the yard. Every week it looks better and better. Dug up hidden garbage under the berries, so my lawn mower wont hit anything dangerous to my health again; Beer cans, glass bottles, children's plastic toys and chairs. The glass bottles were my most concerning after the incident with hitting the chicken wire fence.
My neighbor on the other side is excited that I will be planting the hill with trees. She is excited about my progress. "Good start" is what she said. She is encouraging with suggestions on where to get free starts. I still have a lot of work to do. I told her I wanted to plant my edible forest. One of my friends laughed at how many fruit trees I have planted over the years and have yet to stay long enough in a house to harvest any of the fruit. I keep trying.
I want at least two apples, two pears, a couple of plum trees, a peach tree, maybe a Bing cherry with what ever mate the Bing needs. You have to have a couple of each so they cross pollinate. I might add a couple of holly bushes, again you need two for berries. I have a request to put in a walnut tree but it will have to be way down in a far corner as they are big and messy. Topping out at 60 feet. Of course that may be years down the road, well past my life time before it gets that big. I was thinking more like Filbert and Almunds for the nuts.
If I stick around long enough for a big harvest, maybe I will be able to get into canning fruit. Love apple sauce, love canned pears. I now have all the accoutrement's needed to take up canning thanks to my survival kit.
Anyway it was lovely to find a neighbor that likes my ideas and my progress. The trees in question turned out to be on my property, My neighbor was quite encouraging. Now if the weather would just cooperate, I can get more done. I have been spraying the new berry starts with crossbow. I can see the leaves begin to wilt within a couple of days. There are just so many new berry starts that I find. I still am scraping the downed wood to be put in our burn pile. It needs to be burned if only because it creates a fire hazard in the warm weather.
My neighbor was going to look into getting a permit to burn, since this pile is a bit larger than the "campfire" size allowed. At least if we can't burn I have still achieved the cleared hill and the stuff can naturally decompose, just not in my way.
My neighbor's natural fence is English Laural. It is blooming at the moment and quite attractive. I look forward to my landscape looking less raw and more appealing over the years. I have to resist the temptation to run down to the nursery and buy plants.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Survival kit
Tom bought us a survival kit at the charity auction. I had visions of food for a year. Not so lucky. It came with a camp stove for canning that takes a propane tank. It came with a 22 quart canning pressure cooker and two cases of canning jars. It came with a huge smoker for the hunter in the family. It came with camp cots and sleeping bags. Tom laughed when he saw the smoker was electric. So much for the survivalist.
To me if the world comes to an end there wont be refill stations for the propane tank, there wont be electric power to the house to plug in the smoker. I had my girlfriend come over to show me how to use the pressure cooker. I have never used one. All I knew was how terribly dangerous they were. Tom didn't help either when I told him we were cooking a pot roast at 15psi, per instructions. He went on about how much power that was and how dangerous, as if I hadn't been watching the cooker rattle and vent steam for the last hour in my kitchen. It was scary. But so cool that a six hour roast was done in one hour. with a pressure cooker. I am going to try beans next. 22 quarts is a bit of an over kill in size because it is meant for big canning, but it works for roast also. This pressure cooker is big enough to do a turkey.
I am not sure what we will be doing with the other stuff. Tom may need to take up hunting so we can smoke some meat.
To me if the world comes to an end there wont be refill stations for the propane tank, there wont be electric power to the house to plug in the smoker. I had my girlfriend come over to show me how to use the pressure cooker. I have never used one. All I knew was how terribly dangerous they were. Tom didn't help either when I told him we were cooking a pot roast at 15psi, per instructions. He went on about how much power that was and how dangerous, as if I hadn't been watching the cooker rattle and vent steam for the last hour in my kitchen. It was scary. But so cool that a six hour roast was done in one hour. with a pressure cooker. I am going to try beans next. 22 quarts is a bit of an over kill in size because it is meant for big canning, but it works for roast also. This pressure cooker is big enough to do a turkey.
I am not sure what we will be doing with the other stuff. Tom may need to take up hunting so we can smoke some meat.
Surprise good news
OK I may have to eat my words come the end of this school year. Trevor came home from school with a surprise for me. He showed me a certificate stating he was MATH student of the month Freshman Algebra 1. 100% on all his recent tests. Homework in on time. He gets his name and face posted on the wall in the school hallway acknowledging his achievements.
This is the semester that counts for next year's sports. He has to have good grades all semester so as not to be benched for half the season next year. The leason was hard earned and the fact it did not come from me but from the school district and coach made a big impact on Trevor.
Trevor is also doing track this season. Its his first time so he hasn't got to do many meets as there are several older class men on the team who can perform better. With limited space for each event he doesn't get to do all the events he practices.
Trev is doing the shot put and the javelin. He is learning how to throw. Mostly he is getting some weight training and running in to keep in shape for summer football camp. He almost threw his shoulder out hyper extending while throwing the javelin. It has to stake in the ground. If it falls over the throw is scratched. He tells me it is hard. I can see that it is difficult. The record is to the goal posts at the other end of the football field. Trevor makes about 40 yards. I am just proud he is trying.
I drop off a blanket and a warming pad that I have heated in the microwave and a bag with fries and cheeseburger and a drink on the days he has a meet. I give him $10 for the away games. They leave straight from school and don't get back until late.
This last meet was a home game. They did a Big Man 4x4 race. Trevor got to be the second leg as the regular guy hurt himself earlier with a bad ankle or something. Trevor said it was hilarious. His team did not come in last was all he would say. He said he ran hard most of the way. Passing the other team's runner then pooped out at the end. He said he collapsed in the grass afterwards.
He has one more meet I am going to make. I want to see just one. Every time I arrive his events are already over. They start with the field events since they can't have kids running the track while the shot put or Javelins are being thrown for safety's sake. They were told at the beginning of the season about two horrible accidents that happened just last year.
The kids thought it would be fun to try and beat their throws with the javelin. They would throw then run out in the field to catch the throw. Of course you know what happened. Some idiott stabbed himself with his own javelin. Was hit through the shoulder trying to chase down his own throw. Twenty minutes later some girl wasn't paying attention and walked out into the field during the shot put and got hit in the head. The Ambulance came twice in less than thirty minutes. This year the safety rules were emphasized severely. Trevor loved telling of the bloody accidents from the season before.
Trevor cheers on his team mates. There aren't many his size. The runners are all skinny with slender feet. He tells me he is running the mile in warm ups.
I dropped off his blanket and umbrella and a chair one meet, per his request, with his hot pad warmed from the microwave, and a thermos of hot cocoa. He told me when he got back to the field from my car, his coaches eyed his umbrella and hot thermos of cocoa and he offered the items to them. It was one of those mucky rainy days we have been having. I can picture the rains drops sliding off the coach's slicker. The damp air getting into their bones as they stand by the sidelines for the several hours that these meets last. The umbrella and cocoa were greatly appreciated. Trevor kept his camp chair, putting it under a shed roof out of the weather, back from the track, with his hot pad tucked under his sweatshirt. He said the heat caused steam to rise up the collar of his hoodie. He loves the hot pack.
One meet was in a school with bleachers. Trevor was sitting with friends. He ended up passing the hot pad around to other shivering friends to give them a moment of warmth against the grey wet day. That hot pad is just a small pillow filled with rice grains. The rice holds the heat well for a long time. I wrap it in a blanket to retain the heat until I can get it delivered to the field. It arrives still hot, and is gratefully received.
I haven't been able to see a few of the meets because they are held on a Tuesday and I have been playing bridge on Tuesday afternoons. I am trying to improve my bridge game. It is challenging. I almost wish I had one more child so we could play at home. I know the boys would love the opportunity. They are both gamers.
Last weekend a friend of Tom's came over with his children. His dream has been to get all the boys old enough and interested in games so they can all play together. He brought a game called Twilight Emperium to play. There wasn't enough time to complete the whole game but everyone had fun. I opted out to do gardening outside in the sun. My boys were content to play the war game inside. They set the game up on the pool table. It is a guy thing.
Trevor plays a game called Magic, with friends, which involves decks of cards with lord of the rings type characters on each card; elf, goblin, dragon. Each card can battle other cards. New cards come out to beat the last deck so he has to upgrade periodically and buy a new deck. He loves the game.
I just am so proud of the boy. It may be just for this week or so while I bask in the glow of mother pride for my boy who didn't pass eighth grade, to receive the accolades of Math student of the month. Its a big deal. He has blossomed his freshman year.
I friend said it might have been the influence of having to fend for himself the year Riley was sick. I like to think it was being benched by the football coach for bad grades coming into high school. Finally someone else, other than his mother, punished him so he had to listen.
I wanted to reward Trevor for the honor. Tom said Trevor should be proud of his accomplishment for his own sake. I told Trevor he has an outstanding token he can use when ever. He wanted to go out for hamburgers after a meet, I asked if he was using his token. He said no. He was saving it for something else. We ended up heading home. He didn't want to work for the pleasure of hanging with his friends nor use his free token.
He now has an allowance but the first day he got it he spent it all this month.He bought himself dinner and a scout scarf and a card game. I told him next month when he gets his allowance, he might want to make it last longer, so when his friends are going out to burgers he can go with them and have his own money. The allowance is a good thing, a great training tool.
The boys needed breakfast money. I told them that their food fund went into the bank, for reimbursement for their free lunch jobs. Did they want to use a portion of that bank money to go to the school?. Riley made the argument that it was my job to make sure they are fed. Their investment work money should not go to their food for breakfast. I loved that he could argue the point logically with me. I told Riley I would pay for breakfasts, or at least put money in their school food accounts for breakfasts. Not make them pay, even though they could and do eat breakfast at home and then eat again at school. It was a good argument. Breakfasts are cheap. Both boys are learning the leasons of finance and budgeting.
Trevor loves the cafeteria job because of the benefits. A tray of cookies was dropped and smashed. He got to have all the broken ones. He said it took all day to eat them all.
I had both boys up against a post in the house to see how tall they were. Trevor is exactly 6 feet now in his socks. Riley is just a quarter of an inch shorter. Both boys are taller than both Tom and myself. Trevor is chomping at the bit to get his driver's license, but the boys both know grades have to be good for me to facilitate that happening. Trevor wants a summer job also, but it is going to need flexible days and hours with his summer camps. Anyone have projects they need a burly boy to haul for them?
This is the semester that counts for next year's sports. He has to have good grades all semester so as not to be benched for half the season next year. The leason was hard earned and the fact it did not come from me but from the school district and coach made a big impact on Trevor.
Trevor is also doing track this season. Its his first time so he hasn't got to do many meets as there are several older class men on the team who can perform better. With limited space for each event he doesn't get to do all the events he practices.
Trev is doing the shot put and the javelin. He is learning how to throw. Mostly he is getting some weight training and running in to keep in shape for summer football camp. He almost threw his shoulder out hyper extending while throwing the javelin. It has to stake in the ground. If it falls over the throw is scratched. He tells me it is hard. I can see that it is difficult. The record is to the goal posts at the other end of the football field. Trevor makes about 40 yards. I am just proud he is trying.
I drop off a blanket and a warming pad that I have heated in the microwave and a bag with fries and cheeseburger and a drink on the days he has a meet. I give him $10 for the away games. They leave straight from school and don't get back until late.
This last meet was a home game. They did a Big Man 4x4 race. Trevor got to be the second leg as the regular guy hurt himself earlier with a bad ankle or something. Trevor said it was hilarious. His team did not come in last was all he would say. He said he ran hard most of the way. Passing the other team's runner then pooped out at the end. He said he collapsed in the grass afterwards.
He has one more meet I am going to make. I want to see just one. Every time I arrive his events are already over. They start with the field events since they can't have kids running the track while the shot put or Javelins are being thrown for safety's sake. They were told at the beginning of the season about two horrible accidents that happened just last year.
The kids thought it would be fun to try and beat their throws with the javelin. They would throw then run out in the field to catch the throw. Of course you know what happened. Some idiott stabbed himself with his own javelin. Was hit through the shoulder trying to chase down his own throw. Twenty minutes later some girl wasn't paying attention and walked out into the field during the shot put and got hit in the head. The Ambulance came twice in less than thirty minutes. This year the safety rules were emphasized severely. Trevor loved telling of the bloody accidents from the season before.
Trevor cheers on his team mates. There aren't many his size. The runners are all skinny with slender feet. He tells me he is running the mile in warm ups.
I dropped off his blanket and umbrella and a chair one meet, per his request, with his hot pad warmed from the microwave, and a thermos of hot cocoa. He told me when he got back to the field from my car, his coaches eyed his umbrella and hot thermos of cocoa and he offered the items to them. It was one of those mucky rainy days we have been having. I can picture the rains drops sliding off the coach's slicker. The damp air getting into their bones as they stand by the sidelines for the several hours that these meets last. The umbrella and cocoa were greatly appreciated. Trevor kept his camp chair, putting it under a shed roof out of the weather, back from the track, with his hot pad tucked under his sweatshirt. He said the heat caused steam to rise up the collar of his hoodie. He loves the hot pack.
One meet was in a school with bleachers. Trevor was sitting with friends. He ended up passing the hot pad around to other shivering friends to give them a moment of warmth against the grey wet day. That hot pad is just a small pillow filled with rice grains. The rice holds the heat well for a long time. I wrap it in a blanket to retain the heat until I can get it delivered to the field. It arrives still hot, and is gratefully received.
I haven't been able to see a few of the meets because they are held on a Tuesday and I have been playing bridge on Tuesday afternoons. I am trying to improve my bridge game. It is challenging. I almost wish I had one more child so we could play at home. I know the boys would love the opportunity. They are both gamers.
Last weekend a friend of Tom's came over with his children. His dream has been to get all the boys old enough and interested in games so they can all play together. He brought a game called Twilight Emperium to play. There wasn't enough time to complete the whole game but everyone had fun. I opted out to do gardening outside in the sun. My boys were content to play the war game inside. They set the game up on the pool table. It is a guy thing.
Trevor plays a game called Magic, with friends, which involves decks of cards with lord of the rings type characters on each card; elf, goblin, dragon. Each card can battle other cards. New cards come out to beat the last deck so he has to upgrade periodically and buy a new deck. He loves the game.
I just am so proud of the boy. It may be just for this week or so while I bask in the glow of mother pride for my boy who didn't pass eighth grade, to receive the accolades of Math student of the month. Its a big deal. He has blossomed his freshman year.
I friend said it might have been the influence of having to fend for himself the year Riley was sick. I like to think it was being benched by the football coach for bad grades coming into high school. Finally someone else, other than his mother, punished him so he had to listen.
I wanted to reward Trevor for the honor. Tom said Trevor should be proud of his accomplishment for his own sake. I told Trevor he has an outstanding token he can use when ever. He wanted to go out for hamburgers after a meet, I asked if he was using his token. He said no. He was saving it for something else. We ended up heading home. He didn't want to work for the pleasure of hanging with his friends nor use his free token.
He now has an allowance but the first day he got it he spent it all this month.He bought himself dinner and a scout scarf and a card game. I told him next month when he gets his allowance, he might want to make it last longer, so when his friends are going out to burgers he can go with them and have his own money. The allowance is a good thing, a great training tool.
The boys needed breakfast money. I told them that their food fund went into the bank, for reimbursement for their free lunch jobs. Did they want to use a portion of that bank money to go to the school?. Riley made the argument that it was my job to make sure they are fed. Their investment work money should not go to their food for breakfast. I loved that he could argue the point logically with me. I told Riley I would pay for breakfasts, or at least put money in their school food accounts for breakfasts. Not make them pay, even though they could and do eat breakfast at home and then eat again at school. It was a good argument. Breakfasts are cheap. Both boys are learning the leasons of finance and budgeting.
Trevor loves the cafeteria job because of the benefits. A tray of cookies was dropped and smashed. He got to have all the broken ones. He said it took all day to eat them all.
I had both boys up against a post in the house to see how tall they were. Trevor is exactly 6 feet now in his socks. Riley is just a quarter of an inch shorter. Both boys are taller than both Tom and myself. Trevor is chomping at the bit to get his driver's license, but the boys both know grades have to be good for me to facilitate that happening. Trevor wants a summer job also, but it is going to need flexible days and hours with his summer camps. Anyone have projects they need a burly boy to haul for them?
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Tax season
We have been busy every weekend running around doing fun things. It is easy to let the taxes slide. Tom figures we will be getting money back so he is not in that much of a hurry to stress over it. We are always waiting on documents and important papers until the end of February. By the time March roles around we are into spring break and spring sports. Just finding the time is hard. It takes hours to plug in all the little numbers. The program spoon feeds you the questions but you still have to find the papers and type everything in correctly.
Tax weekend was also the weekend of our favorite auction, CASA, Court appointed children's advocates. Independent auditors for going into homes of children in the court system or social services and seeing the living conditions and helping where there is need. They throw a great fund raising party. Wine flows, paddles raise to bid up prizes for a good cause. We have a great group of friends that attend and party with us.
It is probably just as well that we are a little slow the next day, so we can focus on the taxes. Tom doesn't feel up to golf. He can sit at the computer and fill out those forms that need to be submitted. He is grouchy anyway, might as well have a reason.
I flutter around waiting for him to call out the paper he can't find and needs. Keeping a low profile. By afternoon the late night at CASA catches up to me also and I go upstairs for a nap. The end result of my disappearing is Tom orders really expensive pizza for dinner, delivered, and our taxes are not finished.
Tonight we will tackle them again. Thank goodness they owe us, so no penalties for being late. Other than they hold on to our money that much longer. Tom did finish the business taxes. The family taxes may not be as simple, with the move and the rental house. I found all our charitable donations receipts. I write in big bold highlighter on those papers, CHARITY 2011. They are hard to miss in the stacks of papers as I sift.
I can't wait until everything is done. I can feel the shadow hanging over us until we are finished. I saved a really nice expensive bottle of red wine from our Gearhart trip to celebrate the end of taxes. I am chomping at the bit to try it. It is my positive motivator.
Tom always says the day he can't do our taxes I can put him in a nursing home. That is his motivator. Taxes should not be so difficult that a person can not figure the forms out for themselves. I can see wanting to pay someone to do them if you don't have the time, because they are tedious. These programs on line; Turbo tax, or Tax act, or H&R Block, or any of the others will walk you through it, step by step. But it is taking us several days even with the programs to enter all the details of our last year so we can get credit for every little expense.
I love the idea of a flat tax. No more loop holes or write offs, but at least you know everyone is on the same playing field and committed to the same rules.
Tax weekend was also the weekend of our favorite auction, CASA, Court appointed children's advocates. Independent auditors for going into homes of children in the court system or social services and seeing the living conditions and helping where there is need. They throw a great fund raising party. Wine flows, paddles raise to bid up prizes for a good cause. We have a great group of friends that attend and party with us.
It is probably just as well that we are a little slow the next day, so we can focus on the taxes. Tom doesn't feel up to golf. He can sit at the computer and fill out those forms that need to be submitted. He is grouchy anyway, might as well have a reason.
I flutter around waiting for him to call out the paper he can't find and needs. Keeping a low profile. By afternoon the late night at CASA catches up to me also and I go upstairs for a nap. The end result of my disappearing is Tom orders really expensive pizza for dinner, delivered, and our taxes are not finished.
Tonight we will tackle them again. Thank goodness they owe us, so no penalties for being late. Other than they hold on to our money that much longer. Tom did finish the business taxes. The family taxes may not be as simple, with the move and the rental house. I found all our charitable donations receipts. I write in big bold highlighter on those papers, CHARITY 2011. They are hard to miss in the stacks of papers as I sift.
I can't wait until everything is done. I can feel the shadow hanging over us until we are finished. I saved a really nice expensive bottle of red wine from our Gearhart trip to celebrate the end of taxes. I am chomping at the bit to try it. It is my positive motivator.
Tom always says the day he can't do our taxes I can put him in a nursing home. That is his motivator. Taxes should not be so difficult that a person can not figure the forms out for themselves. I can see wanting to pay someone to do them if you don't have the time, because they are tedious. These programs on line; Turbo tax, or Tax act, or H&R Block, or any of the others will walk you through it, step by step. But it is taking us several days even with the programs to enter all the details of our last year so we can get credit for every little expense.
I love the idea of a flat tax. No more loop holes or write offs, but at least you know everyone is on the same playing field and committed to the same rules.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The exterminator
The exterminator came. Our house made the top 15 most infested homes he had seen. Not as bad as the lady who had them dropping on her head from a kitchen sky light, but bad enough. We have carpenter ants not termites. The difference is the body. Ants have segmented bodies and termites are just one long ugly bug. The winged bugs are the breeding females looking for a new colony to establish. My vacuum sucked up quite a few of those. My feet crushed the ones that landed on the floor. $500 to do the first heavy treatment. Quarterly return treatments for a year to make sure none survive. The quarterly treatments are $150 each.
I removed any downed wood from around the house. I did a burn pile, then my neighbor called again telling me his house was full of smoke from my burn pile. I quit burning. I was about finished anyway. It went fast. I feel bad about the burns bothering him, but I just don't see how I can dispose of this much debris. I have only done one other. I told him about our carpenter ants and needing to dispose of the downed wood. I told him I was already paying for an extra garbage can for the yard waste. I told him I was done burning for the day. I also told him I had tried to burn only during the week in the middle of the day, as not to disturb him on the weekends, and in hopes he would be at work or away during a weekday. Turns out he is retired and never away. I asked him to call me when he might be gone so I could burn, but he said it is not often that he goes anywhere. Reminds me a little of the days of Tom Senior. Just sitting at home waiting for nothing. He said he was on oxygen, which is when I felt really guilty.
Riley went for his final drive for school and passed. A few things still to work on, but so much better than when he started. The long drive to the mountains helped last week. I had him drive into the city. He was fine on the freeway. the city streets and all the traffic was a little daunting. He did cut someone off and get honked at. Which scared him. He sat at the next intersection with a stop sign for a minute to catch his breath. Over all he did well.
While we waited for Riley's driving class to be over, Trevor went to the comic book store and bought "Magic" cards. It is some game he is in to playing. He had no money so I told him I would buy the cards for two hours of hard labor this weekend. I want to get the slates placed for steps in the yard. We had tossed the slates off the back deck where they had been sitting since we dismantled the old pool table. The sloppy wet ground made a soft landing for them so they didn't break. After one was tossed over the rail, Trevor and I would go down and drag it out of the way so we could toss the next one. The soil was too wet to drag them far. We kept slipping and they kept getting stuck. I meant to have us move them to where I wanted them during the dry spell, but today the rains are back and we will need to wait again.
I am settling on inexpensive arborvitae for my fence. The giant Laural are not available. I am hopeful the fence of greens will help make my neighbor happy. Perhaps absorb noise and smoke and give him and us some privacy. Two hours of hard labor can get those plants into the ground. Trevor can dig the holes.
Saturday is also Goodwill good turn for scouts. We drop off notices on doors that we will be picking up donations for Goodwill the next weekend. It takes about two hours. The next weekend is the Republican County convention, so I wont be able to help do the pick up. I am still on the bubble for a delegate. I should be done after that Saturday though. I am really just a body filling a seat. I was curious how the process works. The best way to find out is to participate.
Tom is getting over his cold. So everyone is doing well. Grades are due soon, but the system is down that allows us to check the missing assignments. The boys know I will blow a gasket if they have bad grades. Trevor is doing well he tells me. Riley seems to be glossing over the question. It is out of my hands.
I removed any downed wood from around the house. I did a burn pile, then my neighbor called again telling me his house was full of smoke from my burn pile. I quit burning. I was about finished anyway. It went fast. I feel bad about the burns bothering him, but I just don't see how I can dispose of this much debris. I have only done one other. I told him about our carpenter ants and needing to dispose of the downed wood. I told him I was already paying for an extra garbage can for the yard waste. I told him I was done burning for the day. I also told him I had tried to burn only during the week in the middle of the day, as not to disturb him on the weekends, and in hopes he would be at work or away during a weekday. Turns out he is retired and never away. I asked him to call me when he might be gone so I could burn, but he said it is not often that he goes anywhere. Reminds me a little of the days of Tom Senior. Just sitting at home waiting for nothing. He said he was on oxygen, which is when I felt really guilty.
Riley went for his final drive for school and passed. A few things still to work on, but so much better than when he started. The long drive to the mountains helped last week. I had him drive into the city. He was fine on the freeway. the city streets and all the traffic was a little daunting. He did cut someone off and get honked at. Which scared him. He sat at the next intersection with a stop sign for a minute to catch his breath. Over all he did well.
While we waited for Riley's driving class to be over, Trevor went to the comic book store and bought "Magic" cards. It is some game he is in to playing. He had no money so I told him I would buy the cards for two hours of hard labor this weekend. I want to get the slates placed for steps in the yard. We had tossed the slates off the back deck where they had been sitting since we dismantled the old pool table. The sloppy wet ground made a soft landing for them so they didn't break. After one was tossed over the rail, Trevor and I would go down and drag it out of the way so we could toss the next one. The soil was too wet to drag them far. We kept slipping and they kept getting stuck. I meant to have us move them to where I wanted them during the dry spell, but today the rains are back and we will need to wait again.
I am settling on inexpensive arborvitae for my fence. The giant Laural are not available. I am hopeful the fence of greens will help make my neighbor happy. Perhaps absorb noise and smoke and give him and us some privacy. Two hours of hard labor can get those plants into the ground. Trevor can dig the holes.
Saturday is also Goodwill good turn for scouts. We drop off notices on doors that we will be picking up donations for Goodwill the next weekend. It takes about two hours. The next weekend is the Republican County convention, so I wont be able to help do the pick up. I am still on the bubble for a delegate. I should be done after that Saturday though. I am really just a body filling a seat. I was curious how the process works. The best way to find out is to participate.
Tom is getting over his cold. So everyone is doing well. Grades are due soon, but the system is down that allows us to check the missing assignments. The boys know I will blow a gasket if they have bad grades. Trevor is doing well he tells me. Riley seems to be glossing over the question. It is out of my hands.
Monday, April 9, 2012
EEEW
Riley upgraded his phone. His old one finally died. The new one has a full keyboard. He is loving it. He wont be leaving this one at home, embarrassed to be seen with such an old dated flip up version.
We had a great final few days of vacation. Took the boys to a friend's house in the country. Her goats had disappeared the day before. She figures they got out and wondered off and someone decided to pick them up and keep them. She checked with the humane society but no one had reported having them.
The neighbor dog got into the hen house a few days earlier. The goats are supposed to guard the the hens. The neighbor denied it was her dog until my girlfriend said she had pictures. Good fences make good neighbors.
If the dog does it again I would lock the dog in the hen house and call the sheriff. He will deal with the dog.
We took a trip to the feed store for new chicks. They are so adorable. I want chickens. One of my friends here in town has a hen house. I want to get a cute little play house and decorate it all up for the yard. There is motivation. My girlfriend on the farm sells her free range organic eggs to the health store for $1 an egg. Can you believe people pay $12 a dozen. She says it is because of the free range. Harder to keep your hens alive with free range. The hens pay for themselves at that price. They are great with the bugs, which is why my girl friend keeps them. No mosquitoes even though they live near water. No bugs in the grass. The hens are a natural insecticide. With our ant issues I am loving the idea.
Our ant issues have been growing. I sprayed the house over a week ago. The warm weather came this weekend. Riley texted me from the office where I was sitting in the family room, there were some big bugs, flying monster ants, in the office. I began seeing them in the living room. Looking around I found them crawling in clusters out of a couple of holes in the corner of the walls. The warm weather cooking the southern wall had activated their nest. Creepy crawly nasty termites. I got out the spray bottle of insecticide and the vacuum cleaner, adding an extent ion to the hose length. I sprayed and sucked up the crawly creatures for an hour. Finally the evening air helped put the ants to bed. I called the exterminator. He is coming to solve the problem on Tuesday. Good old fashioned chemicals to get the problem under control and out of the house.
A friend asked if we would do the Easter Brunch with the bunny at the club. She was in charge but had to be out of town. After Riley turned me down for being the bunny, Trevor said yes as it was a paying gig. Riley was fearful someone would see him be the bunny. I told him no one would know. He said he would know. Trevor will work for money and make a great big bunny. He was happy to help.
We hid the eggs. Really just tossed them out and around on the grass. Small children are so funny. They will run right by a perfectly good egg to get the one they have their eye on. Often one egg is all they want and they will sit down and open the one egg and be done with the hunt if not encouraged to continue picking them up. The older children hunt until all are found. The hunt was split age four and under and five and up. That way the big kids don't plow down the babies in their enthusiasm to get the most eggs. The small children can take their time.
I note that the morning crowd was a bit more subdued. They didn't drink. The afternoon seating came. These are the families that probably went to church on Easter before their meal. The bar was hopping. I had to laugh. Church then booze.
Trevor did a great job as bunny. But that costume gets hot. Next time he needs some cooling cloths or a wet shower before he puts on the costume so he can stay cool for two hours. It is a long gig with two seating's. He took a break in the middle, removing his costume and hanging out in the men's locker room waiting for the bunny's next appearance.
I took the boys out to a late lunch afterwards with another friend, who's children came to help with the egg hunt. Her grandson handed out the stuffed bunny gifts to the children. We had a delightful late meal. Next time I will make reservations so the boys can enjoy the buffet also, between working.
Trevor had an oops. He wanted to show his best friend a new game he had just received, Grand theft auto for the x box. He asked me to pick up his friend. We were already out and about so it was easy to swing by the boy's home to grab him and bring him to our house. It was almost 4:00. I was initially under the impression that his friend was staying a few hours, until 7:00pm. Miscommunication all around, the young friend's grand parents were coming to his house at 5:00. The boys really had less than an hour to play.
Had I known in the beginning I would have postponed the play date for another day. I had friends dropping by, I couldn't turn around and take the boy home right away. He had to call his father to come get him if he was to get home in time. The boy had asked the mom for permission. Mom hadn't known the family was coming by again later as the Dad had made the arrangements. The boys had initially told me they had more time than they really had. It was all very last minute.
I made Trevor go up to the car when the parent arrived to retrieve his child for dinner and apologize for causing more work for everyone. Anything less than three hours is just not worth the trip to pick up a play friend. I know those boys love to play together but they have got to start riding bikes or something.
Riley had his own oops. I had been telling him all vacation to do his math and not wait until Sunday. Well, he waited until Sunday night. The printer wouldn't work for him. I had my company. Tom got mad at me for not helping Riley, and I got mad at Riley for waiting until the last minute. My friends ended up having to leave so Riley could get his work done. But I enjoyed the lecture he received from them regarding the incident, about how wrong it was getting me in trouble with Tom because of Riley's procrastination. Tom even admitted hearing me nag Riley all week regarding his work. I handed the math to Riley numerous times this week to get him started, yet somehow it was Sunday night and I had company when Riley decides he needs help.
I also picked up crossbow and sticker for my blackberries this week. I am very excited to get out and start spraying what is left. The yard is beginning to look amazing with the changes. When we moved in the berries were climbing onto the deck. Now I see my hillside, the shape of the land. I will need to wait until winter for the fruit tree plantings as they are just too expensive if not bare root. The ground will be prepped and ready for the trees though. I have all summer. My friend with the chain saw is coming to take down the trees I want removed. I am pleased and excited about the progress. Especially with little expense.
The nursery store also told me the yellowing of my boxwood hedge is due to lack of iron. Add iron and they will green right up. Too much rain in the northwest causes the yellowing. I added iron to the boxwood last night. I plan on nurturing those plants until they are happy.
We had a great final few days of vacation. Took the boys to a friend's house in the country. Her goats had disappeared the day before. She figures they got out and wondered off and someone decided to pick them up and keep them. She checked with the humane society but no one had reported having them.
The neighbor dog got into the hen house a few days earlier. The goats are supposed to guard the the hens. The neighbor denied it was her dog until my girlfriend said she had pictures. Good fences make good neighbors.
If the dog does it again I would lock the dog in the hen house and call the sheriff. He will deal with the dog.
We took a trip to the feed store for new chicks. They are so adorable. I want chickens. One of my friends here in town has a hen house. I want to get a cute little play house and decorate it all up for the yard. There is motivation. My girlfriend on the farm sells her free range organic eggs to the health store for $1 an egg. Can you believe people pay $12 a dozen. She says it is because of the free range. Harder to keep your hens alive with free range. The hens pay for themselves at that price. They are great with the bugs, which is why my girl friend keeps them. No mosquitoes even though they live near water. No bugs in the grass. The hens are a natural insecticide. With our ant issues I am loving the idea.
Our ant issues have been growing. I sprayed the house over a week ago. The warm weather came this weekend. Riley texted me from the office where I was sitting in the family room, there were some big bugs, flying monster ants, in the office. I began seeing them in the living room. Looking around I found them crawling in clusters out of a couple of holes in the corner of the walls. The warm weather cooking the southern wall had activated their nest. Creepy crawly nasty termites. I got out the spray bottle of insecticide and the vacuum cleaner, adding an extent ion to the hose length. I sprayed and sucked up the crawly creatures for an hour. Finally the evening air helped put the ants to bed. I called the exterminator. He is coming to solve the problem on Tuesday. Good old fashioned chemicals to get the problem under control and out of the house.
A friend asked if we would do the Easter Brunch with the bunny at the club. She was in charge but had to be out of town. After Riley turned me down for being the bunny, Trevor said yes as it was a paying gig. Riley was fearful someone would see him be the bunny. I told him no one would know. He said he would know. Trevor will work for money and make a great big bunny. He was happy to help.
We hid the eggs. Really just tossed them out and around on the grass. Small children are so funny. They will run right by a perfectly good egg to get the one they have their eye on. Often one egg is all they want and they will sit down and open the one egg and be done with the hunt if not encouraged to continue picking them up. The older children hunt until all are found. The hunt was split age four and under and five and up. That way the big kids don't plow down the babies in their enthusiasm to get the most eggs. The small children can take their time.
I note that the morning crowd was a bit more subdued. They didn't drink. The afternoon seating came. These are the families that probably went to church on Easter before their meal. The bar was hopping. I had to laugh. Church then booze.
Trevor did a great job as bunny. But that costume gets hot. Next time he needs some cooling cloths or a wet shower before he puts on the costume so he can stay cool for two hours. It is a long gig with two seating's. He took a break in the middle, removing his costume and hanging out in the men's locker room waiting for the bunny's next appearance.
I took the boys out to a late lunch afterwards with another friend, who's children came to help with the egg hunt. Her grandson handed out the stuffed bunny gifts to the children. We had a delightful late meal. Next time I will make reservations so the boys can enjoy the buffet also, between working.
Trevor had an oops. He wanted to show his best friend a new game he had just received, Grand theft auto for the x box. He asked me to pick up his friend. We were already out and about so it was easy to swing by the boy's home to grab him and bring him to our house. It was almost 4:00. I was initially under the impression that his friend was staying a few hours, until 7:00pm. Miscommunication all around, the young friend's grand parents were coming to his house at 5:00. The boys really had less than an hour to play.
Had I known in the beginning I would have postponed the play date for another day. I had friends dropping by, I couldn't turn around and take the boy home right away. He had to call his father to come get him if he was to get home in time. The boy had asked the mom for permission. Mom hadn't known the family was coming by again later as the Dad had made the arrangements. The boys had initially told me they had more time than they really had. It was all very last minute.
I made Trevor go up to the car when the parent arrived to retrieve his child for dinner and apologize for causing more work for everyone. Anything less than three hours is just not worth the trip to pick up a play friend. I know those boys love to play together but they have got to start riding bikes or something.
Riley had his own oops. I had been telling him all vacation to do his math and not wait until Sunday. Well, he waited until Sunday night. The printer wouldn't work for him. I had my company. Tom got mad at me for not helping Riley, and I got mad at Riley for waiting until the last minute. My friends ended up having to leave so Riley could get his work done. But I enjoyed the lecture he received from them regarding the incident, about how wrong it was getting me in trouble with Tom because of Riley's procrastination. Tom even admitted hearing me nag Riley all week regarding his work. I handed the math to Riley numerous times this week to get him started, yet somehow it was Sunday night and I had company when Riley decides he needs help.
I also picked up crossbow and sticker for my blackberries this week. I am very excited to get out and start spraying what is left. The yard is beginning to look amazing with the changes. When we moved in the berries were climbing onto the deck. Now I see my hillside, the shape of the land. I will need to wait until winter for the fruit tree plantings as they are just too expensive if not bare root. The ground will be prepped and ready for the trees though. I have all summer. My friend with the chain saw is coming to take down the trees I want removed. I am pleased and excited about the progress. Especially with little expense.
The nursery store also told me the yellowing of my boxwood hedge is due to lack of iron. Add iron and they will green right up. Too much rain in the northwest causes the yellowing. I added iron to the boxwood last night. I plan on nurturing those plants until they are happy.
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