Projecting

I finished my walk way.  I am going to maybe reconfigure the fancy end pavers because I am not satisfied with them...maybe add another...and a few of the other pavers still need a little leveling.  It also needs more dirt between the pavers.  I was waiting for the rain storm that we had last night for everything to settle.

Today I start work on a couple of things at once.  I have to put plastic down on my garage floor so that I can spray paint the rebar that will support my privacy screen for my back deck and to seal my concrete bird bath.  I will also be filling in the nail holes and screw holes in my bedroom wall (almost 20), sand that down and paint over it.  Thankfully the paint for the walls was in the basement.  AND THEN, I will begin putting the flooring planks down.  That will begin on Monday and may take me a few days. 

I also have the front railing to paint.  Not sure I will do that today.  I may do that next week then my dad is going to help me put that on.  The only other things I want to accomplish is to put in the fan in my office area and the new vent/fan in the main bathroom.

Sounds like a lot but I can get it done in short order.  My son informed me that, at this point, he is planning on visiting July 11-14th and I have a friend planning on spending the night on July 15th.  So...I have my target date to have it all done...July 10th.  I work well with a target date.

My friend Debbie is doing some interior redecorating...painting, flooring...to her mom's house because she is going to purchase it and move in next month.  Her mom is elderly and having health issues. Debbie is a nurse.  Debbie's 4 siblings encouraged her to do it and that way she can sell it later, if she wants, and make some money from it.  They are married. She is divorced and this is what happens.  I may end up selling my house and moving in with which ever one of my parents is left after one of them dies...just so the one that is left does not have to go to a nursing home.  It will help me out also because by the time it is all said and done, I will end up with enough money to buy a house for myself outright...no mortgage.  By then, my older sister may be ready to sell her house and we can find something that is mutually acceptable to both of us.

No...I obviously am not planning on remarrying.  I don't care.

I bought some lavender plants.  They were in my garage for a week.  I finally put them in large planters on my deck and 2 days later they were dead.  Ugh.  I messaged the herb farm I bought them from and let them know what happened and asked if they had any more that I could buy and try again. They told me to dig them up, bring them in and they will replace them for free.  I was not looking for that but if that is what they want to do...then, why not? 

I had my second interview with the other online school.  It was tough.  I think it went well BUT I am not sure if they will offer me the job or if I want it. I can say that I would want more money but this is for an 11th grade position working with the algebra II teacher.  My algebra II skills are rusty but I have confidence I could get up to speed fairly quickly with that but then I am thinking about learning a new system and getting used to a new grade level and it makes me tired just thinking of it.  Usually I am all for a new challenge but I am losing my enthusiasm for it.  I just don't feel like they will be offering me this position at this time.  They will probably find someone else that is a better fit.  That is my gut feeling.  However, IF they do offer me that job, I will most likely take it.  Who knows?  I may really end up liking it.  I have 8 more years before I am thinking I am going to consider retiring.  Debbie says we won't be here anymore by then and she may be right.  I am not going to worry about it.

Well, things are not going to get done by themselves.  Off I go!

Walk Away

I am putting in a new walk way to my porch from the driveway.  I had it almost all dug up but had to quit because it got hot and the ground became hard as rock.  BUT it has rained for 2 days now....off and on...and the ground is ready to be dug up again and tomorrow is going to be cool. SO...I am going to finish it tomorrow. 

I went with my older sister to Ollie's yesterday and bought my flooring for my bedroom floor.  It is a flexible, self sticking vinyl plank.  I will be starting on it Friday, or Saturday.  I still have to finish filling in the screw holes in the walls and painting.  I will be glad to have it completed.  Getting the walkway done and the bedroom done will be two big things off my list of things to do.  The next thing is the railing up for my front steps.  I also need to repaint my porch which will be a one day job since I am going to put primer on it first, this time.  AND I need to put up my privacy screen by my back deck.   That should not take long.  Maybe a couple hours, max. 

Lynn, the newly widowed neighbor behind me, has made friends with Lucy, my dog.  She has a guy that mows and trims her lawn for $25 each time which is about once per week, or as needed.  He said he would mow my lawn for the same price, even though my yard is almost twice the size of hers.  I told him I if he can start that for me the beginning of August and until it no longer needs it in the fall, I would hire him.  It would be great to not have to worry about getting out and getting the lawn mowed while school is in session. 

I looked at another house.  It was 'yuck'.  My house is pretty nice! 

This Friday I have a second interview for a better paying online teaching job.  It is the job that I almost was hired for last year but they didn't have enough enrollment.  Now they do and I am going through the whole process again.  Last summer I had to drive to Columbus (3 hours away) for the 2nd F2F interview.   This year it is being done virtually using Google Hangouts.  I am cautiously optimistic.  Just because they wanted to hire me last year does not mean they want to hire me this year.   It would be great to know one way or the other before I have to sign my contract with my present employer.  I sure could use the extra money. 

I do not know what God has planned for me.  If it is not this job, I trust that He will provide something else. 

The gardens around my house have really blossomed this year.  So many pretty flowers!  And my tomato and pepper plants are growing really nice, too.  I am happy with the results of my labor last summer and this year, so far.  My mother says that I won't want to sell and move.  I do like my house...just not where it sits.  If God's plan is for me to move, I will.  So far, I have not found anything to give me a reason to move.

I have a friend from high school, who lives in Florida right now, coming to stay with me for a bit in mid-July so I have to work to have things completed by then.  It would be good to be done with making changes by then anyway so that I will have a little vacation left with no projects.  Just books to read.  And the ability to enjoy my deck. 

Lucy has had to make a visit to the vet.  She had a cyst on the back of one of her hind legs that burst.  I had a mess to clean up and get her to the vet.  The vet finished cleaning it out and shot her with anti-biotics and steroids.  If I had known about the reaction to the steroids I would not have allowed that shot.  She was miserable...drinking gallons of water, peeing profusely, eating constantly, and then..the worst part in my opinion...the night time heavy, labored breathing.  I had to google about the steroid shots given to dogs and the effects to find out that all of these things she was doing was side affects for the steroid shot. The vet assistant called me to find out how she was doing and I asked her how long this was supposed to go on.  She said it would last about 5 days.  I told her that the ONLY way I knew about these side affects was that I had to google it because no one had given me any indication of what to expect PLUS if I had been given that information ahead of time, I would have not allowed the steroid shot.  I actually said it very pleasantly and she apologized for their lack of follow through. 

I should say so.  Do.your.job.  That's all I ask.  Lucy did something outside today that cut it open again and I had to douse it with peroxide, clean it and cover it with anti-biotic cream to help it heal.  She was being her usually full of it self this morning.  Once she opened it up again, she has just been laying around today.  Not moving much.  I am sure it is sore again.  poor baby.