Shifting Priorties

Lately I feel like I'm walking on quick sand.  One step in this direction...No, that doesn't feel right.  Lets try the other way...Ooo that's better.  But then 10 steps down that road, something else comes up and has me thinking that I'd better head over in that direction.

With this "Ka-Blam" Springtime weather we're having lately, I've been feeling like I need to shift my priorities daily.  I start off alright but by the end of the day I'm scratching my head wondering just what did I get done today.

I took a few days off this week as two of my Dr's are taking some much needed vacations with their families.  So given the option of twiddling my thumbs at work or taking some PTO and busting my double-wide here at the house, I opted to take Wednesday and Friday off to try and get a handle on things around the plantation.

Wednesday started off great with a 3am hot flash and me getting up to watch some TV hoping to go back down.  But then I made the mistake of watching some TiVoed Hot in Cleveland which has got to be the funniest thing ever.  I was laughing so hard I was afraid I'd wake up SM.  I just started watching HIC this year and I tell you...Betty White kills every time.  What good writing.

After my laughfest I walked the dogs, fed them, spent a hour or so on your blogs, another hour on my blog, (these posts don't write themselves do they?) trimmed Ginnys and Caseys nails, (Poor Casey was twitching like she was being electroshocked) loaded the dishwasher, ate some breakfast and once I saw that the sun was filtering through the fog, stepped out onto the porch to survey my domain.

"It should be pretty easy pulling weeds today after that rainstorm last night." SM decrees, already assigning me my tasks for the day.  

I hate weeding.  But SM hates it even more.  So shifting the twitches that rippled down my back in anticipation of another fun filled day hanging upside down, I headed out eyeballing the beds.  As I strolled around the wet grass with the dogs zipping here and there, I noted that the lawn needed mowed.  Again.  "But I can do that this afternoon." I muttered to myself wandering over to go look at the garden.

What a mess.  But not really.  The weeds are mostly suppressed by the cardboard.  But I'll need more.  I'm finding it most effective to lay cardboard in the walkways twice a year.  It may not look pretty but it's a cheap fix if you can find it.  I went cardboard hunting on Monday and mostly struck out.  Lots of little stuff but that's just a pain.  I want the medium to large boxes.  I even went in to talk to the grocery store manager who told me that Mondays are not a good day in the world of cardboard dumpster diving.  But I was welcome to come back on Wednesday and Friday as they are better for boxes.  So add that to the list of ToDo's for today.

Some of the beds and the new double dig area needs more compost, and I wouldn't mind going and getting a load today but we had rain last night so that'll make hauling it and shoveling it harder than it needs to be.  Besides, I'd rather wait until I can coerce SM into helping with that. 

Fencing needs moved after the compost goes in.  Do I want to plant some pears?  If so I'd better get a move on.  I ordered the strawberries on Monday so those will be shipped next week.  I need to back-fill the hole that the shrub came out of last weekend. 

This is where the new strawberry bed will go.  Do rabbits eat the strawberry plants?  If so, I'll have to delay planting them until the fence is moved which means compost is the first priority. 

Actually weeding first, then cardboard, then compost... 

Oh great, the cat just puked on the carpeting.  OK...clean the carpet first, then weed, then cardboard, then compost.

Geez, can you dogs try and wipe your feet before you come in the house?  The floors all tracked up and muddy.  Might as well get out the mop and clean up the floors.  But you guys look like you could use a bath. (sigh)

OK...Lets see.  Baths first, then mop, then clean the carpets, then go out and weed...

Oh Crap!  I've got a hair appointment today.  The girl I've been with for the past year made me so blond I'm starting to feel ditsy so I'm done with her.  I'm trying a different stylist who I hope will toss in some brown "low lights" to bring me back down to earth.

OK...Let's see.  Mop the floor first, then clean the carpet, then get my hair done, then dumpster dive for cardboard while I'm out, then come home and mow the lawn...maybe I'll give the dogs a bath later.

So the floor got mopped and then I got my hair done.  I dumpster dived to find a few boxes, not much though.  Came home and cleaned the carpets.  Hopped on the mower and did our lawn and sat back and considered my neighbors yard.

Yes I have one of those neighbors.  The house right beside the garden is occupied by a Mom and her 2 adult children.  We never see them which is sorta nice but also sorta weird since you don't know really know if anyone's dead or alive.  They hire out their yard work every year but wait to hire a service until their grass is impossibly high. 

I'm concerned about this because we're having an early season.  I'm sure that tall grass will attract fleas, ticks, snakes and mice.  Last year when she did this I actually found a copperhead in my garden.  (shudder)  And had fleas for the first time in years.

So I sat and looked at her lawn.  Yes, I am THAT sort of neighbor.  A "busy-body" to be sure.  If I was going to intervene and mow it, I'd better do it soon.  That grass was already 2 feet high.

I went over and rang the bell.  Twice.  I walked around back and noted that a car was there.  (They never answer their door.)  I walked around the back yard making sure nothing would damage the mower.  I walked back around the front and noticed a neighbor across the street was out, so I went over and chatted with her.  Any news?  We discussed the yard, (I wasn't the only one concerned) she offered to help, I waved her off.  I knew if SM was home he'd tell me to leave it alone.  But I can't.  So for purely selfish reasons, I went over and mowed their yard. 

Dropping a hint?  I'm not subtle am I?

It was HIGH and on top of all THAT, I think I might have gotten poison ivy on my wrist.  (*No good deed every goes unpunished.)

So that's how my days have been.  All over the place.  Did the weeding get done? 

No.  But there's always tomorrow.