Rocks, Docks, and Gutters

Wow.

It's been a LONG time since I have been here!

To be honest with you....I really did need the break.

I have totally caught up with what's happening on The Young and the Restless.

Luckily, they haven't had a storyline that's included Jill and Colin in a LONG time.

I still think Lily is super annoying....even though she is really pretty.

Cain is cute....but he makes gross mouth noises when he talks.

Anyway.

~

I'm so happy that summer is here.  My kids are in the musical at school, which means they are gone every afternoon, and since they sleep in until around 30 minutes before they leave, my house is still quiet and peaceful.

Mark has been pounding out as many projects as he can before summer school begins next week.

Like ripping the lattice off the bottom of the deck.

Our deck (dock) currently has no railing or steps (or lattice).  It truly is a dock now.  If only water actually surrounded it.

He has taken on the exciting job of removing all of the rock from around it. (He first shovels it into this fancy contraption he made....shakes all the dirt out, and then hauls the rock to another part of the yard.

This is step one of "let's make the back yard look a little less like rural Arkansas."

We planted perennials in the garden "peanut" too.

He dug all the chives up (or so he claims) since they had taken over.

We will see if they come back next year and kill all our new plants.

Here is the chive (and weed) jungle.

I have no idea what those plants are that look like a tornado hit them.

They were there before we planted the new stuff.

Probably weeds that he left to grow and spread their loveliness.

Speaking of weeds....Mark is currently risking his life on the extension ladder while he cleans out the rain gutters.

All of those super annoying helicopter thingys that fall out of whatever trees reside in our front yard have taken residence in our gutters.

And then they sprouted.

And our gutters now have a gazillion little trees growing in them.

They are kind of cute....but I'm guessing it wouldn't be a good situation in a couple of years.

Or when it rains tomorrow.

You are probably wondering why I am inside typing, rather than outside holding the ladder.

1. I can guarantee that I would be covered in sludge and baby trees if I were anywhere in the vicinity of Mark throwing gunk from the gutters.

2.  I can call 911 much faster when my eyes are not full of gunk from the gutters.

3. It's really hot outside.

4. If he wants me to hold the ladder...he will ask me.

~

The other day, I was pondering ways to make some extra money.

I am tired of stressing out each month when it's time to pay the mortgage.  You know, that game where you try to decide if you should pay it with the check from the first of the month, or the middle of the month, dependent upon all of your other bills.  For me, it's often dependent upon which part of the month did I have extra gigs that brought in extra income.

I often think "should we just sell this house and buy a cheap little fixer upper?"  When you watch HGTV, they really make it look quick and easy, and the final product is always so cool.  I have no doubt that I could find a cute little house with potential, and choose all of the elements that I wanted a contractor to include to fix that place up.

The thought of it is pretty exciting.  But, would I miss this nice big house?  Or, would this house even sell?  It's a beautiful house....but we did what real estate experts always say NOT to do.  We bought the best house in the neighborhood...not the worst.  Any money we stick into this place isn't going to guarantee us an increase in sale price when we do sell.  Will we be able to break even?  Who knows.

So, I guess I just need to make more money.

I could take on more private students...but that would involve filling up more evenings.  Then I thought....I could be an errand girl!

Once I get my butt out the door, I actually like running errands.  I feel so productive.  My guess is that people who work full time find it a tedious task that eats up the small amount of free time they have.

Who wants to go grocery shopping, run to the post office and drop off the dry cleaning on a Saturday?

Especially if there is someone who will do all that stuff for them during the week.

I know I would love to come home to a stocked fridge.  Hey, maybe I will even include "will put dinner in the crock pot" as one of my services.

I think I just might hire myself!

~

So seriously....silly idea, or brilliant?

I have to know.

;)