And it really is a pain in the butt.
I probably started back on my "regular" activities too early but what the hey - not doing anything was just driving me crazy and making me fat.
There is still a ton of stuff in storage that I'd like to get out and I still haven't finished painting or wall papering. I think I might have to bite the bullet and just take some time off and get it done.
The kitchen is slowly getting into shape. I found some cabinets I think might work as a pantry and a cleaning closet so I will go pick those up when I get a chance (and I get the car unloaded to fit new stuff in there).
That will cut down on the chaos quite a bit I think - it will get all of the cleaning stuff and plastic containers out of the floor and put away. I'm pretty much just shoving things in drawers to get it out of the way and will organize it later. I hope.
The bedrooms are a complete wreck and I still don't have a washing machine. But at least the lawnmower is fixed and I have a weed eater that works. So I can take my frustrations out on the lawn.
And I plan on renting a chainsaw to reclaim the outer limits of the yard from the honeysuckle that is trying to take over. That crap is just growing out of control. The neighbor cut a bunch of his back while I was camping this weekend and it made me realize how much it has invaded my yard.
It's too thick for me to tackle with an axe or a hacksaw so I'm going to break down and rent a chainsaw (eventho I'm slightly afraid of them). Hopefully, chain saws have come a long way (like post hole diggers) since I remember them growing up or it might prove to be an interesting experiment in futility.
When I will be able to tackle this I'm not sure. Like I said, I still need to unpack and get a washing machine. And I need to figure out if there is a snake pit under my backporch. This would be very, very Bad.
Last night during the big rain, I happened to look out and realized the big hole that I had filled in with dirt off of the back porch was now bubbling. Like the Creature from the Black Lagoon was about to pop up in my back yard. It was pretty weird.
Where ever that hole leads to must be pretty deep to have that sort of an air pocket in it and to blow out all of that dirt. So I put a brick over it and stomped it down in there.
I'd drop a flame down in there if it wasn't so close to the house. Since I don't know where that hole goes or what is in there, I just might have to get someone from the county extension office to come out and take a look at it.
If it is snakes, I'll wait until after it frosts and take a backhoe to the bastards.
I'm just kinda tired and worn out. My allergies aren't helping matters, either. The poor dog's allergies are acting up as well. But honestly, I'll take the allergies over the fucking cold any day of the week. I just hate the cold.
I ordered a bat box on line and it should come in today.
Here is an interesting link about bats and bat houses. I'd like to get an owl to cut down on the snake population but I don't think owls are as easy to attract as bats. They tend to be a little more picky but I do love them.
There was a barn owl that nested in our barn when I was growing up and it was really cool. There was also a Great Horned Owl around.
Maybe there is already one around and I just haven't heard it - there don't seem to be a lot of mice or anything altho there are PLENTY of rabbits so a Great Horned Owl certainly wouldn't go hungry.
Those coyotes were back this morning about 4am. They were making one HELL of a racket with their yipping and screeching. They seemed to be across the street in the woods over there because I didn't hear anything coming out of my woods when I went down to see. And Molly wasn't standing at the door barking so they didn't make it to my back yard. But I'm ready for them the varmints!
Right now the place doesn't quite feel like home - I guess there's just too much chaos with crap thrown pretty much everywhere. And I still have to dig around to find clothes to wear in the mornings. It's kind of a hassle and I really need to put more stuff away so I can get a handle on the chaos.
Hopefully I will take the next two days off so I can really make some progress.
Labels: moving
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The Rogue Goddess saw shadows dancing at 12:44 PM
To recap my lawn maintenance saga:
Wheel falls off mower
Wheel gets fixed but mower refuses to start
I have a breakdown
Mower finally works but trimming needs done.
Bro loans me his weed eater but it only gives the weeds a swirly.
BFF gives me a weed eater that works.
I trim lawn.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Or something like that.
So last night, I go to the hardware store (the local one - not a chain) and search for something to fix that stupid lawnmower wheel - you know, the one that keeps falling off or runs parallel to the lawn.
I formulate a fix-it plan and a backup plan and buy the hardware for both plans (it cost me $11 - they are cheap plans)
I end up working on this infernal mower for about 3 hours - Plan A didn't work so I had to go with the more destructive Plan B of removing the entire self-propelled mechanism and replacing it with a new rod for the wheels.
After much beating, pounding and cursing, I finally get the drive shaft out and install the new threaded rod in the front end and it works!
It looks like hell - all rednecked up with giant spikes sticking out of either side - but at least it has four wheels and will move over the lawn like it is supposed to.
I'm pushing it over the grass making sure the wheels are stable and figure I can get most of the back mowed before it gets dark. I push my newly-wheeled mower to the back yard and give the cord a pull.
Guess - just guess what happens next.
Yup - fucker wouldn't start.
Are we seeing a trend here?
*heavy sigh*
Instead of a breakdown, I head for the cider. Why not? I made it, I can drink it and this situation definitely calls for a drink. Or two. Or three even.
Thwarted (again) of my plan to mow the lawn, I took my frustration out on the poor dog and gave her a bath. She needs her toenails cut as well but I thought I'd tormented her enough. So she got off easy with just a bath.
Tonight, however, she may not be so lucky.
It's raining so I can't mow the grass - even if I managed to get the bastard mower started. I figure I can unpack, get ready for camping this weekend and trim the dog's nails.
Now, that sounds like a plan!
Labels: lawnmower
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The Rogue Goddess saw shadows dancing at 9:20 AM
So I moved at the beginning of the month, right? And I need to mow the grass. There's a mower on craigslist so my bro and I go over there to check it out. It runs good, seems to be in good order so I buy it and take it home.
The next day I'm mowing the lawn and the fucking wheel falls off. One of the front ones. Fuck. (Now bear in mind that this is a push mower and I've got roughly 1/2 acre. Yeah. Serious exercise pushing a 3-fucking-wheeled mower over 1/2 acre. At least it isn't mega-hilly, right?)
I manage to shove the stupid wheel back on and secure it enough to finish mowing the lawn. All is right on the Nephy estates until the next time I attempt to mow. Now the fucker doesn't want to start. And this would be ok if I had internet access so I could Google "mower won't start".
But noooooo - The Fiends Who Shall Not Be Named couldn't bother to show up and install my internet - TWICE. Fuckers. I'm sitting here with no lawn mower and no internet connection and no cell phone. FUCK. (I can live without the phone and a TV but damn, I miss that internet!)
Like any mature woman, I start crying. I want my mommy and I want her NOW! I throw the lawnmower in the trunk, grab the dog and go home to my mommy.
I get home and start banging on the door. My mom comes out in her house coat smoking a cig and is like "what's wrong?"
"My stupid mower won't start and The Spawns of Apep haven't installed my internet or phone and my grass is knee high!"
Mom gives me a hug and takes me inside. She calls my brother who agrees to come over and work on the stupid mower (he feels bad because he told me it was ok when I bought it but I can't blame him - it worked when we tried it out!) Mom gives me her cell phone so at least I can call someone if I have a problem again.
He comes over and fixes the stupid thing (the fuel line was clogged). I go home, mow the grass and take a well-deserved nap. All is Right with the world.
Then yesterday I go to mow the grass again. This time I have figured out how to put less stress on my poor old bones. Never mow up-hill. See, I've always mowed in a square (I don't know why - it's the way dad showed me so I just did it).
But it was damned hard pushing a 3-wheeled mower even up the smallest incline. So I turned to the Goog. Yes, there are videos out there on how to mow a lawn. Hey - I'm always willing to learn something beneficial to me. And I did.
Armed with this new knowledge of mowing (and knowing why the mower has trouble starting sometimes), I began my attack on the unsuspecting lawn. I was mowing away, blissfully conserving my strength on the inclines when disaster struck.
The fucking wheel fell off again. Fuck. I mean, c'mon, man!
Well, I wasn't about to stop mowing as I only had a small patch left so I just put my weight on the back to balance the mower out and finished on three wheels and with gritted teeth.
In disgust, I pushed the limping mower into the garage and decided to take the dog for a walk. We go on our walk and we're coming back along the path to the kitchen door when this monster anaconda slithers out of this old drainage hole by the kitchen steps.
I scream the bloody murder (I HATE those fuckers!) and do my best MC Hammer typewriter scrabble off the porch while the dog cringes in terror from ME. She didn't even notice the snake and the bastard snake didn't even move when I screamed at it.
C'mon, man! How much trauma can a girl take?
I snatch up the dog (who thinks I've gone nuts) and put her in the house. Fortified with some Gatorade, I lace up my steel toed boots, grab the hoe and go after this monster living next to my kitchen steps.
Of course, I had to stand on the top step and furitively peer over to the hole as I banged the hoe on the porch to make the thing leave. It has wisely either retreated to it's hole or gone elsewhere.
Heaving a sigh of relief, I put up the hoe, took off my boots and grabbed a beer. I had enough of Tuesday!
The stupid wheel falls off the lawnmower (again) then I get attached by an anaconda living next to the kitchen door! I probably should have had TWO beers.
This morning when I get up and take the dog for her walk, I also put a big old BRICK over the Anaconda Well of Terror by the kitchen steps. That bastard snake won't be slithering out to traumatize me again anytime soon!
Now all I have to do is fix that fucking lawnmower wheel. I tried to bolt it to the frame but that didn't work - the wheel kept rubbing the frame so I'm going to try something else tonight.
At least I now have a weed-eater that works. My bro loaned me his but all it did was give the weeds a swirly so that was kinda pointless. My BFF gave me an old one of hers - cordless electric - that is pretty awesome. I've been clearing out all sorts of overgrowth that I can't get with the 3-wheeler. Makes the yard look a lot nicer, too. (And it will tear that fucking snake up!)
Tonights agenda - buy more beer and more underwear (fuck that snake). Then fix lawnmower and finish mowing. Maybe even unpack a little. Or maybe fix the refrigerator (it wants to freeze everything which is rather annoying).
I finally have an internet connection at home so I'll be able to tackle the refrigerator in "real time" and not have to look it up at work then go home and try to figure it out.
The joys of moving. They are never ending, I tell ya!
Labels: lawnmower
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The Rogue Goddess saw shadows dancing at 9:51 AM
