Aaarrggg!

I can't believe it's May 30th! Um, where have I been for the last week? It seems as though I've been lost in the yard, wandering from plant to plant.

I've actually had a couple of crazy days with real estate (amazing yet true), and have been trying to help out my mom with her yard so we both can enjoy the summer.

It was 90*F again today and same for tomorrow. Tough moving stone, dirt and doing physical labour in general in the heat. I broke down and turned the AC on this evening. I'm not in the mood to lay half naked on the couch covered in sweat trying to relax. Instead I'll be as cool as a cucumber and fully clothed.

We've booked our trip to Point Farms in a few weeks. 3 nights of camping bliss. It's located just outside Goderich, Ontario (the prettiest town in Ontario I believe). It's gorgeous and so much fun. The day after we get back I'm going to Tennessee for almost a week. I have some work to do there, but I'm sure Kiks and I can squeeze in a few rounds of golf at Tansi. Woo Hoo.

In general life is good, but very busy. TOL is gone this week-end for Rotary, KT goes to Chicago next week-end, SuperT is consumed with her new home constructions, and everyone else is busy with kids' and their activities. Life needs to slow down a bit...

Lucky duck?

I ventured all the way over to my mom's pool (100 feet) just now to turn off the water, and to my surprise, there is a gorgeous male Mallard sitting quietly at the pool's edge.

A few times we had a male and a female Mallard stop by for a frolic in a low spot in our yard which could be quite pond like. Today, however, there is no female in site, and the pool, although filled with water, is no pond.

I hope the female is okay. God knows I don't need to lose more sleep about birds.

Of course if I want to see ducks, I can go all the way over to my brother's house (300 feet). As his latest thing is owning ducks...

Frita Bandita

I found myself yesterday needing to be outside in the sun while still sporting a lovely burn on the back of my neck. Not really wanting to be outside in 90* weather wearing a turtle neck I wondered how to solve this problem. (Yes I know about sunblock, but even with sunblock, it doesn't feel too great having the sun beam down on a burn...)

Dilemma, dilemma... Bandanna to the rescue! I have a few bandannas, and they've come in handy for times just like this. (I also wore it today while vacuuming my mom's pool...) Last year I wore it in typical bandito fashion while grouting the flagstone path, as the dusty stuff was gathering readily in my lungs.

Occasionally I wear them on my head, especially handy when coming out of the pool, and not really wanting to drag a comb through my hair.

When I was in about grade 10, I bet that I owned 15 bandannas. All purchased from Au Coton. I had one to match every outfit, belt, sock, you name it. I wore them in my hair, as a belt, around my neck. Loser!

Some thoughts and happenings

Today I worked again in the yard. I'm really trying to get everything done so that I can enjoy the summer with a little maintenance. It's going slower than I thought, but it will be worth it. Hopefully by next week I'll be all done.

I don't understand the hoop de dula over American Idol. I love reality TV, but this just doesn't do it for me. Guest singers, big surprises? Who cares? Apparently A Lot of People, just not me.

TOL returned home after her incredible trip of a lifetime. We didn't have a chance at all the catch up, but we're getting together this week-end and hopefully one night next week. I can't wait to hear all about it!

Stupidest dog in the world, Mike, thought it would be a great idea to cool off and play with his racquetball in our 2X2X2 pond. Great. He knocked over the plant, so I ended up cleaning out the entire pond. Once done I discovered that the pump/filter doesn't work! ARG! Perfect!

I'm a little down about hearing the constant debate about the 'war in Iraq' (Doesn't ANYONE remember George W. congratulating the US on winning the war? It was before Saddam was 'captured'... anyway...) Do politicians not realize that peace in the Middle East will never happen. The purpose of so many people's existence in that region is to destroy, annihilate, completely wipe out one another. Can we change that? The American presence only antagonizes the problem further. Of course I wish all those serving there the best and continued safety, but c'mon, it's not getting any better. It never will.

I'm still quite bothered about hitting the bird last night. I saw 3 doves in our yard today, and I'm pretty sure they are planning some type of revenge...

Really

You may know me, or you may pseudo know me, or perhaps you 'blog' know me, but one thing that you should know, is that I love all things that live, swim, eat and breath...

So, at golf today, Kiks and I were toasting up on the 18th hole, (we teed off on the back for the ladies league at 4pm, and decided to play 18...) it's warm, I'm getting crispy with hive highlights, and the game, although fun, is not going well....

Then...

Dramatic pause...

I tee off a killer of a drive with my superduper Cobra offset driver, (really, I mc'smoked it...) then 'POOF' I hit a dove mid flight.

That's right, as my ball is rising straight down the fairway - I crush a beautiful, loving, sweet, unassuming dove mid flight and send it straight to its death 80 yards below.

Not exactly the 'birdie' I was hoping for... (God knows I've heard multiple cheese jokes since incident, not cool folks...)

Poor dove literally exploded on impact. Not pretty. Not good for my brain, as last year I hit a chick (please tell me how I hit a 3 wood 210 yard into the wind with a brutal lie...sorry Mena...) now this.

We put the poor, sweet, still warm bird near the ditch, so that it wouldn't get mushed further by rogue golf cart drivers.

Seriously scarred... You have no idea how this type of thing can affect me...

Golf

Yesterday was a great day. Billy and I had a tee time at Sutton for 11 am. It was a little cool and windy but occasionally sunny.

I had some really good holes and some tremendously terrible holes, but it was so much fun to be out with just Billy.

When we approached the 16 hole par 3, there was a red winged black bird making quite a fuss. Billy warned me that it might dive bomb us as it was doing that the day before when he golfed with some guys.

I thought that that was pretty funny. I've never been attacked by a bird before, but people in videos always freak out. I thought I would tempt the overbearing bird by yelling, 'I'm going to eat your babies' in a poor Fat Bastard accent, (yes I had a few drinks at this point.) Well that bird certainly did attack us. I was bombed a couple of times, and Billy was threatened about 7 times.

It's a little distracting trying to tee off when there is a rogue bird on the loose. Also tough when I'm laughing at my ass off. 137 yards dead into a 20 mph wind, pin in the back. Normally I hit an easy 6. Yesterday a 5 wood was required, and I was more prepared to use it as a mechanism of self defense than a golf club as I chunked it (it's hard to chunk a wood...) out of bounds and my second shot off the tee was still about 20 yards short.

Damned bird. I took an eight! An eight!

Oh, I also freaked out and looked just like everyone I've seen on TV when dive bombed by a bird...

Some more pics

Billy is fast asleep, but I'm going to wake him soon for our 11 am tee time. Of course I've been up since the crack of 6. Superduper.

Anyway, it's such a lovely morning, although today was supposed to be the worse of our long Victoria Day Week-end, (commonly known as 'May 24') it is looking to be a great day. I snapped some pics from around the house today, and discovered a few on my camera from the other day when a storm was approaching.

This is our raised garden beds. The little mini greenhouse contains tomatoes, herbs, green and jalapeno peppers.

This is our view from the back patio looking towards out neighbor's rear yard, (it's over 500 ft. deep).

This is one of my favorite corners in our house. The chair was retired from Ontario Legislature in the 60's, and was used for 75 years. It was given to my Grandfather as he was a member and the party leader. Too cool. Love the plant too.

This very suggestive cacti belonged to a client of mine. When they moved out, they left it on their back porch (it was fall) I saved it from certain death.

The Clematis in the front yard is starting to bloom. I love how well it grows!

This is not a phone booth. It sits in our front bedroom, and apparently is a locker from the Ontario Legislature. Ministers were assigned these lockers (so I understand). My sister found it and I thought it was pretty cool, although I can't find any information about it anywhere. Oh well, it's cool, and NOT a phone booth...

I like our stuff. I like our house. Lucky girl...

Enough

When is enough - enough? How does a person internally decide when they've had their fill? Do people consciously have a point where they know they will be satisfied? Is is a goal?

When do people say 'enough' to working overtime, and staying late at work? When is enough money enough?

When do people say 'enough' to collecting toys, campers, motorcycles and cars?

When do people say 'enough' to spending money and going in debt?

When do people say 'enough' to buying clothes they don't need and things they don't use?

How do people know when they've spent enough time with loved ones, family, friends? Can a person do too much for another? Who decides?

In many ways, I've just about had enough! Life's good...

Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba

Jeez Louise, what a way to wake up! I was a little groggy, (of course) making coffee this morning very shortly after rolling out of bed, and what runs from my feet, dashes around the corner, and zips downstairs? That's right Speedy Gonzales. I was quick enough to snap a picture...

He didn't yell out "Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba" but maybe he just woke up too and hadn't found his voice yet...

Freak me out! That's the fourth time I've yelled out in surprise in the last 3 days. I had 3 separate toad incidents at my mom's and now this.

Some pics

I'm not an artist, a photographer, nor do I have 'vision' when it comes to decorating, landscaping, etc. I'm not a big admirer of art in general, but sometimes I'm enveloped in beauty. Occasionally I linger when I see things that I find visually pleasing. Here are some pics from around of the house of things that give me pause.

This is a little lantern (we have 2), that my mom gave us years ago, near the pond. It is a little Asian looking and I just love it.

This is a picture of the top of our large money tree that Billy gave me for my birthday a few years ago. It has grown at least 2 feet in the last couple of years. I love the new growth.

This is the lilac that is near the pond and under our office window. I 'stole' it from my mom's yard last year. It smells amazing. We'll really have to keep in trimmed so that it doesn't take over that area.

This is our bar area. I love the symmetry, the colours and its efficiency.

Goings ons

I don't really have much to report. Same old, same old.

I seem that I forget every year how much yard work physically exhausts me. Poops me out! I'm trying to help get my mom's yard in order, (way too many flower beds, trees, bushes, etc...) it's a huge job, and she can't do it herself (it just wouldn't get done). Once it's done it will be a great relief and we can just enjoy the summer with very little maintenence.

I'm a little in limbo right now, and God knows, (y'all should too) that I like a plan. I don't know exactly when I'll be going to Tennessee next. It has to be in June, as there are things that need to be done before the renters come in July. I'm just waiting to find out a good time for Kiks to go. So with that, I don't know when Billy is going to Tennessee with the boys, (it may be in the fall this year...) or when he's going to Vegas. (Lucky, deserving boy...) I also don't know when we're going camping this year. We try to go in June, (it's pretty damned hot and busy on Lake Huron in July) but we don't know yet. Can't wait for the Drive In!

Life is Good! There are so many little things to look forward to!

Saturday morning

It's Saturday morning and essentially I've been up since 4am. That's who I am lately, I go to be at about 10 or 11 and I wake up at 4. Superduper.

It is a really nice, if not a little chilly, morning. Billy has a tee time at 9:30, and my plan is to play in the yard, clean out the pond, pull weeks, plant swiss chard, carrots, some beans, and whatever else I fancy. It's going to be a great day.

I'm very excited about our yard this year, as it is starting to look like a yard. The self generated haphazard 'landscaping' is actually working out quite well. (If I do say so myself). Next year I think I will self impose one slightly major project. I can do it, I can do it.

Anyways, it is going to be a good day. Tomorrow we're taking the mom's to brunch, then Survivor Finale! Woo hoo!

Good things

So it's Wednesday night, and I've fully recovered from my exhaustiveness, if that's a word, and I'm ready to write. Here are some recent good things:

- Making a decision. It's great that I've finally made an important choice... (cliff hanging, isn't it?)
- The smell of lilacs. We walked to the Freez yesterday with the pooch and it felt almost like time stood still when we encountered a huge lilac bush. Childhood memories abound...
- Discovering the most fantastic bottle of wine in the fridge when I thought nothing better than a half of a two year old bottle of Woodbridge Zinfandel existed. Oh yeah, bring on the Summer Sun!
- Chow at Sutton Creeek. Good God the Chef is amazing!
- Coor's Light on a hot day (and lots of it), Honey Nut Cheerios's, Grape Aquifina, Diet Pepsi, A1 Chinese in Essex (cue Angel's chorus), Summer Sun, Pinot Noir from Sprucewood...
- The condition of the fairways at Sutton Creek... incredible!
- Having the pond reconstruction project completed. 'Nuff said.
- Playing with the pooch and knowing that she appreciates it. Tonight we played 'Liz hides her rawhide then praises her greatly when she finds it'. Cool Dee O Gee.
- Having Power Point and Publisher "Skills" (Ref: Napoleon Dynamite). May result in some cheap stones of the field...
- Being chronically happy. It's painful at times how optimistic I can be.
- Cool peeps. Have met loads of nice people and have amis incroyable.
- Good things on the horizon... TN, Chicago? golf tomorrow, couples on Friday, camping in Point Farms... Drive In? Victoria Week-end - no open houses! Arg! Life's Good!
- Finales on TV and no longer being a slave to the DVR as summer re-runs approach! Amazing crappy unrealistic Race is done, Survivor next week, Grey's, D.H. (jumped the shark though...), 24, etc.... (Hopefully Hell's Kitchen comes back for the summer though...)
- Golf game can only improve, and hopefully I'll become BFF with chick pro at the club and get good tips then my LPGA card in the mail, and Billy can be my caddy, and I'll look as hot at Lorena Ochoa, and Taylor Made, Cobra, Pinnacle, Tattoo Golf and Nike will beg to be my sponsors (not AA...) I'll see the world and earn millions....
- Veggie garden well under way, plans made, and pics to follow....

On a sad note my Sirius radio is expiring this week and I can't justify the (although reasonable) cost for simply Howard Stern (yes, I know, please don't lecture me, lighten up, and he's much less crusty on satellite...) Fox News (I hate them fir the most part, but I must listen...) and CNN Headline News (not quite as good on radio as it's meant for TV, if I hear, "okay, this may be disturbing to some viewers...." Hello! I'm listening to you on radio!!!) back to AM 800, LIVE 97.1, country, DougFM, and etc... Can't complain, I had it good for a few months.., L'sG!

Beat

I'm pretty beat. The last few days I have been busting my butt outside, rebuilding the pond, moving and washing rocks, laying mulch, you name it. My hands are sore from the rocks, and I actually had on rubber gloves this morning spreading mulch (I couldn't find the gardening gloves, so they I must have thrown them out, as I am so anal I know where everything is... I do recall crusty gardening gloves clumped with mud...).

It's raining and it's Billy's golf night, poor guy. It's not too heavy so I'm sure he's swinging them. I golfed yesterday in the women's league (poorly), tomorrow with Kiks, and Friday night in the couples' league. Fun, fun, fun.

I should go, the couch is calling! By the way, Happy Birthday TOL, I'm sure it's your most unusual so far! Travel safe, chat soon!

Update

It's Monday already. Where does the time go?

It is absolutely gorgeous outside! I walked the pooch this morning sans jacket. How nice. The leaves are coming out and plants and flowers are really starting to bloom.

No golfing today or this past week-end as Billy was on call and my schedule didn't allow it, (real estate school and open house, clean the house etc.) They are aerating the greens today so I will golf in the league tomorrow, and hopefully Thursday with Kiks.

Friday night we went to SuperT's for a bit for a friendly anniversary and birthday party. It was a kid fest and although I've attended a few of those, Billy was a little overwhelmed by the 8+ kids under the age of 4. Lots of laughs though!

Saturday Billy had a few friends over, then a couple popped by pretty late. They watched the fight, we played Wii, (not as sore as I was last time, no boxing...) and the night ended with the boys playing poker and my sleeping with industrial strength ear plugs. The men folk wrestled about like teenagers and Billy appeared the next morning with a lovely bit of rugburn around his left eye. He looks tough.

Today's adventure involved working on the pond. Perfect day for it.

I must say that I'm completely and totally frustrated by real estate more so now than in my 10 years of selling. Ugh! Breath Liz, breath. Oh well!

I think I like Wednesdays

Today's big adventure was to tackle the pond (so small it could be a 'pon'). Last year, in my haste and need for instant gratification, I neglected to properly back fill it. I also didn't dig quite as deep as I should have (due to creating pond where the bricklayers buried their extras...). We also have issues with the downspout eroding an area next to the pond which thoroughly annoys me... so...

I drained the pond, took out the form, removed all the sand, the pea stone, flagstone, rocks and a couple plants. I dug an extra 5 inches deep so that I could lay gravel at the bottom, then add sand. While adding sand, I decided it would be smart to ease some out of the wheelbarrow, I deeply regreted this move when the entire wheelbarrow, full of heavy wet sand fell into the 25 inch deep hole. Perfect. I literally stood there for 2 minutes while sand slowly slipped out, wonder WTF I was going to do. My brain kicked in and I bailed out the wheelbarrow into my mom's wheelbarrow until it could lift it out. (I pretended I was a mom whose kid was stuck under a car to tap my superhuman strength). Yes, I'm still sore from playing Wii, so tomorrow I should feel like a million bucks...

Anyway, the pond area is such a disaster, I questioned ever building it in the first place, but I know it should be okay. I'm going to back fill it slowly over the next few days, (it's not supposed to rain...), buy a rain barrel (yes!) and rebuild the small waterfall, then finally drain and clean the pond.

Billy is gone golfing for 2nd week of the Wednesday Night Testosterone league. We always have golfed on the same night, but not this year, my league night is Tuesdays, (it rained buckets yesterday...) This gives me a night a home to myself, (avec Pooch). I don't really have anything to 'do' so it feels quite luxurious. Of course the first thing that pops into my head is 'what am I going to have for dinner?' I think I'll make super easy checca sauce, (thanks Giada) I have the fresh pasta, but need basil and scallions (of course I went grocery shopping today... duh!) I can't have a luxurious night alone without wine, and of course I'm out, completely out! Well the good local winery is a half hour away, so I must venture to the local LCBO, and I feel like red, so Pinot Noir is the order of the day. I'm going to watch shows on TV I like, (I wish I DVR'd The Bachelor, rats!) eat, drink and pop in the hot tub. I think I'm going to love Wednesdays!

* If Billy blogged, he would say how much he loves Tuesdays as he can play WOW all night long...

Accomplishments

The last two days I have been quite productive. Here are some things I've done:

- GST (any self employed person in Ontario knows what a pain in the ass this is to do, however due to a complete lack of closings in the first quarter, I get a rebate! woo hoo!)
- Mailed taxes and paid taxes (Due the 30th, done the 1st, oh well, close enough! Maybe I know someone at the post office who back dated it. If so, I'm very lucky...)
- Pulled weeds and moved mulch in the front flower beds and walkway (It looks great out there!)
- Dropped off some stuff for my mom's church's yard sale
- Dropped off a chair and air pump that belongs to my sister
- Turned the dirt in the raised veggie garden
- Cleaned the garage (this requires subsections and appendixes to fully appreciate the enormity of this task) It took 7 hours!
* Hung up tools on the walls
* Swept
* Threw away 5 garbage bags of crap, including Christmas lights that never worked, hideous garland, mouse eaten golf towels, etc.
* Emptied numerous pots of the dirt, (a wheelbarrow full)
* Tossed old lumber scraps on the woodpile
* Put up the mini greenhouse up
* Set up the outdoor furniture
* Put together the golf bag organizer that we received for Christmas, I absolutely love it! It took an hour!
* Cleaned golf shoes
* Recycled multiple boxes and papers
* Cleaned out the tool box, the gardening storage container, and the Christmas storage box

I should mention that I did all these things will extremely sore muscles from the week-end Wii adventure. I never thought I was so out of shape!

Today I'm grocery shopping (yes, it is Wednesday) I hope my OCD allows it. I'm golfing tomorrow, and Friday I'm stuck in 'Real Estate School' for the day. It's an unusual week, and I have to be flexible or a panic attack may result. Go with the flow Liz, it's all good. Despite the fact that Billy is on call this week-end, it's going to be a good one!