Top Of The Heap
I have to go to the Meat Packer today and I am just not in the mood. It doesn't help that we just got two truck loads of mulch delivered, with a third potential load coming later. I could get so much done today if I didn't have to work. Instead I'll be drained of all my energy by Friday and likely not have any over the weekend to tackle the task.
It should be more than enough for me to finish mulching up by the road. Connecting all the various small little patches I did around shrubs and such into complete planting beds. Might be a bitch with the Halloween decorations up there but I can make it work. We can also re-mulch the vegetable garden, and around the hollies on the asshole neighbor's fence line. Even though I feel more adamant than ever about getting those hollies moved and planting some green giant arbs that will grow fast and block the view. I am so sick of having to be outside and observed by these people.
I went into the garden yesterday to pick a ton of peppers and some cucumbers, and *of course* the minute I am out there one (or more) of them emerges from their house to mill about in their yard. I swear to god it cannot be coincidence, because it happens every time. It is not unusual for their garage to be open for hours upon hours every day. But there's generally no activity out there. I know, because sometimes I will look before I go outside because I don't feel like seeing those dogs. Yet, once I am out there they appear.
Endlessly frustrating and I need a goddamned hedge as soon as possible so I don't have to look at them.
My tasks at the Meat Packer should not be complicated. The conference room B.S. she emailed about last week won't get done till next week since things won't all be delivered by today. Oh shucks. With all this activity at the Meat Packer, my anxiety levels feel higher than normal because I don't know what is going to get thrown at me next there.
The temp has really dropped at night and we are almost to that point where plants need to be brought inside. Something we are not ready for. Our cup runneth over with two garages, but now that we are fostering these kittens it doesn't feel like enough room. Now we need THREE garages in order to function properly. Or perhaps one of the neighbor's houses, if they would just move and we could afford to buy their properties.
With all the hurricane destruction, new hurricanes hitting Florida in the next 24 hours with another one potentially after that, it has me also thinking a lot about our disaster preparedness here. Our prepper pantry could be in better shape and I know these backup water containers I bought and filled over a year ago really need to be flushed and refilled. Which also reminds me, the filters on our in-home water filtration and reverse osmosis system need to be changed. There's always something to do and never anytime for anything.
But, I was hearing about people who have had floods and fires and such and how the insurance company wanted an inventory of their houses in order to pay out coverage for stuff. Which has me thinking we really need to do that just to have it. But, I don't really know what is all needed. Do they need actual receipts on stuff? Do they need pictures? It's something I'll need to research at some point.
Obviously, I am not too concerned about hurricanes here. And not so much flooding since we are on the top of the hill more or less. Tornadoes could be a concern. My actual, real concern is cold. We have the generator that would help if there is a power outage in winter (provided the gas lines don't go down), but what I really want is that wood burning stove. I think it'd be a good, functional addition to the house. It could help save on heating costs in the winter, and be useful if there ever was a power outage in the dead of winter.
I had a HUGE list of to-dos this summer to get the house ready for winter this year and none of it has been done yet. Well, except the threshold on the garage door, which the chipmunk chewed. I bought a better one, but didn't put it on because of the damn chipmunk. Sealing the back garage up is also crucial if we are going to still be fostering those kittens for a while, or any new cats. The door into the front garage has huge gaps around the top that need to be sealed. The windows need to be sealed. The heater in there does not really work well and needs to likely be replaced. I almost think it is a job I could do, depending on what kind of gas line goes into it. I.E. if it is a flexible one that can be easily unscrewed or if it is a stationary one that'd have to be undone and then resealed.
We did no caulking outside. None of the weatherstripping on any of the other doors. It just feels like summer was here and gone in a flash. Were we that lazy? Or were we legitimately too busy to do stuff? I feel like it was laziness. I don't know how to do better. Other than dream of being rich and retired with all the time in the world to wake up and do things early, since I am utterly useless after about 2:30 in the afternoon.
I am dreading this Meat Packer visit today. I should have done it yesterday so it'd already be out of the way.
It should be more than enough for me to finish mulching up by the road. Connecting all the various small little patches I did around shrubs and such into complete planting beds. Might be a bitch with the Halloween decorations up there but I can make it work. We can also re-mulch the vegetable garden, and around the hollies on the asshole neighbor's fence line. Even though I feel more adamant than ever about getting those hollies moved and planting some green giant arbs that will grow fast and block the view. I am so sick of having to be outside and observed by these people.
I went into the garden yesterday to pick a ton of peppers and some cucumbers, and *of course* the minute I am out there one (or more) of them emerges from their house to mill about in their yard. I swear to god it cannot be coincidence, because it happens every time. It is not unusual for their garage to be open for hours upon hours every day. But there's generally no activity out there. I know, because sometimes I will look before I go outside because I don't feel like seeing those dogs. Yet, once I am out there they appear.
Endlessly frustrating and I need a goddamned hedge as soon as possible so I don't have to look at them.
My tasks at the Meat Packer should not be complicated. The conference room B.S. she emailed about last week won't get done till next week since things won't all be delivered by today. Oh shucks. With all this activity at the Meat Packer, my anxiety levels feel higher than normal because I don't know what is going to get thrown at me next there.
The temp has really dropped at night and we are almost to that point where plants need to be brought inside. Something we are not ready for. Our cup runneth over with two garages, but now that we are fostering these kittens it doesn't feel like enough room. Now we need THREE garages in order to function properly. Or perhaps one of the neighbor's houses, if they would just move and we could afford to buy their properties.
With all the hurricane destruction, new hurricanes hitting Florida in the next 24 hours with another one potentially after that, it has me also thinking a lot about our disaster preparedness here. Our prepper pantry could be in better shape and I know these backup water containers I bought and filled over a year ago really need to be flushed and refilled. Which also reminds me, the filters on our in-home water filtration and reverse osmosis system need to be changed. There's always something to do and never anytime for anything.
But, I was hearing about people who have had floods and fires and such and how the insurance company wanted an inventory of their houses in order to pay out coverage for stuff. Which has me thinking we really need to do that just to have it. But, I don't really know what is all needed. Do they need actual receipts on stuff? Do they need pictures? It's something I'll need to research at some point.
Obviously, I am not too concerned about hurricanes here. And not so much flooding since we are on the top of the hill more or less. Tornadoes could be a concern. My actual, real concern is cold. We have the generator that would help if there is a power outage in winter (provided the gas lines don't go down), but what I really want is that wood burning stove. I think it'd be a good, functional addition to the house. It could help save on heating costs in the winter, and be useful if there ever was a power outage in the dead of winter.
I had a HUGE list of to-dos this summer to get the house ready for winter this year and none of it has been done yet. Well, except the threshold on the garage door, which the chipmunk chewed. I bought a better one, but didn't put it on because of the damn chipmunk. Sealing the back garage up is also crucial if we are going to still be fostering those kittens for a while, or any new cats. The door into the front garage has huge gaps around the top that need to be sealed. The windows need to be sealed. The heater in there does not really work well and needs to likely be replaced. I almost think it is a job I could do, depending on what kind of gas line goes into it. I.E. if it is a flexible one that can be easily unscrewed or if it is a stationary one that'd have to be undone and then resealed.
We did no caulking outside. None of the weatherstripping on any of the other doors. It just feels like summer was here and gone in a flash. Were we that lazy? Or were we legitimately too busy to do stuff? I feel like it was laziness. I don't know how to do better. Other than dream of being rich and retired with all the time in the world to wake up and do things early, since I am utterly useless after about 2:30 in the afternoon.
I am dreading this Meat Packer visit today. I should have done it yesterday so it'd already be out of the way.