Stuck inside on Saturday

I slept in until 7:00 AM. I had forgotten to set up the coffee Friday night, so I put on a pot while I jumped in the shower. Doesn't look like it rained at all overnight (dammit!), but it's still cloudy, so maybe this morning.

I started the first of many laundry loads (well, maybe three), posted the Blog and filled out my ToDo list. Then, I started cleaning the house. I have been concentrating so much on the yard, I've really let the inside slip a little too much.

Jake and Carla stopped by after Carla's dentist appointment to borrow a shovel and a hoe. I lent them my garden fork as well, as they are working up one of their flower gardens to plant herbs. They scared the crap out of me by coming in silently `when I was in the kitchen and then just sitting on the couch until I walked back in the living room! Wacky kids!

I hung up and/or folded the first load of clothes when the phone rang. I couldn't stop or my pants would be wrinkled, so I let the answering service get it. So, I checked when I was done and it was Lu. I called her back and found out she's sore, but coping well. She's got a massive leg brace from her hip to her ankle. She starts therapy in Blackstone on Monday and seems to be in good spirits (might just be the pain meds, though, lol!)

Hung up from her and got back to work. I started the third load of laundry after putting the second in the dryer (looks like now there will be four loads in all, BTW). I also filled and started the dishwasher (so it's hard to hear the radio). The living room is dusted and vacuumed and now I am using the dust mop on the hardwood floor, sprayed with EndDust. Next comes washing all the glass surfaces with Windex.

BTW, its not quite 60 degrees F. here (quite a change from the mid-70's we've had all week long) but I do have the furnace turned off and the kitchen window wide open as well as one in the living room, airing the house out, yet again. After the long winter, I just can't seem to get enough of the fresh, spring air!

Since I had the Windex out, I moved the one glass-topped table and washed the inside of the living room picture window. Now, nothing less will do than to go outside on the front porch and wash the outside of the window, so I did. I had to go back and forth a bit, finding and fixing spots I missed.

By 3:00 PM, the living room, office and my bedroom were done. The last load of laundry (the kitchen and main bathroom throw rugs and the dust mop head) was in the dryer. The downstairs and kitchen floors were mopped with PineSol and I was both hungry and pooped. So, I warmed up the last three burgers and ate them, lying on the bed, while the floors dried. I am hoping to take a nice nap.

I gave up at 4:00 PM. Just not that sleepy, I guess. So, I went out in the garage and worked on my mulch plug. I double-checked my template for fit on the mower deck (using masking tape to hold it on) and then transferred my template to the piece of sheet metal I'd bought. I cut out the pattern with my tin snips, test fit it, and made some minor adjustments. Then I drilled two holes in the top flap that corresponded with the holes for the discharge chute. I put in the two bolts to secure it and made my final adjustments with a rubber hammer, tapping the steel to get the bends I needed.

Then I dug out some black spray paint and took the plug outside. I painted it on a scrap piece of wood in back. I used several (four or five) light coats and waiting 15 minutes for it to dry in between coats. When I was finished with that, I decided I was also finished for the night, as it was close to 8:00 PM.

I got a little hungry around 9:30, but didn't feel like making anything big. So, I cooked up a box of macaroni and cheese (yeah, the original with the mysterious orange cheese) and ate that, watching the Friday night fights. I turned the TV off at midnight and went to sleep.