I can’t catch a break!

In spite of staying up late, I only slept in until 6:00 AM. But, that was good! Today is the start of at least a week-long heat wave. I heard its supposed to be worse in Minneapolis – triple digits, while we’re only supposed to go to the mid-nineties with high humidity (poor Amy and her Carls). So, whatever I do outside has to be done this morning. I might point out its already 75 degrees with 84% humidity. I shaved and showered and threw on a t-shirt and shorts.

So, I started out putting down landscape fabric and mulch on the garden strip on the south-side of the garage. I also hooked up the square head sprinkler and watered the raised bed garden.

Now, the landscape fabric is a double-edged sword. I want it so the grass can’t grow up through the mulch, but I need to leave just mulch (no fabric) in spots where I know (or I think I know) where the hyacinths and daffodils are sleeping. I had to do the same thing out front. When I had the mulch down, I watered the p*ss out of the garden (it was bone dry).

Then I moved to the patio gardens. I used a line trimmer to cut out all the grass and then laid down the fabric and mulch around and between the day lily and the tarragon.

Next, I went in the garage and got out a bag of river rocks I bought a couple years ago. I put that under the State Park grille as mulch. I went back in the garage and got out a rake.

That’s when all hell broke loose. I pushed the button for the garage door to close it (as I was working out back). I started into the house when I heard an awful screeching noise, turned and the garage door was all jacked around and half off the tracks!

My first fear was that it would fall on the bike or the car. But, it didn’t. Then I thought, how the hell am I going to get to work tomorrow with the car inside and a busted garage door?

I couldn’t find any reason for this. The only thing I could think of was a shovel or something moved under the door when I was getting the rake. But, if it did, it bounced back because nothing, nothing was in the way.

The garage door opener wouldn’t take the door up or down, so I pulled the release and slowly worked the door up and down (mere inches at a time). I finally got it up enough to fit the car under it. So, I pulled the car out, parked it in the driveway and locked it.

Sweating my *ss off, I slowly got the door back down, so the garage was secure. I decided I needed to finish out back first before working on the garbage disposal and now the garage door. So, I did.

I got the reflecting pool area mulched and cut down the weeds that had grown around the garden on Jake’s patio. Then I used the landscape fabric and mulched that garden.

By now, it was almost 11:00 PM, I was drenched with sweat (I had remembered to drink a whole glass of water about every 15 minutes) and I still hadn’t gotten to today’s project. But, I took the time to water the hell out of the new mulch and herb gardens.

Oh, I forgot to mention, since the chives had already flowered and the oregano was flowering, I cut them down (chives get hard when they are too old and I have no patience this year to dry out oregano) So, I am hoping for another crop before fall.

I can’t believe that summer is half over, BTW.

Before going back inside, I cleaned out the reflecting pool and stuck the hose in it. I turned the water on low and set the timer for one hour. I have found this not only cleans out the reflecting pool, but waters the Japanese maple as well.

I sat in the A/C and chilled for a bit.

Reluctantly, I got back to the garbage disposal. I moved the kitchen chairs into the living room, slid the table off to the side and set up my saw horses. Then I disconnected the other drain and the two water lines. I pried up the sink enough to get my fingers under the rim and picked it up. There were still a few places when the silicon caulk held, but no big deal (remember, I’d already loosened it with the bottle jack, LOL!)

With the sink upside down on the saw horses, I took the garbage disposal and shoved it in place. Easy peasy! You see, with holding the sink in with just caulk, I couldn’t shove it hard enough from the bottom without just moving the sink, before.

I got a chisel and dug out all the caulk from the sink rim. Then I used a painter’s knife to scrape the caulk off the counter tiles.

I went to the cupboard and that’s when the project ground to a halt! I didn’t have any clear silicon caulk left. It was already after 5:00 PM, hot as hell and I figured I could go one more day without the kitchen sink (it’s been like a month, now). So, I'll pick some caulk up tomorrow and finish this.

I went back to the garage and tried to get the one wheel back on track and/or get the garage door opener locked back into place. Neither one worked. I have learned (I hope) from the garbage disposal and think I will call a garage door company Monday and have them come out and look at it.

I wasn’t really hungry, so I just made two small baked potatoes and ate them with butter sour cream, salt and pepper.

I watched my Sunday night shows, but fell asleep around 10:00 PM.