Saturday, in the Park, I Think It was the Fourth of July…

(that I last had the time to go to a park, LOL!)

I woke up at the usual time and said, “This is Bullshit!” Yes, I actually said, “This is Bullshit!” So, I went back to sleep until 7:00 a.m.

I filled in the Blog entry and then got on with my morning. I shaved showered and was going to get dressed. But, before I could get dressed the phone rang. (WTF? Everybody knows better than to call me on a Saturday morning errand day!) It was my daughter Melissa, who called to let me know she had all the fixings (and I mean way more that even I would have thought of) for our combined chili dog spread tomorrow. She was either bragging or just worried about the chili sauce I have yet to make, LOL!

Then, I got dressed and headed out. First came Costco. I needed to stock up of toilet paper, paper towels and some peanuts for the squirrels this winter. Sadly, they don’t carry food coloring.

Next, I went to CVS to pick up a prescription. Since there weren’t any other pharmacy customers, I asked for and got my flu shot. They don’t carry food coloring, either…

So, I went to the closest grocery store. You remember that little food market on Beech Daly and Joy Road that I occasionally went to, but was closed for remodeling the last time I went? I figured it must be opened by now, and it was!

But, it had opened under new management. Instead of crowded little aisles and stuff in weird places, it was bright, clean, well laid out and airy. Instead of a butcher counter with a chubby old guy in a bloody apron and little old ladies with grey hair under hair nets serving you, there was a deli counter with prepackaged meat and young people behind it. And, now there’s a fresh bakery section and at least double the checkout lines.

I hated it.

But, they did have food coloring!!!

I went home and unpacked. Then I changed into work clothes and, well, got to work. First on my ToDo list was to dig up some iris for my Brother Carl. So, I did. I put two different varieties into two plastic grocery store bags. I added some mulch into each and then a glass of water apiece. That should keep them moist and alive until he gets a chance to plant them. Then I watered all the container gardens.

Back inside, I hit the next project. I put blue food coloring into a glass of water. Then, using the syringe and a teeny-tiny hose, I filled the barometer through the small opening, until the water was about an inch above where the spout joins the base. It took three times. Perfect! I cleaned up the mess, rinsed out the syringe and the little hose and put them safely away, in case I ever need them again. 

What it looked like when I got it

What it looks like completed

Then it was time to tackle today’s main project: Cleaning the entire house. I admit I’ve been ignoring that for weeks (just doing spot-cleaning), working on other (more interesting and fun) things. But, first, I was hungry, so I made another pulled pork sandwich and had some lunch (I missed breakfast).

Then I started in the living room. I dusted everything, got the cat hair off the couch, loveseat and chairs, washed the glass candle holders and so on. Then I vacuumed the floor and rug.

Finally, I oiled all the wood furniture. It’s a good thing Jake and Carla aren’t here, because they hated that! I never really knew why, but since it keeps old wood from cracking, it’s rather necessary.

I had to leave the oil sit for 30 minutes before I could put things back on it (and then I still have to wash all the glass tops in there as well), so I moved to the kitchen. I dusted each chair and moved it into the living room. Then I did the same to the little rolling cart. Now I had room to work!

I glanced at the clock and was amazed it was 4:00 p.m.! So, I stopped for a bit to water the grass seed outback.

There was a lot of hammering going on. My neighbor (the one who made my shed) is building “something.” When I noticed it a few days ago, I thought he was adding on to the garage he has way in back. But now that he’s got the roof on, I can see it’s a separate building next to the garage. Car port? Tall Tiki hut? I’d ask him, but he’s busy and so am I. I took a photo for you, but the sun was in the wrong place.

I filled up the squirrel feeder. Not that they need the food now, with all the pine cones and black walnuts), I just wanted to remind them to check there every now and then in the winter. I got the camera and sat very still on the patio, half hidden by the raised herb garden. After a bit, the squirrels started coming.

Back inside, I got back to cleaning the kitchen. I dusted everything, and washed anything that seemed to have grease on it. Then I swept the floor and used the vacuum attachment to get under stuff. Finally, I washed the floor old-school style with a sponge mop, Pine Sol in a bucket of hot water and elbow grease.

It was the elbow grease that got me! I was almost done when I was pushing the mop hard. I heard an actual “pop,” my right shoulder went numb for a second and then started hurting like hell! Damn! I’d been taking muscle relaxers since I messed it up Thursday night and it was feeling better. WTF?

So, I finished the floor left-handed.

I swept the bathroom floor and then moved onto the bedroom while the kitchen floor dried. I moved the bed all around so I could vacuum the entire floor and shoved the vacuum attachment under everything.

When I finished, the kitchen floor was dry. So, since I could now get to the downstairs bathroom, I washed the main bathroom floor.

By then, it was after 8:00 p.m. and I was tired and hungry again. So. I warmed up the rest of the Salisbury steak and rutabagas. I ate that watching the last Red Wings exhibition game. The game finished after 10:00 p.m. and I went to bed.