Humidity

Low humidity makes me feel like crap. Right now, the humidity is 17 percent. That's with a 51 percent chance of rain. Healthy humidity is widely considered to be 40-60 percent. Most of the summer here, the humidity hovers around 4 percent. 

Got the humidifier (portable swamp cooler) running now. But that only works in one room at a time. 

Like I mentioned this morning, I ordered the swamp cooler motor this morning. Can't wait to get that running. The swamp cooler humidifies the whole house. With the motor, that will mean I've almost rebuilt the swamp cooler since moving in. New ball bearing type bearings for the fan, new water pump, new center fan rod, new float. Of course, I occasionally change the pads. Resealed bottom pan. One thing I need to do is repaint the outside.

Plans I have for the future will increase the humidity for the whole solarium, once it's built out. It will also act as a passive/active swamp cooler. 

Got 89 cases for work today. Had 86 yesterday. So, I keep getting closer to my goal of 90 cases in an 8 hour shift. I'm capable of that now. Things holding me back tend to be beyond my control. The speed of callers is one. The other is network issues. Bad this morning. I am learning to cut conversations off more quickly with argumentative callers. That helps a lot. 

Taking the next step to increasing the yield in the garden. Ordered some triple super phosphate this evening. I think that's something which is lacking in the garden soil. I've had some added from compost but not enough. Especially by percentage with nitrogen which I've added and potassium which was already present. The lack of phosphates is probably what is leading to smaller fruit. Increasing the acidity has increased the available phosphate level but the level itself is still pretty low. 

Going to get the tools and equipment out of daughter's room in a little while, get some house cleaning done before bed. 

Payday!

Payday is here!

Good check this week. Next one won't look quite as good. I haven't been picking up any extra work this week. But it will be quite acceptable, now that things are back on track.

I already ordered the motor for the swamp cooler. Couldn't get the one speed motor locally with roller bearings. Costs more for the two speed and the wiring isn't in place for that. If I re-wire for speed control, I'll put a dimmer in place, which will work just fine for a one speed. (It's the same motor with different wiring.) 

Here's a good thing. I haven't been having any digestive pain this week. None that I can recall at all. That's the first time in months, maybe years. That's a really good sign the steps I've been taking are working. Other symptoms have decreased slowly but still had occasional mild pain. 

Ran out of wood for the wall unit last night. Going to move the saw and stuff out of daughter's room tonight and clean up. Have to get more wood this weekend to finish the job. 

Wasted trip

Well, that was an hour and gas wasted!

Went to take the older female dog to the shelter this evening. Turns out they're so overcrowded that there's a waiting list. Had to bring her home and they'll call be to tell me when to bring her in. 

So, before getting much else done, I have dinner on the stove. Really hungry.

Got out during lunch and did some more spraying for weeds. Have to keep an eye out because goatheads are coming up. No flowers or seeds yet, so have to keep them under control now and avoid that. 

I'm getting seriously mentally tired. Looking forward to some vacation time. One of the down sides to all the traveling I did last year and now having a working vehicle is that I miss long drives in the country. 

I'm also going to be really happy when I have the more major work done on the house. Then take things at a more leisurely pace, improving one or two things at a time.

Misperception

I've been trying to take the older female dog to the shelter. However, been looking at the wrong website for the hours. I was looking at county, when I should have been looking at city. Turns out the city shelter is open 7:30 AM to 7 PM, 7 days a week. So, I can take her tomorrow evening. (The county shelter is only open Mon-Fri, 8-4:30.) 

I did drag my butt off my chair and got some of the work done in daughter's room tonight. Got the main center supports for the drawers installed. Cut the wood for the front to back supports for the sliders. Takes 18 supports total, for 9 supports for the sliders. I still have two more nights to work on that stuff this week, so I think I should get some positive progress done. Finish it? Not really sure of that but going to really try. 

One big part of planning is that I have to cut all the wood for all the drawers before I start cutting dadoes for bottom slats. That's going to be 72 pieces of wood to cut and keep organized. Plus I'm going to wind up with a small space that the drawers don't really fit. My only options are to make two drawers larger than the others or to make two smaller drawers to install at the top. Haven't decided yet. Leaning toward making two drawers larger. If I add two more drawers it would mean more supports, more slider and more handles. Plus the added drawers would be rather small.

Going to try and get all the messy work done tomorrow, so even if I don't finish by Fri evening, I can clean her room up and open it up for her to use to some degree. The dadoes are going to be the messiest part and produce a ton of sawdust. That's okay, make a good addition to the compost pile. 

New plants

Received the red crape myrtle and the seedless grape vine today. Let them both soak in water in the tub for a couple of hours. Then planted them both in small buckets. Hoping for better luck than in the past! Put them both out front in the driveway, the most sheltered but outdoor area I have, to avoid having to harden them off later.

I have to spend at least one evening a week (2-3 hours) pulling weeds and trimming grape vines. Did that this evening. Weeds are remaining in control in the main garden and I'm starting to see some size gain of the grapes. I'm getting my hopes up for some grapes of decent size this year!

The solarized section of the back yard should be ready to pull the plastic off. Plastic has been in place for five weeks so far. Though the edges do have weeds growing under the very edge. I may go ahead and spray weed killer on those weeds and let it remain in place another week or so. That will give the flowers a little more chance to mature before transplanting out. 

No carry over

Okay, so not going to be any carry over from this paycheck into the next worth mention. My own fault, of course. I spent too much on additional building supplies, protein powder and different things like that. Things that are all good for the long term but not so great for short term finances.

Not sorry for it. I've been putting so many things off for so long that the frustration built up and I want to move forward. Been through several periods now where I have tried saving for the future while deferring present progress. The result wound up being the use of what I saved for mere survival when things tanked once again. 

I'm not in favor of wasting lots of money on disposable garbage. What I keep trying to invest in is things which will show long term benefits. (I won't say permanent because nothing is permanent.) Slow going because the things which show the most long term benefits take more time and effort.

One thing I am convinced of is the need to get the insulation installed. I was wrong about this past winter being quite as rough as I had predicted. However, this winter may have set the stage for next winter to be much rougher. Even if it's not, getting that done will keep the house more comfortable and reduce the heating bills. For the first winter, I'd call it a trade off. Going to cost about the same amount for insulation as I expect I may be able to save from heating bills. After that, it's a savings which will accumulate. 

The logistics is a pain right now but I've saved enough in the last 2-3 months on insurance alone on the truck to equal renting a truck for one day for that purpose. I may be able to do that this coming month. Waiting to see if the ex is going out of town. If she takes daughter to Texas, I'll install the insulation that weekend and avoid taking extra time off from work. Pick up truck and supplies on Fri evening, install insulation on Sat, return the truck and machine that day, patch and clean up on Sun. 

Good weekend!

Daughter and I didn't really do anything spectacular this weekend. Mostly stayed at and around home. I'm happy with that concept on Memorial Day weekend. I think she didn't really have any urge to be around crowds. Her first weekend of summer vacation and I think she was tired of being around people. 

She swept the floor on Sat for me and mopped on Sun. I really appreciated it! She did a good job! 

So, we had barbecue as I think I mentioned before. Shot bows and arrows in the park again today. Took the dog for a walk. (The male dog. I asked her and she prefers we just keep one dog, him. I suggested keeping the white male puppy but she declined.) He is the most calm and intelligent of all the dogs. Learns quickly and tries to talk to you. When I say "good morning" to him, he makes a sound that approximates the same words. Same thing with "hi". He is also very protective. Not overly so but I think if someone tried to hurt my daughter he would take them out in very short order. 

On one walk, we had a run-in with the 11-12 year old ghetto punk girl down the street, trying to irritate us and the dog. All the way around the park, over and over. I ultimately told her she is going to wind up 15 years old, pregnant and on drugs. Can't blame it all on her. She comes from a family where the children and animals never get any attention until they misbehave. Even then, they seem to get ignored unless the behavior is going to cost the parents money in some way. Their dogs run out in the street all the time and never get called back until someone threatens the dogs. Today I took a camera on our walk, so when the dogs ran out the gate while we were passing by, we took pictures. Going to send the pictures to animal control. Funny, the family allowed the dogs to run after us until they saw the camera. Then one of them was out there 2 seconds later.  

Tried to pick up more tick medicine from Dollar Tree this evening. They were out and only had the kind for cats. Guess I'll check again next weekend. If they don't have it in stock, I'll just order a case of it from them online. That should last a while. 

For now, going to go pick up trash in the back yard and watch TV tonight. Get back to working on things tomorrow.

Toad

Daughter and I caught a toad in the back yard today. We did release it this evening. But she had fun setting up a small environment for it and watching it. 

We also took our bows and arrows to the park to shoot. Not at anything but the ground. Mostly going for distance. There was no one else at the park, so no risk. Then we took a short walk to see wild flowers in the area. 

However, her favorite thing all day was playing in the rain. 

Made some gluten free cookies which did not come out well at all. 

Rented a movie. Now I'm writing and she's reading. 

Been a pretty good day!

Ladybugs

So, something was wrong with the radar on the weather site. Knew that soon as I started driving this morning. No ice cave today. It rained and I don't want to be out there if it rains a lot. I suspect that area is prone to flooded roads.

Besides, daughter said she wanted a lazy day.

I barbecued and we mostly hung out at home.

The ladybugs came in today. Glad of that because the longer they're in transit, the less survive. It was also good timing, since daughter is here and it had rained a bit. I ran the sprinklers for a while and we released them near sunset. She had a blast doing it! (But nothing will ever compare to the first time we did this, when she was about 7 years old.) 

She was shooting her bow and arrow out in the front yard this evening. Getting much better at it. It hot a lot of attention from a distance from neighborhood kids. A girl shooting a bow and arrow? Unheard of here. 

Something off

Something is off. Didn't get anything done last night because I just felt completely exhausted. Yet had a hard time sleeping and kept waking up. 

Oh, well. My sedentary time wasn't completely wasted. Came up with solutions to design problems so I can avoid exposed screws which I would have to cover later. Keeps the design for stuff in daughter's room more what I originally intended. 

Not a huge rush. She can't sleep in there until I fix the cooling issue, which won't happen until my next paycheck. So, I have this coming week to work on her room. Rather take more time and get it right. I can move the equipment out and let her start using the room this weekend. The large pieces I needed to cut are pretty much all done. 

Meanwhile, I'm still losing the battle to gain weight. Even with the protein powder. The protein powder has 600 cals per serving and I have taken 2 servings for three days since Tue, a total of an additional 3600 cals. (Not to mention I also ate a whole jar of Nutella this week, so an extra 1000 cals there.) Result? I lost 2 lbs. 

However, it is quite obvious my body is building new blood cells and muscle tissue. I have noticeably gained denser muscle tissue this week, without lifting a finger to do so. So, it's likely that this process will continue for a while before I start gaining in weight. I would expect that if I were lifting weights but I guess this is following the same process. Just sucks because I wanted to gain a few lbs before I start exercising. But if I'm gaining muscle without exercise, that's okay, too. 

After reading information from multiple sources, seems whey protein offers a lot of benefits which are important to me. Not causing any problems with my gastric problems. Except that it can cause constipation but Epsom Salt helps with that in small doses. And it can do that to anyone. High protein diets are notorious for that issue. 

Weather looks better than they made it sound yesterday. Checked the radar and no clouds coming this way from as far as CA, so a road trip would be safe today, weather-wise.  

Rain and hail

We actually got some rain, some hail and some thunder here today! None are frequent here. Only experience thunder a few times a year. 

I had thought of taking daughter for a little road trip this weekend to the ice caves but not sure the weather is going to go along with that idea. Maybe we'll stick with the zoo or something like that, instead and try the ice cave next weekend. 

Started work a little early this morning. Like 20 minutes. Ended up with 86 cases, so made more than $30 extra today, more than $170 extra for the week. 

So, new shipments on the way within the next week are ladybugs, green seedless grapes and red crape myrtles. Realized this is not my first attempt with any of these. Just hope they all stick this time!

Going to get to work on daughter's room in a few minutes. Though I may lay down for a while, first. 

Chances of rain

Nice to say there are rain chances last night through the next few days. It rained a small amount here last night but I don't think anything significant. Haven't been outside yet. Maybe we will have some rain this year. For the most part, the biggest benefit we generally get here is that it rains more up north and in the mountains, so it enters aquifers and reservoirs. 

I tend to think if I added proper filters to my well that the well water may be better than the tap water because the tap water comes from surface water. (Rio Grande drinking water. yum.) Though I could be quite wrong. Since it's so close to the surface, that increases chances of contamination, especially chemical from streets and so forth seeping through the soil. 

Another benefit which most people here do not realize isn't in direct rainfall but simply increased ambient humidity. While many people here can't stand it if the humidity goes above 10 percent, a decent relative humidity level means less water loss from plants (and also people) and is much healthier. Of course, all things on a continuum. However, I've lived in places with both high and low humidity. If given a choice between 90 percent humidity and 4 percent, I'll take the 90 any day. Allergies may drive me nuts but they do in dry conditions, too. And they're easier to treat in high humidity without drastic side effects. 

I did check outside. Only enough rain last night to sink in about 1/4 inch. But humidity is good at 68 percent. That should drop quickly and hopefully settle somewhere around 20-30 percent. 

My supervisor posted yesterday for additional hours available this morning but logged off before I could respond. Think I'll log in and see if I can pick up an extra 30-45 minutes. 

Then I have a 3 day weekend! Yay! It's awesome having holiday weekends and getting paid for the holiday! 

Remaining lumber

Made a run to Home Depot for the remaining lumber I needed for kiddo's room. As I figured, I will still need some panels for esthetics that can wait until next check. Going to work on the room tomorrow. Try and get the shelves in place first. I can build the bookshelves in another room, since it's not so large. 

Got the sliders today. They seem well made and as sturdy or more so than some I bought elsewhere for at least twice the price. 

Hoping the nails I have are small enough. If not, I'll have to get smaller ones. 

Had to skip the protein powder today. Had a slight problem which could possibly have been related to it but may have been something else. Skip a day, start back tomorrow at slightly lower dose. Try the same higher dose in a few days, just to see if it recurs. Knew it was going to be a matter of trial and error. 

Made my first ever attempt at making a grape vine wreath tonight. Seems it worked better to cut the vines yesterday and wrap them today. They became more pliable. It's kind of thin but I can add more vines to make it larger. It's one the floor to dry right now. I'll trim the larger vines for the same purpose after grapes are all harvested. But leave plenty of older vines (2-3 year growth) for grapes for next year. 

Final result

Final result of all the bills resolved. Less than $200 left until payday. However, all the bills are paid, most of a tank of gas and lots of food in the house. 

The mention of most of a tank of gas actually means something now. The MX3 burns 1/3 of the gas or less than the truck did. So I can pretty much drive all weekend on one tank. Specs say it has a 13 gal tank but I haven't let it get to under 1/2 tank. Won't do that without a gas can in the car to see how accurate the gauge is. Last few vehicles have had fuel gauge malfunctions, so I'm cautious. But with that capacity, it can go 300 miles on one tank. (That's cool! Means when we drive to Co Springs I only have to fill up one time each direction!) 

Talked with daughter this weekend. She didn't like the idea of camping, so that idea is out. Mostly afraid of bugs. Don't blame her. I still plan on getting a tent and sleeping bags someday and taking her camping. Not right now, though. I'm happy to see camping equipment has come down in price. For now, we'll stick with hotels. Later, I'll show her that tents have screens and we can use citronella to keep bugs out of the tent plus bug repellent on ourselves. 

Not enough

I was cutting the wood for the bookshelf and found out I was a little bit short. I need at least one more 2x2 and one more melamine panel to complete the structure. Couple of other things for appearance but they can be added later. Those parts just glue to the outside.

Have to go get the rest of the supplies for the bookshelf tomorrow. The sliders are supposed to come in tomorrow, as well. So, maybe I can get all of this stuff put together by Fri evening. No real rush because daughter can play in her room but can't sleep in there until I get some kind of cooling in there. Plus preferably make and hang her curtains. 

Gave the female puppy away this evening. Could not handle any more of her tearing things apart. I'm sure her brother will miss her but there was nothing I could do that kept her behavior in control. There is a difference between playful and just plain destructive. I hope she is happy with her new family and can learn to behave. They said they have other dogs, so she shouldn't be lonely. 

Once again, I got pulled to fax cases this afternoon. Okay. I didn't argue or question. I had already volunteered to work an extra hour tomorrow morning. I had the urge to rescind that agreement but didn't. However, if I get pulled to fax cases again, I won't be working any more extra hours until this stuff changes. I still had at least 80 cases, I think more. However, I probably would have had more otherwise. 

I'm tired. Not a bad kind of tired. I think most of it has to do with the protein drinks I'm taking. There's not question my body is building new blood cells and muscle tissue. Good timing. In the past week, I lost about 4 lbs (not water weight) just from working on daughter's room, gardening and one short hike. But since starting the protein powder my veins are standing out to a degree that the largest veins in my forearms are nearly 1/3 the width of my arms. They're also standing out more than 1/4 inch from my arms. I had started thinking that was never going to happen again! (Especially not without some serious weightlifting.) Haven't started lifting weights again..yet. 

The fatigue part comes partly from the fact that gaining weight and building tissue is an energy intensive process. 

If I keep taking this stuff at the current rate, I may go through the whole 10 lbs in one month. Happy to say they sent me a coupon with my order. At least enough to offset shipping. 
 

Retrained

Looks like I have fairly successfully retrained myself to waking up in the morning and working during the daytime. Wasn't easy at first but now I have the alarm set for 6:20 and usually wake up just a couple of minutes before that. Unless my shift gets moved back further, I don't want to push my wake time back any further. Then I'd just be more tired after work. 

So, after decades on the night shift, I am now on what many call a "normal" schedule. Works out well for me, since it gives me time while the sun is still up to get some things done. 

The house is getting pretty warm during the day while I'm working. So, time for more plans.

Once I'm done with daughter's room, it's finally time to get the insulation installed. At least in the front living room and kitchen areas. Right now I figure I'll get 25-30 bags of insulation and use one of my "life happens" days, rent a truck and install insulation where I've already cut holes. That amount probably won't be enough to finish the house but will make an impact and give me a handle on how much more I need. 

Tonight I'm going to get some of the work done in daughter's room. Including my first attempt at making a drawer. Note I say attempt because I have never done that before. I have it fairly well drafted and planned in my head but not sure how it will play out in reality. Then again, it may be best if I wait until the sliders get here, so I know how much space to allow for them. The drawer size has to meet rather precisely for the sliders to work properly. I can get the supports in place, put up curtain mount panels and install the legs on her bed. Maybe even build a small shelf and/or bookshelf which I have the materials for. Maybe glue some felt to the bottom of the legs for everything, so it doesn't leave deep marks in the flooring and would be easier to move for cleaning.

Decided to try something. Since I'm trying to use the protein powder to gain some weight (mostly muscle), I'm going to track my weight on a daily basis, just to see if there is noticeable progress. After one portion yesterday, I found I felt better. Had one more portion before bed last night. I honestly feel stronger today. Don't think it's my imagination. It's not a question that I've had a problem absorbing enough protein for a long time, from bleeding problems a few summers back to anemia, etc. I'll have to push it to the pint where I start getting what weight lifters call "protein farts" and back off by one portion. That way I'll know what my tolerance and best intake is. I'm sure it's dynamic according to my other diet and activity level but gives me a rough idea. Besides, I don't eat enough.  

Trimming, pulling

Got out and pulled weeds tonight. Trimmed the fruit trees quite a bit, trying to groom them into actual trees, not bushes. Tied the plum tree more, so the two remaining trunks are wrapped around each other. The trunks are thin and flexible so far, growing leggy. So entwining the trunks should make it grow much stronger. Think next year is when I should top both of them off.

So, of course the one puppy that does not have a collar has been getting in the garden and destroying things. Pulling the weed fabric out, chewing it up. Today, chewed up an entire flat of plants. Tomorrow, she's gone. I've waited too long. Time for her and her mother to go this week. I'll place an ad on CL for the puppy and take the mother to the shelter. I'm keeping the white puppy, a male. Playful but smarter and better behaved. 

Had to go to the store for allergy medicine, so went ahead and picked up handles for daughter's room. 

Got my protein powder today. That should help me quite a bit. This one actually tastes really good! Doesn't have the bitter taste so common with protein drinks. 

What was that?!

Not really sure what that was but I had a hard time sleeping last night. I kept having a dream of falling. 

Theories say dreams of falling mean a fear of failing. That's definitely true. Now that I've finally gotten out of the hole I was in, I'm afraid of failing and falling back down. That's not an unreasonable fear. Been through too much of it for too long and it has seemed like I've been cursed.

Going to be a while before that fear goes away.

Glad I didn't order the swamp cooler motor yet. When the dust finally settled this morning, there were a couple of things I had forgotten I paid which didn't show up yesterday. Still 2 small bills to come out of my account. But things are now current, except the trash. Could afford the motor but I like to keep a buffer for emergencies, like a tow truck if necessary. I trust this car but if you can plan for emergencies they're not emergencies. Besides, I do want to keep a trend going where I carry some money over from each check so the amount gradually grows. 

Backache

I have a backache. Probably the result of carrying a backpack and hiking for the first time in years. What that means is that I need to do a lot more of it.

Not a whole lot done this evening but some. Trimmed some of the grass in the back yard. Most of it. Have to take the outdoor cord from the front to use it in the back to be able to reach further. 

Had to clean up after the dogs. What fun.

Got the remaining dishes done left over from last night. 

Fixed the fertilizer injector, since it blew the line a few days ago. When I put it together, I didn't have the right parts to hold it together properly. Got the parts this weekend. Put it together and ran fertilizer, acid and ammonia through the lines. 

I need to get some phosphorous for fruit and flower set. Still holding back for the moment on more expenditures. Most of the bills went through today but not all. So far my calculations are accurate. Rest should go through in the morning and then have $35 in automatic payments neyond that this month. 

I've been hearing and seeing a growing number of complaints about my employer. Not convinced all are warranted. One person I know says she wasn't paid for over 50 cases this last pay period. She also said they wouldn't grant her time off request for moving to another state. That last part I believe. The not getting paid part I'm not so sure of her accounting. I do know the fax thing I mentioned before is an increasing issue. 

Honestly, I think I should get my application in for a supervisor position. I'm still happy with the company except for a few issues. Some of which need more analysis applied which it seems fairly certain has not occurred. The math doesn't add up for the analysis to have been done properly. Not something alone which can bring the company down..yet. However, it actually does have that potential if not addressed and keeps growing. Right now the company is chasing it's tail on it. Seems strange for a company that seems to have a fairly rational approach to most issues. 

Hiking/test drive

Daughter and I went for a small road trip today to the East Sandias. Did some hiking. It was really nice, flowers blooming and butterflies fluttering everywhere. I guess the butterflies liked us because we saw dozens of them, while other people on the trail said they hardly saw anything move at all. 

One thing got daughter really upset. When we first got to the trail head, there was a woman using a rock and a stick on the side of a hill to kill a snake. There was no chance at all this snake had been bothering her or her family. Her family was far down on the road, playing football. After she beat the snake, she went back down to the same area and sat down on a stone wall, across the street from where she had attacked the snake. It's hard explaining to my daughter some people are mean and destructive for no reason at all. 

In spite of the upset, we had a nice hike.

This was also the first real chance for a decent. somewhat strenuous test drive for the car. It made the trip perfectly with no problems at all. 

She's excited. This is her last week of school, then summer vacation starts Fri. Next year, she'll be going to middle school. I sure hope it's better controlled than when I went to school. 

On the way home, got the remaining supplies for shelves for her room. I hope. I may wind up buying one more melamine board. I got wood for the drawers. Cedar. Slightly rough but should hold up really well. Besides, it is very aromatic cedar. May need a couple more of those, also. I haven't taken measurements for the final drawer dimensions yet. 

Decided against setting up the shelves in her room today because of the remaining work I am going to do in there. Just leaving the table saw and some other equipment in the room until I'm done. The work can be really dusty, so thought it best to leave the fabric storage bins out of the equation for now. 

I'm tired from the hike and have to cook dinner and get some sleep to work early tomorrow morning. Get to building the drawers later in the week. By next weekend, I figure I can have everything done except for the hope chest/window seat. 

At this point, I do have to back down from spending until the dust clears. That should be Tue morning. I haven't kept very good track of my expenditures this weekend. I do know I'm nowhere near overdrawn but not sure how much slack I left myself. I did spend more than I had been planning but when does that not happen? 

No small amount

Daughter was in a good mood today! Not in much mood for outdoor activities but not lethargic by any means. 

I do fear she is too accustomed to controlled environments. You cannot really enjoy nature from indoors. And it's hard to live a truly active life in a controlled environment. 

However, we went shopping at several places. Spent no small amount on supplies for her room. Got the dado blades I mentioned. More shelving and wood. We also went to a couple of craft/fabric stores. Got fabric to make window curtains. Owl design. Several decorations, all owls. Daughter picked all of the fabric and decorations and was really happy with all of it.

We also had lunch at a place she likes and we haven't been to in a long time.

I was disappointed. The local Harbor Freight didn't have the drawer sliders, so I had to order them online. But, even with shipping it came out far less expensive for the grade of sliders than Home Depot (or anyplace else I've checked). These are 20" sliders with a 75 lb capacity, self closing, 2 rollers to each side.

I got the two more shelves installed and the top sections glued down with construction adhesive this evening. Can start using the tops and one side of the structure tomorrow. I can start installing the supports and building shelves this week and install them after the sliders arrive. 

I'm going to keep a similar design going around the room. Still using melamine for shelves with wood frames. Particle board isn't my preferred choice but should stand up well if sealed along the edges. Long as it doesn't get damp and is decently supported in the structure, it will last for decades. Once it gets any moisture in it you can just throw it away. So, I'll make sure those steps are taken as best I can. 

Insomnia

Glad I got dishes and laundry done last night. Had a hard time sleeping last night. Couldn't figure out why. Then, around 1:30 it finally hit me. I was having intestinal pain. One of the down sides to a high pain tolerance, not realizing you're in pain and experiencing other symptoms. (Funny, as a nurse I can sopt it faster in other people than I can in myself.)

Any way, once I handled that, I was able to drift off. But I reset the alarm to sleep later.

Further checking on the swamp cooler motor, found the one I want has to be ordered. Best to replace the old one with an equal or stronger HP motor, which was 3/4 HP for the old one. But the old one was 2 speed and the system isn't wired to run 2 speeds. I have the choice of rewiring or getting a 1 speed. I'm going for the one speed, which runs at the higher speed compared to the 2 speed. I can tell from the rotation the old one was running at the lower speed. The fact that the old motor was wearing out probably has a lot to do with the fact that it wasn't cooling as effectively as it once did. Some part of that is likely based all the way back to when the electricity went out and polarity was inverted, ground was lost. There was probably some motor damage which just had a gradual worsening effect until the motor failed. 

Still holding back on ordering the motor. Kind of lost track of how much total is coming out and want to get the other things for the house. I can order the new motor in 2 weeks. 

With the air conditioning units, seems I may need to change out some of the breakers and go to 20 amps, up from 15 for standard outlets. No problem with the wiring but air conditioners draw about 10 amps. When you add other items running on the same circuit, the breakers will trip. Wiring is rated for 60 amps, 3 times what the stronger breaker carries. 

Diverted effort

I had originally planned to trim the back yard and maybe work on daughter's room a bit tonight. Instead, wound up diverting my efforts. Had to go get cigarettes. Then went to Auto Zone and got a new tire valve stem and a recharge for the car air conditioner. 

Got home and tried to charge the air conditioner. The connector didn't fit. Checked around to be sure I was working with the right valve. Yep. Then I realized the amazing truth. The car is 21 years old and none of the previous owners had ever converted it to R143 coolant! R12 hasn't been available in the US since 1996. So I guess the air conditioner hasn't been charged for 16 years. 

Back to Auto Zone. More money for a conversion kit and core tool. 

No need to have the system evacuated. As I assumed, a system that hasn't been charged for 16 years had absolutely no pressure remaining. Took a while but got it charged and it seems to be holding pressure. Definitely got cold in the car! Daughter should be happy. This will be the first car I've had in years where the air conditioner actually works. 

I ordered the protein powder my body requires. Not cheap but it only comes in bulk 10 lbs tubs. Should last me a while. It's a relief to be able to afford it. Not required but it does help my health. I want to put on some extra weight as a buffer and to regain some muscle mass. If I can avoid ever dropping back into starvation mode again, I definitely will. 

Seriously sucks that it has come to cost so much to maintain my health. However, at least most of it is dietary and supplements, not drugs or surgery. So, not going to complain. Suck it up and move on.

Between car parts, protein powder, tools and building supplies, the swamp cooler may have to wait a few weeks. Maybe a month. I'll decide after other purchases. 

Results!

Nice waking up and checking the bank account, seeing the results of the extra hours I put in! Best paycheck with this company so far!

Paid all the bills due this morning. (I did leave a balance on the trash bill, which I'll ctach up next month. Since they bill in 3 month increments, technically current.) For a little while, I was carrying past due balances on several bills but they're all completely current now. 

The good part of it is that I actually have a decent positive balance left over! Yay!

Definitely means I can afford to buy the tools and equipment needed to finish several projects, including the drawers and shelves for daughter's room. And have enough for food and gas. 

That kind of builds my motivation back up. However, I am going to base my decision of whether I work extra hours next week on how the company handles the extra hours offered. If it is only offered for fax cases, no thanks. If it's offered for telephone and fax cases, then I'll do it. Fax cases go so slowly it's barely worth it. 

More done

Got some more done in the workshop. Not done yet but significant progress. I had allowed things to pile up badly. Got rid of a lot of things I don't really need any more. Another hour or so of work and I'll have the workshop back in order. Hopefully in an order which will remain that way. 

In the next few weeks, most, if not the whole house will finally be in order. Not complete but in order. 

This has been something years in achieving. I've been accumulating tools and pieces here and there over the last few years, making slow progress. Now the pieces are finally coming together. 

Experience and past mistakes (learning experiences) play into a lot of this. 

Getting daughter's room, the laundry room and the work shop in order are key elements in getting the rest of the house in order. 

I do want to build a large wall unit in the front room. One concern in that was that this is where we place the Christmas tree every year. So, came up with the idea of making one special closet in the corner dedicated to Christmas decorations. That way, when we remove the decorations and put up the tree, we don't have to access that/those closets until the decorations come down and it's not causing problems. 

Not happy

Not happy. My last 90 minutes of work I was instructed to go to processing fax cases. Because there are so many of them. And the numbers keep climbing. Mostly because nobody wants to do them! They take too long and do not pay more than phone or web cases. End result? You get paid less for the hardest things to process!

I've had several people basically try to shush me on the issue but it is a definite problem. Not without many possible solutions. Like limiting faxes accepted. Lots of doctor's offices want to fax in a bunch of garbage when their cases don't approve on the phone. Yet they fax in the exact same information (lacking the exact same information) that they gave on the phone. Don't allow it! If a case is started by phone, do not accept faxed information on that case unless it is requested! Same with web cases.

Another solution would be to offer hourly pay for processing faxes. Some clinical reviewers would jump at that! But still offer case rate for web cases. Stop lumping them together. They are so very much not the same. 

Another solution is to limit the number of pages accepted for one case. No more 40 pages of pure crap. It will not take long for offices to learn how to fax in clinical which is relevant instead of sending the entire chart. A good limit would be 12 pages, including face page. That should be sufficient to provide relevant clinical on any case at all. That means the clinical would have to be current and no more clinical assessments from 2005 for an injury that happened last week. 

I know the whole thing is not that simple. Our company contracts with multiple insurance companies, over 100 insurance plans. Not something which is beyond reach, though. 

This company continues to grow larger every day. Taking on more contracts, more plans. But that means more doctor's offices faxing more garbage in. If the issue is not addressed now, it is going to continue spiraling out of control, taking up increasing server space, time and bandwidth. These cases cost more to handle, store and process and that cost keeps climbing. And I have no idea how long the company is required to store the fax images. It's bringing the whole system down. 

Forgot I left this open. Went out and talked myself out of being a slug for a while. Pulled weeds, got on the roof and pulled the swamp cooler motor. Definitely shorting out. I had hopes when it ran for a minute, then it threw the breaker. Oh, well. Going to cost about $100 to replace it. Could be a little more if I find one with roller bearings. That would be much better than sleeve bearings. Have to check rotation speeds, also. At least I've already replaced the fan bearings and pump motor in previous years, so they should be good for a long time. Also bought a new center shaft last year because the old one was warped. Never installed it because I was gone too much. 

Also trimmed the grape vines before they got completely out of control. Trimmed them back mostly to where grapes are forming but even had to trim bunches of developing grapes off in some places because there are too many. Keeping it trimmed back helps the vine focus more energy on grape production than new vine runners. 

Thur is a good night to get things done. Nothing on TV worth watching. Pretty soon the TV season ends, any way and there won't be anything new to see. That and warm weather means I'll be more productive and less lazy. 

Nice day

Looks like today should be a nice day. Temps in the 70's, sunny and not windy. A rare thing here. But the weather is allegedly supposed to be pretty decent for the next couple of weeks. Temps in the 80's and no wind storms currently forecast. Now if we could just get some rain..

Weather forecaster on the news a few nights ago said the El Nino probably won't cause much rain over the summer. Instead, it will cause rain and snow in fall and winter. Oh, well. Water reservoirs here are at their highest levels in at least 14 years due to rains last year and runoff coming from the north. (So most of it is coming from CO.) 

Still, right this moment it's pretty cool out, upper 30's-lower 40's because of the cold front that came in. Just glad I got no frost. 

Front trimmed

Got the front yard trimmed after work. Looks a lot better. Though I do need to add more sprinklers because there are large areas brown or bare. I removed some sprinklers when I hit them with the weed whacker last year. I have the parts and don't need to buy anything, just put a small amount of work into it. 

Got some seeds in the mail today for purple carrots and Pride of Madeira flowers. I had ordered them in February. They were sent from China but they didn't ship them until 4/22/13. Guess I'll keep the carrot seeds and plant them in late summer because it will be too warm for them to germinate soon. The flowers I'll get started soon because they don't bloom until the second year of growth. 

Trying to talk myself into the energy to straighten out the work shop. Got a little of it done earlier but stopped to get the front yard done, so the place doesn't look quite so trashy. 

Pretty good timing. They're supposed to have some really large dumpsters at the park down the street on 5/24/14. I can dispose of a bunch of scrap wood that's in condition I can't use for much of anything.  

Later-

Got started on the work shop. Didn't get too far but at least I can walk in there and can see part of the table tops. Some things moved to the shed. Get more done tomorrow.

Took the sawdust from the table saw and cut up the rest of an old watermelon and hauled that stuff out to the compost. Think it should do some good. Learned what I had not known, that the puppies while they were invading the garden had displaced the black plastic sheeting on top of the compost. Figures. So, that got set back and will be longer until I know if it does any good. Have to check it further tomorrow to make sure they didn't chew up the water line. (Like that would be a surprise?) It was too dark to see it tonight.  

Mild insomnia

Had a rough time getting to sleep last night. May have been any number of things but eventually got to sleep.

Still, glad I decided against picking up an extra hour of work this morning, so could sleep a little bit later.

Been considering the road trips with daughter this summer and where to stay. Then it struck me that I have previously told her we could go camping someday. Have to talk with her about it but this may be the time for that. Took a look at some tents online and there are some decent ones for a reasonable price. And tents have gotten much easier to erect over the years. That and a couple of sleeping bags. We have several LED lanterns. Have to check on camping sites, too. If she likes the idea, could be an adventure!

It did get cold here last night but I don't see any sign of frost. Happy for that. I don't really have the resources to protect the garden against frost at the moment. I think the mulch would have done a lot of good, also. 

Haven't gotten a lot done past couple of evenings but planning on getting some things done this evening. Think I'll work on the workshop for a while. Get it cleaned and organized a little. It's a huge mess. Get some grass trimming done tomorrow, when the temperature is supposed to start coming back up. 

Planning

Been planning for making daughter's drawers for her room. To do it properly takes more planning than it may sound like. To make the drawers really secure will require dado blades, which don't come very cheap. Harbor Freight does have a set for an acceptable price and mostly positive reviews. 

Ultimately, I'm trying to build the whole thing so absolutely no screws or nails are showing. 

Took a little figuring to know how I want to make the drawers and keep them solid, decent and affordable. So, I'll have more decorative wood on the front, less expensive wood for back and bottoms, sheathing for the top layer of the drawer bottoms. Held together and in place with construction adhesive and slots cut with the dado blades. That should make them seriously solid. 

The work I've put into her room has largely been a result of things I've learned from other things I've done in the last few years. Now the work and methods I'm using in her room will later be applied to future projects. 

Going to be a really long time but eventually I'll take this house to an extreme opposite of how it was when I moved in, with shelves, cabinets and drawers in every single room. Not a matter of hoarding but a matter of organizing, keeping the house easily cleaned and improving insulation properties. The last part because a large number of the structures mentioned will be along the walls facing outside walls. 

I have another task for next week. Need to basically rebuild the swamp cooler. The motor is shorting out. Have to check the wiring going to it to make sure it's okay. If I'm going to do that, may as well get a slightly more powerful motor and rewire it so that I have separate controls for multiple speeds and can turn on the pump separate from the motor. It still draws more power than the one room window units, so it won't be used all that much. Good for keeping a decent humidity level in the house, though, so the air conditioners work better.  

Cumulative successes

I am having cumulative success in a few areas, which is really nice to see after things seeming to remain static for so long. Most I have mentioned before but it's good to gather positives once in a while.

Got frame for daughter's desk and wall unit done this weekend. Checked up and Harbor Freight carries self closing drawer sliders for $5 a set, 20" length, which would work really well for the wall unit. (And being self closing, would be really good for her.) I'll pick up what I need of those and the wood for the rest of the whole structure this weekend. Can have it all completed by the end of next week.

Not a lot growing just yet but at long last, what is growing is rather consistently the emerald green I have been working toward for five years. Well, I guess this makes it six years. Though much of the crops are confused. Keeps getting too cool for warm crops and too warm for cool crops, so things are growing but slowly.

Health is still improving slowly. It's nice not being in pain most of the time. Even when I do have pain, it's a lot less. I feel a lot stronger, where I had felt comparatively weak for some time. Nice having normal circulation again. 

May be a small thing but happy to say the see-through bird house is still in place. I was slightly worried about the suction cups holding but they're doing rather well. No birds have taken residence there yet. I may need to devise some kind of shade for it. 

To no small degree, I am still in function repair mode. I still need to finish installing shelves, wiring, insulation. However, getting more and more where I am able to focus on esthetics and comfort. 

Really hoping that this year I can get things complete enough that my tasks go from mandatory to simply desired improvement. 

New goals

Since I got the frame for daughter's wall unit finished last evening, have to come up with new goals for this week. That is, goals that don't require any money. Kinda hit my spending limit this pay period.

That's okay, I have plenty of things I need to do which don't require money, only effort.

Need to cut the grass in the front yard and trim in the back. Grass has gone to seed in the front yard. Not a bad thing because I had to use weed and grass killer to kill off a lot of weeds, which also killed off grass, of course. So, I have some dead or bare spots to deal with. Letting it go to seed will let it fill in those spots. Going to pull seeds off and spread them in the needed areas before cutting. 

I can get the work shop cleaned up this week. Be a little easier with the table saw currently in daughter's room. 

Can also install an extra shelf in the laundry room, like I've been planning for some time. 

Need to spray more grass and weed killer here and there because I see goat head plants coming up but they haven't flowered yet. 

Need to fertilize the garden. Got fertilizer this weekend. The mixture I've been using lacks phosphorous. My prior testing of the soil shows it has more than enough potassium. 

I installed a small line with a cut-off valve so I can water the outside plants without having to haul jugs any more. 

Plus I need to start getting more exercise. At least taking a 30 minute walk several times a week. That needs to develop into starting to run again.  

Past few weeks, I have been reaching the point where I am keeping the house cleaner and more organized than it was. Still have a ways to go before I would actually call it clean and organized. However, in my defense, that is going to absolutely require a lot more construction work at some level, just to have places to keep things that way. I could place things in plastic boxes to get things organized better but that would just divert money from more long term solutions, pushing them back further and actually causing more work just to find/retrieve things. 

Haven't run a budget for the next paycheck but I am considering renting a truck and buying a bunch of lumber and fixtures to complete some major projects all at once. Still may not be necessary to rent a truck. I was able to fit 2 ft by 4 ft lumber pieces in the car last weekend, so maybe I can get a few pieces at a time. The melamine wasn't as hard to cut as I anticipated. So, I can get more of that. I do think I will get some drawer sliders and go ahead and build drawers, rather than going through stages. I'll leave one side of the wall unit all shelves and the other build in 6 drawers, each about 2 ft long and 10-12" high. I think that should be sufficient storage space for the moment. Plus start building book shelves and the window seat hope chest. (Told her about that plan this weekend and she really liked it.) 

Cliff's

Finally got a bit of used out of those Cliff's season passes today. Daughter and I went there for a few hours. Good thing about the season passes is she's okay with spending a shorter period there because she knows we'll be able to go multiple times this summer. So, we got there shortly after they opened and left when it started getting crowded. 

The bummer is that they removed one of her favorite rides, the Scrambler, in favor of a really large swing that goes too high for either of us to want to ride. 

I finished the frame for her wall unit/desk this evening. She's excited by it. Took a little more cutting. When I took measurements, I measured the walls and didn't subtract the baseboards. Now all I have to do is get more material for shelves. For now, the tops and desk are useable and the whole thing is quite stable. 

She got in a cooking mood but nothing she cooked turned out. She's very stubborn in the kitchen. Going to have to change that attitude. 

Watched the second Hobbit movie. Glad they didn't make those movies gory. Lot of fighting but not a lot of blood. I explained to her the ring being an analogy for money, how it begins to control people and take them over until they are willing to do evil to retain it. I think that point is lost on a lot of people. 

Weekend plans

Not much cleaning to do this morning. Sweep up sawdust, sweep and straighten up in general. Haven't been very messy this week and cleaned up after daughter left last weekend.

I am thinking of getting some use out of those Cliff's passes today. If the park isn't completely overrun. Been too windy last few weekends to go. Today is supposed to be a bit cooler and not so windy. 

That should be a benefit. I though the motorcycle insurance premium started up again next month. Turns out it's this month. So, the car and motorcycle insurance come out of my account this week, leaving me a bit less than anticipated. But I have not touched the savings yet and I have a little cash on hand. Not going to go broke or overdrawn. Have to renew the cycle license with next check. 

Have to take daughter shopping for last items for her mother. She wants to giver her roses. She wants to giver her roses from our yard but I'm going to make that contingent on the condition of the roses at this point. Got lots of them but many bloomed last week or early this week, so may be drying up already. We officially have more roses now than at any point since moving in here. I'm actually quite surprised!

Been thinking more lately about long term plans for the house and property. Lots of ideas had slid back in my consciousness while handling more acute needs. Lots of things won't come about for several years. However, in the long term, I do intend to have skylights in at least one room, maybe 2 or three. Fairly small ones to allow natural light in. Eventually switch all the windows to something more modern. The solarium. A small water feature in the front yard and a much larger one in the back yard. Back yard is planned as a hot tub with waterfall, solar heated. Solar pre-heater for the house water heater. Various forms of solar heating and cooling. Multiple grape vines and fruit trees in the back yard. (So far, we have two young apple trees, a plum tree and two seeded grape vines.) Multiple rose bushes along the front property line. In the distant future, I want to convert the kitchen to an island configuration. (That may require a plumber to extend the gas line in there.) I am considering rebuilding the back gate in a wood, split type design. Not any time soon, though. Refinishing the floors throughout the house. Biggest part of that will be grinding the living room brick floor even and sealing it. 

All of that is in addition to finishing the wiring and walls, shelves and wall units in multiple rooms. 

This will all take years to complete all of it but at least I am back at a point where I can picture it again. Kind of hard to picture those things when you're anxious about foreclosure, transportation, etc. 

Even harder when you see your health declining over a long time. Tried to deny it but knew it was true. I am improving but after years of apparent damage, it takes at least a few months before all the damage heals and you get back completely to normal. In my case, I am returning there rather quickly. Feel better all the time but do need to get more exercise. This job is the most sedentary I have ever had. If I don't start walking and running, my legs are going to atrophy. 

Last few months I learned where most of the dust in the house comes from. Because of the holes I drilled for the insulation which are still open. (Thanks to how I got screwed by Wells Fargo.) One day I was standing under the line of holes when the wind was really blowing hard. When I felt a strong breeze blowing down on me from the holes. The wind (and dust) is blowing into the attic vents. Can't close those completely but I can place a filter and vacuum out the rafter space before installing insulation. Then the insulation itself will also act as a filter, once installed. But the biggest key is keeping the dust from ever getting in from unexpected directions. For all I know, there may be entire drifts of dust in the attic space, considering how many years this condition has existed. 

Then increase the ambient humidity in the house enough that dust settles instead of flies around. But balanced enough to avoid mold. 

Big plans but worth the effort. I may not want to stay in New Mexico but not really sure I will ever escape from here. 

Not even close

Not even close to being finished with daughter's wall unit. Started to put it together and then reconsidered the measurements. Then had to trim half the wood all over again. Then accidentally put some pieces together that didn't go together. Yeesh. 

Oh, well. Things are the right sizes now and the rest of it should go together more quickly than tonight. I may have it together this weekend.

I knocked off because I was tired and the cordless drill had to be recharged. 

It really did wind up being a good decision moving the table saw into the room I was working. A lot less effort and time. 

Going to get to bed at a decent time and get up to clean house a bit in the morning. Lots of sawdust to clean up.

Finally posted

The payment for the inspection fee to Wells Fargo finally posted last evening. Three weeks after I had actually paid it. This has involved at least 2 trips to a branch, 8 emails, 10 or more phone calls (incoming and outgoing) and nearly 20 people within their organization (sic). 

I'm still waiting to see what kind of games they try to play with the escrow payment. 

Finally got off my butt last night and cut the wood for the desk/wall unit in daughter's room. Haven't started putting it together yet but glad I haven't realized I need to trim a little more off of a few boards to make it how I want it.

Before I could start cutting, had to clear the room a lot. 

Think I may be able to finish the whole thing tonight. That is, the main base structure. 

Freedom

I know I have been single for quite some time. To some I seem isolated and there is some minor truth to that.

However, there is another side to it. One of the reasons I have remained single and alone is the emotional freedom involved. I have always been a man that, it seems, has much stronger emotions than the average male. Never been any good at hiding them or restraining them. They may not always be evident to those who don't know me. To those few who do know me (which can take many years), the twitch of an eye can speak worlds. I have always felt my emotions like an electric current through me.

I like being alone because I can feel anything I feel and express it how I choose without guilt, remorse or retribution years later. I can rage, sing, even cry without embarrassment.

There are some who view my solitude as being a sign that I care for little. The exact opposite is true. Much of the time, I remain isolated because I become overwhelmed on many levels the more time I spend in the company of other people. I am not able to easily tolerate those who spread hatred, anger, distrust, violence and falsity. 

I'm not arrogant. I will readily admit if I am wrong about something. However, it does require someone with an opposing view to prove their point more valid than my own, which is often difficult. Mostly for the time I spend in thought, meaning I frequently have spent much more time considering my opinion before reaching a conclusion. 

Some people think of me as an intellectual and they consider intellectuals to be emotionally distant. Again, the opposite is true. We all learn most about things we care about. However, intellectuals frequently care about a wider range of influences. What seems like emotional distance from the outside is often considering any opinion or emotion from multiple viewpoints and considering benefits versus consequences, most often well beyond the self. For that reason, like many intellectuals, my emotional response is often delayed rather than immediate. 

I guess you can compare it to running a budget before signing the sale papers on a new car as opposed to signing the papers and then learning the payments are so high you can no longer afford food. Intellectuals often believe you can enjoy the car more if you can drive it on a full stomach and can afford to put gas in it. That car is a lot less attractive when the repo man comes for it.  

Lysis

The acid is working slowly to kill the elms along the back fence. Llower branches are losing their leaves and higher leaves are gradually curling up. One or two more treatments should do it. 

The reaction in the process made me realize something that helps narrow down areas where there is too much salt in the soil. 

Dehydration is similar in plants and animals. Dehydration is not a matter of lack of fluid but a lack of fluid available to tissues. The result of dehydration is lysis and dessication. The deprivation of fluid to tissues. This can happen in the presence of plenty of water.

One source of dehydration is infection. Bacterial, fungal or even toxins.

Another source of dehydration is chemical or mineral concentration. Acid can be one of these. Salt can be another. Though they do work differently, the result is the same. Acid does direct tissue damage, making the tissues unable to absorb fluid. On the other hand salt (or any base) lyses fluid, depriving the tissues. 

This knowledge does come in retrospect from all the leaves I have seen curl up in the garden, now knowing it's from too much salt. One of the big problems with salt is that watering more doesn't help for long. Not unless you water enough to leach the salt away in some direction. If you water but not enough for that purpose, all you really do is dissolve the salt, so more of it is absorbed into the plant. It also rises in the soil if you don't water so much that it leaches downward. 

Been feeling really tired this week and haven't gotten much done. Figured out why this evening. Allergies. The steroid nasal spray is helping but the Zyrtec I've been trying isn't. Took half a Benadryl tonight and felt better 20 minutes later. But that happened too late to be much good. Good to know for tomorrow, though.

Got the pure sucralose in the mail today. It's supposed to be one of the sweetest substances on the planet, 600 times sweeter than sugar. Couldn't resist this evening, opened the package, dipped the tip of a finger in and tasted it. Yep! Really sweet! I'm estimating this 4.4 oz bag will last 3-4 months. It will take as little as 1/4 tsp for a gal of Kool-Aid or tea. Yet no calories and better for controlling Candidiasis, if nothing else by seriously reduced volume, meaning less for yeast to feed on. (Been keeping that pretty well under control but this will make it easier.. and cheaper.) 

Less watering

Now that the mulch is in place and the weather isn't too consistently hot, I started backing off the irrigation timers. I may be over-watering. 

Just out of curiosity, checked the mortgage account this morning. Still no change. They're going to try and push it as long as possible. When I considered it, this issue has been through the hands of at least 12 people who had the potential to do something about it and have failed to do so. That clearly indicates a culture of laxity and dishonesty within the entire company. Unless it just indicates incompetency. Just as bad. 

Hangover week?

I swear most of my callers this week have been hung over. Slow, unable to focus or think straight. Late this afternoon, I swear that one caller actually fell asleep on the phone while I was giving her the authorization number! She didn't even hear it and I had to start all over again! 

However, today was better than yesterday and I am assuming tomorrow will continue that trend, so I'm picking up an extra hour tomorrow morning. 

Took a look around. Think it would work to sit the table saw on a broad board across two bar stools. Worth giving it a try. If it's not stable, I'll negate that idea. If I have to, I'll just sit the table saw on the floor. Going to plug in the cordless drill and let the battery charge tonight. 

Seems to be a night for charging batteries. The bike battery was dead because I've been making nothing but short hauls on it for a while. So, that's plugged in to charge tonight, also. 

Finally went out and put some black plastic sheeting over the compost. It still allows air in the sides but covers the top. That should keep most of the compost moist and dark, so the whole pile which is covered will compost. I will have to pull it off and turn it once in a while. That should seriously accelerate the composting process and help increase temperatures so any weed and grass seeds get killed off. May pull it back tomorrow and dump in some ammonia. That will accelerate it considerably more plus increase the temperature more. I expect it should reach as much as 180 degrees. 

Barbecued a whole 10 lb bag of chicken leg quarters tonight. Means the only thing I have to cook is something to go with the chicken for a few days. Froze a lot of it. Have to say I am loving that invisible fence! I was able to cook without the dogs getting anywhere near the grill!

Tired. Going to get some sleep real soon.