i just had this awful thought

What if the reason Gus is frantically sniffing and pacing is mouse-related?

sow, grow, show

My gardens are fabulous this year. (See masthead photo.) Lots of rain = lots of lush growth = :)


And speaking of rain. Check this out--bathroom:

bedroom:

and in case you don't recognize this view:

Other bedroom. Take that rain who floods the basement apartment no more:

As long as I'm boasting about today's accomplishments at the rental, check out the basement kitchen:


It may not look like much, but the cabinets are in, the plumbing is in the cabinet, and the templates for the countertops are cut out and ready to be transferred to the wood/laminate
.

And back to the lush gardens. This is from last weekend.


She is such a poser.


Seriously.


Quite suddenly she needed to play with her ball in the water trough--


Then there's Gus, who looked like this last weekend but has since started running to and fro across a ten-foot square of grass, sniffing the ground, back and forth, back and forth--not sure what is going on in his little brain...(time to google neurotic dog)

And in case you wondered, these kids are all fine.


And obviously, these two princesses are adorable.

let's focus here

Seriously. Pay attention to the weather and forget that debt crisis business. Because it's been raining again. A lot. Enough to flood our basement. Again.

And oh yeah, the Provo house too. Because we had to go and agree to the tenant's request that we remodel the basement kitchen instead of doing the sensible thing we had thought needed to be the next project--you know, either new window wells that would keep the soil line below the bottom of the windows in the bedroom, or cutting through the concrete at the base of the outdoor stairs and installing a drain so the deluge of rain wouldn't run under the door into the living room.

Yes, that's three floods in two houses. Enough already with the rain. We live in a desert remember? It's July. Arid time. Please.

I must admit though, the new cabinets and patched/painted walls look much better than the old ratty cabinets and sink...but still.

per your request

That piece of paper hanging from the light in the stairwell is now in the trash, thank you to Jr. Somehow, the painter forgot to remove it when he was cleaning up. And while removing it, Jr sensed that the house still has its sense of humor. He kept poking at the tape and paper with a broom handle until he finally got the tape to let go and then it floated to high up on the wall where it promptly re-stuck itself. Good thing he's tall. And determined.

And that electrical outlet and switch on the kitchen wall? Now covered.

on a more upbeat note

Yes, I've been a bit cranky of late. Maybe downright crabby. But I'm working on it. Cheering up and stopping the whining about the arm.

So. How about an update on the Provo rental?

It is nearly complete and we have tenants ready to move in. Photos to prove it, which will likely mean nothing to anyone but Jessie, who will recognize the progress.

So, does this look familiar, Jess? Top of the stairwell, notice the tile job, baseboard, freshly textured and painted walls, and rewired outlet. It has a cover now. Shoulda waited to take the photo until that got done, right? But see, the old dryer plug is gone and that's the new half wall and if I had shot from a different angle, you could have seen the new doorknob that locks and the new light and the walls that are clear of wires, plumbing, etc., and the new access doors for the upstairs plumbing that are far less noticeable than the previous covers.


This next one is part of today's projects. Jr and I tore out the kitchen cabinets in the basement earlier in the week and I textured the walls, so today we yanked down the sink and cut the drain line. Seriously gross. But, in this shot you can see the newly rewired switch and outlet (thank you, Jack and Jr). After taking this photo, I added more mud to fix the wall, and then Jr and I hauled the sink and other debris to the trash. We filled both cans again, and perhaps next week will be the last time we fill the cans with remodeling debris. Tonight we're headed back with keys for the renters, who can hardly wait to move in, which delights me to have people living there again who love the place. While there tonight, Jr and I intend to move the plumbing for the kitchen sink into the new cabinets (or at least the future location of the cabinets) so I can finish texturing and then painting the walls. The new cabinets and dishwasher should arrive by Tuesday. By then we hope to have made the new countertops (gluing laminate to wood and then cutting it all to fit perfectly!). Then we can drop in the sink, hook up the faucet and drain, and turn the place over to the cleaners. Okay, so we still need to reconnect the swamp cooler, make a shelf to go over the new sink downstairs, and slightly modify the closet doors upstairs so they close more easily and don't drag on the carpet and tile. But still. So close.


Finally, and this is a shot that only Jessie will appreciate, I present the storage room. Seriously, can you believe the difference? Not sure this photo really does it justice.


Not sure how we'd get these projects done without this kid. Notice the early morning sunshine?

the next post--lortab induced writing

You may chose to disregard the drug-induced rant that is the post from earlier today. Not that it was fabricated. It was a real conversation--in fact, it's two real conversations. The one with mom and the one in my head.

However.

Consider for a moment that I wrote it just before laying down because I was nauseated from the drugs I'd taken for my shoulder/arm pain and promptly fell asleep and dreamed that I was writing an accounting-based marketing plan that was legally insufficient based on real estate law.

Yeh, I've got homework to do.

so maybe i was feeling a bit crabby

Like tired, and yes irritated, but did I mention my arm's been troubling me for a couple of months?

No? Well, that could be because I was convinced that the shooting pains that occurred whenever I moved my right upper arm in certain positions was either a) caused by my age, or b) yet another example of how emotional pain can cause physical pain.

But see, I'm not feeling particularly emotionally wounded right now. And the age thing is starting to get old.

Whoa. I'm so funny.

Anyway.

Finally mentioned it to the nurse, who passed it on to the doctor, who ordered an MRI, which showed bursitis--a treatable pain--

Dragged my painful arm to the doctor this afternoon for an injection--yes, me, the girl who is a baby about pain went to the doctor asking for pain. Because everyone who heard about my injection appointment kindly told me that those steroid shots hurt like hell.

Except Jack. He said he didn't think they were too bad.

So. Got my shot. Did not cry. Felt nearly immediate relief (after the wee bit of pressure that I was able to keep talking right through because I had to tell the doc the story about me being a baby about pain, right?)

Doc says the immediate relief is likely from the novocaine-ish drug they mix with the cortisone and probably is not just the placebo effect that I suggested, but the steroid should kick in within seven or eight hours and then I'll be good as new.

Or something like that.

And maybe I'll quit with the rants for a while.