Pray for Oklahoma

Going to be a very warm and humid day today. Have all the fans running already.

Sure feel sorry for all the people in Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa and Illinois where the tornados touched down. That bad weather is supposed to move into our area by tonight and tomorrow. But we’ll probably just get rain and maybe some wind. Any really bad weather seems to go around our hills to the north and south of us.

Doing laundry and paying bills today. Had a dream last night about cleaning house. Woke me up! Guess more like a nightmare!

The contractor is here spreading more mulch on the roadside bank. It is looking really nice. Don’t know what he’ll be doing in the bathroom today – hopefully a lot of patching so the flooring can go in and prepare the walls for paint.

Bought a new photo editing program to go with my new camera. Well not actually new but an updated version of the one I’ve been using. Lots of new fun things in it – once I figure out how to use them. Mainly I use it to resize my pics for the web. Speaking of which – walked out on the north side this a.m. and the water iris are starting to bloom in the pond.

And this clematis plant is outdoing itself this year. 

8:00 pm

It has finally started to cool down so only have to have the fans running.

Went to look at a truck up near Indy this afternoon. Whole bottom was rusted out! Not something we are used to seeing. Turned around and came home. Nice drive though - through lots of farming land. 

Cannot believe what is going on in Oklahoma. How horrible for them. And I complained about the heat. Shame on me. 

I hate renovation work!

Well the All Star race yesterday was a real bummer and I stayed up until midnight to see the end. Jimmy Johnson won again! For the first four heat races he wasn’t anywhere to be seen but the money section there he was. Kurt and Kyle lead two heats each and neither could win the big deal. But both of them had great cars. Hard to really like or dislike Johnson he is just there. All the time he is THERE.

This morning we took a ride out into the country to check out a small pickup truck – older but nice and clean. One that we could actually use once in a while. Like when we go to Menards and buy plants and stuff for the on going repairs around here. Not like that big hulking Ram that I hate and can’t drive. Bill wants to keep the Jeep, Willie, just for when we travel as he is getting a lot of miles on him.

Back to out in the country – most of the farmer’s field we passed are not planted yet but look to be drying out a little bit. Now if we could just go a few days without rain……But boy does every body’s yard look nice. So lush and green. And lots of mowing going on. Smells so good. We took the convertible out for the ride. I’d forgotten what a nice car it is. Fun to ride in and comfortable. Put the top down for the drive home even. Just realized it is 15 years old, can’t believe it was that long ago that I bought it. And it still looks new.
What a mess this house is in – how can so much of it get messed up just fixing one room…all the stuff from the tore up bathroom is in the spare bedroom. All the new stuff is in the living room and front hallway. My bathroom has the stuff to repair the ceiling – tiles, glue, levels etc. in it. Boxes all over the place…..eeeeekkkkkk! Stuff – dirt, pieces of plaster etc. tracked through the hallways and up the stairs. I refuse to clean until the major demolition and dirty repair work is done. Going to take some major cleaning when everything is done. But it will be beautiful I keep telling myself. 

Tub is gone

The contractor showed up early this morning with the plumber in tow – the big plumber. But the plumber took one look at the cast iron tub sitting on its side in the bathroom and said basically – no way we can carry that thing out of here. But it is now out and gone. So how did they do it. With a bigger hammer! Actually the plumber said that the best way would be to break it up. We all looked at him with skepticism on our faces. It’s cast iron! Well replied the plumber. These old cast iron tubs get brittle with age and break up easily with a big sledge hammer. And it did. A few, well maybe more than a few, mighty swings and there were pieces of tub all over the place. Easy clean up from there. Yipee! Another thing done. 

Contractor will be back on Monday to start on floor.

Oh yes, all the stuff for the remodel was delivered yesterday – so now another room in the house is messed up. Everything is piled up in the living room.  Sigh! Well no cleaning until everything is done.

Yesterday while watching NASCAR non-stop I did do something constructive. I actually finished a knitting project. It is a scarf. It’s not very big because I was just using up some small amounts of yellow and pink yarn. But it is done.

Watched the qualifying for the trucks, shootout and All Star race and then the truck race. And Kyle will start 4^th in the All Star tonight and he won the truck race last night.

Saw her this morning but she heard me coming and left. 

Construction on going, rain has gone by and races are on.

Cooler and cloudy with something like 70% chance of rain today. Most of yesterday was nice with the exception of one very heavy shower in the middle of the day. Weird.

And as usual the best laid plans of mice and men – We will not be going to pick up the Alfa today after all. All the stuff for the repair of the bathroom is going to be delivered today – sometime between 8 and noon – or maybe later. The work in there is coming along. Still have to get the tub out though. It will take a couple/group of big strong people to get it out and down the stairs. If Bill even looks like he is going to help I’ll kick him in the knee! That bathroom is weird – it is kind of like two rooms. The first part has sink/vanity and toilet. Then a doorway with a door to the area with a tub and another sink/vanity. So while everything has to be torn up anyway we are taking out the door and expanding the doorway so it will seem more like one bigger room.
Strange day today first sunshine, then a couple minutes of heavy rain with thunder and lightening and now sunshine again. Have to go back around and open all the doors and windows I just finished shutting.
What is with all the TV shows, movies and commercials that are about men shaving their chests etc. When did that start? Is it a new fad?
Went out a while ago –before rain – to see if the water iris were blooming yet and when I got up to the pond a big snake slithered off the rocks into the water. Kind of startled me. He just looked fat, long and brown what little I saw of his back end. Going to be on the look out for him next time I go out there. Hate to step on him.
NASCAR heaven today – all kinds of practice, qualifying and a race. Except my favorite driver had to put a new engine in his truck so didn’t get any practice in it before qualifying starts. But he is doing good in the All Star practice.