Malcolms New Love

Kenny resurected my old bike last night. I bought it about 11 years ago when I worked at ShopKo. It's not had a rider in over 6 years and it has had just about as much time outside.

I pulled it from the weeds that had grown over it, entangling themselves in the spokes of the wheels. Spiders had covered large portions of the frame in webs and mud was dried and crusted on the majority of the bike, so much so that you could hardly see how badly rusted out it was.

It was in sad, sad shape.

But we put new life into it. A new chain, to replace the one that was rusted so bad it held the shape between the gears even when we took it off the bike. Two new inner tubes, to replace the ones that were tired and flat. We brushed off the dust and cobwebs and weed remains and I have a pretty ugly, but working bike.

I took Malcolm for a run last night, 20 minutes at about 10:00. He loved it. I took him on the same run this morning at 7am (that's right I was up at 7). 20 minutes is probably good enough for me for starters, but Malcolm is just getting warmed up by the time we get home. I'm going to have to stretch the runs to an hour, that is, if I ever want to wear him out.

Debt? What Debt?

I wrote some fatty checks today to a few banks. Not used to writing that many numbers or words on a personal check, but it sure felt good.

We got the tax check today, hooray! Paid off our auto loan with Community First Bank, we now own our truck! That frees up $403.00 a month.

I wrote a fatty check to a credit card account cutting the balance in half. We should be able to pay it off fairly quickly with the money we won't be spending on the truck anymore.

I paid off the two washington mutual cards and CLOSED THOSE PUPPIES! We are now free from WAMU and saving a bundle on interst and finance charges!!!!

Kenny commented on how thin his wallet is now that we are closing accounts left and right. We've been waiting for this for a long time.

Flowers, Walls, Bikes and Neighbors

Here's some pictures I took of the tulips growing in my front garden. They were just so pretty I thought I had to share them with everyone. I don't have much in the line of flowers yet so I enjoy the little bed I have there in the front.





I moved 51 blocks this weekend... more than that if you include the 30 I bought, loaded and unloaded on Sunday. Kenny helped me lay the foundation, which is the most time consuming part of the whole thing, then I build up the wall! It looks great. The bricks actually are a lot more strain on my body than the wheel barrow loads and digging is. I'm pretty stiff and extra sore in the thighs and arms from all the up and down with the heavy blocks, but they should make for a very solid wall when I'm done. There is gravel base for water to seep through I'm not too concerned with the upper sections of wall... all my walls are under 3' and the soil is extremely sandy and, for the most part, the area behind the top most terrace will be paved with a concrete pad as well, reducing moisture by a lot by not having sprinklers run for a lawn. The upper right picture is the foundation for the wall I plan on building today.

Saturday, the girls went out to ride bikes after the Tenney party. Chloe requested that her training wheels be removed and after help from Dad and a few hours of practice she was riding a two wheeler all on her own. Go Chloe!





Our neighbors were all out this last weekend doing stuff in the yard. Doug and Lydia were weeding their slope in preparation for a vegetable garden. The Trimbles were rototilling their hill to prepare for simple seeding. The most surprising yard work was done by my neighbor next door. He told me he was going to do the fence this summer and the back yard landscaping next summer. But after a few talks with me to see what I was up to, he brings out the shovel and starts sculpting his hill similarly (but not as dramatic) as ours. I think I inspired him a bit :)

Lots Accomplished on Saturday

Went to a great birthday party for Miss Megan. She had lots of fun and got lots of fun toys. Her parents supplied all the birthday party staples ie. Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Cake, Ice Cream and Soda. It was a great party, I'm glad we were able to make it.

Got home at 2, sure enough I hopped out to the back yard and started building the first wall in the series of walls for the upper terrace. The yard is beginning to take shape. I'm very excited!!!

The weather forecast for this week is abysmal. Alas, I'll have to MAKE myself go out in the rainy yucky weather. I have to finish this project. I NEED to be done!!! I have been working faster than I thought I could, I'd hate to see things slow down.

I'll get a picture of the wall up tonight!

Electronics Destroyer Attacks Again

Alas a poor cell phone met it demise yesterday when Erin washed a large load of jeans. The cell phone was hidden deep within a pocket of a pair of her husbands jeans. When asked to comment Erin responded, "I swear I checked the pockets, I thought for sure there was nothing in them". Last spring Erin was involved in a similar "accident". Again a fatal laundry load ended the short life of a small personal electronic device, her husbands ipod.

Electronics beware when Erin gets around to washing the laundry!