September 05, 2009

2:26 p.m.

Saturday

Well. Despite what the IRS website says, the amended returns are now taking 12-16 weeks to process, not 6-8 weeks. Argh. Dar is coming up with money somehow this week so we can proceed with the chimneys and the stove. I'll have to pay him back when the check finally does arrive. How pesky. Whoosh -- that check is already gone.

I managed half the lawn yesterday before I was exhausted. Will try to do some more tonight before our early dinner and going to the auction. This is the same auction house where I sold the Hitchcock furniture a few weeks ago. We'll take more stuff soon -- he was full up this week already so he said to wait. I am looking forward to getting the last large pieces out of my upstairs so that I can start to clean and renovate up there. It's a bit crowded.

I posted more pictures in this album on Facebook.

Marc's birthday was yesterday. Rose had his old blue Mercedes detailed -- it looks great. Our friends V&S (recent Hindu house blessing) are having his pickup truck detailed and bringing it back today. I guess they pretended to have to borrow it for something. Hee. Dar and I gave him a gift certificate for Tractor Supply and a plate of really excellent Italian cookies from a local bakery. We had a debauched feast last night of steak, white beans and kale, butternut squash, and all-real, totally-fattening chocolate chip cheesecake which Pearl and her boyfriend made in secret. Plus the cookies and a VERY good bottle of wine which Rose has been harboring for 7 years. When I woke up this morning my fingers felt like sausages from all the sugar and salt and fat. It was DELICIOUS. What good sense he had, having a birthday.

Today I watered the lawn, investigated a deer trail and some of my back woods, did a good amount of pruning in the front yard, and scattered some of the bird seed around on my front stoops. The birds have not yet discovered the feeder I put up a couple of days ago. Silly birds. I thought if they could see some of the seeds, they'd show up and figure out there's a whole stash, plus suet, just a few feet away.

Rose and I talked about how hard it is to get motivated for those hard jobs, like cleaning the birdcage for her, or finishing mowing for me, or sanding the ceiling. It's only one more session I'll have that kind of mess from this ceiling, but that's also a room I use all the time so it means moving furniture out, covering stuff, arranging fans, dealing with the plaster dust falling, and all the cleanup. I will make myself do it this weekend so I can start painting, but oh, how difficult to just start.

Anyway, that's it for now. Must head to a farm stand for some veggies.