Friday, May 06, 2011

Gardening: Year Two, Week Three

The garden is coming along nicely. I am already learning some lessons: Next year, plant only one pack of snap beans. They're growing wildly. I'm interested to see what happens when the cucumber vines start to crawl around.



From last year, I did learn that cucumber vines grow and grow and grow. Thus the addition of the chain fence in the back.

I'm really getting into this gardening thing. I learn new things every year.

TV Show: Extreme Couponing

This past weekend, TLC had a marathon of their newer show Extreme Couponing.

Basically, puffy-haired women and a few obviously-gay-but-married-anyway men spend up to "35 hours per week" (!) clipping, organizing, and obsessing over coupons. Then, they head to the grocery to buy truck loads of crap they don't need but "stockpile" anyway because they're getting a great deal. You do not need 100 bottles of hand lotion. Ever.

"I bought $1000 worth" of stuff I don't need "for $12".


I was buying into the concept until I saw three of my pet peeves in one episode:

1) The word is pronounced "coupon" not "Qpon".

2) Fifty cents is written 50¢. If you write .50¢, you are saying 1/2 of a penny.

3) Your coupon books did not come "from God just in time to save [your] home". They came in the mail. Your mailman is not God. God is busy smiting people. He has no time for your petty hobby.


I can no longer watch this show.

House Painting

Time Line -

Before:






Friday, April 22: Scraped and power washed entire house

Saturday, April 23: Painted my house behind the fence - so I could practice before I went in full view of my neighbors to...

Sunday, April 24 (Easter Sunday): Pained my house in front of my house and in front of the prying eyes of my neighbors


Sunday, May 1:
Painted the trim (I guess that's what it's called. I painted all the non-white stuff.) Touched up everything else.

After:







Professional Quote from Painting Company: $1300
Cost of Doing It Myself: $300
Neck Pain, Back Pain, Sunburn: Priceless