Happiness is the Great Outdoors ...

I like living in the 'burbs. Especially on sunny weekends. After hibernating all winter - everyone is outside. Everyone is toiling away on various projects. Maybe it's something simple like mowing -- (I love that sound! And the SMELL of freshly cut grass ... aaaah.) Or maybe folks are refilling flower beds and cleaning out the "dead" of winter.

It's a great feeling. I got to "toil" around the house today while all the boys were at the Royals game. I worked really hard - and got covered in dirt. And it was great. I could see people trading stories between bag changes while mowing ... and giving each other advice on planting this or that...or making fun of the family trying to make major deck improvements in one day. And of course, you could hear the muffled laughter of kids in various yards running off all the cabin fever.

There's something very 'home' about all that. When summer comes, I'm outside every chance I get. I just like to soak it all in. If I'm not "toiling" I'm playing backyard baseball or pushing someone on a swing ... or just reading a magazine with my favorite drink. But I'm also just as happy to sit in my chair swing, and stare at the sky and dream.

THIS is what it's all about. *happy sigh*

As the Dryer Spins: A Clean Tale of Detergent & Determination

I sit here [ this ] close to falling asleep.  

My face is burned from another day of sports.  No sunscreen - didn't think of it cuz it was COLD, duh.

I'm listening to my husband install the new dryer we just bought.  I'm steering clear of the scene.  Too much moving stuff around that could make me antsy.  

And now he's come up here and is all happy he's got it installed.  Proud of himself. And now asking me why I'm not excited.  Why should I be? It's a dryer.  I didn't WANT a new dryer, it was sort of forced on me because the other one bit the dust.  There's nothing special about it.  It's a dryer. It's a big hunk of my disposable income disposed of .. and I would've rather purchased supplies to extend our deck.  THAT would make me excited.  But noooo .... a dryer made itself a priority.   Oh, and we bought it today.  The SAME day we took the mini-van in to get the flinging-flanging driver side window fixed.  (Cha-Ching!) Sadly, this became quite a priority.  It's embarrassing to have to open the door at every drive-thru.  I guess we should be more embarrassed about the number of times we hit a drive-thru and NEED that darn window to go down.  But, I digress. 

Husband is now pouting because of my lack of excitement over the dryer.  Seriously? Not sure what I'm missing here.   I suppose I could've fake excitement.  (I know you're now all expecting me to take the easy joke about faking excitement in other "venues."  But, I'm not going for the expected - and remember, I'm [ this ] close to falling asleep.) Anyway, I didn't have the energy to fake it.  (Yeah yeah, "That's what she said.")

He has sulked off into another room.  So I'm sitting here.  Listening to the washer go, because I'm assuming HE was so excited about the new dryer that HE decided to toss a load in the wash.  AT 10:00 AT NIGHT .  So then HE could go put those things in the dryer and get excited that it was working.  Whereas, I'm thinking:  He's either A/gonna forget about the clothes in the washer and leave them all night and I'll get to wash them again because I think they get a stale smell if left.   or B/he'll move them to the dryer and leave them there all night to wrinkle  or  C/I will somehow be stuck doing some form of laundry very late on a Saturday night...because I will be annoyed about the potential of options A or B.

So now he's taking a shower.  Dummy.  It'll soon be cold because he JUST TURNED ON THE WASHING MACHINE.  Maybe I should go start the dishwasher and go for the trifecta.  That's just mean, huh?  Guy takes care of replacing the dead dryer - from purchasing, to installing to -- WHOA.  WAIT.  NEWS FLASH: HE'S HEADED DOWNSTAIRS.  He's SO excited about the dryer he's gone from shower straight to laundry room to move the load over!  Looks like option B is our winner.  Oh, and now he's back up here loading up MORE dirty clothes to take downstairs.  Silly man.  Why all the love for this new machine?   We DID just buy new hedge clippers today, why aren't they getting any love?  

Maybe dryers CAN be exciting.  I just did an entire blog play-by-play on one.  

Meh.

Sigh

So I gave this blog a whole new look and got all geared up to be a faithful blogger .. and haven't posted in a bajillion years.

Things are SOOOO busy right now -- too many to-do lists to keep up with.
----
Funny - I started the above last week, and got interupted and am just now getting back to it. Just reinforces how many different directions I've been pulled.
However, my to-do lists have finally gotten smaller.

I hope to get back to blogging regularly. This doesn't count. It's boring.

The Five:
(Feelings)
1. Tired - sugar crash. (Had a TINY piece of cake at work.)
2. Generally upbeat ... for a Monday.
3. Anxious to get home and watch DWTS.
4. Wish I had a pony tail holder. Hair is bugging me.
5. Full.

(Wishes)
1. This weight would fall off faster.
2. I was a better mom in the mornings.
3. It wouldn't rain this week.
4. I was wearing jammies. will be in 30 minutes!
5. All my "to-do's" were 'to done'