It feels like a long time coming, after the tumultuous last few months. This is my first summer not working, which is a pretty odd feeling considering I've been working/volunteering over my summers since the 7TH GRADE. I didn't know what was happening to me next year, so I didn't job search. Oh, well. (I sound pretty bummed out, right?) Last week, we went to the beach with my parents and brother, and we threw a little 4th of July BBQ yesterday.
Here's what my summer looks like so far:
1. Clean/organize/sort the unbelievable amount of crap we've accumulated since moving into the house,some of which was accumulated and left by the previous owners. The general plan is a garage sale sooner than later, and renting a dumpster as a last step for finally getting rid of some of the nonsense that we just don't know what to do with. We currently have 4, count 'em, 4 extra couches (one is currently on our curb if anyone is interested), chairs galore, knickknacks beyond measure, and tchotchkes beyond your wildest dreams. If I can clean out the garage/attic/basement this summer, it will be a success.Which leads me to....
2. Hire a contractor to fix up our monstrous basement. We were flooded earlier this spring, thrice, and now we are the proud owners of warped, nasty, rotten paneling. So, we've gotta get that taken care of, stat. We fixed up the non-flooded side of the basement just this weekend, with some new Berber rugs (which, by the way, were a total steal at $300 for two 12 x 15 bound rugs from Warehouse Carpet). Doug also set up his new music room/ man cave/jam space. I was feeling a little grumpy about giving up the space that used to house a card table and some other odds and ends, but I have to admit, it looks pretty snazzy.3. Go through all of our papers and file them. We started this process, but haven't finished yet. Since moving in together and getting married, we sort of just kept shoving any papers that seemed mildly important into various drawers in the office....which made doing our taxes and my FAFSA (I started classes to earn my second Masters in Ed Admin) this year a total, all encompassing nightmare. So, we've started filing, and I'd really like to get that under control asap.
4. Tackle the ugly green on green on green front landscaping. I've been saying this since we moved in. I hate, hate, hate the front of our house. There's the grass, which is fine, but that melts into this awful tangly ground cover vine thing, which borders an equally unattractive line of hedge. I'm not sure if I have it in me to rip out the hedges, but those vines are going, going, gone if it's the last thing I do...and given how many of them there are, it just might be. I did some work in the back garden, and I'm really, really happy with how it came out. I'm hoping the front will be as successful.5. Take my statistics course that I am not loving, but am happy to be starting. 1 course started, 11 more to go!
6. Keep baking.
7. Work on the novel Doug and I started over two years ago. Like, really work on it. I don't even care about it being published, I'd just like to say I did it and it's done.
8. Sleep.
9. Possibly do something with our pink and gray bathroom of ultimate heinousness. Maybe. Doug thinks it's better left alone. I totally disagree. I mean, look at it. Gross.
11. Break Oscar's will to bark at everything, all the time, to the point of ridiculousness.
12. Exercise. A lot, to make up for #6.
OK, maybe I'm over-planning. I do have the tendency to do that. But, that's the plan for now. I might be singing a different tune in a week or two.
For now, I think I'll start cleaning...but then again, maybe I'll just go back to bed. It's summer, after all.
