It has been a week. Actually, it has been a month. In terms of time sinks, April was almost as bad as August usually is, although it (mostly) didn’t involve chicken houses. I’m less than 3,000 words short of completing FAR Future, which is maybe 1,000 words less than where I was at the beginning of the month. But at a post a week, I could sit on my hands all the way through July before I really have to start worrying. Next week will have (for the first time in quite a while) a double feature of FAR Future, because it’s really a single (long) episode split into two pieces. They’ll come out on Monday and Tuesday mornings, respectively. What I’m saying is, I want to get it done so I can start in on the next project… but there’s no pressure otherwise.
I’ve finally gotten started in earnest on a little garden here at the manor. I bought some yellow pear and Rutgers tomatoes last week, along with some jalapeños (my cash crop) and various herbs. The tomatoes, peppers, and lemon balm are now planted (the latter two just before the rain). The lemon balm was starting to wilt, so I knew that had to be addressed pronto; I picked one of the areas where the butterfly bushes were uprooted, then got rid of the violet-weeds. I'm trying to figure out where to put the two oregano plants; the one I have now is turning invasive, so they need to be out of the way but close enough to harvest. Wherever I decide to put the mint and rosemary, it won’t be anywhere near the oregano.
A couple of news articles caught my eye, besides the whole swine flu thing. One was about Congress starting to put a leash on credit card companies (especially since they’re taking bailout money). It doesn’t go nearly as far as I’d like, but it’s a good start. Another was about how an open-source programmer cussed out Adobe over the Photoshop PSD format. Personally, I think Adobe needs to be cussed out (and more) on a daily basis, but that’s just me.
Moving on to the poll gone by… here’s the final tally.
Most of you guys are efficient tax-filing machines… January and February indeed! Those of you who filed in April — the last two weeks before the deadline — I can relate, that’s where I landed too. I really wanted to file right away, joining that Jan/Feb majority, but one thing led to another and next thing I knew it was April. The latest poll is more of a fun little guessing game… let’s all try to guess where gas prices are going to go.
Daughter Dearest is nominally done with college — her last final was Tuesday — but she had to go back this evening to sing at the baccalaureate, and I have to take her tomorrow morning to sing at the graduation. She’s going to be nice enough to give me her network password so I can get some surfing done tomorrow (I don’t have a ticket to the ceremony)… if I really get inspired, I might finish FAR Future right there in the performing arts center.
Hey FAR,
ReplyDeleteLooks like our rainy spell has passed for at least a few days as well, so Ferny and I will be out tomorrow (well, today) cleaning up some more and actually getting a few things planted, as well as taking more pics since it's supposed to be sunny and warm! He was late coming home today and arrived with an entire flat of snapdragons! Guess we'll be popping those in all over too.
About taxes: we always get ours done in late March (our preparer provides us with ample reminders) and we got our refunds on 4/10, so no sweat here.
Give my congrats to DD for surviving her first year of college intact and sane! So does that mean that you can put her to work at the Manor as a garden wench for the summer? (hehe) Seriously though, she's passed a big milestone of the first year, so I bet you're proud!
Howdy IVG!
ReplyDeleteI think DD is going to end up being a chicken house slave, unless one of the places at the outlet maul [sic] decides to give her a job. (she's applied)
I'm going to teach her what I know about photography this summer, which is not terribly advanced, but she'll be able to get the most out of her little camera anyway. She has a knack for framing, and I have a self-study course (picked up from a yard sale a long while back), so between me & the books she ought to learn something. :-)
Fingers crossed for the outlet mall coming through ... ;-)
ReplyDeleteTaxes here aren't due 'til the last day of April.
We used an accountant this year for the first time and taxes went out in April. Next year back to Turbotax. Needless to say we were not impressed with the accountant but madame boran wanted to try it.
ReplyDeleteI've planted some things including the grape tomatoes. Good luck with yours, Far.
Congratulations to DD!
Olivia, must be nice. Then again, we've already received our refunds. ;-) I'm crossing fingers too!
ReplyDeleteBoran, I didn't have good luck with grape tomatoes but that probably had to do with where/how I planted them. The yellow pear ones, though, do pretty well. I know someone who works for a local Jackson Hewitt… I'm seriously considering letting them handle things next year.
Ty for the congrats. Forgot to mention to FD that John Smoltz was the guest speaker at the graduation, so it was lengthy other than the 206 graduates that walked across the stage, and had... two... pictures taken. Oh well, is all over now.
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