Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Okay so maybe while not technically, over any rainbows, it is still pretty high.  Oh, maybe I should explain what it is I am talking about.  Bill is on the roof.  That makes me pretty uncomfortable.  We have really good insurance, but still, its a very tall house.  Yesterday, he had to install a new vent, and because we are expecting rain, he needs to make sure its sealed up, so nothing leaks.  The roofers will flash around it when they get up there.  Today, he is going to install my new dryer vent.  Finally!!!!!!  For the last several months, I have been venting the dryer out of the window, which is an amazing pain in butt.  Its a long story as to why, but in a nut shell, the old vent wouldn't work with the new dryer, something about where it was located or something. Whatever, now it will be fixed and I won't have to deal with it.  Progress is awesome!
Managed to get the Wal-Mart run done early.  As suspected, no one was there, and they still had the stuff I went there to get.  Awesome.  Bill broke down and bought a new weed eater.  The old one was stolen last summer. Someone was going around stealing lawn equipment.  Maybe they wanted to start their own lawn service or something.  I just can't imagine what you would need 15 weed eaters, half a dozen lawn movers and 8 chainsaws for.  I finally just broke down and bought a Rosemary plant.  I hate admitting it, but I am completely incompetent when it comes to Rosemary.  I have no reason why, other than for the past 6 years I have tried to grow it from seeds and just can't seem to either get them to even sprout or if they do sprout the seedlings are so weak and pathetic they don't make it.  So, I got a very nice, good size plant, that hopefully, if I baby, it will live.  It better, if it dies, I will just give up.
We got most of the stuff moved out of the way yesterday and several more rows of beans in.  We are going to hold off on the tomatoes another week or so.  I think it is still to early, and my luck, we'd get them planted and then we would have a freeze.  I'll just wait:)
I got the wandering Jews re potted and outside, the tulips & irises weeded and a few herbs planted in pots.  And for the most exciting part of my day, I went into the house next door.
I was gathering up my pots and saw that there were about 10 of the gallon size black plastic pots laying around the yard next door and since no one is going to be using them, I snagged them.  Bill said since I was over there to look and see if the kitchen door had the hardware still on it.  So, being the dutiful wife I am, I did.
OMG!  We haven't been in there since early last summer.  I could not believe how much damage occurred over the winter.  I understand why the city said they wouldn't be responsible for accidents.  The first room I walked into was the kitchen.  The floor in the center of the room was gone, as was the ceiling over that part of the floor.  Since I am a pretty nervous nelly, and I am pretty familiar with where the joists are, I decided to stick near the wall and old step where the joists should be.  I went partially into what was the dining room and no further than that.  The ceiling in the living room and the front room as also partially down and big holes in those floors as well.  I could see into the hallway, and it was a mess.  The whole staircase had collapsed.  Their staircase was just like ours and the banister and spindles were all on the floor. With a huge hole in the ceiling.  I could see the sky in several places.  I can't even begin to describe how utterly sad it is to see that.  Their house is almost an exact copy of ours, alot of the woodwork was carved by the same man, and to see it, just rotting.  Each spindle is hand carved and so beautiful, to see them laying on the floor like that was really depressing. I am not sure why it struck me like that, or why that one think was so overwhelming.  Maybe its PMS??  who knows, but it is just really sad.  What's really bad is, the guy who owned it was a roofer!  When we moved in they had tarps on the roof, and never did anything other than put up more tarps.  I had heard that they had 50 gallon barrels on the 2nd floor to catch leaks.  I have to imagine  that it was true, since you can now see parts of barrels that are now in the basement. The basement is completely full of water.  Anyway, it doesn't look like much inside will be salvageable, there was some door hardware , but Bill will have to go and check that out. 
So that's it for now, I need to go and get the boys outside before they riot.

So Excited!!!

I am so excited about the roofers finally getting started!!!  Bill and I are acting like kids, on Christmas Eve!.  Got the mammogram this morning.  It wasn't that bad, a bit squishy, but pretty quick and painless.  I should get the results within 7-10 business days.  I am not worried, not one little bit:)
So, this weekend should be pretty fun.  The weather is gorgeous and it won't be hot, which I like.  I can't find my big floppy sun hat though.  I may have to get another one, I have alot of gardening to do:).
The Irises have decided to go on ahead and start to bloom.  Nice.  I was hoping that they would hold off until the roof was done, so I could actually enjoy them. They way they are looking this morning, they could open up within a few days.  For some reason, it seems a bit early for that.  Bill is hoping that he can get the rest of the beans planted today. That is after he runs a new vent pipe from the kitchen up through the closet and then out the attic.  Thinking about that, I imagine that will take a while.  Whatever, the boys and I will be enjoying the sunshine.  I have pulled out all of my big planters and I should be able to do the herbs exclusively in planters.  We just need to get to Wal-Mart to get some soil.  And groceries, because the boys have ate all the food.  We decided we will go in the morning about 6 am.  There shouldn't be anyone there and hopefully they won't be wiped out of the stuff I need to get. 
We have been trying for the last couple of years to move some Star Jasmine, to get it closer to the house.  We just love it and it smells amazing!  So, of course, because the roofers are going to trample everything, we have a nice patch that decided to come up next to the stairs.  Maybe it will be close enough they won't step on it, and I can trellis it when they are done.  I'd like to eventually get that and the morning glories trellised on both sides of the porch and between the bay windows.  We'll see how that goes.
Bill got to go on a Home Depot shopping spree this morning.  He really needed some drywall shims and a framing nailer.  He got them and several other things, because he can't just get one or two things.  I almost wish Home Depot didn't have an online store.  We would probably not spend so much.  But, we had a coupon!  Well, not exactly a coupon but a $100.00 Gift card, so that came in really handy.  Instead of the bill being $170.00 it was only $70.00 with free shipping. Gotta love free Shipping.
So, today will be a day of making sure the guys have a clear path around the house and that nothing is in their way, and getting the garden in.
I wish they were starting, yesterday:).  So far the weather forecast is staying clear for next week, I hope it stays that way!
I think we should grill tonight and tomorrow. I have less to clean up that way, besides the boys love BBQ chicken. Maybe I should make some potato salad...hmmm, I don't know.
I did happen to catch part of the Royal Wedding, while I was waiting to get squished.  It was lovely.  But then I imagine, if I had that kind of money and my grandmother was queen, I'd have a really nice wedding too:). I really did like her dress. I am just glad its over and the news can go back to reporting things that actually affect most of us.  Like, the economy, the war, natural disasters, you know, the normal everyday crap.
I think that is about all I have for now, I need to go and change so I can play in the dirt:)