Summer is definitely here

It's not that it was scorching today, although 88 degrees F was pretty warm, but it's that we've had such a cool spring up until now. Zach and I worked outside after Tom left for work. Not the best time of day to go out but we needed to get some things done because Zach has to finish mowing tonight after it cools off a bit and I had to get the yard cleared so he could mow. We took the wood that Tom had dumped in the middle of the garden up the hill to the wood pile, moved the ladders and other junk back into the garage after finding and crushing all the cardboard we could find and moving things around a bit. It took us less than an hour to do all that, including moving some of my potted plants to the back of the garage near the garden and cleaning up a pile of leaves that had found a corner to nest in.

It's just not that hard to do. It took him more time to throw things around the yard than it took us to find room for them in the garage.

We took off to McSnacky's this afternoon to escape the heat a bit. Just got a soda and hamburger but it's nice to spend time together. I'm sure I'll survive just fine when Zach moves out on his own but it's nice to have his company now. It's going to be warmer this week and we can't run to McSnacky's every day but eventually we'll get used to it. I never use the air conditioner before August unless the heat index is over 100. Heck, I never use the a/c ever unless the heat index is over 100. And then just to dry the air out a bit. We live on the side of a hill near the top of it so we get a great breeze until about August when there is no breeze.

Weekends should be interesting because Tom spends so much time upstairs but it will be like an oven up there unless he uses the a/c and I wouldn't be happy about that. I'll just have to get used to not being able to watch television on the weekends, I guess. It would be a good time to read and learn more about gardening and herbs and stuff. If I can find a quiet place to do that.

He wants to go up north next weekend because his younger brother is going to be up here from Kentucky and wanted $100 for the weekend. I nearly choked. He had to take a 15% pay cut a few months ago which means I've been trying to live off of less when we were stretched to the limit before. And he thinks we've got $100 spare each month? I haven't been able to put any money away for winter yet, let alone money for a trip up north. I offered him $50 even though we really don't have that. He mumbled something but wouldn't repeat it when I asked him what he said so I don't know if he was upset with me or what.

I'm tired of being the bad guy when it comes to money. Yet I dare not let him take over the finances. Last two times he did that he didn't enter a single check in the register for months and we had checks bouncing. I still don't know exactly how much money we have in the bank.

Yeah...it's hot and I'm cranky.

I've got to learn to let things go and not get so upset all the time. Confronting him even in gentle tones achieves nothing but him getting defensive and angry so it's counterproductive to try to "talk it out." My only option is to just learn to let it go. How does one do that though?

Well, off to clean up the kitchen. I finally put all his tools away but I had to wait until he left for work. I just hope he doesn't notice. Probably won't until he needs something and tosses everything on the floor again.

Anyway...the floors need to be mopped. It amazes me how those floors don't stay clean with two pets and three humans in the house. And I need to vacuum the living and dining room. I think I'm making progress with the mice. They're not scratching as much and I'm not finding as many little dots in the cage. I'm going to change their bedding area once a day but otherwise leave the rest of the bedding there. I use cheap toilet paper for their bedding and it's easy to see those black dots so I can change them out during the course of the day if I find some there. Otherwise, once a day.

I got some more books from the library today and picked up set 8 and 9 of Midsomer Murders. I was having withdrawal. And I think I'll watch True Blood tonight. I didn't catch it last night. On the knitting/crocheting front, I'm nearly done with the shawl and have turned the heel on the last sock. I knit one row of the baby blanket but it's wide and I'm using sport weight yarn and small needles so it takes a while. Nothing on the beaded lace scarf for a couple of weeks. It's getting warmer so I plan on saving that back for those days I don't want the heat from a lapful of yarn.

I should have pictures of the shawl soon and maybe some pictures of the yard work I've accomplished. No before pictures though. I don't want anyone to see how bad it was.

Off to wash up the lunch dishes and get the floor mopped.

TTFN