Taking Stock

As I gazed around my spotless kitchen, beginning my lunch of a tuna fish sandwich, with the dishes done, dinner preparations underway, the brownies frosted and cut, knowing the car had been in for it's oil change and Tarzan wasn't working this weekend, I felt a real sense of satisfaction. This was why I had quit work. So we could get our house ready for whatever is coming, "prepare every needful thing" and if we get to enjoy the glorious April weekend together with no chores, that's a lovely bonus.
Then my head exploded.
Holy crap! It's April?! How can it be April already? It's too soon to be April! April?? Are you kidding me? I ran to the wall to consult my trusty calendar and he said "Sorry toots, it's April." Knowing we have had our issues in the past, I also discussed the possibility I was smoking crack with my computer, computers never lie, and HE said it was April too! Where did the last two months go? What have I wiled away my time on? I had such plans for my retirement, I was gonna go places and do things. I even went back and read the list I made when I was young and full of dreams to see if I had actually accomplished anything since February...

• Sleeping in: I have absolutely slept in, nearly every day, and it is marvelous let me tell you. I am SO glad Tarzan is a morning person because when we do have kids it's likely to be him getting up to feed them breakfast. I sleep like a rock. And I looove my mornings in bed. I don't think I'm a lazy slob, but if I don't have to get up before 8am, I am a happy, happy camper.
• Clean: I wasn't lying about the kitchen. I really did clean it, appliances included - did you know my blender was white? - and throw out a lot of junk; tupperware without lids and lids without tupperware, organized the recipes, made all the pots fit in the cupboard, you know.
• Insulate: I have not insulated the attic yet and I really need to get on that before it gets too hot to be up there. I'm scared though. It's dark and dusty and there's likely to be spiders and there's ALL. THE. CRAP. to clean out first. Stuff from college that I haven't looked at in years, wrapping paper that I saved for goodness knows what reason and a bunch of stuff that I apparently needed so desperately I forgot what it even is.
• Read: I have read some, mostly fluff books I admit. I would like to say I have finished Moby Dick...but that would be a lie. It's a very hard book to stay interested in, a classic I know, I know, but it's just not contiguous.
• Visit: I think I need to get on the visiting thing even more than the attic if the last few months are any indication. Rocketgirl, I am coming, I swear!!!!!
• Patio: The patio will be a long project too. It needs to be done before July - the AKSR you know - but should I do the attic first? Or just skip the attic and do the backyard? I'm leaning that direction but I don't know if that's because of the spiders or what.
• Nooners: Haven't got to see Tarzan in action at the library yet - he's shy. One day soon. I'll obliquely reference it when it happens.
• Front Yard: We did trim the front yard tree and bushes but there's a lot of moving and transplanting I still want to do. I think I just need to get my sorry self out in the yard in the morning rather than blogging or emailing or whatever. But there's so many lovely blogs to read...
• Heroes: I am slowly making my way through Heroes of Might & Magic: The Final Chapters. It's very easy to lose four or five hours at a time...not that I'd know about that or anything.
• Audit: I'm thinking I will wait until the fall semester to take a class.
• Travel: Europe is a BIG trip. I don't think we're ready for that yet.
• Shed: Yeah, like I'm going to have made it to the shed before I finished the house.
• Beach: I have been to the beach in the middle of the week!! Yay for me!
• Paint: The painting is not a HUGE deal right now - Tarzan did a good update last year when we painted the shade in the back. That's for a summer when I'm bored.
• Twins: We're doing our best. Trust me.
• Blogs: I like to think I am commenting on blogs more and I am doing better with the response to emails. I also like to think I am providing more though provoking blogs of my own...well, two out of three ain't bad.
• Laundry: Sweet! I'm all over this one. And it really does make the weekend less stressful and Tarzan has clean clothes to wear to work. A definite plus.
• Dinner: I have been making lots of dinners out of my new cookbook, 'Vegetarian Meals for Everyone.' Tarzan, bless him, eats whatever it is but fortunately they have been mostly good. We discovered the recipe for pita bread is awesome. We eat that quite often.
• Hammock: Not yet. That's contingent on the back yard being finished, which we have determined is the next big project to undertake.

Hmmm, that's less than stellar results. One thing I am proud of is the amount of service I have been doing. I was all a-twitter with the slide show in March and though it took a lot longer than I figured to complete it was really cool. (You'll have to take my word for it.) The dinner went well, and I've been able to help the cub scout pack with a few things. I've been able to go out with the missionaries and help out some people with rides and child sitting. I think I mentioned the volunteering at the food bank which has been a been a lot of fun. Some of the guys there have decided to teach me Spanish. Right now all I've got is eggs, Thursday and nine, because they all sound the same, but I'm on it.

This is me, beating Heroes of Might & Magic.