Let the craziness begin

Well, after getting an extra day off last week, I found out that my 'second' job has scheduled me for 5 days this week. Plus my 2 days at my first job, I will be working 7 days this week. Which, of course, will move directly into the following week which makes it at least 9 days in a row, but more likely 13 days. Now, I don't really mind, since I am still getting out by noon most days, and I am also scheduled in at 6 a.m. instead of 5 a.m. most days next week...but, it's not something I want to get stuck doing week after week. Sundays are time and a half, but a girl's gotta have some time off, you know?

So, of course, I am back on my 'let's schedule everything so that nothing gets missed' kick. How long will that last? Possibly a week...probably a couple days. I love lists and schedules, but am rubbish at sticking to lists of chores because to me they are just things that can always be put off one more day. I had decided that since I will be working every day, that I would use today to do a major house cleaning. That way, I won't have to come home to an extended day of 'work' by having house chores to do. Instead, I will be able to come home and do what I feel will be enjoyable...gardening, reading, exercising, walking the dog...not cleaning or running errands.

I have already cleaned the bathroom this morning (mostly...Hubby's still sleeping so I had to save the cleaning of the shower and the vacuuming of the dust). Last night I scrubbed the kitchen. It is that time of year when the ants start coming in. I hate it. I don't remember having this problem until the year we came back from our year on Nantucket. But now they always show up. They have their path from the kitchen window area, up to the corner cupboard and then over across the sink. I have just been cleaning the kitchen with a bleach spray and scrubbing the floor when I first notice them, and then put some ant traps out. I hate using bleach, but they gross me out SO MUCH that I am compelled to break out the harsh chemicals. Then all I can smell is bleach, which makes me want to gag, but I don't know what else to do. Anyone know of any sure-fire, natural ways to take care of ants? I'm sure there are tons of suggestions online, but you never really know what actually works.

On the garden front, I have two watermelon seedlings breaking through the soil, but no cantaloupe yet. They germinate at the same rate, so I'm not holding out too much hope for the cantaloupe. I will still sow some directly once it's warmer outside. My tomato seedlings have started sprouting their second set of leaves...yay! I don't even eat tomatoes, but I am always excited when stuff grows. My Genovese basil seems to be growing at a slower rate than the sweet basil. My jalapenos are sprouting, but the bell peppers aren't doing much of anything. The peppers germinate in 10-21 days though, and it's only been 10 or so days, I think. Mostly I started indoors to keep me from being tempted to plant outside, though, so pretty much everything is going to be sown directly in a month or so. And every time I go to the garden store with my friends, I say that I am all set and I don't need anything else. But somehow, I always come home with something else. First it was another variety of pepper and edamame. This time it was another type of radish.

But how could I resist: Easter Egg Radish!!?

Pink and purple radishes! It will be hard not to just stare at a bowl of them!

Hubby seems to be increasingly excited about the privet I put in last week. We have been discussing our next steps on that side of the yard. I don't want it to look silly (or be too obvious that I just put them there to block the neighbors) so I am hoping the tiny, bare 3 foot sticks grow quickly and merge with the giant 8 foot ones I put in. Then the hedge will run about half-way down the length of the fence, meet up with the oak trees growing there, and then merge into what I hope will eventually be a tranquil corner of bamboo.

I guess you can't really tell from this picture, but that is my bamboo plant. I have transplanted it to the back corner of the yard. There I have a bench, what used to be a rock garden but is now over-grown with ivy, and a birdbath and some statuary.

My vision is a corner of bamboo behind the bench, a mossy floor, and maybe some ferns. It would make a quiet little sanctuary, I think.
The problem, of course, is the slow rate at which my bamboo is growing. And the cost of bamboo keeps me from buying any more.

Oh well, enough sitting around...the trash isn't going to take itself to the dump!