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Dear all readers:
It’s perfectly fine to say “hi” to me, should you stumble across me in the future. I’ll probably be a little freaked out, but I’ll get over it quickly, I promise.
If you’re too shy to come say “hi” and I already noticed the bug-eyed look you gave me, a subtle nod and wave before you run in the other direction will do.
Sincerely,
Bitchypoo
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Christ, what a weekend we had. We spent Saturday and Sunday working on the house and I feel like I didn’t get shit accomplished. Saturday I don’t think I did anything but caulk and do whatever piddly little things that needed to be done (quarter-round moulding painted, stuff like that). Before Friday I’d never caulked before, but now I’m just a caulking machine. I’ll be spending all day tomorrow out at the house trying to get the rest of the rooms caulked (I only got the computer room, dining room, and kitchen caulked over the weekend) and puttied, before I start scrubbing down the walls (the floors guys used their “dustless” system, which still managed to leave quite a large amount of dust on the walls), taping the rooms, and painting the trim.
I’m really looking forward to painting all the trim in the house, not to mention scrubbing down all the walls. I think you can imagine how very much I’m looking forward to it.
Also, the tile in the bathrooms needs to be sealed, but I think I’ll leave that for Fred (or not, we’ll see).
Other thing I did this weekend that I had never done before: stained wood. We’re putting quarter-round moulding down on the stairs. I thought it should be stained, Fred thought it should be white. I won out, and got to actually stain said quarter-round moulding. I’d never done it before, but it wasn’t all that hard, really.
We had issues with the bathrooms. We (I) tossed out important items that have to do with the bathtub fixtures and thought Fred was going to have a stroke trying to deal with them. Finally he said “This doesn’t have to be done today,” and went on to do other things, like hang the new medicine cabinet in the two downstairs bathrooms. In fact, the back half-bath is completely done except for touch-up painting, and the front bathroom is done except for hanging the door and putting the fixtures on the tub. Oh, and hanging the shower rod and buying a shower curtain for both the showers.
The more I think about it, the more I remember stuff that needs to be done. Ugh.
Also, it looks like our bathrooms are going to be half brushed nickel (the sink fixtures, the towel bars) and half chrome (the shower fixtures). I don’t love the idea, but I can live with it. Unless someone’s looking closer than they oughta at our bathroom fixtures, they probably won’t notice – the difference isn’t glaring.
Yeah, mock me. You don’t have to live there, so shaddup. I just won’t invite you to dinner.
Most of the blinds downstairs are hung, and it makes a surprising difference in the feel of the house. I stood in the computer room for almost ten minutes yesterday afternoon planning how and where I was going to put my desk (in front of the set of windows, so the cats sleeping on my desk can look outside, in case you were wondering).
We’re on track to do the first big move in two weeks, I think.
Dudes, the house is really coming together! Eek!
Also, I didn’t take a picture to show this because I suck, but there are 10 million gumballs from the
gumball trees behind the garage and shed. They’re laying all over the driveway and the lawn, and they annoy the hell out of me. I told Fred we should rake them up and burn them, but then I heard the gumball trees laaaaaaaaaugh and say “Yeah, you rake them up. There are another 10 million where those came from, lady!”
Hmph.
The winter honeysuckle bushes on either side of the porch smell absolutely fabulous. They’re lemony and citrusy and very light and springy smelling. I like them a lot. I’m not so crazy about what I think are spirea bushes planted next to the honeysuckle bushes, but I’m going to wait to see them do their thing before I decide whether I want to yank them up and put butterfly bushes in their place or not.
I’m thinking the front flower beds are going to consist of just bushes – azaleas and something else, I don’t know what at the moment – and I can do the flower thing in pots sitting on and hanging from the front porch.
There’s going to be some serious petunias going on in Smallville this summer, I tell you what.

A single, solitary crocus growing in the middle of the lawn.

The camellia bush is starting to bloom. Apparently it enjoys its spot next to the septic tank.
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I don’t know when you can expect an entry from me next. I’ll be spending all day Tuesday and all day Wednesday out at the house working. If I get a chance I’ll do entries on those days, but if not I guess I’ll see you on Thursday!
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Previously
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
2004: God, why why WHY do women do this to themselves?
2003: A Day in the Life of Spanky.
2002: No entry.
2001: Saturday was my dumbass day.
2000: No entry.]]>
I am impressed at how many times you wrote “caulking”. Apparently I am still in junior high. 🙂 Good luck with all the the improvements, you guys are amazing.
JenB, every time I typed “caulking”, I smirked a little bit. Every time I say it out loud, I can’t help but half giggle. You’re not the only one in junior high. 🙂
Ok – You must take a picture of the gumball tree. Never heard of it and I’m too lazy to search the web for a picture.
I’ll forgive the spotty posts since you are now in crunch mode – almost there. Must feel pretty good. I will expect, however, some seriously funny posts about how the cats are adjusting to the move. I do hope your house sells fast – you kitties NEED their mommy there at night – they need a body to drape upon, walk over, knead (poor suggie) and otherwise pester. I hope you are gearing up for some pitiful looks and Look O’ Hate ™ (from Mr. Boog) when you get to Smallville in the mornings.
Pardon my nosy-ness…
What kind of improvements need to be made to the foster kitty area above the garage? Are you going to move in before you fix it up?
Sounds like the house is coming along nice. I’m jealous! and feel lazy.
ps.how do you know the guy in the store was not just checking you out??!! 🙂
Robyn…first off, if I ever saw you in person, I would probably embarrass you by running up and squealing. Ever since I started reading you (5 or 6 years ago) I have felt we were twins seperated at birth.. So I will try and compose myself and just approach you like a normal person. But I would definately say hello and tell you how wonderful you look and how happy I am for you and your new home!
Gumballs….relatives in Florida tell me they are great anti-slug devices. You rake up a pile and mulch them around your hosta, rhododendrons, azaleas, tulips and low growing plants like ferns, etc. The slugs don’t like em and if there are no slugs in your gardens, cuts down on those pesky moles that love to snack on your bulbs or tubers. Or you can be get-back-to-nature and use em for old fashioned chewing gum ewwww.
I am so enthralled by your remodelling stories. I really hope you keep track of all your notes and pics and journal entries and perhaps make up a book about your experience. Fred can add in his wit and wisdom and it would be very helpful for those who wish to undertake this kind of DIY project. Maybe do a self-publish like “Chunk to Hunk” and see how many you can sell…you already have most of the info down as you have been writing about it in both your journals. I would buy it and I am sure many ppl I know would! If you keep true to your humor in it, it would be a hellova lot less dry than all those other DIY books that put me to sleep in the middle of the first chapter. I think there are many of us (me included) that are fairly intelligent and could do a lot of this work ourselves, we just need some guidance and who better to provide it but the And3rsons?? lol
Loved the beautiful camellia pic. This spring you will be amazed at all the great stuff that shows up. Azaleas are another of my faves. Rhododendrons too.
Your yard sounds like it will be so southerny-beautiful with all those fantastic bushes and flowers.
Are you and Fred gonna give a name to your new home? Kinda like in the old Southern Plantation Tradition? (forgive me, I watched “Gone With The Wind” yesterday and I have “Tara” on the brain….)
Although I will miss you, I know you are busy on the new house. Please take pics!! We love love love to see the transformation. Gives me hope that someday maybe *I* can dump this place I am in now and get a nice old farmhouse and get back out to the country.
Did you ever watch the TLC show This House Must Go? One house in California was destoyed by a sweetgum (liquid amber) tree that had tenacious roots and destroyed the foundation and walls. The kicker was the tree, which was some distance from the house, had been cut down years earlier but the roots lived on and on and on.
I think you need to sell official Bitchypoo baseball hats as a way to identify your readers.
“I’m really looking forward to painting all the trim in the house, not to mention scrubbing down all the walls. I think you can imagine how very much I’m looking forward to it.”
I’m not sure, but–could that be sarcasm? I’ve heard of it, but I use it so seldom that I’m not certain I recognize it.
AHAHAHHAHAHHAA! I slay me. Yes, I’m 12. 🙂
That guy would have creeped me out, too, but I’m sure I’d do something equally dorky if I ran into you. Or I might say “Oh, hey, Robyn” and wave casually, as though I see you every day (because I sort of feel like I do)–and then kick myself later for not introducing myself. Heh.
Some spirea bushes have pretty flowers in the spring, so yeah, maybe wait and see what they do. Flowering wiegela, on the other hand, are GORGEOUS, especially the variegated pink-and-white kind.
Maybe he just thought you were cute? (which you are!) My friend who’s recently divorced says that all the men who are hitting on her are 20 years younger…
Robyn, two things about the gumballs…
If you prune the trees, you’ll have fewer gumballs to twist your ankles on. We had gazillions until we had our trees pruned back.
Second thing–if you use those balls for mulch, you’ll have to pull up a million tiny trees, because those damned seeds sprout!
i have several spirea bushes i hate that cannot be killed- they have lived through salt, hot water, a saw and having most of their roots pulled up. the white “bottle brush” flowers are cute, but then they turn bronze and look so ugly they piss me off.
Thank god I live nowhere near the bitchypoo residence(s). I met Christina from the lowly PBS show “Christina Cooks” and was so taken aback I hugged the poor woman. Seriously. Wasn’t even a food network host or even a real celebrity. I.hugged.a.PBS.cook. Who knows if I’d screech, stalk, or hug you if given the chance.
But I know I’d definately stalk Fred. Cause I could.
It’s a shame when folks be throwin’ away a perfectly good cat like that.
Maybe that kid just knew a hot chick when he saw one! 😉
I think he was checking you out. This is just a guess, but I’m thinking not too many frat boys ready bitchypoo. Totally sounds like he was checking you out!! 😉
Heh, I’m with the ones saying he was checking you out, couldn’t keep his eyes off of ya!
I must be in Jr. High School too because I once approached a guy that was working at walmart and asked “Where do you keep your caulk?” He looked at me very confused and then got red after he realized what I was talking about.
That is one full basket of Poo! Very cute!