Weekend re-cap: Getting 'er done while on call

Most weekends when I am on call, I make a list of things to do around the house to keep me occupied.  A lot of it is stuff I put off just for that occasion, so I let this list grow a bit, knowing I will get to it.  I feel like I made a huge dent in it this time around!  So in no particular order on Saturday I started out by:

*Popped a turkey in the oven
*Stacked up the stuff for "big trash day", swept out the garage, stored the rest of the Christmas lights
*Took a bunch of stuff to Goodwill then stopped inside the store and bought some books for me
*Stopped by Walgreen's for some small first aid items we needed
*Bought firewood and appetizers for a late afternoon snack on the patio
*Vacuumed my car at the car wash

*Took a couple of toy bins from Scout's closet out to the garage
*Gathered up all of the tax info we've received so far, did a bit of filing and shredding, cleaned up my desk
*Updated the semester agreement for Bubbie, and the college notebook which has the FAFSA info and receipts (yes! Got the FAFSA done!)

 *Changed up the wreath on the front door and the arrangement on the table in the back (using stuff I already had!)
 *Straightened up my decor stash
*De-boned turkey and stored the meat and broth

*Scooped Teddy poop
*Watered all of my plants and moved a few out into the sun (the olive tree did not die after all!)

*Changed sheets on our bed, gathered up some things to iron this week
*Took loads of stuff out to the recycling dumpster
*Prepped breakfast for Sunday

 *Took a firepit break to discuss dinner plans with Hubby

 In which we ended up going to Bent Oak for a while...

 ..which was crowded with people having a great time, but still pretty relaxing.

And after that, we grabbed some fried chicken to go and headed over to 4th Tap to play cards and have beer with our dinner.  It was an early night for us as I, for one, was tired.  But...didn't get called in.

The next day I:
*Made overnight French Toast and some bacon for breakfast
*Did a couple loads of laundry
*Prepped dinner, fixed myself a burger for lunch as Hubby had run up to Highlands
*Mopped all the floors, steam cleaned the carpets
*Watched a movie while I did laundry
*And there were probably other small things I did that I just don't remember...

Then I took a break around 5:30 p.m, thinking I had managed to avoid being called in to work.  I lit a pretty candle, built another fire in the firepit, and poured a beer.  Then the phone rang...

So, off to work I went for a little under two hours, then came home, cooked dinner, cleaned up the kitchen, and went to bed.  A little tired, but ready to start the week.
And tomorrow is Hubby's birthday so I really need to get cracking on that!

Mealplan Monday #230

Monday - Leftover ribs and baked beans from Firstborn's birthday meal, cheesy garlic Tiger bread
Tuesday - Garam Masala chicken and grains bowls with bok choy
Wednesday - Sliced Turkey breast, creamed corn, roasted sweet potatoes
Thursday - 3 Cheese tortellini with pepperoni and garlic, steamed carrots
Friday - Tilapia with onions and peppers, seasoned rice, kale
Saturday - YOYO
Sunday - SOS* over toast, salad with watermelon radish, avocado, romaine, and lemon dressing
*My mother made this for us when we were kids - simple, makes a lot, and very filling.  Hamburger meat, well cooked and drained, add a couple of tablespoons flour to the pan and about 2 cups of milk.  Simmer until thick and serve over leftover toast or biscuits!

Gina

Scout's closet plans - phase one

One day last week I opened up the closet in Scout's old bedroom and things actually fell on me.  Some of this crap has to GO.

Now this isn't the norm here - but I had let this closet become a catch-all and since he's been out on his own a little over a year, I figured it was time to get it cleared out.  Scout, just like the others, was attached to some of his cherished toys long after he was too old for them.  And I can't just chunk them over to Goodwill yet.  But they don't have to live here in this closet.

 {He's 23.  Time to let go of some of the stuff of childhood.}

I want this closet to be strictly a guest bedroom closet, not a dump for things I don't know what to do with.  I want the Girl to have a place to hang clothes when she visits, and a place to store some of Teddy's things so they don't have to be hauled back and forth from Houston.   I just don't have a lot of time to work on these projects nowadays...so I'm tackling it in phases.

I set a timer for 30 minutes and pulled everything out.  I wiped down the shelves and vacuumed it pretty thoroughly.  Then I put back everything that was going to either end up in my crafts closet when Firstborn gets his new apartment, or stay in there for when The Girl visits with Teddy.  {I'm looking forward to getting The Lounge back. I will miss Firstborn but I dearly want him to be out on his own.  And I want a crafts/office space back!}

For now I am loving the empty spaces up top. 

And everything in here is something I have a short term plan for.  Now I need to take a load of stuff to the garage for long term storage.  {pile not shown!} And something tells me there will need to be some hard decisions made about a lot of that stuff.

Weekend re-cap: Camp Rustown, Highlands, TNL, Oskar Blues, Celis

Last week was rough at work, so I was reeeeallly looking forward to three glorious days off.  I want to say I made the most of them - I think I did.  I felt rested by Tuesday, and ready for work.

On Saturday we planned a BBQ rib feast for Firstborn, complete with ribs, BBQ beans, jalapeno poppers, fries, and birthday cake with ice cream.

I hope he never tires of cake decorated with M&M's and fat candles!

I'm betting that 29 is his best year yet!  Live your twenties!!!

For most of Saturday we putseyed around the house and I ran an errand or two.  We ordered pizza for lunch and also enjoyed the firepit.  

Nothing earth-shatteringly exciting and just perfect.  

The next day we got up early and headed to Highlands.  We had a load of various things to to take up there but zero projects planned.  We found a cute restaurant in Liberty Hill to have a giant breakfast of biscuits, gravy, sausage, and eggs.  Then we lazed the afternoon away until around 4 p.m....

 ...and headed to Torr Na Lochs. We had planned to have one glass, but got sucked into the firepit area with a full bottle and some friendly folks.  The day before, the winds were kind of ridiculous, but on Sunday it was mild and only slightly breezy...

I'm a sucker for firepits.

On the way home we noticed the moon rising {which Hubby later admired with the neighbors since I could not stay up for that}...

...and a beautiful, distracting sunset.

The best pics I got from a moving truck!

The next day I went to Brenham to see my mother and take her a lunch.  I would call it a so-so visit, as she seemed a little testy and had two projects for me to do which took all of 5 minutes. Some visits are like that...Hubby texted me that he was leaving work early, so we decided to do a Monday Funday Happy Hour!

First stop was Oskar Blues, and we sat outside to enjoy the glorious weather.

I love these giant garage door style windows that open onto decks where folks can sit outside.  {Taking note of such things for Highlands}  The day was young (5 p.m) so we decided to hit Celis as well.

Celis has one of my favorite beers - the oatmeal stout. 

Hubby had something that was "chocolate".  We probably could have skipped dinner after our beer run, but we enjoyed some tilapia at home and called it a day.  This week I am working the late shift on Friday and on-call for the weekend so I can play catch up with mini projects I've been meaning to do.  And when I blink next, January will be close to finished!

Mealplan Monday #229

Monday - Chicken salad sammies and crockpot split pea soup
Tuesday -Pork chops and cheese peta (oops - didn't make this one week before last)
Wednesday - Oven Tilapia, zucchini*, tabouleh
Thursday - The last of the freezer pulled pork, homemade salsa* and chips
Friday - Chicken and potato skillet with chard*
Saturday -YOYO  Hubby and I out to eat - I'm on call ):
Sunday - Creamed Turkey on toast, oniony green beans*, ginger carrots
*My Imperfect Produce box included chard which we have never had! 

Gina

5 thing Friday - canoe, den, Firstborn, beer, kid art

A couple of weekends ago, we trekked down to the creek to make sure the canoe was still safe and sound - and it was.  However, we think we might have it a little to the left of the actual property that we own, judging from survey stakes that have popped up on either side of the creek.

So that means we may need to move it a bit.  But I doubt that it will be an issue.  You can't actually build down there so its not in anyone's way.  And we need to take it out on the water soon - its been sitting here since last spring.

Taking down the kids' Christmas tree always morphs into moving the couch, sweeping and mopping the entire den, wiping down the couch, and just generally refreshing the room.

I haven't done any real decorating in here for ages.  Other than adding some rustic floating shelves above the couch, switching out some pillows, and losing those sconces I can't think of where to get started. This weekend I will refresh the mantel, though.

My first little potato tot was born this day 29 years ago.  Here he is with his Nana - she though he was the most amazing baby and was smitten with him.  Its sad that he does not remember her, but a little bit of the love she poured into him is still with him.  Happy Birthday, Spencer!

 

We may take him out for a beer on Saturday - Hubby and I are still enjoying visiting breweries.  We still love wineries, but beer is easier on the budget and doesn't give me as much regret...

I pulled all of the kids' art from under my bed when I did the bedroom refresh.  It wasn't really an effective long term storage solution anyway.  Instead of having it in a couple of plastic bags, I bought an under the bed storage container that is long and low.  {Funny how those storage containers take up so much of Target's real estate after Christmas!}

Perfect.

Sorry, Marie Kondo...I cannot let go of all of it yet.  Maybe never.

Dumpster done!

 Last Friday the dumpster arrived at Highlands:

This is the SECOND one we have loaded!  PLUS, the guy who sold us the property had many things hauled off and had made a giant burn pile to the side of the barn.  So yes, Highlands was once a dump.  But we are slowly restoring it to a more pristine state.

 {and soon I will show you before and afters!}

Hubby, Scout, Dutch, and I worked for about 7 1/2 hours and at the end of the day on Saturday all of us were exhausted and filthy but we cleared everything we could find out from underneath trees and in meadows. 

 We still have eleventy billion tires to dispose of but haven't yet decided how to tackle that issue.

 

For now we are imagining this view, sans dumpster, with a guest cabin nearby.

This is the spot I showed last week - all that's left is some assorted smallish planks of wood (which we can take care of in the burn barrel) and those fence posts that we will use for marking off a garden.

And as usual at Highlands, there is often treasure to be found - this time in an old metal milk crate which was full of PVC joints and sitting under a tree.  {What should I use it for, I wonder?}  Hubby and I ended Sunday by filling another four garbage bags full of...well, garbage...then headed to our favorite Mexican restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner.  And both of us were beyond exhausted by then, but I'm so glad we have that winter project behind us!