My Friend Alice Inspires Me

Yesterday was Monday, and Monday's are always hell. Then toss in the fact that it's the first full week that the kids are on summer break and things were just plain crazy here. I love summer vacation except for one thing and if you know me, then you know what the one thing is. It was just really hectic because none of us are into a routine for the summer yet. Jason kept saying he felt like he should be doing homework. See, even the kids feel it. Once we get through this first week, things will smooth out.

So, move past Monday because Monday's suck at my house.

My friend Alice, who I met through Sally, inspired me to do something great with my side yard. See, twice I've been invited to Alices place to have a girls night out with her and Sally. She has this cute patio with wicker furniture, which I love and want for myself, and a little table. She even has a lamp, which I love! The patio has flowers around it and it's just so cozy and that's where we hang out and laugh and sing. (And smoked 20 grape cigars that gave us ashtray mouth for two days.) Anyhow, I just love her patio because it's cozy.

So when Scott and I started walking a week ago I started noticing that other people around town have some pretty cool setups for their outside patio's. Two houses in town have a deck on the back of their homes and for lights they have the icicle lights that you put up at Christmas. I LOVE this, it looks so cool. And again, my mind goes back to Alice's patio and her bamboo thingy's that hold the citranella stuff....what the hell are those things called???? Well, she has them by her patio and it looks so cute.

I started thinking that I want an outside place like this. We have a deck on the side of the garage and a back room to the garage too. I think it was supposed to be more of a three season porch. Well, Scott put all new drywall in there and fixed the ceiling. That has the door off to the deck. I told Scott I wanted to fix up the deck and the side yard. He say's, "oh so we can stare at the camper". What a typical guy! So I shake my head and decide that I'll do whatever the hell I want to do!

I got on the scale this morning and it goes up and down so much that I wasn't so shocked to see a 7 pound weight loss. I think I said 10 pounds yesterday, but it's the friggin water. At least it's going down and I haven't gone back up to where I was. With that said, I decided I need to get the back yard looking better before I can get the deck in order. Half of our back yard is weeds and the other half is weeds and grass. So, Scott and I spent all afternoon raking and pulling weeds in the far back and then planting grass seed. We still have a shit-load to do but I felt good that we got a long section of it done.

I feel like if I'm outside working and not sitting on my ass then I should be losing weight. I'm definitely not eating as much as I did before. I'm not strict dieting either and that's why it's easier. I talked about this before, when I seriously restrict my food then I fall off the wagon really fast. Ok, I got off topic here, I was getting at the fact that I was busting my butt in the yard instead of sitting on it. Then, I went for the deck. I swept it, cleaned up the side yard and moved a bunch of stones. I feel really happy with what I accomplished today. I was shocked at how much energy I felt like I had today. I did laundry, cleaned my bathroom, swept the floors at least 10 times, vac the floor, raked and pulled weeds, planted grass seed, weed n feeded the front yard. I swept the deck, shoved stone, picked up leaves and stacked wood. Amen!

So, back to the beginning. Alice, you inspire me. I love you cozy patio and I want to have a place like that at my house. Now I need to hit some yard sales to find goodies to decorate with. I need to bench cushions, pots to hold flowers, a little table, and some icicle lights to hang. I even have the bamboo thingy's. Then we'll have a girls night out at my house!