The title says it all. We have several ways to turn to for our next remodeling project, but very limited funds to support any of them. And perhaps, after today, we will do nothing.
The day did not start well. I awoke at 7:16 a.m. feeling very warm. "Hot flash," I told Rick. That is the last thing that I remember until 7:46 a.m.. During the "missing" half-hour, Rick took my blood sugar three times and fed me three boxes of apple juice and a glass of orange juice. I vaguely remember the orange juice at the end, but nothing before that. Apparently, my warmth was not due to hormones but rather due to a 22 blood glucose level. That is a bit below the 80 - 100 normal range. Needless to say, had I not been able to drink what Rick was giving me, he would have had to call the Rescue Squad. Not a good way to start the day... for either of us!
I have felt awful the entire day as my body fought me with high and low blood sugar counts, but this whole episode, like most near-death experiences, brought something home to us: life is too short to do nothing more than remodel this house. There are many places we can go to relax and enjoy ourselves that doe not cost a fortune.
We had talked about going to Shark Valley in the Everglades and to seeing the Edison/ Ford Complex in Fort Meyers. The problem with that idea, though, is that the hotels in southern Florida are very expensive, and the costs of seeing anything at the Edison/ Ford Complex will run us well over $125. OK, we're cheap. Do I want to spend money seeing Edison's house, or do I want to have a new light over my dining room table that I will enjoy for years to come? Ah! My practical nature says, "Buy the light." However, we both admit that we have been working too hard on this house, and that we need to find activities that are close to home and that we can enjoy for little or no cost.
One project that will not cost us any more money is getting our shower finally finished. I mentioned in the last blog that Mike was supposed to call us on Wednesday, but that I was not going to hold my breath waiting for his call. Sadly, I was correct. No call on Wednesday, so Rick texted and then called him this morning. His latest promise: his man Taurus is still working on a major job, but we are "the next job on his list." The new timeline is that Taurus will finish this current job Friday or Monday of next week, and that he should get to us by Wednesday by the latest. Yeah, right. Do I believe him? Not for a minute. But I'll keep you informed. Keep breathing, folks. I am.
I am happy to report that my flower garden around the mailbox is thriving and doing well. No dogs have bothered it; in fact, the only critter that has ventured into it was a squirrel that I chased out before he could start to dig. I will continue to water the flowers and hope that they do well for the season.
As for our list of possible projects: a slab on which to build a shed next year, concrete pads on which to store our garbage and recycling bins, a truckload of dirt for the back yard to even the yard, pavers on the north side of the house (perhaps even under the just-mentioned bins rather than concrete), pavers for the sidewalk, or landscaping in the front and back yard. After today, we don't know if we will be doing anything more.
Instead, we might visit nearby sites like the Sunken Gardens or Heritage Village. They are relatively free, we can be in our own bed each night, and admission fees are minimal or free. We enjoy picnics in the park, and those are inexpensive pleasures, too.
Right now, Rick is working on one project that we already have materials to finish. He is using the left-over joint compound to skim coat the garage. We might have to buy a gallon of paint once the walls are smooth, but that will allow us to have a good looking, non-chipping clean garage interior. We also will get rid of the large tubs of joint compound and to finally have room to get our bikes down.
Riding on the trail is something we have not done in over a year. If my muscles are strong enough to bike again, that will be a free activity that we both will enjoy again.
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