It’s Work.

I love the smell of clothes that have been dried on the outside line. (Or, more specifically, the outside “laundry tree” in the middle of our yard.) As much as I hate dragging the heavy basket of sodden jeans up from the basement and down through the garden, I love the results. I could make a pile of clothes in the middle of the bed and lie in them, breathing deeply, until I hyperventilate and pass out.

When I was growing up in the middle of nowhere, we regularly hung our summer laundry on the very long clothesline in the yard. That’s the last time I remember having line-fresh clothes. Living in Toronto, I had no space to hang anything at all. Living downwind of the steel mill in Hamilton, I wanted to avoid sooty clothes.

But here? Oh yes. Yet another thing to love about Kitchener: good smellin’ clothes.

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At the moment we’ve got multiple projects going on – outdoors and indoors.

Outdoors, the front yard is mostly dealt with, save for a shrub that’s half-dead and which will require an extraction and a replanting (of something else). The hedge has been clipped and beautified, the dead plants have been removed and no, I have not planted anything new. I may wait until next spring and let the kid(s) pick out the perennials for the front beds.

The backyard is still completely insane. There are weeds as tall as I am and grape vines wrapped around bushes and fencing and plants growing like mad that I cannot recognize and, sweet merciful crap, I have no idea how we’re going to tackle the whole project other than to wait for some cooler weather and go crazy with the clippers and, perhaps, a shovel.

Indoors we’ve got a bathroom that needs to be finished (exhaust fan installation, painting, laminate installation) and a playroom that needs to be finished up (moving out all the various crap we’ve got stacked in there and putting the appropriate new crap in) and an office that requires a new floor, paint and some custom-built furniture. We’ve also got all the ‘generic’ stuff to do in preparation for the kid(s) bedroom to be set up shortly.

I need to locate a team of handymen who work for free (of course), set them loose around here with some power tools, then run down to Coffee’s office and kidnap him for a long weekend away in some lake-side cabin. That appeals to me a lot more than spending the upcoming long weekend doing these tasks ourselves.

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In other news, Melle is seeking a new job and could possibly use your help if you’re in the area or have contacts around here. I’m no help to her whatsoever – being new around here and all – but since there are a few people in the area who read this blog on occasion, please pop over and see what she’s looking for and whether you can help.

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In other-other news, Kelly has sold her house! And, if that isn’t exciting enough, the closing date is in a few short weeks.

I’m sad that she’s leaving (actually, I’m VERY sad that she’s leaving, but purely for selfish reasons and thus you must ignore me because it really IS a good thing for her) but wow, it’s totally time for her to kickstart her brand spankin’ new life! She’s been somewhat stalled while waiting for her house to sell and now? Now she’s FREE! Pop over and congratulate her, ok? Talk about a huge relief and an exciting time!

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And in the other-est news, well, actually, I’ve got nothing else for the moment. Go see if you can help Melle and go cheer for Kelly and we’ll meet back here later when I’ve got something else to talk about. Have a good day!