Hello 2020! Welcome Kitty Cat II!

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays.  Mine were different as I spent them in my own home for the first time.  I wasn't sure how I would do, but thanks to friends and a new furbaby, Kitty Cat II, I did just fine.

Kitty Cat II

After all of my travels came to an end, I paid a visit to the Humane Society here in town.  It was actually my second visit - the first I didn't connect with any cats, which was kind of sad.  The second visit was to meet a particular cat, but she wasn't the one, so I just visited with the cats.  A friend was with me and commented that "Bubbles" (name has since changed) didn't like her. Naturally, I went to meet her.  She let me pet her, swished her tail, and even meowed at me.  She didn't get up, though.  I looked at the door to her condo -- she'd been there six weeks.  I looked at her and she looked at me and I knew.  She was the one.  It wasn't that she didn't like my friend, she was just tired. She was an owner surrender, due to health.  I couldn't take her home that night as I needed to get the house ready.  I was worried, maybe someone else would take her before I could get back the next day.  The employee working at the time said not to worry, no one had shown any interest in her.  It broke my heart. I told her (the cat) that I'd be back the next day to get her.  I came home and got everything ready, including making a nest for her with a soft rug under the bed -- I knew she'd be scared and would need a safe space.

I went back the next day. It was raining and miserable and I had a migraine in the making, but I told her I go get her and I did.  Adopting from the Humane Society is a joy - they send you home with a bag of food, a little scratcher, plus she was microchipped and in good health (though I did get her checked out by my vet).  Getting her out of the condo was stressful and she cried all the way home.  She then promptly hid in any number of places, eventually ending up under the bed in the nest I had made.  She did sleep with me for part of the first night.  Alas, we were both stressed.  I worried that maybe it was too soon.  Maybe I needed to get the house more in order.  After being in a home, then a shelter, then going home with a strange person, I'm sure she was just plain freaked out. But, then I looked at her and realized it was better than the condo at the shelter, so I practiced patience. I finally enticed her out of the bedroom after a week with a wand toy.

We celebrated out two month anniversary a week ago and she's been an absolute joy.  I can't figure out why no one showed interest in her as she is the sweetest kitty.  She is is almost three, still a baby, really.  Athletic. And, she's a brick -- almost 14 pounds, but no squish here.  Just a big cat.  She loves to play fetch, look out the window, get on the back of my chair, or the back of the couch.  She sleeps with me every night.  I still miss Kitty Cat I, but Kitty Cat II has brought life back to the house and she makes me laugh.

I know I'm not the first person to suffer pet loss.  I can say that welcoming a new pet into the family is definitely a win for everyone.  When it's your time to welcome a new cat after loss, please consider an older cat - you won't regret it.

On Saying Goodbye and Grieving..

My Mom
1934 - 2019

So, this summer has not been the best.  In fact, probably the worst summer of my life.  I'm not exaggerating.  At the end of May, my Mother passed away.  That's how I'll always remember Memorial Day.  I knew decisions would have to be made, but they were along the lines of convincing her to return to assisted living, where I felt she would do better.  Two years ago, an assited living facility literally saved her life.  At least, I'll always believe so.  She had a severe reaction to medication and it is my belief that the new doctor (who discontinued the med) and the assisted living facility got my Mom, well, back to being my Mom.  After about six months she was able to return home, where she did well for about a year and half.  Then things started going slightly wrong.  Not like two years ago, but enough to cause worry.  Enough to make me wonder what I should take on and how I should address it with her.  We talked about it.  She wanted to stay at home.  Literally -- she wanted to die at home.  I was still trying to figure out how much to take over, finances, etc, when I got the call.  She had passed away.  In the end, she got her wish and she passed at home. I don't think she even knew it -- she just passed.  We should all be so blessed.

It's been hard.  I'm the Executrix.  I don't think it's the same as when a spouse dies - you stay in the house, you keep the accounts.  I'm literally closing out a person's life and it's sad.  Memories are everywhere, including the city I live (she helped me move here), my house (so many things she gave me), and of course, being in her house deciding what I'm going to keep and what goes in the Estate sale.  Add in closing all the accounts and having to tell person after person she's passed away and provide death certificates and proof that I can do what I'm doing.  Banks still protect the privacy of the dead, which means it's really hard to get information because they won't give it to you until you prove to their satisfaction that they can give the information to you. Taxes still have to be filed.  And, even four months later, it just still seems wrong.  I was lucky -- I visited her two weeks before she passed and spoke with her frequently after I returned home, including the day before she passed.  You'd think it would be more of a comfort that my last words to her were "I love you," but sometimes I just wish I'd been with her or seen her rather than just talking with her.

Kitty Cat
1999 - 2019

And then, when you think things can't get worse, they do.  Shortly after Labor Day, September 5th, I lost my little buddy, my furbaby - my cat.  She was 20 and was my best friend for 19 years.  In my adult life, she was literally the best thing that ever happened to me. She provided company, support, and unconditional love.  In the end, I had to make the decision that I did not want to make, but it's part of the responsibility we take on when we become a pet guardian.  I will always wonder about that, too. It's been about three weeks and the house is not the same.  I hadn't realized how hard it would be to be alone in my home and it's harder than I ever imagined. I can at least come home now without dread, but going to bed is still hard -- she used to sleep on me.  I know there is another little buddy waiting for me, but it will be a while before I take that step.  I need to wrap up my Mom's estate and there is travel that I have to do, so I'll do that.  I'm hoping by Christmas I'm able to welcome a new furbaby into my life.  Sometimes, though, thinking about getting another cat scares me and sometimes thinking about not getting another cat scares me.

Circles and cats.....

Well, I'm settling in. I've got all but two boxes unpacked and those have clothes. I'm not a fan of putting up clothes under normal circumstances, so it's the same with boxed up and moved clothes. But, I'll get there.

We're (me and kitty cat) settling in okay. However, kitty cat had tiny little sores in her bald spot, so today we headed for the vet. I figured I'd also let them give her a pedicure. Here's where the circles come in. This city has them in several places and they just scare me. If you've lived here for years and know which roads lead off of where, then you're good; but if you've just moved here, well, good luck. It's hard to know which lane to be in and street signs are hard to spot. And, so far, the GPS just says "enter roundabout and take second exit." I aim for the second street and suddenly it's "recalculating." Well, it's recalculated route got me there, but through one of the not so good neighborhoods. Oh, and have I mentioned the narrow streets? This is "town living" as my Mom calls it and it is the first time I've lived in "town" so to speak. It's older, narrow streets, one way streets...which I'm just not used to. I'm beginning to wonder if I ever will, but then it's only been about two weeks. Fortunately, I've figured out the circle I have to go through on the way to work so I shouldn't get crunched up there.

Finally, I got to the vet. At first I thought the GPS had goofed as I was in the middle of a neighborhood. Nope, it's off of the vet's house. Very nice technician and vet; thinks kitty cat's issues might be allergies, so we're trying an anti-histamine. In some wet food. She's a picky, picky kitty when it comes to wet food, so we'll see how that goes. She has finally nibbled some of it, but I'm not sure she got the part with the anti-histamine. I think I'll look for some of those treats that have pockets to put medicine. Who knows though, maybe the wet food will work. He also suggested she could lose about three pounds. I figured if I lost weight, then maybe it's her turn, so we'll try that as well. Of course, I had to navigate another circle to get home.

What kitty cats do...

Or at least what mine does. This is what it looked like one day when I came home and I just had to take a picture. Generally, it's one toy in the food bowl, but apparently on this day she was energized.

Happy Birthday, Kitty Cat....

Tomorrow is Kitty Cat's birthday. She'll be 9. I got her when she was a little over a year old. Hard to believe we've been together for 8 years. Seems like just yesterday that I brought her home. She settled in quickly and has trained me well.

Here she's checking out my new dining room buffet.

Decision made....

I've come to a decision regarding the house. I did look at others, both online and in person. The in person looks were for new construction. I looked at floor plans similar to mine as well as townhomes. I like the idea of a townhome, especially since the one I saw was geared more toward working professionals than families. The size wasn't bad, but by the time you account for stairs, and other layout features, the builders had sacrificed in the kitchen. Nice kitchens, just small. I'd prefer a bit more room in the kitchen since I like to bake and I'm trying to cook more.

The look sees were to help me determine what to do. What I decided to do was stay where I am... commit to this house. May sound strange, but given the current housing market and the fact that new homes are still available in my neighborhood, I don't think it would be all that easy to sell my house, especially with the problems I have right now. The only way that would work well for me would be if the builder bought it back and I don't see that happening. So, I'm staying put.

The builder is responsible for everything that is happening. Many neighbors have problems with their driveways, but most of their problems have occurred at the joints, where mine is cracked across the middle. The builder did send out an Engineer last Monday, after I stated in an e-mail that I was considering it. Actually, I think it was a technician and he had the personality of a limp dishrag. His demeanor reeked of "I've got better things to do than be at a new house determining if it's moving, but we have to accommodate the flaky female." He would have done the whole thing without talking to me if he could have. He only did a cursory look of the problems in the house. I pointed out the cracks in the brick of the house, but I'm guessing his "inspection" of the rest of the house was as lackadaisical as his "inspection" of the interior of the house. I asked his thoughts. He didn't have any. He said the sloping by the house was good. I just looked at him. He then said the sides did have some problems. His final statement. He'd take the numbers back to the office and someone (the way he phrased it, it's not him) would put them in the computer and then they'd know. The report should be to me this coming week. I won't be surprised if they say, nope, not a problem. And, then I'll probably have to go get another engineer, one that I pay, not the builder. We got more rain this past week. Several days worth and on Friday night it came down hard. As you can guess, the sides of my house are really soggy, I can see more seams showing up in the ceiling, one crack is wider, and one seam has now cracked. I'm not sure I want the builder to do the repairs as I feel some of them are due to poor workmanship. My alternative though, is to pay for it myself and I don't think I should have to do that. I'm really trying to hold out though until the cause of the shifting is complete, otherwise, I'll be repairing every six to eight months or so or figuring how large a crack I can live with while the house settles.

And, to firm up my commitment to the house, I celebrated my birthday by buying new furniture! Yep, three new pieces coming at the beginning of January. I got a new TV credenza (which should be much better suited for the size of the tv I got last year), a new coffee table (I've had my current one for almost 18 years and it was given to me, meaning it was old when I got it), and a buffet for the dining area. The buffet was the one piece I didn't think I wanted, but it's the one I'm the most psyched about. What storage it has! Of course, this means, I have to de-clutter some spaces, so that's what I'll be doing over my Christmas break. We have a week and half off, so after traveling to Louisiana for Christmas, I'll hunker down and organize my house in preparation for my new furniture. I'm also trying to program in time to visit with friends as well. Definitely looking forward to the time off.

And, for a kitty cat update. I finally got freaked enough about her and the bald spot she created that on my last visit to the vet I got a diffuser for Feliway. It's a hormone based product that is supposed to sooth stressed kitties. I call it kitty aromatherapy. I had no expectations, but was getting desperate. I think it's working! It appears she's getting fur in her bald spot and she's much more her "old" self. She's not hiding in her chair under the dining room table. She comes into the kitchen with me in the morning, follows me at night. And, last night, for the first time in almost a year, she helped me change the sheets on the bed. The Feliway isn't cheap, but if it works, I'll stick with it.

If it's not one thing, it's something else....

Well, about two weeks ago, on a Friday night, I got in my car to head home after an evening out, and it was a little rough on the start up. I was a little concerned, but I made it home okay. Saturday, same thing. Now, I'm thinking about what could it be. And, then it hit me. The battery. The car is almost 4 years old, which means so is the battery. Sigh. I thought I'd wait until the following weekend to get it replaced, but after crossing my fingers and hoping it would start Sunday and Monday mornings, I realized that I needed to get it taken care of. I didn't want to go out to my car somewhere and have it not start. And, it was raining that Monday, so that wouldn't have been any good either. I took a couple of hours of comp time that afternoon and headed to Sears to get a new battery. Not as nice as going to a smaller business, but they are known for their batteries. Check that off the list.

That was Monday. That Friday was the day my cubicle was going to get installed. I've been there nine months, but at least I was finally getting it (I was in an open workstation; the other professionals in my department all have cubicles). We thought it would be in the morning. They started assembling in the afternoon around 2:00. To make a long story short, we had to move power poles we weren't expecting to, had to have a power whip installed for my cubicle (the original game plan was to use power strips from the outlet, but they would have been blocked by the partition wall, which is not a good thing), and move phone and data lines from where workstations were to where they were moved. Naturally, until this was done, we weren't working. In addition, the office designers ordered the wrong color overhead bin for me and a different colored wood (lighter). We all like the wood, so I get to keep it and be different, but the overhead needs to match the trim and everyone else's. We were first told a new one would be ordered. Friday, we were told the one I have would be painted. I had them install what we have because I need the lights underneath it. I may have gained a cubicle, but I've given up natural light coming into my workspace. It wasn't all wrapped up until the last Monday and I still am not sure what will happen with the overhead bin, but, in the grand scheme of things, given what we weren't aware of that we had to do, that really isn't too bad.

Then last week, I noticed that Kitty cat had sores in her bald spot, which does appear to have more fur. I probably contributed to that by using the spray the first vet gave me, but nonetheless I needed to get her to the vet to make sure it wasn't anything horrible. I did that on Friday. Bye bye to the last of my comp time. It wasn't anything horrible.

Then to top it off, yesterday I stopped by Origins and the Clinique counter only to discover both had discontinued the products I was wanting. And, neither sales person was overly friendly either. Nope, sorry don't have it. Especially, the sales person at Clinique. So much for the new Clinique. She didn't even know what I was talking about, made me feel like I was making it up, and kind of waived her hand at what they had and said this it what we have. I was so turned off by both sales persons that I doubt I'll look for replacement products from either brand. Origins does have a product I've used in the past that would be closest, but I liked the one they discontinued the best. However, by both of them not having what I wanted, I didn't spend any money.

Everything but the kitchen sink....

That's what it's felt like these past three weeks. At the end of June I headed to a conference in Washington, DC. It's been a while since I've been there and I enjoyed being back. Good roommate for the conference, which is always a plus and I got to visit family and friends as well, a huge added bonus. The conference was so-so, which was disappointing, however, with all the walking I did, I didn't have a lot of guilt about not working out. I walked A LOT. And, I did stairs. Steep escalators freak me out, so at the conference center, I used the stairs instead of the escalators. Since the exhibitors were on the lower level, there were a couple of days I did this more than once. Actually, I was pretty proud of myself. They didn't kill me, so maybe I'm not as out of shape as I thought I was.

Got back the Thursday before Fourth of July. I worked that Friday, then took the following Monday and Tuesday off. All told, I was probably in the office one day in a two week period. I'm not feeling guilty. The conference might have started on a Friday, but it went through the weekend to Tuesday. And, no comp time for the weekend conference time. Which is standard and not something I choose to dwell on. It just is. I'm terribly grateful that I get professional time to attend; I have colleagues who aren't supported in attending this conference, so they don't go or they use vacation.

My days off were spent doing a lot of little things. The Monday basically was set aside for all the repair folks to come, starting at 8:00 am. Who does that to themselves on a day off? But, I was desperate to have an A/C unit that didn't sound like it was preparing to take flight or was going to blow up. I now have that. I'm one happy camper. The mechanic showed up bright and early and didn't have to cut the sheet rock. This one actually felt the wall and could feel it hitting the wall. So, outside he went. He gave the pipe a really good yank to pull whatever was vibrating away from the frame and then moved the A/C unit itself a bit more from the house. Ahhh... it now makes the noise it's supposed to make.

The A/C guy was followed by the guy to repair the crack in the sheet rock in my bedroom ceiling. Alas, his English skills left a lot to be desired (read - he didn't have any) and I sent him away the first time because all he could say was "drywall" and for the life of me I was so focused on the A/C repair and the door ding that I forgot about the crack in the ceiling. Fortunately, the builder didn't. He was on his way over to mark the areas (he found more, which I'm not sure is a good thing or a bad thing) and tell the guy what to do. So, that guy was here about 2 hours doing that. The door ding repair guy arrived about 1:00. Thankfully, he spoke English (as did the A/C guy). Then, the painters showed up about 3:30. Well, the texture has to dry for about 12-24 hours. So, I asked if they couldn't come back the next day after 3:00, as I had to take kitty cat to the vet in the morning. They said yes. Of course, their English skills were lacking as well. Sigh.

So, kitty cat got a new scratching post, one of the cardboard ones, which she adored. Had catnip in it and she was all over it. Sounds cute. I got it for her on Friday. She liked it, it's much cheaper than her traditional scratching post (we've now gone through three), so I was happy. I thought it was cute that she rubbed her head and whole body on it and she used it to scratch. This is good, right? Umm... not really. By, Monday night her left eye was looking red and the skin above it was a little raw. By Tuesday morning, she just looked sad.. red eyes, red ears. I took my time getting ready to go as the appointment was at 11:00. No rush. The minute she saw the carrier, she was under bed. It's like 10:50. The vet isn't far, but if you've ever tried to coax a cat out from under a bed you'll know my dilemma. It just isn't done. In addition to said irritation, she was also in desperate need of a pedicure (thanks to a tendonectomy her front claws have issues and I can't always trim them). She's only beaten me once and I couldn't have it this time. So, with great guilt, I resorted to the fly swatter to get her out. She hates it. I did not hit her... just swooshed it a bit near her. She came out and then tried to hide in her favorite dining room chair. I could get her out from there. Yes, she screamed at me the whole drive to the vets. Naturally, as I was leaving for the vet, the painters showed up. I told them I couldn't stay. They said 12:00. I said how about 1:00. They said okay. I'm still waiting. Maybe I should try to improve my Spanish since apparently contractors don't see a need for their employees to communicate with the people they serve.

I did not like the first vet I took her too. I loved this vet. They aren't trying to sell all kinds of products or services. They trimmed her nails and then the vet gave her a good once over. She also looked at the not really healing bald spot on her tummy (yes, the same one from February) and it had little red dots. So, something was definitely bothering kitty cat. This vet did what I think the first one should have done. Gave her a shot of low dose steroids. I swear, by that night she was looking better. I did take up the new scratching post. I'm going to give it a couple of more days for her to recover, then I'm going to dump the majority of the catnip out and see what happens. At first I thought either the cardboard or catnip was causing the irritation, but now I'm wondering if something wasn't already causing a problem and I provided a really good all round scratcher with the new scratching post. At any rate, not only does she look better, but I do believe she's perkier. I thought after the fly swatter incident and the trip the vet, she'd be mad at me for the rest of the day. Bless her little heart, she wasn't.

I'd hoped to do some flowers for the yard and in containers while I was off, but while I was enjoying beautiful weather in DC, it continued to rain here, straight through the Fourth. So, I did stuff in the house. Now it's the middle of the summer and I'm reevaluating what kind of planting I'm going to do. But, I still got a little rest and some things taken care of on my days off. Now, I just have to get the painters back.

Exploding soda cans, alarm systems, and a stressed out kitty....

Well, last night my goal was to get to bed early so I could get to work early because the builder had arranged for warranty work to be done on my house this afternoon. Not to be. Right before bed, I decided to put a few more sodas in the refrigerator so they'd be cold for this afternoon. I dropped one, which is not an out of the ordinary thing. Well, it blew up. And, it set off my alarm system. I have a unit which is supposed to detect shattering glass (most alarms don't detect a broken window, just a window being raised or a door opening). Apparently, mine also detects exploding soda cans. It's a new system and is just a high pitched wail. It's awful. After I recovered from my heart attack, I looked for the cat. She was under the bed and there she stayed for quite a while.

I have a walk-in pantry and that's where I dropped the can. There was still soda in the can, so less that 12 oz got splattered. It was EVERYWHERE. I was amazed at all the places I had to clean soda up from. Thank goodness for the Swiffer mops... at least the floor isn't sticky. But, I didn't get to bed early. Kitty cat did eventually come out from under bed.

Today wasn't much better. One of the warranty jobs was someone to look at my AC unit. I'm not sure it's working up to par because it just stays kind of muggy in the house. Plus, in the master bedroom the noise is awful... this loud, grinding sound like something is going to burst through the wall any minute. All appointments were made for after 3:00 pm. Alas, the AC guy showed up at 11:55 am. I wasn't home. So, now I get to repeat this tomorrow. Hopefully, we'll both be here at the same time.

The other warranty work went okay, but while I have guys in the house with drills and hammers and blowers for texturizing the wall (short story - they forgot to sheet rock and finish the bottom of the window above the door), the yard guys showed up. It wasn't quiet by any means. Kitty was again under the bed. She didn't come out until she was good and sure everyone was gone.

The last warranty work had to do with my door knobs. Sounds weird and I felt like an idiot saying these door knobs feel "loose." (I did get second opinions before doing this). End result - the front door knob was installed wrong. It's been fixed. Three others actually have defects and will be replaced. It's nice to be validated.

Going strong....

This just doesn't apply to me, but I'll start with me. Four times this week to the gym! Woo hoo! I think the weather helped. It was just beautiful until today. Today, rain with possibly severe thunderstorms (meaning hail) and possible tornadoes. Dark and gloomy. Days like this one should be spent sleeping in and lounging with the cat. The four times included two classes - step on Tuesday and last night the core board class. Heavens that class! It goes fast, but it is a workout! I stuck with the 3 lb weights because of all the movement. My short legs and the fast pace also make it hard to do some of the moves because of the width of the board, which is a bit frustrating. It was good to separate the two classes to two different days. I've done them together, but the room is just a bit too hot (or I'm just not in good enough shape!).

Speaking of the kitty cat. She appears to be doing better. Fur seems to be filling in the bald spot, but I'm still occasionally using the spray just to be on the safe side. I'm planning on cutting out the wet food. I should never have gotten her in the habit. She screams for it all the time and with the recent pet food recalls (my brand wasn't affected) I'd just prefer we go back to dry food and treats. I will say with the wet food she's not as interested in treats. But, I think she's just a tad to attached to it. My nerves will be shot, because I'm pretty sure she's going to be quite vocal in her disapproval of no more wet food. So, cross your fingers and say a prayer that my nerves can handle it. Cats seem to be pretty routine oriented, so I'm hoping it will only take me a couple of days to get us back to our pre wet food routine.

Remember the gas well that is going in basically across the street from my house? Well, I would've thought they would have been done by now, based on what the city told me. 45 days to put in a gas well. Granted it was wintry when they started, but it's been way more than 45 days. Well, Thursday morning I was awoken from a sound sleep by the loudest buzzing sound... at 1:00 am. It sounded like it was either in the house or the back yard. I actually got up to make sure that my a/c unit or some other thing wasn't about to blow up. Sure enough, the gas well people. My question, what possesses someone to do this in a neighborhood at 1:00 in the morning? Surely, it could be done during the day. Fortunately, it only lasted (at least the really loud part) for about an hour. I seriously considered calling the city again, but decided I would only do that if occurred two nights in a row. It didn't. Houses are being built across the street, so my view of the gas well is being obstructed. I almost miss it... not cause it's pretty, but because I'm basically a nosy person and like to keep an eye on what they are doing. :)

And, the landscaper who said he'd draw something up and get back. Yeah... he hasn't. Why am I not surprised Guess, I'll come up with a plan B and go from there. And, maybe that's the way it should be.

What a week...

Well, the Texas drivers license arrived on Monday, so I guess I'm officially a Texan again. And, I realized that Texas has an ugly driver's license. Arkansas has a really pretty, rather cool drivers license, but not Texas. You'd think the Loan Star State would have something less bland, but I guess they put their effort into the license plates, which are cool, rather than the drivers license. And, this puppy doesn't expire till 2013.

It was a dreary day, with a lot of rain. I don't mind the rain, but Kitty Cat has managed to get a bald spot on her tummy, which I think is basically a hot spot. But, at any rate, I needed to make sure. So, I put her in the carrier and off we headed to the vet. She wasn't happy about the trip. It was her first car ride in rain and it does make a different sound in the car. I'm sure she was wondering if I knew what I was doing. After all the hair that wound up on me, I'm surprised she had any left. The vets were okay, but the displays in the office were all about stuff you could purchase - from id tags to senior check up packages. I did get a spray and so far I think it might be working. At least the "spot" isn't getting any bigger.

Exercise wise, I did okay. I did the step class on Tuesday, but because of the heat and humidity in the room, I opted to not do the core board class and instead did free weights. I'd done yoga on Monday and that included quite a bit of abs work, so I skipped the sit-ups and stretched. Thursday was my last session with the trainer. I think it went well and was worth it. Total this week at the gym was the 3 days plus yoga.

To top it all off, we got rain. A lot of rain. Not just Monday, but several days. Friday just poured buckets on the way home, but I still ventured out for a Pampered Chef party. I tried not to spend, but I did. Hopefully, good investments. At least I didn't have to venture out of the neighborhood in the rain. I'm also really appreciating having a garage again.

The rain though has really spurred the growth of my weeds. And the grass, but what I see now is mainly weeds. I've had the dickens of a time getting landscapers and yard services to call me back. But, I got a quote today and they are willing to do bi-weekly. So, they'll hopefully get it done this week and then I can get a lawn mower for the weeks in between. They'll do the edging, etc. I'm really very terrible with that. And, they'll go ahead and do the weed and feed treatment. Hopefully, the dead spots in the backyard will go the way of the dead shrub and not be dead. I've got such visions for the yard, but right now I'll be terribly excited just to get the first mowing done.