Nothing to report, really. It's raining again here in Roswell, rather nice, actually. I'm so aware of how much work we'll be missing by taking this trip, and how behind we'll be by taking this trip, that the pressure to enjoy ourselves will be immense, and I feel like we shouldn't be going at all! Silly, yes? Ah, the joys of the classic overthink.

The handwashing thing is getting a bit tiresome. After receiving a $200 water bill, I've come to the conclusion we use way too much water. I've tried to make my showers (yes, plural, I take two a day) shorter, and don't just let the water run all the time. I NEVER let the water run while I'm brushing my teeth anyway, but I don't just let it run while I'm doing dishes either. I make a nice rinse pile and then do it all at once. MUUUUCCCCHHHHHH neater. Still, we have four leaks right now, in various ways. The upstairs tub leaks from the faucet, the downstairs tub leaks from the faucet, the kitchen sink has a ghost leak, and the pool pump has a leak as well.

Aren't I just the responsible little water conservationist?

And I also want to put in a rain barrel.

And I'm waiting for the last appliance that I haven't replaced (please note that this will be the second time I have replaced a dishwasher in my house that eats appliances) to die (waterheater - have now jinxed self), I'd also LOVE to put in one of those tankless jobs, but those cost real money (opposed to...say...Monopoly Money?). Not on the list for this house.

I could buy a new dishwasher. I could run to Lowe's tonight, and have a new dishwasher installed when we get back from the trip. I refuse to do it. Flat out. I will wash dishes until my god damn hands fall off. I am not buying another appliance this year for that house. Not doing it. Read my lips. No more new taxes. I do not care that it adds another hour to my evening chore list, or means that dinner is an hour later, or that I go to bed that much later each night. I am not spending one more damn dime of my hard earned money on another thing for the house to eat.

Also, as I was putting my bags in the car this morning, our neighbor (whom I didn't see in his driveway) decided the surprise ambush attack was best.

"I sure do wish y'all had been more careful dropping that tree and not mangled my bushes".

"I sure am sorry about that, Jack. I'm pretty sure we didn't deliberately drop that one big branch on your azaleas on purpose, we thought it would go one way, and it thought it would go another. I'm awfully sorry about your bushes".

"Ok".

As Mr. Manners pointed out, said azaleas haven't been raked out or trimmed in several years. We did clean up the mess we made, and quietly. We trimmed the branches off the good things we clobbered, and cleaned up ALL the debris we left. I think Jack is just sore because he probably liked that tree's one big branch going over his driveway, and didn't want us to take it out.

He will probably like it less when we remove all those trees in the island where the mailbox is, and there's nothing there but bushes. I don't need a ratty island separating the two houses that is full of sixty pine trees that are fifty feet tall and twelve or fourteen hardwoods. Cut down all those pines, and let the hardwoods grow. You know, we have all this land between us, and he doesn't even keep the stuff that's visible from the street clean?