I have been dutifully sitting at my desk all afternoon working on my proposal. Well save for "a few" e-mails with V. I spent much of the afternoon searching the library and journals and then Google Scholar (love that) for background research to answer the question of "well why not just use this instead?" Not an easy task. And when one of my primary arguments is economics, it is even harder. Do you know how hard it is to find actual quotes on the internet on what something costs? Sheesh.
This morning I spent some time in the lab. My good PM has returned but I seem to have retained some of the duties he delegated to me during his absence. They are all minor things, but things I can put on my fact sheet that point to increased client interactions.
Leif's climber was shipped yesterday. It is a dauntingly huge box. So much so that AB didn't even open it when it arrived yesterday. I fully expected he would have it assembled by the time we got home. We will get that assembled and I expect one completely ecstatic boy on my hands.
I need to make a trip to Target for Easter goodies and a trip to the grocery store for a variety of things. Leif and I have swimming class tomorrow morning. Aside from all that we will be working hard on getting the backyard in shape.
Our trees are in fabulous bloom right now and things are starting to pop up. My chives have taken the opportunity to explode and I think I need to do some cooking with them.
I had been in a funk about yard work and gardening until the weather started changing. This last week Leif and I have spent much time outside. We fertilized the front yard... the backyard had to wait since I am not fertilizing doggy doo. I pulled some weeds. I still need to get copious amounts of bark mulch to augment what is sparsely covering the ground now.
I need to decide exactly what I am doing with the vegetable garden this year though. I am giving up on pumpkin growing and peppers. A coworker of mine and I used to dream of having giant pumpkin growing contests. I surrender. A basketball sized pumpkin cannot compete (and that was two years ago). And peppers... when they are so cheap at the farmer's market I don't know why I bother stressing over the spindly little twigs that drop their leaves and yield one pepper. Oh and edamame is out too. In Reno it rocked, here it withers. Plus, I can buy humongo bags of frozen edamame at Costco when I get the urge.
I need to focus on what I CAN do to have a satisfying garden. Tomatoes are prolific. Sunflowers too and they just raise my spirits. I loved sitting in my backyard the past few years and hearing people on the bike path comment on my behemoths. Cabbage is a go - we love fish tacos and they are the perfect summer dinner. And last year I actually did good with eating the zucchini I grew. Well who can't grow zucchini? What is that saying? Something about that it should be illegal to grow it because every neighbor gets sick of it?
Arugula is growing wild in my garden from my plantings nearly 4 years ago. Spinach and swiss chard are a must due to their heat tolerance. What else?
Of course before the fun part of planting comes the hard part... a rototiller rental, augmenting the soil with composted steer manure. Then cover it with fabric and THEN I can plant in my little holes in the fabric. My only fear is my toddler, who has already trampled a few rising tulips in the front garden.
The big project in the back yard will be the pergola and patio. We are hoping to extend the patio in May and even have a few sets of extra hands to help with the project. I see this as a must do this year. I am longing to sit on my patio, iced tea in one hand, book in the other and watch my son on his climber.
Ahhh springtime at last!
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