An ode to my hovel and my advancing age

Amazingly enough, this last week has been a productive one. Before my husband left on Sunday, he changed the ballast on the overhead light fixture in the kitchen. For the first time in several months (I refuse to go back and check my old posts to find out exactly how long) there is light in my kitchen. Sadly, the new 'sunshine' bulbs I purchased for my newly working fixture are giving me mad headaches. Two steps forward, one step back.

I purchased a kajillion dollars worth of bug spray while I was at the hardware store. As there is still a two inch gap between the top of my front door and the frame, and this is summer, in Florida, I am having terrible bug problems. The gap around the door is attributed to my grandfather's help fixing my door back in February, but...............not quite finishing. Eco friendly living be damned at this point, I'm hitting those nasty bugs with all the aisle at Lowe's held. I feel slightly guilty over this, but, not enough to jump up on another chair screaming for my husband, who more than likely isn't even home. Bye-bye bugs. We shan't miss you.

I also purchased a bottle of weed killer. Since my backyard has been newly emptied of a decade's worth of poison ivy, I felt it was only fair to improve the front as well. There is a bush on one side of my front door and a dying tree on the other. There are also a freaking ton of weeds. Armed with my spray bottle of weed and grass killer, hoping the winds weren't carrying too much over to my next door neighbor's honeysuckle trellis, I got to work. I've been a bit dizzy since I tried my hand at weed eradication, but, that has probably been aided and abetted by my fluorescent kitchen lights and the fact that I have misplaced my glasses. There are those that would even argue that I've been dizzy since my first child was born, so, nothing lost, nothing gained, maybe?

My oldest son received his class schedule for middle school today, I am having massive freaking panic attacks over being the mother of a middle school student. Wherever has the time gone? Scary stuff folks, scary stuff.

My sister is coming to Tampa for Labor Day weekend and I am trying to find a responsible house/pet sitter. I am somewhat terrified that I will be forced to settle for my step son. Uh, love you Babe, but...you know what I mean. Then there is the issue of pulling my kids out of school the week after they start. On the other hand, my husband will be off the week of Labor Day, as he will be returning to his regular duty station and the kids and I will be back to seeing him for one freaking day, once a month. I haven't seen my sister in five years, and she hasn't met my three youngest children. I actually think that I deserve a little mini vacation (thanks to our hotel reward card) and a chance to soak up some of the Florida sunshine before the hurricanes start rolling in.

My kitchen bar is completely devoid of all objects that don't belong and sparkling clean, well except for my cat that is. 'Nough said right there.