Old Man Chase

I know I have written about The Yellow Bandit before, but I am not certain if I have ever mentioned Old Man Chase. Chase is the yellow lab across the street. When I first moved in, I thought his name was Jake for some reason. Chase lived to the nice old are of 14. He was a beautiful almost white yellow lab who had the most distinct bark. I'm sad for my neighbors. What a crummy way to start a weekend. :(

damn sticky door knob

Yesterday morning, when I went to grab a grocery bag out of the garage (pooper scooper) my key got stuck. In my attempts to get it unstuck, I busted out the pliers and wound up breaking the key off in the lock. Granted, that lock has been sticky for a while, but never THAT sticky.

On the way home from work, I stop to buy a new door knob. I wind up with a new knob and a electronic, keyless deadbolt. I waffled back and forth about it, because it was a lot of money...but I thought, well, I have to replace the knob anyway, and they didn't have a door knob with the same finish as the deadbolt.

This morning, I decided to get started working on it, and my neighbor Rick asked what I was up to. I told him the story and he said, "you should have taken it up to Home Hardware and seen if they could get it out." Rick's brother-in-law and sister own Home Hardware. If you can imagine a tiny little store that is jam packed full of stuff but that has EVERYTHING you could ever want from a hardware store, that's Home Hardware. (Behind the Maid Right on Division just south of Kimberly for you QCA folks.)

So, I took the lock with the broken off key in to them. It took 15 minutes and there was a little blood...but they got it out. Sent me home with a repaired lock, a can of WD40 and instructions to lube that baby up once a week for a month and to do the same with the deadbolt that is sticky, too.

So, for less than $10, I got a working door knob and a can of WD40. Which, incidentally, can be used for any number of things...including bathing your dog according to my co-worker Mike.

Thank you, Home Hardware! You are awesome!

Dag Nab It

eh...apparently that's not the first time I've used that subject for a post.

I am torn. Why is it so hard to make a decision? I really would like to have my yard fenced so Miner can play in all of the back yard. I am thinking at this point, it won't make the yard too little. And I think I can get most of it done with the help of my neighbors and maybe Brian (hint, hint).

Guess I have another conversation to have with Rick.

What to do about the fence

So, I bought all the stuff to do the fence a while back. After purchasing, I learned my new neighbor was putting up a fence, but she didn't say what kind. I was thinking, well, if she puts up a chain link fence, I will still want the fence panels. She put up a 6 ft. privacy fence. Now I am not sure what I want to do. I can always return the stuff to Lowes, I just have to convince Rick to help me.

It looks nice, and I can still do a flower bed in front of it with some trellises or something. I am just not sure what to do about the space between the garage and the fence.


Thoughts:

• No fence of my own
• Make that whole space along the fence into flowerbed
• Put down gravel in the space between the garage and fence
• Other ideas people?

Update: I checked with Rick, and he will help me take the fence panels back next week. Then checked with Chandra (new neighbor) and she is cool with me putting a flower bed all the way to the fence. :)

Glass Houses

The neighbor still hasn't mowed her lawn. Well, she did the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. I have mowed my lawn 2 or 3 times since then, because it needed it. She has not. Today, she asks me if I "know what's up with the house with all the trees down the street." She is referring for a house with a lot of overgrown trees and shrubs and says, "you would think that someone would have called and reported it." Uh...HELLO?! Have you looked at your yard recently?

Also, her dogs get out all the time. Both did yesterday, and met Miner. There was brief sniffing and not much else. They both did again today. Benny busts his collar all the time. Really, I just feel sad for the dogs. I mean, when Miner is loose, he doesn't run away just to run away, he comes back when called and really only takes off after rabbits or squirrels or something, and even then he stops at the edge of the yard. I do need to keep working with him on meeting other dogs, he got all riled up at a boxer on our walk this morning.

Great Weekend

I had a great weekend! Friday, I took the day off. I did laundry, cleaned house and painted the "people door" to the garage.

Saturday, I went to get the oil changed in my car. I had an appointment, but they were running a little behind. Really, I didn't have to wait all that long, and I had a New Yorker with me to read...but after waiting about 15 minutes or so, the manager poked his head into the waiting room and said, "Since we are running behind and your time is important...I am not going to charge you for the oil change or tire rotation." This is why I love Tuffy's in Davenport! :)

Sunday, I got up early and drove down to St. Louis for a cook-out at Dave? and Kelly's house. Josh and Sarah were in town from Germany. I got to visit all my St. Louis Los Bike friends. It was great. I stayed over night and my neighbors watched Miner for me.

Today, I got up early, spent a half hour talking with Pat before hitting the road. About 60 miles out of town, the rain was so bad I had to get off the highway and wait it out for 10 minutes at a gas station. After that, it rained on me most of the way home, but not any where near as bad. I got home around 12:30 and cleaned up my sewing room in the basement. (I have lots of stuff to make for all these babies my friends are having). Then later this evening I had some friends over for ice cream sundaes.

And reports from my neighbor was that Miner was very well behaved. Miner got to sit outside with Rick and their dog Shelby (Miner's girlfriend) for 4 or 5 hours yesterday while he was smoking ribs. Miner got to sniff and lick where all the pork goodness was dripping from the smoker. Amy said she took him for a walk this morning, too. He's such a good boy!

New Neighbor

So, I met my new neighbor today. I don't know if it's just the one gal, but I do know that she has 2 crazy dogs. One looks like a beagle/wiener dog mix and the other looks like a lab/wiener dog mix. And they jumped all over me. Miner is at the kennel today. I am not sure how I'll handle the dogs meeting. Miner doesn't tollerate spaztic dogs all that well. He did, however, do great at the kennel this morning. There were about 7 other dogs waiting before us, and he didn't get grumpy with anyone. I know it's better to have someone living in the house next door, but I sure wish it was old man Jim, even if he and Rick didn't get along. Jim passed away on Thanksgiving.

Oh yeah...

...and next Sunday, I am going to St. Louis for one night to see my Los Bike buddies...including Los Germany!! My neighbors are great, they will let Miner out and feed him Sunday night and Monday morning of Memorial Day weekend. I need to think of a good St. Louis-type thank you I can get them.

First Casualties of the Season

All I can say is I am glad I didn't find them. My neighbor Rick found 5 baby rabbits in one of the nests in my yard...the ones I keep trying to fill back up with dirt...that I don't want there precisely because I don't want baby rabbits in my yard. Rick disposed of them yesterday, but I found out today. This explains why Miner would not come when called this morning when he was sniffing around that hole. I need to mow the lawn. I never did a late fall, mow it short one last time sort of mowing...so there are some long patches of grass. Plan is one day this weekend to mow, and buy a few bags of top soil and fill in the rabbit holes and build the soil up where the drain tile is exposed. Really, I am just greatful that I didn't have to deal with the baby rabbits...as in clean up the mess when Miner would have eventually gotten hold of them.

Riley from Across the Street

Check out our neighbor's little girl on voting day! Isn't she a cutie?