Time Flies

Okay, I'm sorry.  I know that it has been over a week since I have posted.  I have no excuse other than we have been really busy - I can say that I tried to post last night, but the internet was down and I couldn't.  (I know - that isn't much of an excuse, but it's the best I can do.)

The last time I posted I told you that our big project for last week was to clean the garage - well, we did work on it - a lot.  It was just a whole lot more than even I thought it was.  Now, we did get quite a bit cleaned up (which you will see later), but this is the "work shop" area.  In other words, this is DAN'S area - need I say more?  I go out and I start to TRY and put things away and he starts saying things like "that isn't where I want that" or "Don't put that there!".  So, I  end up walking away and so, after a week - this is what it looks like ...................................

I don't think it is going to get much better than this.  He did cut these big pieces of lumber up and put them over with his "stash" for when he makes the shelves for the dining room, but the "Work table" still looks about the same.  He did finally admit that "if there is a flat surface, he is going to put something on it!"

Now, for those of you that know me well, you know that this drives me NUTS!  I am a, well to put it nicely, a neat freak.  I want to organize this - I want to put things away - to have things neatly arranged and put where you can find them and then put them back where they BELONG when you finish working with them.  I guess that was one of the nice things about being on the road - Dan had to put the tools he had with him up when he used them. 

When we lived in North Carolina it wasn't so bad, he had his own REAL workshop and I didn't have to look at THIS.  I could come home, park my car in the garage and never see the mess that was the workshop.  We don't have that luxury here. 

I have tried buying him a "real" workbench.  You know - the kind that has pegboard where he can hang his tools - and drawers where he can put other tools.  It just doesn't work.  He starts out putting things where they belong, but he never gets all of the things put away when he first gets the workbench. Something always distracts hime.  You can even see the big shelves with all the plastic bins and cubbies for all the screws, nails, and other stuff that he has.  He has good intentions - he really does - it just doesn't work.  

As the kids say - that is not the way he rolls. 

Please don't get me wrong.  I love the abilty that Dan has to make things - he has this tremendous talent to create beatiful things with his hands.  BUT, I just cringe everytime I have to walk through the garage and look at this mess!  Oh well, this just might be the cross that I have to bear!

One of our other projects for last week was to get the drapes for the dining room done.  Well, the picture above shows that project complete (along with hanging the sugar mold that Dan gave me for Christmas one year when we lived in North Carolina - love it!). 

I don't know if you can tell from the picture or not, but at each place where two windows come together we have a pleat in the valance, and the flower matches - and yes, we did that ourselves.  I think it turned out pretty well, and we are very happy with the look.

Now, as I have said earlier, most of the week last week, was spent working on the garage and the valance for the dining room - but we did have to eat.  Lately, it seems like everytime Dan decides to grill something it rains.  I told you, in an earlier post, about the dinner for the people from school and it poured rain just as Dan went out to grill the hamburgers. 

Well, Monday evening the menu was Talapia on the grill with rice and pineapple/peach salsa.  Dan waited and waited (sitting in his chair reading) until around 5:30 in the afternoon.  Anyone who has spent any time in Florida, in the summer, knows that late afternoon rain storms are VERY common (can someone say just about guaranteed).  Anyway, he finally decides it is time to go out and cook the Talapia (I don't cook fish in the house - PHEWWWWW!) and guess what - yep, you got it --------------------

That's my guy, standing under his birthday present, grilling the Talapia in the rain!  Don't you just love him!Oh, the joys!

And finally, I did want to show you that we did get some things cleaned up in the garage.  We went over to the storage unit and got the two big cabinets out, brought them over  and they are now in the garage.  As you can see from this picture, everything from the cabinets back to the door is nice and neat - but Dan's side - not so much!  Oh well!

The box is garage sale stuff and will go away, along with the rug - and the wood that was leaning on the extra refrigerator is now gone also.  Yes, that is a runner you see in front of the cabinets (I told you I was a neat freak!)  The big mirror that is in the picture belongs to the Honda motorcycle that we are hoping to sell, IF Dan ever gets it down to the Honda shop and has it worked on.  (Actually, his nephew - that sold it to him- is coming in October, maybe he can get it running and not cost us anything.  Something to think about.)

Well, I will leave you for now - I will try and do better - our daughter's from Atlanta are coming this weekend and our baby's birthday is Tuesday - so I should have plenty of pictures to post next week!  Take care and have a great Labor Day weekend (just be safe)!