The Grass is Greener

We have a yard! No one is allowed to walk/play on it yet (Ben...I saw you taking a short cut across the grass the other day) but it won't be long. This is the grass at two weeks post-seeding. The bottom two photos are one week after. But having a lush lawn means maintenance - something we've never had to worry about ourselves in the past thanks to condo associations and/or having a gardener as part of the rent. First item of business - purchasing a lawnmower - a task that should be easy enough...or is it?

After reading a couple books on lawn care (I recommend "Lawn Geek" by Trey Rogers) and searching the Net I have decided that #1 - I want a lawnmower that mulches. Everything I have read has suggested that leaving clippings on the grass a) returns much needed nutrients to the soil and b) cuts down on the need for watering. It also saves me from having to empty the bag (when mowing as a teenager I never did like to be interupted by a full bag - plus it gets heavy). #2 - I don't really want to deal with getting gas, storing gas and emptying gas when storing for the winter. Or the fumes. #3 - I also don't want to have to wear noise-cancelling ear thingys when mowing the lawn. So this leaves me three choices - a plug-in electric model - nope, don't want to deal with a cord, a battery operated electric mulching mower or a push reel mower (yes they still make these).

I thought I had settled on the second option and found one I liked on Amazon that had good reviews. The downfall of the cordless electric option is a finicky battery that can only charge for so many hours before being ruined and is expensive to replace. So why not a push reel mower - it supposedly gives a great cut and I think I'd get a great workout as well.

I think Ben wants a manly roaring, fuming, self-propelled version. At first we'll probably fight over who gets to mow because we are so excited to have a yard (and b/c we enjoy bickering). But we all know who's going to end up mowing. Oh, we don't all know? My guess is it will be me - since I just stay at home lounging all the time. But, I don't think ladies of leisure are supposed to do yard work...

So I need experience and opinions here - opinions borne of experience. I am happy to hear that at least one friend does actually have and like the cordless electric mower. I consider that to be one vote in favor of option #2. There will be a poll.

Aloha PNX 864

The County of Honolulu Vehicle Licensing Department apparently wants me to get over the idea that maybe I'll have to move back to Hawaii so therefore I should keep my plates, because they aren't taking my calls. Or accepting my written correspondence. I guess they don't want my new address. I even gave them an extra two weeks after my tags expired just in case. Finally, I broke down and applied for WA license plates, trading the rainbow for Mt. Rainer- and upping our collection from different states to six.

On another note, I don't know why I can't keep my car registration and other vehicular matters up-to-date (I take that back - I would never miss an oil change). Last year I was late getting new tags and the year before that I got new ones when we moved to Hawaii but never put the sticker on. I went an entire year with no expiration sticker whatsoever. That same year I also let my license expire - by over two months - which I don't recommend because if your license is expired for more than 40 days you have to take a driving and written test. I found that out the hard way. And to quote the rather scary lady who was in charge of said test "you're lucky I'm going to let you pass, but you won't change your ways anyway". My "ways"? Excuse me, but driving with your knees while applying mascara* takes an extreme amount of skill. She's lucky I don't know how to text.

If I can get away with having expired registration and license without getting in trouble I must not be doing so bad. (For the record the last time I got pulled over was over 10 years ago - which is not perfect - like one of my grandmothers who I think has never been pulled over - but my driving skills are improving with age).


*That's a joke, I would never drive with my knees and apply mascara at the same time.

Happy Fptheus Day Ben.

*This last box of goodies Avery made one night for ben after we all went to sleep. It wasn't for Father's Day but it shows how much Abe's does love her dad.

May Recap

May was rather eventful for us - events that deserve their own posts and definitely pictures. But if I wait till I get around to that I may have forgotten all that transpired. So here are my notes to myself, with aspirations that they will turn into something better in the near future.

First of all - the biggest news - is that we moved into our house. It's been a long time coming and we're in. Lot clearing and construction started on October 31 and we got an occupancy permit on May 13th. Not bad and worth the effort, sacrifice and wait. Once we are unpacked and cleaned up I will post a pictorial tour.

Upon moving in, we promptly packed up and went to California for vacation. We wanted to take advantage of the military offers for free and discounted admission at Disneyland as well as make the rounds with friends and family. We had a great great time and it delayed the unfun job of unpacking for a few weeks. Plus, since Comcast couldn't come to set up our cable for a few weeks, Ben needed to go somewhere to watch those awful basketball games known as the NBA Playoffs - with people who enjoy them just as much as he does.

Ben - Ben is probably the happiest of all of us to be in the new house. He is now closer to work and he has a garage. He scored a sweet deal on a weight bench and is eager to set up his work out facilities out there so that he can stay fit by working out once a month, while the rest of us normal humans have to put in hard time to get the same results. As if that, plus the fact that he can function without sleep, wasn't suspicious enough, he scored insanely high on his annual shelf exam. In one category (head and neck surgery I believe, not tiling and speaker installation like I assumed) he was in the 100th percentile. So among all ENT interns in the U.S. no one got a higher score, that is crazy to me. It also means that next year he has no where to go but down. Overall he did much worse and was like 96th %. For his achievement he received another Army Commendation medal - which luckily I learned about from one of his colleagues, because he probably wouldn't have told me - and he is supposed to get a free "pass" or extra day off, which I believe if he doesn't take soon, he loses. So hopefully we'll take a day trip to celebrate.

Ben also turned the big 3-0 while we were there. This is what he looks like.

Miles - Nothing noteworthy to report.

Avery - Avery had a busy May, with a trip to the ballet and a recital of her own. On Mother's Day weekend we went to see Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty with our friends Amy and Olivia. Afterward we went to a very princessy "tea" where the girls could meet the dancers and the mom's could indulge in yummy food.

Here is a picture of Avery after her recital helping her dad distribute topsoil around the property. The theater the recital was in would not allow photography or video so I only have a video of the dress rehearsal performance. I haven't decided whether it is worth it to post. It's mostly just grandparent material. (I decided to post it on the sidebar temporarily)

Avery also had her big kindergarten doctor appt. I think it's supposed to be the standard five year appt. but I will only go if immunizations are due or if are forced to meet a requirement. She had to get 5 shots. It wasn't a pleasant experience but we survived. Her recent dentist appt. however was a pleasant experience, or at least it seemed like it:

Me: Nothing noteworthy to report.

Alive.

By now I thought we would be sitting in our new house toasting our accomplishments and living it up. But we are just existing - sometimes it feels like we are barely doing that. We are in our new house, but we are all four living in the guest room while the place gets unpacked and put together, the finishes complete and the landscaping started. I spend equal amounts of time cleaning and unpacking, and we have ants. Ugh.

But we do have Internet now and we are alive. Pictures and more to come. If you are really missing us you can check us out on Sara's blog looking rather fantastic if I do say so myself. (I'd like thank Sara for teaching me the proper way to position my head, photoshop and my friends at Allergan...)