Weekend Recap

Twin and I accomplished Operation: Buy Fuel Efficient Car. Twin managed to find a 2001 Saturn SC with 130k for $3,500. It was advertised as a twin cam (SC2), but it seems unlikely because there is no air conditioning, manual windows and locks. We did get the 3rd door though. They said it was a single-owner car… but unfortunately they were a smoker. I am going to combat that some (and know how to do that). The car drives a lot like the 1995 Camaro I had, but Front-Wheel drive and smaller dimensionally. I’m happy we bought that car, and didn’t "sell-out" and buy a Honda, SL Sedan.

We took advantage of having two cars; Twin had to work Saturday and drove. I packed the Subaru with some stuff to take to the house, where she met me after work and went to go pick up the keys and visit with her parents.

I was able to take some small appliances to Total Reclaim for responsible recycling. The list was short: expired AA batteries, a broken microwave, and vacuum cleaner. Although the CD Player I took there was functional, it didn’t make sense to try selling the unit. We replaced the CD Player to get something that had an AUX port to plug our phones into and take advantage of our Zune music subscriptions.

We bought an electric, cordless Lawn Mower and separate String Trimmer. That was so great. I remember gas mowers vibrating, smelling, and being difficult to start. This electric mower, you hold down a button and pull down a lever and it starts right up. There’s no smell, no vibration, and we managed to get a self-propelled model. The trimmer was much the same experience.

I poured sweat from all of my pores for a good portion of yesterday. It was in the 90’s and we hacked away at an unknown tree and all 3 of our Class C Noxious Weeds: English Ivy, Himalayan Blackberry, and Morning Glory/Field Bindweed. It all had grown in a lot since the house was listed in March, and with all the work we put in its back to where it was then. A few more tools we need are powered. Using a Machete to hack away at vines is fun, but borrowing a reciprocating saw with a pruning blade and getting a hedge trimmer would be much easier.

I’ll end with this: Saturday night I’m walking out to the Subaru, which is parked next to a bank of Ivy (that’s encroaching on the driveway). What I need is on that side of the car and I’m walking towards the ivy… then I stop dead in my tracks. I heard something move in the vines. I couldn’t see what it was and pretty overwhelmed in figuring out what it might be. I told Twin, but she thought I was crazy. A bit later, she was going to get into the Subaru when the same thing happened to her. I kicked a soccer ball at the enbankment to maybe scare whatever it is out – that didn’t work. I think its a rat. I hope either I am brave enough to take care of the bushes or our cat will figure out something is in there, hunt it down, and bring it as a gift to me 😀

Oh, and the Ivy has eaten one wheel for our recycling bin.