it's the little things

Life and the circumstances surrounding it are progressing here as much as can be expected. Some of it good, some of it not so good. The not so good stuff is the ongoing matter of income and the economics of sustaining the lifestyles of my parents and sister's family. This was the main purpose of this homecoming and the results of that effort have been fair to mixed. All my preparations for a full timing life have really come into play here. I've managed to help with management of food and eliminating waste. I've gotten my mom to take stock of unused stuff to sell on craigslist where she'll regain some much needed space as well as cash in pocket. Sissy is moving in a few months but has the buying/selling thing mastered. This is how she's managed to keep my nephew in the latest toys for a fraction of the cost of new.

Times is hard, times is hard

Oreo has dropped about three pounds in almost two months. Although I credit one of those pounds as belonging to the hair the groomer shaved off a few weeks ago. She's looking more like a dog and not a tiny barrel with a head and legs sticking out of it. She's adjusting well to the new reduced diet/feeding schedule but is also overcoming some issues from her prior weight and inactivity. As you can see Bridgette has had no difficulties in molding herself to whatever life demands. She's been a real trooper when it comes to motivating her cousin on their walks.

Sink or swim?

This was a small victory for me and a big win for my mom. The main problem was a leak that was getting worse with each day. I had to go several rounds with her about even doing it before she finaly gave in. The original faucet was corroded and coming apart which was the cause of the leak. The sink also needs to be replaced due to rusting. Mom fought me because she wanted to replace the two simultaneously but doesn't have the funds at this time. I had to convince her to replace the corroding faucet/leaking pipe with an inexpensive alternative, and then get the faucet of her dreams when she replaces the sink. Installing this took me all of about ten minutes and mom is happy with the results. 

Add some vodka?

I found this little feeder for $2 and powder nectar mix for $1.50 (at Lowes) when I picked up the new faucet. With the immpending vegetable garden I figured now would be a great time to start building my army of insect eaters. The troops already started drinking up but are camera still. 

Top contributor to the compost pile

My cousin showed up a few days ago and disconnected the power lines so I'm almost ready to start dismantling the gazebo. I say almost because his sister may be interested in taking it off our hands. The main structure is sound and would only need to be refinished. Once she's decided I can begin. I'm looking forward to getting this going since my mom really needs something to do. She has a bad habit of going OCD on unimportant details and annoying each family member to the brink of committing murder before moving onto the next one. Planting and maintaing a vegetable garden will be the perfect diversion for her. Farming is in the family DNA and she's as great in the garden as she is in the kitchen. I look forward to seeing what she does with the various veggies we plant. This will be great later on because I'll be able to restock my fridge when I come home to check in on them. Ultimately this garden will reduce my parents gas/grocery bills which will reduce some financial stress.

Bow chicka wow wow!

My first month has passed and I haven't even bothered looking for work. I honestly had already made up my mind before I ever left Texas and knew I wasn't going to work while here. Mom is kind of freaking out at the thought of me cashing out my 401k based on how she and my father are struggling. I'm leaning towards the Amazon route but need to figure out when I can do it based on my timetable. I've got a few projects that will keep me busy in the meantime and I'm not hurting for money. Mostly, I'm enjoying this prelude.