Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Visible Progress!!!
Well looky there! We actually built something this weekend! We put in a dry stack retaining wall for a future raised flower bed and a little area on the side for an herb garden. It is really really fun to actually see something take shape instead of just shoveling dirt and pulling weeds! Next weekend the fence...???
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Someone stole the bathtub
I shit you not. Someone came between 2-3 am and stole the bathtub out of our yard. Derek woke up because he heard something and looked out the window in time to see a large unidentified object being loaded into a truck. I don't know if this is a blessing or a warning... At least we don't have to take it to the dump... And we'll be putting up that fence as soon as possible...
Monday, May 3, 2010
Deconstruct to Reconstruct
We figured the rest of the work we planned to do we could accomplish ourselves without the help of contractors or slaves. We're smart, fearless, and have plenty of ingenuity, right? Boy were we in for a treat when we decided to strip our yard of all vegetation in order to lay down new sod. We'll start for fun with the "before" photos of our weedsome lawn:
We rented a sod cutter and a Uhaul pickup truck to transport the sod cutter. Cutting sod is not quite as easy as it looks in commercials, but it's not impossible. And Derek thinks it's fun to play with heavy machinery so I left him to it. I followed behind and rolled up the sod into nice, neat weed barrels that we stacked along the house. The following weekend we ripped up the remaining weeds along the edges by hand.
We were out of town to a wedding the following weekend, so it had been two weeks since we had actually cut sod. You can imagine what began to happen. The weeds started growing back! We made a quick trip to Lowe's yesterday for some Roundup. I dearly hope it is effective.
In the meantime, we started moving some dirt around to level the yard when Derek discovered that the previous owners had buried a sink in the backyard. Perhaps they didn't want to pay for a trip to the dump? I dug the dirt out of it, then Derek smashed it to little pieces with the sledge hammer so we could extract it from the ground. (See pile of broken ceramic pieces below.) Derek also found what he thought was another sink next to it. Upon further digging, we unearthed not a sink, but a whole intact bathtub. WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?
At this point, we're thinking pretty hard about how to move forward. We will need to till up the whole yard to level it and lay down edging for where the garden beds and the patio will eventually go. We will probably need to till it up again when we add nutrients and fertilizer before laying sod. The tiller costs about $80 to rent each time. And every time we rent a tiller, we have to rent a pickup to haul the tiller. What we did next was perhaps a little impulsive. We bought a tiller. But we didn't just buy a tiller. We also bought a pickup truck.
I know, I know. But it costs money to have things hauled away (i.e. the bath tub and the sod rolls), it costs money to have things delivered (i.e. the tiller we just bought, our future sod, patio materials, etc.), and it costs money to rent a truck if you want to do it yourself. And what do you gain by being overcharged for these services? Nothing. I can think of 10 separate times we will need a pickup truck to do these types of things over the course of the summer. So I don't think it was really a rash decision. I think it was an efficient decision. Even a frugal decision! Clearly, I am still trying to convince myself of this or I wouldn't be trying to rationalize it to you. Regardless, we are now proud owners of a 2007 Chevy Colorado. Derek couldn't be happier.
We rented a sod cutter and a Uhaul pickup truck to transport the sod cutter. Cutting sod is not quite as easy as it looks in commercials, but it's not impossible. And Derek thinks it's fun to play with heavy machinery so I left him to it. I followed behind and rolled up the sod into nice, neat weed barrels that we stacked along the house. The following weekend we ripped up the remaining weeds along the edges by hand.
We were out of town to a wedding the following weekend, so it had been two weeks since we had actually cut sod. You can imagine what began to happen. The weeds started growing back! We made a quick trip to Lowe's yesterday for some Roundup. I dearly hope it is effective.
In the meantime, we started moving some dirt around to level the yard when Derek discovered that the previous owners had buried a sink in the backyard. Perhaps they didn't want to pay for a trip to the dump? I dug the dirt out of it, then Derek smashed it to little pieces with the sledge hammer so we could extract it from the ground. (See pile of broken ceramic pieces below.) Derek also found what he thought was another sink next to it. Upon further digging, we unearthed not a sink, but a whole intact bathtub. WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?
At this point, we're thinking pretty hard about how to move forward. We will need to till up the whole yard to level it and lay down edging for where the garden beds and the patio will eventually go. We will probably need to till it up again when we add nutrients and fertilizer before laying sod. The tiller costs about $80 to rent each time. And every time we rent a tiller, we have to rent a pickup to haul the tiller. What we did next was perhaps a little impulsive. We bought a tiller. But we didn't just buy a tiller. We also bought a pickup truck.
I know, I know. But it costs money to have things hauled away (i.e. the bath tub and the sod rolls), it costs money to have things delivered (i.e. the tiller we just bought, our future sod, patio materials, etc.), and it costs money to rent a truck if you want to do it yourself. And what do you gain by being overcharged for these services? Nothing. I can think of 10 separate times we will need a pickup truck to do these types of things over the course of the summer. So I don't think it was really a rash decision. I think it was an efficient decision. Even a frugal decision! Clearly, I am still trying to convince myself of this or I wouldn't be trying to rationalize it to you. Regardless, we are now proud owners of a 2007 Chevy Colorado. Derek couldn't be happier.
We love sledge hammers
Here are the 2 storage sheds residing in our yard. The one in the front has a twin size bed frame built into it. The one in the back has no doors and could be blown down pretty easily by the Big Bad Wolf. Both have a sketchy past.
We sledged, clawed, and crowbarred the sheds down. Then we busted out the Sawzall to dismember the 95% dead olive tree. It was a fun day.
Then we hired some locals with a big truck to haul away the debris.
We sledged, clawed, and crowbarred the sheds down. Then we busted out the Sawzall to dismember the 95% dead olive tree. It was a fun day.
Then we hired some locals with a big truck to haul away the debris.
The Landscaping Project
We begin this spring's landscaping project with several goals in mind:
1) Destroy and remove the giant concrete slab next to the house. Replace the drive and walk ways.
2) Remove the 2 storage sheds in the yard, previously used for voodoo sacrifice and housing illegals, respectively. (I am 100% serious.)
3) Remove and replace the existing lawn of weeds with a lovely lawn of grass.
4) Replace the front fence. Disguise the others.
5) Build a raised flowerbed.
6) Build a patio and arboretum.
7) Plant pretty flowers, bushes, and trees.
Here are the "pre" photos to give you an idea of what we're dealing with here.
Keep in mind we have never attempted any of these things at any point in our lives prior to now. Please only laugh behind our backs and not to our faces if we fail...
1) Destroy and remove the giant concrete slab next to the house. Replace the drive and walk ways.
2) Remove the 2 storage sheds in the yard, previously used for voodoo sacrifice and housing illegals, respectively. (I am 100% serious.)
3) Remove and replace the existing lawn of weeds with a lovely lawn of grass.
4) Replace the front fence. Disguise the others.
5) Build a raised flowerbed.
6) Build a patio and arboretum.
7) Plant pretty flowers, bushes, and trees.
Here are the "pre" photos to give you an idea of what we're dealing with here.
Keep in mind we have never attempted any of these things at any point in our lives prior to now. Please only laugh behind our backs and not to our faces if we fail...
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