Well now.... Things sure can change in a second can't they????? While on vacation this week I was informed that they are laying off, I'm sorry, the corporate term is 'downsizing' my department and I have two months to find another job before they kick my butt to the curb..... Kinda ruined my vacation but only for a day..... I was shocked more then I was angry. I have never been laid off..... Bummer huh!?!?!? But let's put in perspective shall we....... I'm single with only a few things that can be considered debt, my house and car. I could be facing what a lot of people I work with have... A family to support..... That would suck..... Sure this can put some stress in my life but I consider stress as being a 18 year kid on a landing boat ready to storm the beaches of Normandy on D-Day knowing damn well that the odds of you surviving is slim to none. Now that's stress!!!!!

Sorry to start this entry out with crappy news...... Now the good stuff!!!! My house survived it's first guests!!!!! The Haver clan came down from WI. to visit me for a few days...... They brought their four kids and 120 pound lab...... They have the nicest RV I have seen and parked their hotel on wheels in my driveway.


The kids and the dog had free rein on the house and they can make quite the mess but I wouldn't want it any different..... The Havers are my second family.... I love them and I will NEVER forget the way they helped me out during some rough times..... Great people and the BEST kids!!


They left Friday morning and I went to work on the yard...... I built some borders around each of the trees in the front yard.


All I can say is WOW!!!!! Mom and dad brought back some plants from grandma McBride's house up in Ohio. They are flowering and looking as good as anything you have ever seen on TLC or the HGTV.


I also applied a little cosmetic work to the porch. I went and bought some plastic ladis (SP) for the stairs......


I'm off to find a job and enjoy the 4th of July with all my friends on lake Wylie..... MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM GOOD STUFF!!!!! Nothing like a weekend full of marinating in an inner tube with a cold beer enjoying the sun and good friends..... It doesn't get any better than that..... HEY!?! Wasn't that from an Old Milwaukee commercial? There is always so much relaxing going on that I need a nap!!!!! Enjoy!!!!

Nobody reads what I write do they????? Here's an actual email I received, "Drew! Thanks for letting me know that your blog is updated but where are the pictures? I really like seeing the before and after ones. DREW!!! I NEED PICTURES!"I understand that people want pictures!!!!! Well! I am here to satify your hunger..... It has been almost a year since Evel Kenevel gave this house to my bride to be and myself and look at all I have accomplished!?!??! This is what I did this weekend:

Do yourself a favor! Get mulch!!!!! It's cheap and easy to use kind of like some dates I have been on. I bought this at the Fox Hole recycling center up highway 521. It's part of the Charlotte/ Mecklenburg county yard waste facilities. Check it out. Do you know how much mulch I got for freakin' $7 bucks!?!? The guy there, Dale, hooked me up!!!! He just kept on dumping mulch in the back!!! 'Conservative' was not in his vocabulary.



I mulched both sides of the porch.




I also planted day lilies in the front and on the sides of the back deck. Give it a few years and they are really going to fill in that ditch. I really need to thank Mr. Boike for giving them to me!!!! He gave me more day lilies than I know what to do with. I ran out of places to plant them. Anyone need some????


We planted a dogwood in the back corner..... Big Ron then used some of the landscape borders to make a nice little area that is a work in progress. I plan on heading back up to see Dale and having him fill me up with some compost. I'll throw it in that area and get some more plates and make it look GOOOOOOOOOD!!!!

I placed a couple false statements in this last blog hoping that people read them and ask me what the heck I'm talking about.... Until next time, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.

Pine straw is a rip off down here...... I think it's only down south. I have not seen it in any other part of the country. I made an executive decision not to buy into the propaganda. It also helps that they sell mulch cheap as hell at the county recycing center!!! SCORE!!!! Here is how I figure it. I have the truck, a pitch folk, two newly retired parents with good backs, time and most of all I have a body built for sin and an appetite for passion!!!!! HE HE HE HE HE!!! That's from and old Kiss song and I think it's such a funny line that I had to use it.... But really everything except for the body- appetite line is true. Unless you are a single girl and I aroused your imagination!!!! Email me and I will give you my #!!!!!!!!!Tomorrow I'll go over there and have the guys dump a load in the back..... I'm thinking I can get almost 2 cubic yards of mulch. How much is in a cubic yard? Here is a conservation table for ya...... DANG I love the internet!!!! So much free porn, I mean useful information....... UMMMM Please strike that 'free porn' statement from the record.... Back to the mulch. I'll be spreading it out all weekend.

I have been a busy bee doing a ton of yard work...... Here is the condensed list:

• Planted a few rose bushes that were given to me by my Grandma McBride.
• Mixed up some Round Up and killed all the unwanted grass.
• Bought a dogwood tree and just planted it in the corner of the house.
• Placed plastic landscaping border around each tree and part of the driveway.
• Pruned back all the trees and bushes that outline the front and back yards.
• Received some cedar wood landscaping border and cleaned them up so I can place them as a border between the front ditch and yard.
  
• Other stuff that I cannot think of right now.

That sure shows some ambition doesn't it??????? Speaking of that..... I had someone tell me that I am not ambitious because I didn't want to get all stressed and climb the corporate ladder so I could potentially make more money..... I'm very happy were I am in my life. I have a great house, a pretty stress free life style, a great job that pays me well and good benefits.... I have ambition! I have ambition to come home after work and do yard work. I have ambition to have as much fun as I can when I am with my friends whether it's camping out or chilling out on the front porch. I have ambition to do the best job I can bush hogging one of my best friend's fields at his farm. I have ambition to never ever live pay check to pay check. The list goes on!!! I want to hear what ya-all have to say..... What's your definition of ambition and if you think I'm a lazy SOB.


I'll have another update after this weekend full of pictures!