5-20-12

10:25am

Got laundry started.

Going to start getting out the Summer

clothes and get them washed up because

they are all wrinkly from being stored in boxes/totes.

Today I strung my clothesline outside to start

hanging laundry to dry.

My electric bill seems higher than normal

and now that the warmer weather is here

the air conditioner will be used.

That worries me even more so I am

trying to cut back when and where I can.

 Plus by line drying it makes the laundry

cleaning seem to go faster.

I don't have to wait an hour for each load

to dry when I am taking clothes out of the

washer and hanging them as soon as it's done.

Last month's actual bill says we

used only 677 KWH.

at 8.1 cents a kwh.

Our total bill was $91.49.

 Down from $99.19 the previous month.

A savings of $7.71, it's a start. 
I don't know what caused the spike
because I was paying around $80 a month.

So for the record I am keeping track 

to see if things I am doing is helping

cut back on the electric bill.

I hadn't planned on hanging clothes

but figured if I am using the dryer for

about 6 hours each week times 4 weeks

is 24 hours a month.

Picture it as running the dryer for

an entire day out of the month.

I used this energy calculator to figure

out how much it costs per load 

to dry my clothes.

We'll have to wait and see what

my electric bill is after doing this for one full month

to see how much of a difference it makes.

You'll have to remember we are

running the air conditioner on hot days

that are 85 degrees and above.

We set the air conditioner thermostat to 75-77 degrees
depending on the humidity outside.

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5 days growth on the hot pepper.

May 15th

May 20th

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3:15pm

I started working on my grape arbor.
I cut one side of the ladder in half
while Tony cut the other.
The one ladder is cut exactly down the middle.
The photo makes it look like one side is
slightly shorter.  That is because this is not
screwed together yet and the one side is
leaning against the carport pole and is not
standing completely upright.
Now to figure out how to attach the other
ladder to the top of it.
It's about 6 foot tall at the height in the photo.
I lost a rung when cutting the ladder in half.
If I rest the top ladder on the next rung
that would make it about 5 feet tall.
I'll figure out something.
Just glad to have gotten it cut apart today.

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 5:35pm


Just got done removing weeds and overgrown
plants off our chain link fence.  Our neighbor
doesn't do much to his yard.  Mows it if that.
And every year our fence becomes overgrown
with weeds, baby trees and vines from his yard. 
If you look close enough, he doesn't even rake
leaves in the Fall.  See all the dead leaves on his side
of the fence from last year.  AHHHH!
I usually have to cut the stuff back twice a year.
And of course now I have two blisters
and broken a pair of scissors before finding
the pruning shears.

 Here is the after.  Bet ya didn't know
a pair of pruning shears could make you work up a sweat.
Well, it can!

This week Tony has the on call emergency pager.
So I'll use that time wisely and load up the truck
with all the debris and we'll take it over one
evening if he gets called out.
Nothing like getting paid to get rid of the weeds.
Tony gets paid for the drive time each way
when going out on an emergency page so I 
try to plan things around that.
Plus they give him a $25 gas check
the week he's on call.  
Not much considering the price of gas now.
Sure do miss the old company that owned
the place that paid them mileage at work. 


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5:35 -  7:00pm




Well I was determined to get the grape 
arbor put together.  I had Tony cut me
up some wood pieces with a saw
so I could attach the top ladder
to the sides.  Tomorrow I'll
get a photo of how I did it. 
I had to move my window so I
put it up under the arbor.
I didn't put back up the flower box or shutters.


I got the grapevine unwound from the
wiring I had it on attached to the fence.
This evening I started to weave the grapevine
around the top and gently fasten it
with some twine til it grabs hold.
I'll finish it tomorrow as I had other
things to get done tonight to get
the kids ready for school and Tony ready for work
tomorrow.

Not too shabby for a $5.00 arbor grape vine trellis.
The ladder was originally $6.00 at a yard sale
and I offered $5.00.
Any other wood was gotten free.
Nails were leftover from making
the veggie garden beds.

 


10:00pm




Well I am exhausted and will be heading to 
bed soon.  Nighty night.




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