I've been pretty busy with stuff around the house. We were able rent a dumpster for a week so we could get some stuff cleared out of the garage and backyard. Johnny's truck broke down 5-6 years ago, so we haven't been able to haul anything for awhile. That meant we had a LOT of stuff to get rid of from years of pool work, house guests in and out, etc. It was really, really hot all week...but Ashlyn helped me a lot during the day. We would go out for a little while and then come back in for a short break before going back out. The frequent breaks definitely made a difference. But then once it got way too hot in the afternoon, we stopped and waited for it to cool down a little before going back out in the evening and working until 9pm or 10pm. But we were able to get it filled before they picked it up! We still have some stuff in the backyard that will need to be hauled off as well as some things in the garage that were prohibited in the dumpster (chemicals and paint, cement and rocks, etc.). But I'm SO happy about the progress we've made. Now we actually have room in the garage to sort through the remaining stuff to find what still needs to be gotten rid of, what all is going in the garage sale, and then organize everything we actually want to keep out there.
Originally I was going to get the garage cleaned out so we could have a garage sale during the citywide sales...but it is just way too hot. They usually don't have the sales this late in the summer...but with the stay-at-home orders and everything, they rescheduled for the last half of July. After working out in the garage in this heat...I don't think we'll be having the garage sale yet. I'm especially cautious of having a garage sale right now because the Covid-19 numbers are rising in our area again. So...I just don't really want to mess with a garage sale right now. But we'll definitely be having one within the next year or so! We have accumulated so much stuff over the years...so we have a LOT to get rid of. My sister, mom, and grandma will be joining the garage sale as well...so it is sure to be a huge one! But...not the right time for one at the moment.
We had a nice 4th of July at home. We usually go over to my grandparents' house, but with Covid-19 concerns, they didn't have their usual get-together this year. Since Johnny and I haven't been feeling real well, we decided to stay home. Johnny grilled some chicken, burgers, and hot dogs for dinner and we watched Hobbs & Shaw with Ashlyn while we ate (Aubry had her own plans this year, so she wasn't home). Then we watched some fireworks from our backyard. One of the houses behind us had a pretty good show going on!
Last night I made Cheez-It Chicken Fried Steak for dinner...but I decided to bake it in the oven instead of fry it. It turned out pretty well. I probably won't do it that way again next time, but they still tasted delicious. :)
Today we're just planning to have a relaxing day at home. We slept in (my Fitbit says I actually got 8 hours and 26 minutes of sleep!) and haven't done a whole lot yet today. I'm going to have Johnny change the filter for the air conditioner. I found a replacement on Amazon since I haven't been able to find one at the store (it's a large accordion style one). I think he also wants to get the surround sound hooked back up. And I'm going to reorganize the kitchen counter too. I found something smaller to better organize our leftover condiment packets from when we get fast food so that it takes up less room on the counter. Hopefully it'll work well! It's actually meant to be a tea organizer, but I think it'll serve our purpose. I also got this microwave shelf that I'm actually going to use for the pressure cooker and crockpot...so they take up less space on the counter too. Plus it matches the spice racks, paper towel holder, napkin holder, fruit bowl, trivet, mail/key holder, and curtain rods that we already have in the "black scroll" kind of design. I got the bowl, paper towel holder, and trivet when I got married the first time in 2003...and have collected more items since then. I just love that look. :) I also have some candle holder wall decor that matches...but I haven't figured out where to put them yet. Sometime we need to get some more spray paint to finish the last two patio chairs too. I keep forgetting about that. :P
But...that's about all we've been up to lately. :)