Raising The Bar

In prepartion for "basic", as all the cool kids call it, I've started this little fitness log in a journal I found while tearing my room apart. I wrote in dates thinking it would force me to actually do the PT tests... Hopefully it works. I want to blow those minimum requirements out of the water by the time I leave for basic in January.

This little fitness log is also going to include one of these "What I Ate Today" type things. I'm kinda scared to start it. I don't know what the heck I eat and I have a feeling it isn't good...I'm starting it on Monday (because of course, you can't possibly start anything new on any other day of the week...). I've also started a really mean work out at the gym and I have begun using...the eliptical. I hate that stupid thing, but it makes me hurt and that has to be a good thing. I'm about to become a major gym-rat...

Also, I'm giving up one of my new favorite things...It's sad because I just barely found out that I love it.  It's...Pepsi Throwback. I am a Pepsi-hater and a strictly Coke-Drinker. But I decided to give this stuff a try and I love it. Sadly, it has to go. I don't care if it is made from real sugar, it's bad for me and will make me run slower. I'm sure of it.  Along with the soda, I'm changing my eating habits completely. I've been planning on doing it forever, and now I've got some major motivation. Hopefully I actually stick to it.

In other news, check out my cute little garden! It's kinda hard to see in the picture, But it's really flourishing and I'm so excited to harvest! Because I got it in the ground a little bit late, I won't be able to harvest until the end of August maybe early September. But I'm really proud of that thing and how it turned out. It was very theraputic to do it and it may have saved my relationship...They really mean it when they say that gardening is cheaper than therapy!

And that's that. See you next time!

I shoulda been a farmer...or at least a fence builder

So, my garden is complete. I have been working my butt off out there for days under the hot sun and it is now planted and I'm so excited to watch it grow...(hopefully!) 

My garden has been a figment of my imagination for quite some time now. At work the other day, I drew plans for about 79 different gardens I knew I would never have (however, I did discover that I have quite a knack for drawing 3D plans.) Ieally, I would have made three different raised beds and it would have been so adorable and it was going to yield beautiful fruits and vegetables that I would be very proud of. Currently, my garden is nothing that I planned, but I couldn't be happier.

I made cute little signs out of random wood and some old nails I knew no one would ever use and strung together a bunch of wire fence pieces that I found. I love that I can just take what I have and make it work. (case and point, hoe/machete...)

Today I drove two fence posts with a driver that weighs 20 lbs. Let me tell you, if you have some pent up anger or some type of issue in your life and you need a physical outlet, driving a fence post will make you feel real good.

I planted the herbs in the adorable washtubs. Don't they look pretty?

And of course, it's necessary to make a sign that says "Herbs" just in case you forget...

Here is my lovely finished product. Looks pretty good to me! Now lets say a little prayer that it doesn't get eaten by snails... 

Cheaper Than Therapy

I have been needing something to keep my mind off of all my troubles. I chose to begin this gigantic project of turning nothing into something. After all, they say gardening is cheaper than therapy and will do the same things for ya. So far, I have not been disappointed. I have been working my butt off since I got home from work yesterday only stopping to drink water and then a quick gym break.

I started with that mess of weeds and ivy and bugs...ugh lots of bugs. 

After working for a few hours with a hoe, a shovel and a rake, I finally got the whole thing turned over and ended up finishing up around 9:00. It was dark when I got all done so it's hard to see all my hard work, but it looks a lot better. Lucky for me, my mom came out and decided that our "lawn" needed to be mowed. Now I have a nice little space to work that isn't totally overgrown with...every weed known to man.

I plan to build a fence to keep the chickens and the dog out, and I want to use paving stones around the outside edges to make it all cute. I have my work cut of for me, but so far, it's looking great and I'm feeling so good about it. Even if it yields nothing but weeds, at least I learned something from it and I get to take all my...pain and anger out on the weeds with the hoe...I love that hoe. 

After working a little bit more this morning, I've got this lovely mess that is well on it's way to looking like a garden. I can't wait for it to be all finished and to see my hard work pay off. 

If you have a garden and happen to know the best tricks in the world to make it successful, I have a feeling I'm going to need all the help I can get! Your advice is greatly appreciated. :)


[EDIT]

After a quick little break to go help my mom out, I was back in the garden hard at work. (unfortunately I got a little waylaid when I found one of my little sister's chickens had been caught by my dog.   :( I felt so bad but I buried it and we had a nice little birdy funeral...sad day) Notice how sparkly I look...I hadn't really gotten into the meat of the work yet, just picked out more weeds and stuff that was still sitting in there. It had cooled off nicely and I had to throw on a flannel shirt so basically I felt like a farmer and it was awesome.


After turning over the soil again and again basically just being a human rototiller, I decided that I couldn't deal with all that ugly ivy. Of course the only solution was to rip it all out. Sadly I didn't have the necessary tools, so I just hack at it with the hoe...it got the job done but I could have used a machete...


That isn't even half of the ivy that I ripped off the fence, that's just a break time picture...it was ridiculous.

When I finally finished tearing off all the ivy, I decided that I wanted to plant my herbs in these wash tubs on the other side of the back yard. They already had soil in them and I figured I'd just mix it in with the garden dirt...I didn't think about the fact that the soil made it 10X heavier, I dragged it all the way across the yard, dumped out the soil and then was able to pick it up. I felt a little dumb. But look how cute they are!
After that, my dad came out and suggested I dig out the part right up next to the fence. So I did. It went pretty quick because now I'm basically an old pro.

This is the finished product after I dug up the back part, added two bags of manure, and added one bag of pete moss. When I was all finished cleaning up all the ivy and stuff, it was dark, so I couldn't get a good picture, but my garden just needs a fence and it will be all ready to plant. 

That is how I look now. Exhausted and ready to sleep a death-like sleep tonight. And definitely a little less sparkly...