I scrubbed and mopped the kitchen floor and put orange oil on the cupboards. I also spot cleaned the carpet.

No, I do not have a fever.

It started with an innocent sweeping of the kitchen floor. You may recall that I planned to do a lot of stuff outside today, like help Ed build the mini retaining wall and backfill and load up the truck with stuff to be hauled away--things of that ilk. Instead, I decided to sweep the kitchen floor. While I was doing that, I realized that I hadn't mopped the floor in a long time. I spot clean it, but I haven't done a whole floor mopping in a long time. So I dragged everything out of the kitchen, got the mop and the lemon-scented Pine-Sol and went to town. After mopping the kitchen, I decided to clean a few darker spots on the carpet. I tiptoed into the clean kitchen to get the Resolve from under the kitchen sink and got busy doing the carpet. Then I vacuumed all the carpet in the house, except for Joey's room (she forbade me enter).

By that time, I needed to go get Bailey (I was watching her for my friend today). I got her and took the girls to Pizza Schmizza for lunch then we went grocery shopping. I ran into my friend Bill at the grocery store (Hi Bill!) which was a pleasant surprise.

When we got home, I put the groceries away (and put the new drip pans under the burners (boy was that ever needed!) and then went outside to help with the retaining wall. I dug out the area for the timbers while Ed drilled holes in the timbers to anchor them in the ground and then to each other. I was very hot--big drops of sweat rolled down the back of my neck and side of my face. After that, I dragged all the junk from one side of the house to the other side making it easier for Ed to get it to the truck.

By then I needed to get the girls in the tub and get started on the shrimp and artichoke bottom appetizer I was making for the German dinner tonight (which was very fun, thanks for asking). I had to peel and trim 6 big artichokes to get to the bottoms and then cook them. It took a long time. I finally got the appetizer done and jumped in the shower for a 3-minute Mary shower. I had to go get Grandma to babysit and get dinner at McDonald's (yes, you did count right--that was 2 fast food meals in one day) for the girls and didn't budget my time well so we were late. But the bratwursts weren't ready to eat yet, so all we missed out on was some conversation a tour of Jaimie's quilts (which I've seen before, many times).

So that was my day. I didn't get my boulders (we'll have to figure that out later). We didn't finish the retaining system on the side of the house. We didn't get the barkdust. But we got a lot of other stuff done. And I mopped my kitchen floor.

No, really, I don't have a fever.

--L