A big part of me can’t wait til my next paycheck because there are some extra tools I’m going to want to get. And an even bigger part of me wants that phone call inviting me to an interview so I can get the job that would allow me more tools AND the opportunity to use them.

I backed off on my running plan a bit for overall fitness for the next few months (and started today because my dog slipped the leash last night and I stayed up all night trying to get him back home… damn I’m sleepy). My yard is huge and my garden is so overgrown I can’t even see most of it (and the path to it is so overgrown I can’t get to it… so glad the dog didn’t get stuck back there). So yard work is going to be a huge part of my life as I get time because I miss gardening, even when I wasn’t all that good at it. I want to be more self-sustaining and grow my own food.

And even better, planting, digging, harvesting, weeding, etc. all burn a great deal of calories if you keep at it. I have seeds out the wazoo… I just need to get my timing right and be able to harvest without losing huge crops to the squirrels or crazy bugs I’d never had to deal with before.

Seriously, the first year I tried to do sugar baby watermelons, I got some growing and I was going to pluck one ripe one off the vine when I got home from work. Then I found two squirrels working in tandem that cut the vine and hauled the melon off together. That killed my enthusiasm for gardening for a while.

My mower has a flat tire and thanks to the wild pigs digging the hell out of my yard last season, I can’t drive that thing out there without running the risk of getting stuck in a hole anyway. But if I can find a way to trim the grass down just enough that I can find and fill the holes, I’ll be in good shape. It’ll take months, but I remembered I had a tool I was trying to learn how to use before the rains and pigs came: the grass whip.

Admittedly, it feels weird to wield. I don’t quite like it yet, and didn’t realize it wasn’t doing much cutting because of the protective coating they put on it. A bit of sandpaper did the trick and I took a few whacks at the tall grass. If the grass was drier, I can only assume it would’ve done better, but it still did a pretty good job whipping and chopping those tall grass blades.

The trouble is the grass is so tall and thick that I know I can’t go as fast or as far as the videos I’ve seen with people using ’em. But one thing’s for sure… my arms are gonna get some serious muscles this summer and fall.

My biggest hope is that when I get that new job (fingers crossed), Sundays are mandated days off, so I would reserve that as my heavy yardwork day of the week if the weather is right. A grass whip is gonna be helpful, and a hand sickle would be even more helpful for the really thick stuff that’s growing as tall as me out there. I almost got one, but they’d delayed the shipment so long I had to cancel the order. I’m going to order one next paycheck.

Gardening and yard work are great exercise opportunities all around. Combine that with a vegetarian (going on vegan) diet and the opportunity to be more self-sufficient, and I’ve got even more, healthy goals to work toward.

In the meantime, I’m gonna figure out how to get the rhythm of that grass whip and how to use it safely. The mower will eventually take over most of the heavy trimming work, but other tools that don’t require power are going to help me push the forest back a bit so the snakes and mice don’t get so comfortable hanging around the house. The pigs tore up a long flower and fruit tree bed I had just behind the house and now it’s a mess with tall weeds growing all over that I can’t get to to mow or clean up… yet.

But, one thing at a time. Knocking the grass down enough that I can see what I’m doing with a grass whip and machete will be a huge help.