Furlough isn't much fun
I'm back from my second unpaid furlough in the past few months. Having been employed full time as a journalist in Wisconsin for more than 30 years, I find the whole idea of a forced, unpaid layoff, even a temporary one, a little unnerving. Besides that, while you're tempted to treat a furlough like another vacation week, that won't help you pay the bills. After all, you shouldn't be spending money having fun when you're not getting paid.
Still, it's hard not to spend some cash when you have a whole week off. You're tempted to drive here and there, enjoy a little recreation, and maybe have lunch with a friend or relative or two.
I decided to use this furlough to catch up on all those outdoor projects that seem to pile up as winter draws near. Here's a list of tasks to perform last week.
--Mow one last time at our Wisconsin River property in Muscoda and cut down and cut up three dying/extraneous trees on the lot.
--Wash and wax both cars.
--Clean the gutters.
--Suck the leaves out of landscaped areas of the yard.
--Rake the leaves into the street in time for the city's collection.
--Place the de-icing cable on the roof and gutter above the front door.
--Winterize the mowers.
--Get the snowblower out and ready for the season.
--Empty the compost bin.
--Clean and bring in the lawn furniture.
--Do some writing.
--Clean the basement.
--Replace the carpeting on the cellar steps.
--Spend a little time on restoring my 1953 Schwinn Spitfire bicycle.
Due in large part to great weather last week, I was able to check off all of these tasks. Of course, the first one involved burning a tank of gas and the last two required spending some coin. But the carpeting needed replacing to eliminate hazardous fraying.
Chores accomplished, its comforting to have them behind me and be back at work.
Greg Peck
Nov 18, 2009 at 1:42 p.m.
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Show off !!!!
Nov 17, 2009 at 12:25 p.m.
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TheJoker: The "secret" is to make life a race against the clock--to challenge yourself to see how much you can get done. I do it at work; I do it at home. I did about six of those things on that list on Tuesday alone.
My daughter-in-law called me at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday because she was expecting me at Hoffman Estates, Ill,. around 11 a.m. to talk to my granddaughter's class at school. I said I was painting (trim on cellar steps). "Of course you are," she said matter-of-factly, as if she should have known. "Idle hands..." she said in part of a Bible quote.
garyprimer: Yes, I enjoy the fresh air and exercise, especially after being cooped up all day in the office. But I DO pay for exercise--I belong to the athletic club. As a kid I helped bale hay, and I've often wondered what my uncles on the farm would think of me spending so much money just to exercise.
skinnypuppy: You're welcome; good luck.
Greg Peck
Nov 17, 2009 at 10:23 a.m.
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Greg, it sounds like you had a lot of fun. You improved the quality of your life and got a lot of fresh air and exercise. Did you know that some people have to pay for exercise? Hard to believe, isn't it?
Nov 17, 2009 at 10:06 a.m.
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Thanks for the info, Greg. I truly appreciate it!
Nov 17, 2009 at 9:31 a.m.
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Greg, I am jealous of all the work you got done. I would be happy just to get one of those things done on your list. What was your secret in getting all of this accomplished?
Nov 16, 2009 at 5:59 p.m.
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skinnypuppy: One Web site to check out is http://www.heatersplus.com/roofs.htm. I think I bought mine at Menards; Home Depot probably has them, too. Mine I think is 40 feet long; it zigzags onto the roof, attached with metal clips I leave on all year, then goes down into the gutter and down the downspout, where I fortunately have an outside electrical outlet about 2 feet away. It works great, though we put new insulation in and the contractor believes we will not have ice jam problems this year. But just in case, I installed the de-icer cable again; it took about 30 minutes after the first go-round.
Greg Peck
Nov 16, 2009 at 5:19 p.m.
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Where can I get de-icing cables? How difficult are they to put up and take down each season? Are people for hire that do this? I have a terrible problem with ice by my peaked front porch and because I have a 1 1/2 story house where heat comes out the top even with the extra insulation! Any info on where and how to deal with de-icing cables would be appreciated! Am I correct in guessing I may also need an electrician to install some outisde outlets or am I totally off base here?
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