New Mulch

The pine needles didn't work, so we opted for cedar mulch instead:

"Hey everybody, come see my new backyard."

"Is this stuff going to get stuck in my fur or what?"

"I think I'll just stay on the deck and eat a stick."

Parking frenzy

Parking at UNCG can be problematic. There are reserved lots that faculty members are allowed to park in. Of course, the lot closest to my building is literally a driveway and a tiny gravel space (that fits about 5-6 cars). Because I arrive so early, I typically have my choice of spaces. After purchasing the new car, I am extra cautious when driving, parking, backing up, etc. Thankfully, I back into a spot beside a tree so half of my car is "protected" from those around me. Well- as I walked up to my car this afternoon, I had to turn sideways and scoot to get to my door. I was pissed. The person beside me had plenty of room on the other side so why in the world did they feel the need to park so close to me? UGH.

Big bad Melissa decides to put a note on their car. It probably didn't help the situation, but at least it made me feel better! Here is what it said:
"Maybe next time you shouldn't park so close to me. You hit my car with your door AND made it nearly impossible for me to get into my car. Thanks."

A few hours later, I get a voice mail from a coworker.
"Dear Melissa, thank you for leaving the nasty note on my car. I'm assuming you didn't realize that was me who parked beside you. You probably didn't recognize my car because it is a rental. I was careful as I opened my door, making sure I didn't hit your new car. I promise I will not let this happen again."

Oops. At least she knows how I really felt...

Yard work

A few weekends ago we did TONS of yard work. We spent hours in the front yard and in the back yard. We pulled weeds, ripped out bushes, trimmed trees, shaped bushes, raked leaves, mulched leaves, mowed, and power washed the deck, foundation, driveway, and sidewalk. It was exhausting. Thankfully both of our moms came to help! This weekend our plan is to stain the deck and clean out the garden bed. What a great way to welcome Spring! We will post pics of these finished products later. For now, here are some pics of the new and improved landscaping (after 20 bags of rubbish):

There used to be a large bush in this open space.

Now that we trimmed the overgrowth, you can actually see the whole sidewalk.

Back in the Boro

It's a good thing we didn't sell our house and move to Charlotte.

For those of you that do not know, Pat has accepted a job offer in Greensboro! Yay! We will actually get a chance to see each other in the mornings and in the evenings!

Pat will tell you, this opportunity came out of the blue. Despite the commute, he was happy in Charlotte, enjoyed his coworkers, and had his busiest week this week. He wasn't looking for another job, but happy to get "the call" from a previous coworker at Ryder. Being the optimistic person that he is, he went through the interview process and kept his options open. A week ago today, he got the offer! Stability? Not in our lives!

The company that he will be working for is called Quick Fuel. Here is a little bit about the company:

Quick Fuel Fleet Services is a comprehensive fuel management program for commercial fleets anchored by a network of automated fueling sites in major cities throughout the Midwest and South. Quick Fuel offers a variety of fueling programs including on-site mobile fueling, terminal fuel management, and automated fueling stations- giving fleets a competitive advantage by lowering bottom line fuel costs and improving fleet efficiency.

Pat's territory will include Greensboro, Winston, and High Point. One of the perks to this job is having a home office! As you can imagine, we are both very excited about this opportunity and looking forward to what the future holds.

One man's trash

...is another man's treasure.

This seems to be the motto in our house these days. Pat and I love to recycle/reuse, consign, and yard sale. On Saturday, we went to the Greensboro Grasshoppers annual community yard sale. We walked away with two random golf trophies (I'll tell you about those in a minute) and a silver wine rack with a broken piece on the side and a missing glass top. After a quick trip to Michael's, we spray painted the wine rack black, put a shelf on the top, and used gorilla glue to fix the broken piece on the side. We still have a few bottles of wine to purchase, but we love our new "treasure"!



About the golf trophies- Pat bought these trophies for our upcoming trip to OIB with some friends of ours. On Saturday the guys are going to play golf. The trophies will be given to the winner and loser of the golf game. After a little make-over, these trophies will be transformed into a treasure as well ;)