Water heater, garden, and foot pain

I spent some time last week potting up and transplanting my seedlings. I had wanted to do window boxes on the front of the garden, but couldn't justify spending the money. I used pots that I already had. I also potted up some lemon cukes that a friend gave me and he also gave me three rhubarb seedlings that I put in the garden. I have pulled the peas, turnip greens and the radishes, way too warm for them now. I did get about seven tasty pea pods off my four pea plants. I will replant those when it cools off again.

The baby zucchini rotted. There are a couple more there, I'm hoping to get at least one squash off the three plants. The tomato plants are spindly but have a lot of green tomatoes on them. I'm thinking of trying the eggplant seeds I saved from my last eggplant. They are supposed to be a warm weather crop. I also saved some pepper seeds that I can try too.

I rolled back the plastic on the sides of the garden and put the shade cloth on the top and back. Seems to be keeping the temp down a few degrees in there. I still have the fan running on solar power. I have no idea if that is helping any, but in theory, it should. I have also changed the watering from twice a week to daily. Soon I will have to up that to twice a day and get the misters installed.

The cukes in the hanger are doing well. Started those from seed. Nasturtiums are doing good too. 

Had an appliance crisis last Thursday. Woke up to a wet rug in the kitchen. The water heater crapped out. Thanks to Herb's and Keith, it got replaced and back up and running before I had to get ready for work. Yay! It was pricey tho. 

The previous owners had that compartment literally packed with newspaper and cardboard. Two garden carts full of folded newspapers and a box full of cardboard. The only good thing is that the paper and cardboard soaked up a lot of the water and it gave me a date when the heater was last replaced. The date on the newspaper was 2007. It was a definite fire hazard tho. What were they thinking? Granted, it was an electric heater, but still...I should have taken a picture.

It is now insulated with reflectix. Three layers between the door and the compartment, one around the compartment. I may have to put in an outlet so I can run a lightbulb to keep it warm when it gets really cold, but most likely it will be just fine as is. 

Keith did an awesome job and I owe him big time now. There was a tiny leak in one of the joints when I went out to finish the insulation yesterday. I put some CPCV cement on it. Hoping that takes care of that. If not, the joint will have to be redone.

Foot update. After being on my feet Thursday morning for the water heater repair, I went to work wearing my new Sketchers for work. BIG mistake. Thankfully I had the foresight to bring my Teva's with me. I was close to tears as my feet hurt so much. It was enough for me to start making calls to have it looked at. I am now wearing my Teva's to work as they have no back on them and are a lot more cushioned than my Merrells. I wrap the heel with sports wrap before I go to work, and stay off my foot as much as I can when I am home.

I had to have a primary care referral to see a podiatrist, so yesterday I had that appointment. I have the referral but have to wait three to five days to make the podiatrist appointment. Not sure why I have to wait that long with today's technology, but he said it was to make sure all the paperwork had been forwarded. So I am still looking at several weeks before I can get any input on my foot. In the meantime, I will just do the best I can with my Teva's and sports wrap. He did say it sounds like heel spurs tho. Sigh....The last time I had heel spurs I had to have them surgically removed. It was a very long recovery. I won't be able to work, and it isn't a disability approved illness. Not sure how I am going to survive if I can't earn a paycheck. This also nixes the post office job if it got offered. I need to find a decent paying job here in town where I am not on my feet eight hours a day. Those kinds of jobs are few and far between here in Quartzsite

I have moments when I wonder what my purpose is. I work my ass off for practically nothing, haven't done anything fun in a very long time, and have nothing to look forward to at this point. So, what IS the point? I had a purpose with Jake, then had an adventure for several months on the road, and was pretty content until I ran out of money and had to go back to work. My job is not a career job. It is hard physical work and pretty much controls my life. I work, I sleep, and that is about it. The schedule is ever changing and I can't make any plans for anything. That is no way to live. I haven't done anything creative since I started working. The job screws with my diet, my sleep, my exercise and anything fun I might want to do but can't because I am working or need to sleep before going to work. And the pay is barely enough to live on. If I didn't own my car and my home, I wouldn't be able to survive on what I bring home. I have no supplemental income, just what I earn from week to week. There has to be more to life. 

It has warmed up finally. Upper 90's during the day. I haven't turned on the AC yet and it looks like I won't have to for at least another week or so. We are having a cooling trend which will be nice. The house gets warm and takes a long time to cool down at night even when it is really nice outside. I setup the little swamp cooler this morning and we will see if that helps. It worked quite nicely in the bedroom last summer when I could close the room off, but I am now sleeping in my chair in the living room and I think the space might be too large for the cooler. I may have to get a bigger one. Of course any one I get will get destroyed by the calcium in the water. I was going to toss this one because I couldn't clean it up, but will see if I can get another season or part of a season out of it first.

I also have a fan out on the patio where I sit and read. That keeps the air moving at least. Soon I will get the cool tub setup and working. The nights are still too cold to bother since the water would cool down at night. Will wait another week or two. Although I have wished for it a couple of times.

Sadly the baby doves didn't make it. They hatched, but I found them dead the other morning. I guess that happens a lot here.

Work is work. Our assistant manager finally quit and a coworker has taken her place. I was asked if I wanted the job and after one too many run ins with idiot/nasty customers I decided I didn't want the responsibility. Besides, I would hate to get all trained and then leave if I got another job. I'll just bide my time and do the best I can.

I finally tried out my leaf mulcher yesterday. I filled a large pot with chopped up leaves and watered it down. I am hoping it will break down and turn into nice organic compost for the grapefruit tree. I don't want to use it in the garden as I have no idea what kind of weeds it will produce. Under the tree the bunnies will keep any weeds down.

The garden is still doing well and I finally have tomatoes growing. I have been opening the door during the day, but it is still too cool at night to remove any of the plastic. The fan is on a timer and runs on solar. That will keep the air moving around in there for now. Soon I will have to cover the top with shade cloth and get the misters set up. Going to have to change the watering schedule soon too, it is starting to dry out during the day now.

The cacti are all getting ready to bloom

Cape Honeysuckle. Has been blooming for a while and is finally growing.

The Natal Plum is also growing, but very, very slowly

The grapefruit tree is blooming and it smells amazing. If the number of blossoms indicate the amount of fruit, it should be a very good harvest in January

Sunflowers, pansies, geraniums, all just about ready to pot up

I have at least three baby zucchini - finally!

And a bunch of little green tomatoes.

Cukes are up!

I have two hanging pots of mixed nasturtiums. 

I need to start my monthly spraying for ants. Saw my first one yesterday. I also saw my first lizard of the season. Love my little lizards. 

I'm getting bored with the yard. I need to spice it up somehow and am considering paving options. I had thought I would just bring in more rock, but that is boring. Plus it is an expense I really can't afford on my income. Will have to look at my options and get some ideas online. I need to do this as inexpensively as possible. Maybe desert rocks. Not sure I am into doing a pattern tho. Gonna think on it some more. 

Starting to think about my vacation that I am eligible for in June. Assuming I am still there. If it isn't too hot, I think I will do some camping. I need to get the trailer out on it's maiden voyage anyway. Trial run, test camp. I ordered a pop up tent to go with it and I got a 12v cooler at the yard sale last week. I just need to finish it up, which is mostly decorating and organizing, but I can also do that while camping in it. Most of it anyway. I still need to put the insulation on the ceiling, put the roof vent cover on, bed skirt and curtains and replace the screens in the windows. Nothing earth shattering or anything that will keep me from using it. I need a heat proof adhesive for the insulated layer for the ceiling. Am going to try E6000 since it is easy for me to get. I have the screening for the windows and I even have the screening for the back door. I did not get the back wall with the pocket door built since Mark seems to have disappeared. 

On a more personal note, I am missing Jake a lot right now. More than usual. I am also envious of all the couples that are still together and those that had more than ten years. I'm sure a lot of this has to do with the fact that I don't have much of a life now that I am working all these hours and it has so much control over everything I do. And I have so little time to do anything fun, so I spend most of my off time at home and it gets lonely.

I am also struggling with compulsive eating when I get home from work at night. It doesn't seem to be a problem during the day, just at night. I don't seem to have any will power at midnight when I get home from work. I eat whatever I can get my hands on even after I am no longer hungry. I need to work on that.

Here are a few pics from this morning. The first Argentine Giant cactus in bloom across the street and a pic of their grapefruit tree. This is what mine should look like. Not complaining, mine is getting better each season.