Well, there's nothing like handing over the final payment on a $12k home improvement to make you feel drained....of cash.

I have just about $400 left in my checking/savings account. If I need more, I'll have to sell some taxable mutual funds and wire it to my checking account.

The house looks great. They did chew up the shingles on the roof over the garage becus they had to use a ladder to access one end of the 2nd floor.

I've more or less finalized my if-I-get-the-job budget, this time setting aside a small amount of money for entertainment/dining out, and a bit more, $220 a month, not $200, for groceries. Seeing what I've actually spent, I think this is more realistic.

I also set aside money for routine maintenance like like chimney cleaning and furnace cleanings, that I'd deferred. For the time being, I'm not planning on getting back into cable TV or Netflix.

I'm glad I have my life back now that the workers are gone. For 5 days, I felt like I had no privacy was stressed by the noise and couldn't get much done. I had to keep the curtains and shade drawn all day long. The owner's got to come back tomorrow to take the rest of his leftover supplies, plus the cover tou an outdoor electrical outlet was missing. I also see his workers put back some of my downspouts not quite the way they were before, but I guess I can fiddle with that stuff myself.

I picked 2 overgrown zucchini from the garden and now have to figure out how to deal with them. Yesterday I cooked up a pile of string beans in a fried onion casserole with cream of broccoli. very tasty.

I am feeling so tired today. I guess it's the heat.