Air it out.

It is almost that time of year. Almost time to give the A/C a break and get some fresh air in the house. When the temps dip to an acceptable level open up those windows and get some clean air in the house. If you are a city dweller and the traffic noise and air pollution are going to be an issue maybe it's not a great idea but at least hit the parks and enjoy some nice weather. Ok now, while the A/C is off clean/replace the filter. If you can get to them vacuum the coils and do a thorough cleaning of the outside unit. While you are in the mode pull the fridge out and clean and vacuum the coils on it thoroughly too. The number 1 killer of refridgerators is dirty coils leading to overheating and inefficiency. Ok now the windows are open, the house is cool, but where are the bugs coming from? Apparently you neglected to check all your screens. Do it now. If the screen frames are in good shape you can replace the screen and spline yourself. If the frame is shot a local hardware store can make new ones. You may as well do it since once we put winter to bed we're gonna do it all over again in the spring. Enjoy the weather but think ahead. Do you really want to wait for the first freeze warning to think about the pipes?

Are you ready?

So if you live on the east coast and survived Irene you saw the potential for damage and the lack of accuracy that the weather people posess in forecasting an accurate landfall. This begs the question, are you ready? There is absolutely no reason to scramble at the last minute. Get a portable file cabinet and put your important papers in it now. There is no reason they can't just sit there till the end of hurricane season. They will be ready to toss in the ar at a moments notice plus you have time to inventory them and make sure you have all of them. If you have a pet put together a kit with bowls,food,medication etc,etc. It is a good time to have a microchip embedded in your pet in case you get seperated. Make sure all vaccinations are in order and it has a collar with tags bearing your name address and phone #.

Joe cool rocks the block.

If you are gonna do it yourself you are going to amass a good collection of tools. Once the neighbors find out you are going to have a lot of friends. help them out, this cultivates good neighbors who will in turn help you when you need them. A lot of projects are going to require a hand and having a neighbor you can turn to is a valuable resource.

Get a facelift ya old bag!

Are you tired of coming home to the same old ugly mess? Do you need to sell in order to squirm out from under some mortgage mess? Do you simply have time on your hands and not a lot to do because it is so dang hot? Well there are things to do which can be satisfying in the short term and profitable down the road. Plant a tree, trees are valuable additions to the landscape and not a lot of work beyond digging the hole and watering faithfully. for an extra bonus make it a fruit tree compatible with your geographic location and get ready to bake some pies. You could also paint. Now I know it's hot out but just changing the trim color makes a huge impact and you can really piss off the home owners associations enforcement nazis by using an unapproved color and then entertain yourself by attending meetings to tell them to get stuffed when they go all big brother on you. Hey if you are paying the dues get something out of it besides a set of rules to follow that are enforced by bored old ladies walking little dogs. While their dog is crapping in your yard they'll measure the grass so they can fire off a notification that it's a 1/4 inch too high and has dog crap in it.

After the madness.

Be the first one up to clean. Not only will you get an early start you'll also get first crack at any goodies left laying around by the drinkers. Now I'm not saying that you should be dishonest but if there were a lot of people at the party you culd easily find enough to buy lunch.

After the meal

There will be the inevitable visit to the "facilities" This cannot be avoided and should be planned for. It has been said that you can tell a lot about a dining establishment by the condition of its bathrooms. How do you imagine the kitchen to be if the restroom looks like a Detroit Greyhound station bathroom? Toilet paper? Get the good stuff. Soap? Antibacterial in an attractive container. Air freshener?...Umm absolutely especially if I'm coming over. Hand towels? keep them handy and change them often. Get rid of the magazines in order to avoid traffic jams because you invited the guy that really does read Playboy for the articles.

Kitchen layout.

Everyone wants a huge kitchen with an island, 2 dishwashers, 2 refrigerators 3 ovens, a compactor, wine cooler, 8 burner stove and 4 sinks. That is fine if you have the staff to use it all but a huge waste of $ if you are the only cook. If you cook alone then it doesn't matter how many you cook for, you want the classic triangle. Stove/oven-fridge-sink. with adequate prep room near the stove. I don't know about you but I have no desire to hike across a great huge kitchen to get butter out of a fridge too far away in time to add it to a sauce that will burn before I get back. Efficiency and economy of motion is essential unless you just want to brag to your guests about the size of your kitchen while you serve them take-out sushi because there is no way you can get anything done while you are marching back and forth. If you go to the kitchen of your favorite restaurant you may be surprised how small it is.