Landscaping

Confession: I am a DIY Network junky.

With that out of the way, I've realized that a free back yard makeover is probably not going to happen outside my dreams and there is not a doubt in my mind that Vladdys health problems are due to having an all dirt back yard. Not only thar but the dirt is loose and powdery so we can't hang out back there in even a slight wind or it kicks up and gets in our eyes and teeth. I am a looong way from being able to afford a full blown landscape so I am looking inexpensive temporary ideas.

It has to be mui inexpensive because I am now budgeting to make payments on my student loans (early) and pay extra on my mortgage (so I can pay it off early) and paying off the appraisal fee that I put on my credit card (also early as possible) but something has to be done with the yard somehow, even if it's no great.

Here's what I've got: it's a medium sized yard, slightly sloped, with two little retaining tiers at the back, which I love but they're not even. It has a broken sprinkler system and what looks like the long dead remains of a root system from what was probably once grass. There is also a green mesh/webbing half buried in the dirt everywhere that I think might have been from sod? And remnant of 1 inch landscape gravel. Either someone ripped out a lawn to put in gravel or visa versa, then ripped that out too so all that is left is dirt.

There is a concrete patio but it's too big for my liking so eventually I want to rip out a row or two of it and the ground is far from being level. Long-term, perfect world plans are a fire pit, a concrete slab with a hot tub on it, cobble stone pavers, fake grass (the good kind), and a fruit and veggie garden up on the tiers. Short term has to be a whole lot more realistic. Ideas?

p.s. wrote this post on an ipad, hence all the damn typos.  Sorry.





Food:
9 glasses of water
1 coffee smoothie
1 Fiber One bar
2 hot dogs w/mustard
misc. Pot luck items
-------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: unknown




Snackers' football team had a pot luck at the park and we attended. I walked to the park so that was a bonus but the ONLY even remotely healthy food there was a low fat dill dip with raw dipping carrots. Aside from that it was a pasta salad ocean. I did manage to roll right past the pizzas but I nibbled at several different pasta salads, all with cheese of course, and can't even guess at the calories. Also, I will admit that aside from walking to the park, I didn't do much of anything active.