One of the financial meanings of “churning” is to stir up money so that it looks like you are making money, but actually, you aren’t.

All you are really doing is “stirring the waters” and making it look like there’s a lot of business to lure prospective victims, er, I mean investors. You can do this in real estate by flipping houses without really making a profit — or even losing money. And it’s very easy to do with stocks and bonds and buying and selling often, to no particular effect. The point is to look like there’s business in progress which to most people, presumes that money is being made.

Beware of churning, by the way. It is a frequently used “tool” by dishonest brokers.

Photo: Garry Armstrong

Sleeping time

Right now, on a personal level, it means I have to come up with money I don’t have to do a bunch of things I have no choice about. Routing out the bugs and mice. Fixing at least as much of the dry rot, collapsed window, and finishing the bathroom. Tearing down the old outdoor shower we haven’t used in more than a decade. Tearing down the rotting old shed that’s probably full of carpenter ants — and who knows what else.

From a homeowner’s point of view, this really isn’t huge, but from a retired person’s point of view, it’s a lot.

I knew the ants would be back today because it’s warm. It will be (maybe) in the 60s — even 70s — today. The pest control people called to warn us about tomorrow. We have to get the dogs out of the house — us too — for four hours and no matter what Garry said, we can’t keep us and three lunatic dogs in the car for four hours. We would be gibbering idiots before the days end.

Our regular groomer had no room. Slammed. It’s spring and everyone is getting their dogs cleaned up. Our old groomer went out of business. The dog day care folks have a waiting list months — years? — long.

I called the vet. Gibbs need his annual checkup anyway, but I also need to warehouse the dogs for half a day tomorrow. They said  fine but please bring in Gibbs today because he needs his checkup and probably his other (not rabies) vaccines … and we need to talk about ticks (I loathe ticks).  So we have to take Gibbs to the vet this afternoon. Tomorrow we’ll board them. They have never been boarded, but they actually like the vet — so do we — so I’m not anticipating any issues.

Lord only knows what this is going to cost, but at this point I give up. Whatever it is I will deal with it. Somehow. Not like there’s a choice.

Speaking of ticks, last year and the year before, I used the Soresto collars which were great. But when we got Duke, he thinks that collars are fun toys and he just pulled them off both Bonnie and Gibbs. It was the end of the season, so it wasn’t a big deal — but those collars are expensive. At $60 a whack, that’s a pretty pricey chew toy — and it won’t keep the ticks away if Duke removes them. So we have to have a chat about tick, flea and mosquito repellent. I’m feeling dizzy with all the stuff going on at the same time.

Just this side of gibbering am I. It’s lovely we are escaping for the weekend! We need a few days to regain sanity. And a sense of balance!

Meanwhile, I spent $75 yesterday to discover Garry’s computer is broken and I can’t afford to fix it. I have no idea what today and tomorrow’s trip to the vet will cost, but it will be what it will be. Sometimes, there’s just no way to negotiate your way out of the stuff going on.

On the up side, stuff is getting done. I don’t know how, but it’s happening. I found a collar that fits Bonnie. She had a beautiful new one with a matching leash, too, but Duke pulled it off her and we never found it again. He thinks it is hilarious to haul her around by the collar. I think it is less hilarious because you would not believe what they charge for dog collars today. I swear they didn’t used to cost this much money.

I scrubbed the floor with Fabuloso (that floor cleaning stuff works very well). Then I redid the whole kitchen a second time with vinegar and water. Sprinkled Comet across the doorway. Killed any bugs I could find. Went downstairs and realized that the few mice we thought we had have exploded into a frenzy of mice — sort of like you saw in old black and white cartoons where the mice are chasing the farmer and his wife around the table while one of them wields a weapon? I never really understood those cartoons until today.

Welcome spring. Glad you are bringing life to our home. Personally, I was hoping for flowers, but instead we have ants, mice, and dry rot. Be careful what you wish for. Be VERY specific when you make those wishes!

The red buds are the buds for the maple leaves … which you won’t see until the beginning or middle of May. But they are ready.

I’m going to give up on comments, writing, and reading today. There’s just so much else I need to do, I can’t fit it all in. So — again — I apologize, but I’m a trifle overwhelmed and then we’ll be away until Tuesday while Owen minds the pups.

At least the house is clean!