Aren't weekends supposed to be for relaxing?

The weekend was another busy one for us.
The bricks we bought for the flower bed went on sale 5 days after we bought them, so we went back to Lowe’s to get a refund and buy the rest we’d need since the sale was ending today.
In the end we used 195 bricks and got 40 of them basically for free. We couldn’t pass up the deal so we pulled out of our vacation fund to get them.
If I have to dig again I might have to bash my brains in with a shovel, I’m over digging.

We’ll be buying grass seed to fill in where the cement pad was and the bare spots in the yard (where the wheel barrow ran over the same spot of grass 2,567 times), but after that I’m not sure when we’ll buy more stuff for the backyard. The vacation fund needs to heal for next year’s trips.
The butterfly garden and flowers for the bed we put in will be on hold for a while.

I also finished re-caulking the tub. Something I started on May 8th. So for the past two weeks we’ve had to shower downstairs (which isn’t too bad, the shower head is fantastic).
No matter how water proof and mold resistant the caulk says it is, it lies. So on Mother’s Day after walking into the bathroom, two hours before I was supposed to be somewhere, I decided I couldn’t look at the black yuckiness any longer and went to town.

I didn’t get very far since I needed to shower for the dinner I was supposed to be at and told myself that I’d finish it the next day.
That didn’t happen, for two weeks it didn’t happen. It was out of sight, out of mind syndrome. So Saturday morning while John was working and I actually remembered that it needed to be done I finished it.

It wasn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be and I don’t plan on doing it ever again. I know you’re thinking, “Gosh, my caulk is all black and gross and no matter how many gallons of bleach I use it won’t turn white, Nikki could come re-caulk!” Sadly, your head is lying to you. I will not come re-caulk, but I can tell you a few tips to help:

1. The tool set sold at home improvement stores that claims to help re-caulk isn’t that great. The “remover” is useless, so if they sell the “installer” separate just buy that.
2. Use a regular utility knife to rip out the old caulk. Run the knife over the ends where the caulk touches the tub and tile and then stick the knife in the tile seam, push down and pull towards you. I could get enough out the grab with my fingers and then pull out long strips.
3. Make sure you scarp off all excess caulk. Removing the old was the hardest part. Once I removed all the caulk I sprayed the opening with bleach. Probably not recommended, but I wanted to kill all the built up mold.
4. Buy caulk that won’t need the caulk gun to install, easier and cheaper if you don’t plan of caulking 27 windows, 12 rooms of moldings and 4 bathtubs.
5. Use the tool to get the perfect seam, it works really well and you don’t get caulk all over your fingers (and in your acrylic nails). John laughed at my tool and called it a waste of money, but was impressed by the seam it made.

Now go in peace and remove all your black, moldy caulk.
I’ll post pictures of the flower garden tonight.