So I got a lot done. Two rooms upstairs now have hardwood floors instead of dog-stained carpet, leaving only one room and a staircase to go; I finished the two unpainted spots on the exterior (which could not be reached with my 20' ladder until I built a homemade 5' extension for it--there are more noble ways to die, I'm sure, but it's done now); I took down a termite-ridden fence and had it replaced with a brick wall (to match the rest of the perimeter), and I had the weed-laden iceplant in the front yard replaced with artificial turf.
This is a shot of the fence before, . . . 
. . . and the wall after.
This is my new front yard.That's right, I've got a fake lawn. Thanks to the folks at Enviroturf I will always have a green, maincured lawn. I've had only three compliments from neighbors so far, but one of them thought (and still thinks) the lawn is real! Artificial turf is a lot easier to maintain: you have to pretend to water it only once a week, and the artificial weeds are on snaps for easy installation and removal.
Next up, textured ceilings in the Library and Living Room . . .
