Saturday, June 27, 2015

Too Busy Too Early

Ever stayed up a few late morning hours just waiting to get some things done?  That was today for me.  Got to the bank to get some account management done, got out just in time for the barber shop to open.  Got to the Home Depot DIY store to get a cordless string trimmer recommended by Consumer Report magazine (and they {HD} sure don't make it easy to make sure the model number was the same).

Back home, hearing the weather forecast was for possibly extreme rain, I got the mattock out and redug a drainage ditch from the patio downhill (its at the bottom of the sloping backyard - one of those things you don't see in The Garden Tour). 

Then I stopped to dig out seeding thistle plants from the place I need to plant the zinnias.  And then, why not dig out the grass popping up in there too.  So, being tired and dirty already (and expecting heavy rain) I went out front to drag all the CRAP covering the storm drain (being at the bottom of the drain slope is no fun).  And if you EVER look at a property that mentions "drainage easement" run like hell!

My neighbor and I are legally equally responible for "drainage easement" maintenance, but his yard is 2' higher than mine so only I suffer from flooding.  I spent an hour wedging loose tree debris, collected mud, and general garbage to make the drain  open again.  I threw most of the junk on HIS lawn (HE's never cleaned it in 28 years)

And halfway through clearing the top of the storm drain, the rain started.  Sure, why not...  "It always rains on the unloved"...  So I finally got inside and changed all my clothes.  I was soaked right down to my socks...

And its only Noon!!!

I've opened a 1.5L bottle of my favorite cheap Zinfandel (pretty good stuff actually),  and I DARE anyone to say I shouldn't empty it.  I have leftovers from the previous 2 dinners (hot italian sausage/white kidney beans/bell peppers for one and chicken/mushroom/noodle casserole for the other, so I dont have to do any cooking this evening.

I have 3 cans of Wellness cat cans ready to go (can't ever forget the cats).

And what would be on the stereo as I type this but "Dancing With Myself".  Yeah that pretty much covers my day...

And its only 12:30 PM...

I'm not sure what I should do with the rest of the day.  I could go to bed and try to sleep til tomorrow morning, put on some soothing Simon&Garfunkle, crank up some Led Zepplin, or fade into mindless electronica CDs.

Well, there is time today, You tell me...

1 comment:

Megan said...

Well, Mark, that sounds like a very productive morning indeed. Good on ya for tackling the thankless tasks with the drainage. I hope your hard work pays off. I find rain soothing, so I'd suggest moving a comfy chair to a large window, and sipping your Zinfandel while you watch it come down. Perhaps a good book later in the afternoon?

Megan
Sydney, Australia

Behind Yardwork

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