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09.01.2003 - 5:19 p.m.
Monday
Man, Labor Day must be the
most annoying holiday in the world for the people who don't get
to take it off. I salute you, Home Depot employees! Thank you
for soldiering onward during our nation's day of leisure, providing
me with the opportunity to purchase several very important bags
of topsoil!
Yesterday and today JB and
I basically did nothing but work on the yard. "All we do
is dig, and plant," he groaned on a return
trip from the nursery. "And we've got like a fifty percent
survival rate going. This is not a good investment."
It's true I am no green thumb.
I've killed ferns, a rhododendron, a small juniper, several nasturtians,
and I've currently got a highly iffy-looking hydrangea wilting
in the front yard. I am guilty of planting things without knowing
what their sun tolerance was, forgetting to add potting soil,
watering them poorly, and so on.
However! I am striving to improve.
Our yard is slowly looking better, even with the occasional death
gurgle. It's a nice way to spend the weekend; working up a sweat
in the late summer heat, sipping a cold beer as you inspect
your handiwork.
:::
Saturday our friends Kevin
and Elaine came to visit, two dogs in tow. One was their enormous
golden retriever whose wagging tail can sweep half the furniture
in a room over. The other was a mutt of indeterminate origin
that they were dogsitting. Dog seemed to take the sudden intrusion
in stride, which I was happy to see.
We all headed to Alki beach,
where JB and Kevin were going to be scuba diving. The plan was
for Elaine and I to walk the dogs in the area, which proved to
be far more difficult than we had predicted. Each dog somehow
compounded the dogginess of the other two dogs, so it was like
walking a herd of buffalo, or something. Leashes became
tangled together and wrapped around our legs. Dogs shot out in
every direction, endangering the throngs of bicyclists and rollerbladers
sharing the sidewalk. I realized we had no plastic bags, and
became convinced we were going to lose the dogshit lottery and
one of them would take a massive dump right there in front of
all the likely-to-be-annoyed beachgoers. All in all it was more
stressful than fun, and I was glad to pile them back into the
car and head home, despite the aroma (wet dogs + enclosed space
= damn, you have no idea).
Later, Cat came sauntering
in the house, strolled down the hallway issuing her typical complaining
sounds, then stopped dead in her tracks as she caught sight of
three dogs in the backyard. She stared for several seconds
with a perfect expression of disgust, then looked up at me. The
message could not have been more clear: what the holy fuck
have you done?
It was fun spending time with
our friends, but it was also fun spending time with Other Dog
People. I suppose it's like hanging out with other parents when
you have kids, although, frankly, that comparison just skeeved
me out big time.
:::
Now I must inspect my gardening
handiwork (remember, that involves a beer!). Hope you had a good
weekend.
go
back :::
forward
3
comments so far.
I have moved. - 1.03.2005
Obviously, a work in progress. - 12.27.2004
Happy holidays! - 12.24.2004
Listen, I am not a complete dick, it's not like I want Joe to die alone surrounded by cats or something. - 12.23.2004
Plus I am convinced my butt is extra big when it's upside down. - 12.22.2004
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