I drank a huge cup of water and went next door to cut my neighbor's front back and side yard. Fixed a bologna sandwich and felt revived enough to ride ole Johnny back up front to weed eat the huge ditches on both sides of the subdivision entrance. My weed eater ran out out line and I sat on the ground to wind on some more. A car whizzed by and honked long and hard on their horn and I heard a scream... "Get off yer ass, Cotton!"
It was one of the women I worked with over ten years ago when I was doing my stint as a "Lunch Lady" at my kid's elementary school. She's a pistol...from Alabama and reminds me of Peppermint Patty with attitude. I cracked up when I heard her yell as she flew by with her hand waving out the open car window.
Only in the south!
I wound new line on, "Got off my ass" and finished the weed eating. I can't imagine women up north riding around honking, screaming out their car window "Get off yer ass" which to women in the south means "Good to see ya still kickin !"
Her pep talk got me through the task at hand. It was ninety four degrees outside. Add in my hot flash effect and it was a hundred and forty. I've been cutting the front of the subdivision for a couple of years and have had numerous drive by shout outs. One of my old managers from work flew by me one day and honked his horn scaring the crap out of me because I had my back turned to the road. When I got home I had a text on my phone from him "Looking good slinging that weed eater, Mama!"
I don't know why I like yard work so much...maybe I was an illegal immigrant in a past life or part of a prison work detail.
It kills me when I am doing it but is so satisfying to see my handy work when I am done.
Zach took me to work today and when we got to the stop sign at the end our street he remarked how nice it looked. I said I missed a couple of weeds by the water meter but would stop and pull them up tomorrow. He gave the slow shake of his head that means "You are totally crazy" and turned out of the subdivision.
Don't think I won't stop on the way out tomorrow to snag those weeds...little buggers trying to make MY handiwork look slack. I'll show THEM!
My car got sick on Friday and is currenty in ICU at the car hospital. Why do things like this happen on a holiday weekend?
On the bright side the check I kited for Massey's fundraiser on Friday won't go through either so it is a win/win situation. I have until Tuesday to make everything right and tight!
Hopefully ole TS Lee will cancel everyone's cook out plans and they will all decide on coming to eat at the restaurant I work for.
If my check for cutting the front of the subdivision comes in and my luck holds out with customers at work showing me their love, it will all be okay.
You know what? It will be okay anyway.
After the past two years, I have learned a few lessons that will last a lifetime. Number one...be honest. Number two...be humble. Number three be grateful and most importantly... Number four, Always Pay it Forward.
My life has been quite the journey... and you know what? I look forward to what the future holds and can take anything it throws at me. I've made so much lemonade out of lemons with so much help from friends family and strangers that the rest of this trip oughta be a BREEZE!
"Get off yer ass, Cotton!"
I'm gonna have to send ole Peppermint Patty a thank you note!
Til next time...one extremely lucky lady!
No comments:
Post a Comment