Yowza! What a Day

I worked in the yards from one until four today. It was a hot one. Took forever to cut my front yard having to strategically maneuver around the patches of sod I recently put down but dang they are taking root like crazy with all this recent rain.

Massey called and said she was on her way home from the beach.

I was beginning to think she had moved down there permanently and from  the looks of this picture she took, couldn't much blame her.

I couldn't cut my back yard because it takes forever  to dry out so I rode ole Johnny Dear up to the front of the subdivision to cut. (at least I get paid for THAT cut) Dressed in my usual cutting apparel... shorts, flip flops and bathing suit top; toting  two garbage bags for trash, my handy little picker upper tool and Mr. Weed Eater across my lap and a large Co-Cola Icee between my knees  looked like a landscaping version of the Beverly Hillbillies in their junky old truck.. I'm not big on worrying about my appearance, especially when cutting grass in eighty seven degree heat. The humidity made it brutally hot but cars whizzing past me doing fifty MPH almost felt like a breeze. I even got a few honks from passersby. I chose to think of it as flirtation when in all actuality was probably them  being irritated I was taking up six inches of their lane while I was cutting by  the street. Some peeps are nice and swing wide around me, some are a**holes and come close to hitting me and a few are just complete Richard Noggins and scare the crap out of me by honking when they come up behind me.   One hour later it was cut and I parked Johnny in the shade to start the weed eating, which takes twice as long. I love weed eating, it makes things look so nice and neat but  wears my bony arms out and still feel like I am running it three hours after I have cut it off and put it down.

Got through at  four and had to clock into work by  five. Of course I hadn't eaten so I hurried to have time to swing through a drive through with my free coupon for a Chic Fil A.  Go figure...it was "Cow Appreciation Day" and the place was swamped. I just went into work and asked my boss if I could have a cup of Pasta Fagioli soup and a salad? He said sure so I grabbed a salad  and scarfed it down before having my soup . I scored a side of roasted red potatoes from  the owner's son and he actually gave me part his smoothie when I told him I had been cutting grass all day and didn't eat, like a dummy. Then Barb had a nice filet later on  she let me have part of and before you knew it I felt normal, well as normal as goof balls like me ever feel.

Walked out a little before midnight but with a full belly and my buddy Franklin in my pocket.

Back to the furniture store in the morning but I get off at six. I have about twenty minutes of weed eating left at  the front of the subdivision and then I am done for this month.

My body is aching like it's breaking but all in all has been a tremendously successful week for me. As I finish this post,  have Ziggy  under the computer desk snuggling on top of my feet with  Charlie and Ham laying two feet behind me. They love their momma and their momma loves them for loving her!

Got a great story for tomorrow night's blog...stay tuned.

Til next  time...COTTON

Wheel it Go Round in Circles?

Went to wake Johnny up in the garage on Saturday morning and his back tire was flat. I hate it when that happens. I always have a can of fix a flat for just such occasions. I shook the can and hooked up Johnny's back leg to the IV. Emptied the entire can in with no result except a mess on my garage floor. It leaked out of the tire wall and all over my feet. Not one to give up easily I decided it was because his little tire had gone completely flat and I needed to jack him up. Problem number one...NO JACK. Problem number two...he is too heavy for me to lift on my own. Problem number three...Tim doesn't feel the same way about Johnny as I do.

I went in the house to ask Tim to help me lift my buddy up while I shot another IV into his limp back leg. Tim is a patient man...unless it involves me and especially if it involves his rival, Johnny. I had the new IV all ready to go and commanded (maybe not so nicely looking back) "Pick it up NOW!!"

Another failure and now Tim's back was (air quotes) SUPPOSEDLY giving out. From the way he slammed the kitchen door going back into the house I knew his help was no longer an option. My nephew's fiancee'  was over doing Massey's hair and makeup for the prom and she was driving my brother's spare car. If anyone would have an air pump in the trunk it would be him. BINGO!!! There was a brand new Black & Decker air machine in the trunk of his car. I pulled Tim's car up as close as I could and plugged the pump into the cigarette lighter...Now we're getting somewhere!!

I left it running for almost thirty minutes and almost had myself convinced it was working when I finally realized it wasn't. The tire had been flat so long the tire was off the rim and I was just pumping air into the tire and out through the rim. I gave up for the day...only because I had to take Massey  for prom pictures and then head to work.

It gets bad next. Monday morning when Tim took Massey to school for me his car was acting funny. He barely made it home and asked me if I had his car  running while I was trying to pump up the lawn mower tire? I made the fatal mistake of saying "Was I supposed to?"

I'm glad none of the kids were home to hear us. He hollered that I had drained his battery and yelled "Thanks a lot!" You know me..I simply said "You're welcome." He stormed up the stairs muttering loudly "Just THANKS" to which I hollered equally as loud up  the staircase "I already SAID you're welcome."  In hindsight that was NOT the best response.

 In my defense...Although Tim pays most of the bills and works extremely hard, I am the one that takes care of the house , kids and yard while still working fifty hours a week. For Pete's sake...so I didn't know it would drain  his battery. He doesn't know how to change the filter in the furnace or replace the vent hose in the dryer...do I throw that in HIS face?

My brother in law came over and did something to Tim's car and it's running again. (Thanks, Harvey)

Decided today it was time for me to visit my ole buddy at B&L Tire. I called and asked if he could fix Johnny's back leg? He said to bring the tire to his shop. When I got there the tire was still dripping out the last of the fix a flat so I left it outside the door. I walked in and he looked up from his desk and slowly shook his head saying "What am I gonna do with you?" I said "Please fix it."

Looking back it does seem ridiculous...but I have always been ridiculous. Yes I wasted twenty bucks trying to fix it myself and almost screwed up Tim's car...but "A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do."

I'm picking up Johnny's back leg in the morning after I  take Massey to school. I'm coming home and cutting like a fool. I'll cut the front of the subdivision and that's gonna be sixty bucks so I'm forty ahead. I go to work tomorrow night and will make up the difference.

Tim and I have made it  twenty four years plus...and will make it the whole way. We didn't speak for an entire day,  but I knew he would need gas money for work and have to ask. When I handed him a twenty he said the same thing he did when he was mad at me..."Thank you."  I said the same thing I said when I was mad as well..."You're welcome."

Til next  time...COTTON

Back to Normal

After 28 hours of sleep in two days I am finally feeling back to normal. Just look at me!

I am back in the swing of things and woke up feeling pretty good this morning. I picked Massey up from her sleep over at noon and went and got my "hair did". Twenty bucks... that includes a six buck tip, and it wasn't even a barber shop! I go to  Great Clips where I have found a girl that cuts it just the way I like.  I sat down in her chair the first time I went and said "Make me look like a cute fifty-ish year old lesbian."

I like my hair short for a number of reasons. Number one I drive with the top down on my car unless it is raining. Number two if my hair is short I have less gray hair. Number three it takes me ten seconds to do my hair. Number four and most importantly I like it this way.

I got home and jumped on Johnny. After the torrential rain we had a couple of days ago my back yard was getting bushy. Zach cut it for me last week and although I was grateful it was definitely a "Zach cut." No weed eating where the riding mower couldn't go. The grass was almost knee high around the patio and the picnic table that sits in the yard. The grass was so high I couldn't even see the stepping stones that lead to my hammock.

 It took me a while to cut because I may let my house go with a fluffed over / Febreeze enhanced cleaning but when I cut a yard I am totally anal. I cut the entire yard starting on the outer edges cutting towards the center with the blade on level three. Then I reverse  and start in the center, go back with the blade up on level five and blow all the cut grass back to the edges of the privacy fence where I can weed eat it all. When you have two big dogs it's best not to have a ton of loose grass for them to tromp in and bring back into  my Febreeze enhanced / sorta  clean house. It took me more time to weed eat around the patio and picnic table than it did to cut (and re- cut) the entire yard. I'm "Rain Man" with a weed eater. I cut the tall crap down to where I could see the stepping stones, then raked up all the excess and put it in the fire pit out in the middle of the yard. Then I went back and edged every stepping stone and the patio and around the privacy fence. No job is complete until I sweep the patio clean of all grass I have blown onto it and the patio table and chairs.

From now on if we have company come over,  I think I'll tell them to knock on the back gate and just let them sit on the patio at the table and admire my handiwork. Maybe they will think "Dang if her yard looks THIS good, imagine what the inside looks like!"

Looks like I have about four  more weeks to have company come over. Guess I will have to clean the garage next!

Til next time..."Cuttin' COTTON"