Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Pre-Independence Day

There's a lovely Friday-night feeling to this Tuesday night. Knowing that I get to sleep late in the morning is one of the fastest ways to get me in a good mood. Having the 4th of July fall on a Wednesday is not ideal, but it's better than no day off. (The best, of course, happens in 2 years, when it will be on a Friday. Perfect!)
 
Here's what I would have written last night, if Carlos had not been draped over me in a clear message to "get off the computer already": My legs hurt. They ache, all down the back, because I did 15 minutes of yard work on Sunday.
Philosophical question: Is it still called yard work if you don't have a yard?
I live in a condo building, on a small lot that is entirely paved. It's parking spaces, a driveway, sidewalks, but no grass, no dirt to grow anything in. Theoretically, anyway. Lately the weeds have been springing up in the cracks, and along the foundation, and no one does anything about it. Does it bother no one else? Seriously, a few of them along the fence are taller than I am! I look at it and see my property value diminishing, and it's done enough of that since I bought, thank you.
 
Two years ago, when something similar was happening, I brought it up to the other owners, and we discussed having someone come in to take care of it (I was willing to be one of the people doing something about it, I just wasn't volunteering to take care of it all by myself). In the end, though, someone's boyfriend came along and cleared it out for us.
 
Last year, as I recall, I bought a bottle of weed killer and sprayed it around once or twice, which kept things somewhat under control.
 
This year, after getting progressively more annoyed (why am I the only one doing anything about this?), I decided that I can't make them care, but I can do something. I pulled on gardening gloves and on Sunday afternoon, in the 95-degree heat*, I took gardening scissors and went around chopping the worst offenders. I didn't get it all, but I got a lot, it's much better, and the result felt very satisfying.
*My timing was my choice, of course.
 
Well, the result in the yard. The sore leg result I could have done without. Who would have thought that 15 minutes of bending would still be felt two days later? Ow.

I'm sure sleeping in will help. Then I'm making a pie to take to a cookout. I can't wait to show it to you!

3 comments:

  1. Hope you are still sleeping and when you wake up you revel in festivities.
    As far as weeds go, there are two solutions I would suggest: boiling water or vinegar. Since you don't have other plants to worry about it would be quick, easy and require no bending. : )

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  2. I think the weather has been making the weeds grow out of control, too. It's really cool that you care!

    Carlos is a cat's cat--how dare you look at anything else or be doing anything else when there's a cat right there, demanding his (petting) due?

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