Getting Ready

Unbelievably, the annual post Independence Day, post Corrine's b-day, movies on the barn party is only one week away.  We are already in preparation mode as Mom as begun food preparation, I'm gathering "materials" and thinking ahead to the theme, games, and et cetera.  This should be really fun.  And, it's getting here really fast!

A little hard work...

Even when I'm not at work, I end up working...just a very different kind - hard labor.  Mom came to visit and we worked hard the whole time she was here.  What were we doing, you ask?  A lot, and it wasn't easy.

First we begin cleanup.

Before Picture

 

Raking, weed pulling, leaf collecting.

Out with the old "dirt" and in with the new.

Grandma Geu's irises have finally been planted.

 

Hens and chicks have been planted.

Trimming the chicken wire...in the rain.

 

It was a dirty job...

...but someone had to do it.

Our work here is done...ish.

Come next year there should be all sorts of irises blooming.  Meanwhile, I have a few thin areas to fill in with the river rock.  Then this will truly be done.  Thanks to my mom for all her help!  It never would have happened without her.  Can't wait to see how things grow next Spring!

I laughed so hard I cried!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPfZ78m3xZo

Seriously!  Laughed so hard it hurt!  Still laughing!

Patience is a virtue...or a superpower.

My siblings would probably say that I'm (and I quote from their childhood) "picky and mean."  And I tell the new hires I work with that I'm only picky and mean because the government makes me be that way - I'm just the messenger.  But I am very often told by folks (outside the family, anyway) that I'm "so patient!"  (Note to non-grammarians: the exclamation point is inside the quotation marks because it's part of the quote.  It would be outside the quotations if it was meant to make the sentence as a whole on the exclamation.  Just saying.)  Am I?  Did I keep from calling anyone stupid?  Did I stay all day instead of packing up and going home only a couple hours in out of sheer frustration?  So far as I recall, I did not call anyone any rude names or words, and I have witnesses who can attest to the fact I remained all day.  I know I joked, laughed, chatted, smiled, reassured, wished well, et cetera.

...In my head I was screaming something along the lines of "MAKE IT STOP!!!"

Most of the time, grinning and bearing it, being polite when I'd much rather ask someone how they managed to survive this long, and in general be nice when I feel anything but just makes me tired and feels like an expenditure of energy far from worth it.  But there are moments when I think maybe, at least for other people, it is worth it.  I can think of few other places where I come around a corner and hear my name called out in a sort of "nice to see you" way or people smile and wave from across the room.  I've heard from people themselves or from third parties about this fabled and inordinate amount of patience it's rumored I have.

Ninety percent of the time I haven't the foggiest idea of who it is calling out or waving to me beyond the fact that it is someone whom I assisted with the process on their first day.  I'm afraid it would horribly disappoint most of them to find out I don't remember who they are or the life story they told me.  Worse yet would be to realize how little interest I had, how frustrated I actually was, maybe even how tired it left me.  It is a strange thing to me that anyone would want to seek out the person who is so closely associated with the incredibly daunting process through which I have to get these people and their paperwork, let alone be happy to see her.  Perhaps I'm too much an introvert to wrap my mind around these things.  Perhaps I'm too cynical or just too tired.  But it does take the edge of the tiredness and frustration to have sometimes entire groups of people cheerily greet me or have someone go out of their way to stop by and say "hi" just because he or she saw me from across the way.

Perhaps, I mean just maybe, maybe I am better at what I do even than I realized.  Still rather certain I'm too tired and cynical, though, so I don't think I'll get too excited over my near rock star status in our Omaha office, not at this juncture anyway.  And, while there is evidence that I am serving a purpose for others, I see little evidence of doing myself any favors.  I will buy the idea that at least some days patience is a virtue I have.  If it turns out to even be the superpower it's purported I have...I deny it completely.  Superpowers invite arch nemeses, and...Hey...Wait a minute...There might be evidence for this after all.  But if you go around telling everyone, I'm confiscating your decoder ring and kicking you out of the fan club.

My Brother the Hero!

The shelf-adjustment party was a great success, so it was followed immediately by a plumbing party.  Justin was the hero of both parties doing such stunts as inhaling sawdust and taking several involuntary showers.  The new refrigerator is now hooked up for ice and water and is in its proper place in the kitchen.  Victory is ours!

"I'm going to just man through this, okay?"

Drip...drip...drip...

Ta da!

'Tis June

Well, another June has arrived.  I've not really been looking forward to it.  (I haven't looked forward to a June in years and years and...hmmm...more than a decade.)  Work is about to take a turn for the absolutely ugly.  The rest is, well, the usual issues I have with June which I won't go into here.  That's for my therapist to be paid to hear.  However, there are some new things that so far are not bad.

I have a new membership with the YMCA and have started going regularly to a couple classes and to swim and supposedly work out but haven't actually done that yet as I was only just taught how to use the machines on Saturday and haven't really found a moment to dive in and use them since then.  Supposedly this will help me meet some goals, get healthier, reduce stress blah, blah, so on and so forth.

I spent oodles and gobs of money on a new refrigerator to replace the one that came with the house.  Turns out I have this thing about frozen milk and spoiled food - I don't like it.  Also, the old one was not sealing well at all (understatement).  It was time for that sucker to go, so it has.  The delivery guys were nice kids.  (The one named Justin was as much a wise*** as a certain little brother I have.)  Samson didn't seem to mind them once they stopped moving the monster machines around.  The new fridge is all sorts of fancy...and a measly half inch too tall for the space.  So Saturday I'm having a shelf adjustment/removal party.  If we get real ambitious, we might connect the water, too...if we get ambitious...which would include me going to Lowes to buy the kit to do so.  We'll see.  I'm just happy to have a refrigerator that is more energy efficient and that will supposedly not ruin my expensive food...even if it is sticking way out into the kitchen for now.

Dad came last week and helped me secure two thirds of the garden to keep the rodents and birds out.  Only the tomatoes, pepper, spinach and potatoes are exposed and so far, the critters still seemed a bit in shock after all the activity back there.  We've only had one incident instead of daily ones.  The berries, zucchini, onions, and carrots are safe and sound and had been the most at risk.  It is nice to know that I will actually get to eat my own strawberries this year (had one already)!  I don't have to keep replanting the zucchini anymore either.  Now it's up to the weather and Samson and whatever all natural remedies I can find out about to keep the only uncaged part of the garden safe from those little rat ******** and all their little friends.

"Jazz in June" is going on in downtown Lincoln on Tuesday nights.  http://www.jazzinjune.com/index.html  Hopefully I'll get to at least one concert this year.

I just noticed how late it is.  Completely missed "The O'Reilly Factor."  Dang it!  Oh well.  I finished watching this disc of "Peter Gunn" episodes.  I can send it back to Netflix tomorrow.  I suppose that's a good thing, too...Ooo!  I love cable television sometimes.  I was able to start O'Reilly over again.  I get to watch it before it replays at 10:00.  That's good, too.

They Don't Make Them Like This Anymore

I don't know why, but I am enamored with Peter Gunn - the TV show, that is.  The wit, the music...  Well, maybe you should check it out for yourself.  I just watched this episode and loved it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkWHWr3Oyeo

It's less than 30 minutes of your time, but make sure you pay attention.  The best moments might be missed if you look away or stop listening.  :)

I'm such a nerd.

I am loving this show...probably because I'm such a language nerd.  But, really, if you've ever wondered why we say some of the things we do or where some phrases come from, this is a fun way to find out.

http://www.history.ca/americas-secret-slang/