05 May 2012

Dishing up the dirt

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Have a Margarita or Corona on me.  Funny thing about this "holiday" is that, while it is promoted big around here, they don't celebrate it in Mexico.  Methinks it is another one of those holidays contrived as an excuse to drink more alcohol (like St Patrick's Day).   


Ever started a blog post and just couldn't find an end?  You know, some of those where you bang out a neat thought and by the time you get to the end, it seems totally lame?  That's the way it's been this week.  I started three different themes this week and all three are still on the drawing board waiting for my muse to show up.  The week has been busy (again).  We just finished up our financial year at the office and you'd think things would slow down at the start of the new year, but you'd be wrong.  I've been deluged with a pile of reports, meetings, reviews, end-of-year analyses, audit reports, etc.  It's that time of year when we do annual reviews and I am in the middle of writing assessment for all my people (one of my 1/2 baked themes).  


I took off Friday to take care of some odd jobs.  Wanted to burn a day of vacation, had to take Grayson into the shop, was cleaning up the garage, intended to do some yard work, and had hoped to take my bride out for our anniversary dinner.  Yep.  It's that time again.  Time to renew the old contract, sign up for another year, slap on another coat of paint, dust off the dancing shoes and celebrate that momentous occasion from thirty two years ago.  32.  Wow.  Just writing that make me feel old.  There are countries that haven't been around that long.  When my bride and I said "I do", Carter was still in office, the Berlin Wall still stood, the US Hockey team defeated the Russians in the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid (Miracle on Ice), and gas was $1.25.  My how things have changed.  


As I inferred, I had hoped to take my bride out for dinner, but, after 32 years, you learn that life has plans and things change and you learn to roll with the punches.  My wife is taking care of her parents and had to work late last night which left us a narrow window for a late lunch/early dinner.  Instead of cramming in a "quickie", we chose option 3 to celebrate Sunday evening for a more relaxed gig.  Gives me a chance to go out for more flowers and chocolate.  


In the meantime, I know that each anniversary has certain traditional gifts (25 - Silver, 30 - Pearl).  So what do you get for your 32nd?  


How about.........Mulch?  



Ever few years, I rebuild our beds and replant bushes/flowers that got taken out by last year's drought.  Instead of hauling in 20-30 bags of mulch from Home Depot, it is cheaper to have a truck bring in a pile and I try to kill myself spreading the dirt.  I must be getting old, a few years ago, I could have knocked out this pile in half a day.  As it was, I did about 1/2 yesterday before I packed it in.  Plan to finish up this morning while it's cooler and go get some new plants/flowers.  

Playing in the dirt

One bed down
Of course, while waiting for the driver to find my house (got lost for 2 hours), I had to find something constructive to do to occupy my time...

St Arnold wind chime 

Beer music
  

4 comments:

Julie said...

NICE :)

Abby said...

Hey, happy mulch anniversary! Really, 32 years is quite an accomplishment.

Nice wind chimes :)

terri said...

Congratulations on 32 years!

Yes, I often start to write something and then ask myself, "Where was I going with this?" It's been the demise of many a blog post.

ShadowRun300 said...

I, too, have tons of blogs in the works, but may never make it to post for one reason or another.
Happy Anniversary! Very impressive and inspiring for those of us only married 21 years. :) Hope you're enjoying your more relaxing Sunday night celebration. It has to be more enjoyable than a "quickie"!