Wednesday, June 22, 2011

So that you'll feel better about yourself, your garden and your yard......

I'll let you take a look at mine. 

You see, we haven't had any rain in forever, so we have had to water the garden with a sprinkler....therefore resulting in very high grass in just that area

And we've been busy with swim team practice, making pickles, getting orientated along with Kaleigh at Camp War Eagle (aka Camp Information Overload for parents of incoming freshmen...I'm just sayin'), and the yard and garden has...well....

been neglected a little.

Oh okay....a lot.


























Ummm, yea....that would be the "scarecrow" thing Destin built a while back, and yes those ARE ginormous green onions....I...ummm....I....tried a new variety this year??? 

And I was so upset when I realized that  our mammoth squash plants had been attacked by the "squash vine borer" (yes...I googled it) that we had to uproot all of the dead plants and I guess you could say we've just abandoned the garden with the exception of an occasional picking of tomatoes and jalapenos.  But even the jalapenos have been disappointing this year.  They are not hot...at all.

Seriously....even for you wimpy  less seasoned spicy food eaters...these things are like eating a regular green pepper.  Zero heat.....so what's the point???

Isn't that why you eat jalapenos??  For the heat??

Sigh. 

Yea....that's what I thought. 

And, well, yes the grass is very tall....Angel feels like she is in the jungle when it's like that.....and I'm not even gonna' lie...it's pretty funny to see her out there in the thick of it, looking like a tiger on the prowl. 

But today....just as I was sitting down to take a much needed rest from being on my feet all day, listening to the sound of the dishwasher running and the sound of Destin cutting the grass, I knew I was in trouble when I heard the lawn mower bogging down and sputtering to go further, and then revving up again.  The same routine, over and over.....

So I felt sorta' bad, and went to the window to check on Destin....and there he was just steadily pushing the mower, determined to cut the jungle out there, in spite of the fact that it was nearly 100 degrees and had rained heavily this morning.



But....what are you to do??  When you're not home, you're not home, and it doesn't cut itself. 

Deciding that this was okay for him to be doing (after all....he is eleven and in optimum shape from swimming every day), I decided it would be okay for me to sit down and rest again.....(because I'm not eleven and in optimum shape)......

until the sound of the mower ceased altogether. 

One of two things had happened.  He had either lost his gumption, or the darn mower was out of gas. 

Yep...you guessed it.  Out of gas. 

Sigh.   I guess it's just not meant to be for me to be able to sit and rest my feet.

So off to the gas station I went, talking to myself, and confirming that THIS in fact, is why it has gotten so out of hand to begin with.  There's just always something else calling our name, needing our attention that feels more important than cutting the patch of grass that's growing....because believe me.....the part that wasn't getting watered was not tall at all. 

And I know you can't tell it by looking at this unsightly picture of the dill I have grown, but I was rather proud when we made pickles a week ago, to be able to just walk out the back door and break off a "tree" of dill to be able to use!  Although it's looking a wee bit out of control too. 



































But you want to know the funniest part of this whole story??? 

I was just sitting here typing the blog, and heard Destin's voice outside over the loud sound of the mower, so I got concerned that perhaps he needed something or had seen a snake (not that I would be of ANY help at all, which is exactly why I sent Jack out to see what he needed....stop laughing), so he stops the motor, comes in and says, "What mom??" 

I said, "Well, Destin, I was just concerned about you....I could hear your voice out there over the loud sound of the lawn mower." 

To which he replied, "Oh I was just singing, I Am a Man of Constant Sorrows."   And surely you know the song, but click and listen again....

And I'm sorry to admit this but I just started cackling right out loud!!  Because I'll bet he WAS thinking that!!!!!

You go boy!!!!  Sing it!!!



































And I still say that the best solution to the out of control schedule and yard maintenance, is closing the blinds and pretending it doesn't exist. 

I'm just sayin'.  ;-)

Friday, June 3, 2011

It was good while it lasted......

but it didn't last long.....

Yes, I'm talking about the cat

You know...the one I was falling for this morning? 

The one who's picture I changed my profile picture to on Facebook? 

Yep...that's the one. 

Let's just say that once he "sobered up", he was a wee bit anxious, and began pacing and walking in circles, but wouldn't touch his food or water.  I did everything I knew to do to comfort and reassure him that we would be a good family. 

And one would think that my Chihuahua would have been the source of stress and anxiety.  Not so.  Apparently, his former owners had a Bulldog, so interaction with Angel wasn't a problem. 

He finally found his "happy place" hunkered down in a quiet, secluded corner of the living room.  But when the boys and Darwin got home from their fishing trip...things headed south very quickly.  The new, loud voices were more than he could handle, and when Jack headed over to pet him, hissing and teeth baring ensued. 

This was not the same cat we dealt with last night.  (Albeit he was drunk from a sedative last night), but still....things were not looking good. 

And he pretty much wrote his ticket back to the clinic when he tried to bite Darwin through a blanket. 

Yep....we had to enlist the help of Kaleigh, vet technician and future veterinarian headed to Auburn University (proud mama moment).  She had him caged up and back on the road in no time. 

The poor cat has obviously spent too much time being boarded at the clinic.  He was still hissing and fighting Kaleigh until she got him into a "kitty condo", where he finally felt at home again, and immediately starting eating and drinking. 

It just wasn't meant to be....

And I think Angel is secretly happy to resume her reign as "top dog" around our house.



I'm just sayin'. 

I knew I was in trouble.......

when I received the email from my husband with the following picture attached.



Smoky needs a home

Mmmmhmmmm........that's exactly what I was thinkin'.  "And????"

So I very cautiously sent him a text message to see if perhaps he had sent the email to me in error.....and when the reply was, "He is pretty cool".....I knew we had just become the owners of a cat. 

You see, the same thing happened when we acquired our Chihuahua, Angel.  I got the ole' phone call about him bringing something home for a visit....and that was all she wrote.  We had a new family member. 

But you can imagine my surprise when instead of the fluff ball I had seen in the picture, I walk in the house to this........




Yep...same cat.  Not lookin' too happy about his fresh hair cut to rid him of mats and fleas. 

Oh.  And they try to make it all sound better by calling it a "lion cut".  You know....trying to make him feel all big and bad, when really?  It's just puffs of fur around the base of his paws and the end of his tail. 

So frankly....he resembles a poodle.  Or wait....maybe it's a clydesdale?  Perhaps a Siamese cat with fluffy slippers on???  

Either way....it was hilarious...and to top it all off, he was "drunk" from having to be sedated for said hair cut and bath.  

Yep...I said drunk.  That's what they call it.  

And I gotta' tell ya'.  The only thing funnier than what-should-be-a -fluffy-Himalayan-cat-that-is-now-shaved-in-a-"lion cut", is a drunk  what-should-be-a-fluffy-Himalayan-cat-that-is-now-shaved-in-a-"lion cut". 

I'm so hoping he doesn't realize how ridiculous he looked trying to walk on the "prowl" and falling every two seconds.  It just sort of took away from his "lion look".  Baaaahhhhhaaaaa

I'm still laughing. 

But he's doing better this morning.


And Angel seems to be very excited about the potential playmate that we may have.  Though thus far, Smoky has only reminded me of Sassy in the movie Homeward Bound looking at Angel like she's an idiot!  (But I don't think I need to remind him of who looked like one stumbling around here last night, now do I??)



Yep...he seems to be getting along just fine.  A little jumpy from "new house" noises, but I think he'll settle in. 

Especially when he gets over his "bad haircut complex".

I'm just sayin'.