Just Doing It

Like Nike says, just do it. I had one of those days yesterday where there are so many potential things that need to be done that it makes me want to simply shut down. Back when I was single, that's probably exactly what I would have done, but now that I'm a real man in training, there's simply no time to sit around feeling sorry for myself and I have to take action and just do it. Life is much more satisfying that way, and real men don't become real men by whining, do they?

The weather was beautiful and I finally had a chance to do some outside stuff. The incessant rain has not only encouraged the growth of the lawn, but it makes it hard to mow it. Not impossible, but cutting the grass in the rain is a drag, not to mention a little precarious because we have hills. Either way, the day of reckoning had arrived, and the time to act was now. Complicating the matter was the usual domestic duties of preparing meals and cleaning up afterward, which not only takes time but breaks the rhythm of the day, not that I'm whining, of course.

N also had a dentist's appointment in the AM, so we had to go to that, but as soon as we got home, I went to work. First I made the kids lunch and did the dishes. In the back of my mind I knew I had to make supper, but the dish was a one bowl meal, so I could put it off until about an hour before supper, leaving the afternoon open. The kids made plans to meet up with friends later for a swim, so my day was open. I first went to mom's garden to augment her trellis because the current one was too small. I rigged something with 6 foot stakes and some deer fencing, which I hope will hold. It met with mom's approval, so it's a step in the right direction.

Next up was my own garden plot, which is ready to be planted. I have about 15% of it filled, but there's still plenty of space for more tomatoes, which are growing like gangbusters in the greenhouse. I put a few more into the ground, bringing the total to about 15, though I have about 70 more. Is that crazy, or what? There is also zucchini, cucumbers, and basil, though my primary focus is growing tomatoes, as you can well see. After attending to my green thumb, I came home and spent about an hour cutting wood, which is actually moving along nicely. My goal, which I just thought of, is to get this year's wood split and stacked by the end of the month. Yeah right, good luck with that one, though it's about 70% done.

After the wood, I figured the best plan was to make supper because the woodpile and the lawn can slide, but mealtime cannot. I came in and prepared the meal, and then I had about half an hour before mom got home and we sat down to eat, so I had to make a decision. Do I sit back and wait, or go for it? As any real-man in training can tell you, of course I went for it. I broke out the lawnmower and started cutting the grass. Yes, I was tired and hungry, but you really have to seize the opportunity when it's given to you. How else can you justify all that patting your giving yourself on your back?

I managed to get the mowing done just as mom pulled into the driveway, which also gave me some street cred with her. It's always good to accrue points when you can. We sat down to supper and afterward A went to sleep over at a friends, then mom and I went to the garden to do some weeding and to check on the new bionic trellis. Then it was Miller Time, one of my favorite times of the day.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Mark for the pic.