Rather than a new topic, I thought maybe today I could give some follow up and updates on some things previously discussed. I always hate it when I read about something and I’m really interested in hearing how it turns out, and then it’s never blogged about again. Just so you know, I also despise To Be Continued….
So again on Friday night we went to the local high school football game. This weekend it was homecoming, so it was way, way crowded. As you might remember, I have back problems, and the bleacher seat I purchased didn’t cut it last week. I suffered terribly last weekend through probably Tuesday, if I’m being completely honest. Not just my back, all of my joints ached from the damp and cold. So this weekend I went somewhat more prepared, and somewhat less. I didn’t have an opportunity to purchase a better bleacher seat. I looked around, and just couldn’t find anything that seemed like it was any better than what I had already tried. I was prepared to try to sit at the top of the bleachers and lean against the wood framing of the handicapped section which is up against that area for back “support” and see how I did. As it turns out, I didn’t even have the chance because it was so freaking crowded that we had to sit in the treacherous and dangerously steep student section, which is essentially the hill next to the bleachers. Grassy knoll. No, I didn’t shoot anyone. Being amongst the teenagers for the entire game I certainly wanted to. So I was under-prepared for the bleachers, but ended up being over-prepared for the cold and dampness that comes over the course of the game. I had a big blanket for my legs to keep warm, and a zip hoodie sweatshirt under a faux fur lined flannel jacket to keep my body warm and snug. I didn’t think about the fact that it had been 80 degrees all day, so two jackets and a blanket weren’t really necessary, but it all definitely came in handy. I sat on the blanket, and took off the jackets and ended up using them for a pillow on the hill. Literally it’s so steep that laying down is as good as standing upright and it helped with my back. Overall it was a very successful outing and I feel completely normal today, although I was absolutely wiped out when we got home and fell asleep while my roomies made celebratory homecoming waffle cones. I can’t prepare for the exhaustion that comes with doing regular old stuff, I don’t know what to do to combat it , and doctors can’t explain it. So I just accept that it comes with the territory.
On the composting front, I currently have a bucket outside of the back door of my kitchen filled with vegetable kitchen scraps. I was preparing to cut a pineapple for my kids at lunch, and my son put the green pineapple top in the recycle container. I said no, that’s not recyclable. His response was the typical teen “awwww…” and I explained to him that although it’s compost-able, it doesn’t really fall under the recycle program. So he said ” Well, can I take it to the compost bins then?” I think I saw light shine down from above onto his halo which isn’t always 100% visible. I also think my yes may have included the word hell, but that’ll be our little secret. I went to the basement, got a bucket, and after cutting up the pineapple I filled that bucket with the remains. I even went so far as to cut them all up into small little pieces for speedier decomposition! It then became a mission to find stuff to fill the bucket to make it worth their while to go to the woods, so I happily dug through our garbage can and found some banana peels and coffee filters with the old grounds. I have since added the remainder of a bag of new potatoes that were in bad shape (because I accidentally bypassed them for a newer bag), and some carrots in the refrigerator long enough to start growing creepy looking white roots. I wish that I hadn’t thrown away the other stuff from the fridge on garbage day last week, because the kids are actually excited about this. I see another bin in my future, because excitement breeds action around here.
The paperless project is going really, really well. I haven’t missed the paper plates in any way, and I love using the fiesta plates more regularly. The cloth napkins are going really well also, but I do need to get more because I only have twelve currently and that’s not nearly enough for four people, three times a day. We haven’t faltered yet. The rest of the clan hasn’t even noticed that there haven’t been any paper towels on the holder in probably a week or two, so I’ll take that as a marker of success.
Her highness CC has relocated an additional four toads to our yard under the “Toad Relocation Project of 2009″ since my last update. Two of those toads came home with us last night from the football game, one of which was the biggest toad I have ever seen. Just so you know, I had to climb a fence (against all school rules, if I was a student I’m sure I would have been led out of there by my ear) to retrieve these two (I apologize, I have forgotten their names already) for the little princess. My reward was being peed on by both toads, followed by “you’re the best mama, ever” when I handed them over. It was totally worth it, even if I couldn’t use my right hand for over half an hour. The other two toads also came from school grounds, although they were different schools, while A ran cross country. For those of you who don’t see the silver lining to this story and would NEVER wish being peed on by a toad on their worst enemy (I’m looking at you, Jess), I invite you to reread this post. Toads are my very best summer friend when I want to have a little focus. Grasshoppers are running a close second. Oh yes, she can catch anything and is afraid of nothing.
I have completed the week and two days (not that I was counting or anything) of property management as of Friday without too much additional bitching. I admit that there was a lot of swearing while I was actually working, but aside from my initial outburst here, I kept myself pretty well in check. My knee jerk thought was that maybe if I didn’t try quite as hard, or put so much effort into doing a decent job… just maybe they would stop making me do this. Once I came to, I realized that that isn’t who I am and I couldn’t ever really do that. In addition, once I was immediately thrown under the bus by the girl I was covering for, I decided to make it my mission to do such an awesome job that she would pale in comparison. Mission accomplished. Evil, I know. Yes, I simultaneously shot myself in the foot. Whatchagonnado? I’m a compulsive and obsessive workaholic but I was able to walk out of there every day and leave it all at the office, so that in itself was an accomplishment and I’m just happy it’s over.
And the red is growing on me.
THE END.
