Going meta for a moment. Weekend posts are going to come all at once for the foreseeable future. Rather than recaps, I prefer separate posts so there’s a record of the day to look back on, but there’s never time in the evenings to sit down, write and post. Those evenings when I have time to write, I simply spew, getting down everything so I don’t forget what happened or what was said or what stood out. Much editing is required.
Today is pretty easy to recap. I worked in the yard this morning. We’ve had lots of rain and heat this summer, and every unwanted tree, vine and weed has taken over. I had a cluster of volunteer locust trees to saw down and poison with stump killer. I let them go too long so it’s my own fault that I clobbered myself on the head more than once. I also nearly cut my wrist open with a bow saw when I carelessly reached for something with my free hand while continuing to saw. I went inside and dug out a pair of leather gloves after that.
I had just finished clipping and sawing everything to lengths that the garbage company will accept when what should appear in my driveway but Blaine’s ultra shiny SUV.
Under other circumstances I would have been thrilled to see him. Current circumstances had me dressed in an ancient pair of frayed jeans, my beloved Badass Brooklyn Dog Rescue t-shirt and beat up tennis shoes. I was unshowered, sweaty and had leaves stuck in my hair. I was holding clippers in one gloved hand and a bow saw in the other. Conversely, Blaine was all spiffed up in his Sunday best, looking crisp and sharp and somehow even more appealing because he’d left his sunglasses on and, damn, suit plus sunglasses is a really good look on him.
“Good morning!” he smiled, and even though I couldn’t see his eyes I knew by the size of his smile that they would be full of amusement. He said the senior ladies group at church had asked him to deliver a plate of cookies to Eve’s mom. He’d just come from the hospital, and since it’s in my neighborhood…
I had at least brushed my teeth before coming outside, so I smiled back.“Good morning!” I held up the bow saw in front of me. “Don’t come any closer.”
He did anyway and reached down to pick up a few of the small branches that had broken off the trees. He tossed them into the fully packed garbage container, then, having proven to himself that I was harmless even though I was fully weaponized, he gave me a quick kiss. “I can help,” he offered.
Only if you wipe your memory of this visage, I thought. I hadn’t planned to do any more today. Next week I’ll tackle a rose bush that has gone rogue. It’s nothing I can’t take care of myself.
We talked for a short time. He passed along thanks from Eve and Paul for helping with Izzy on short notice. I said I hope they realize I’ll always be available whenever they need me. Blaine said, “Like everyone else, they don’t want to put anyone out by asking for help if they can take care of it themselves.”
“I see what you did there,”
“Good.”
Blaine went home and I showered and went to Mica’s. I helped her with some weeds that are in her neighbor’s yard but are growing through the fence. Besides looking terrible, one of the weeds has thorny stickers that the little white dog’s fur attracts like a magnet. We pulled what we could and then she sprayed with weed killer.
We took the little white dog to the dog park, grabbed takeout on the way home, watched some “Blue Bloods,” took the furry thing for a final walk, and I came home to do enough laundry to see me through the next day or two.
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