Boy and the Lawnmower

This is Boy and his lawnmower.  He got it from his great aunt for free.  He loves this lawnmower.  Has great plans about becoming a millionaire mowing lawns about town.... so far I haven't felt the benefit of the great ambition (as in he trims our lawn, and the lawn of our little house uptown and that's it.)

Recently Boy, because he has his father's genes, felt that the what the lawnmower lacked was power (again, nothing said about ambition....) This was his solution.  Be prepared to be amazed!

Boy bought a pipe (he just corrected me, a "straight pipe") to put on the mower; a straight pipe like they put on muscle cars -- only much smaller.  It took him most of Saturday afternoon to rig up this bad boy.  When I asked him what the purpose was he said "more power and it'll sound nasty."  Nasty. I'll say.

Further to this modification he added this:

See this string.  This string is attached to the governor.  "When you pull the string it overrides the governor, so you don't have a limit on your revs," says Boy with a wicked grin.  Then he adds this information for your reading  pleasure, "it was originally a 4 horse engine, but now that it's all done I have a mean machine with 11 horse power."

Does anyone else see the irony in an 11 hp PUSH mower???











So when Boy mows the lawn it sounds like Varney Speedway here.  Also, the glare from the grin on his face lights up the afternoon.

Lawnmower free.
Pipe $5.
String for governor free.
Look on Boy's face priceless.

In my next life

In my next life I want to come back as Rocky because I think he's got it pretty good...

Bonbons

and naps...

Lucky boy.

New Fella

There's a new fella in my life. Really it's a summer romance, but I'll take what I can get.
He's very tall, strong but gentle, patient, a bit stubborn, and oh so handsome.  He's got several scars, but I think they just make him look wiser.  In short, he's lovely.  He's the perfect antidote for a crazy spring and start to the summer, and he's a lovely distraction for now.  I am a lucky girl.

Let me introduce you to my new love, Darryl.

Alas, he's not mine forever.  I am borrowing him from Girl's riding coach.  She asked me to show him in a couple of classes at the local Saddle Club shows.  I am also taking lessons once a week, so I get to ride him then too.  When Girl takes her lessons, I ride Darryl in the arena to get him ready for the shows.  So, in a good week I might get to ride him three times!

He's good for my soul (and leg muscles!!!)

I'm ba-a-a-ck (say it like Ricky Ricardo)

Hi there.
Thought I'd given up?  Thought I'd disappeared forever and ever? Nope.  I was buried.  Buried under a deep, deep pile of  "to dos."  Ha. Funny.  If you say that fast it sounds like "do dos."  Freudian, I think...

See this...

This is my June "at home" calendar.  My "at work" one has equally as many  notations in the boxes.  July's "at home" looks pretty much the same up until July 15.  On July 15 my summer started.














Now.  See this.

See the one box that is circled in white with the big red arrow pointing to it.  It is the one day in June that there was nothing "to do," and "nowhere to go."  That's the day I got my first migraine in a very long time.  I threw up, laid on the couch and thought I might die.  But I couldn't 'cause there was something on the calendar for the next day.
I am telling you, 'cause no one here felt sorry for me.










I finished up at work-school on July 8.  Then I went crazy from July 9-14 as I had my 2 courses to finish up by the 14th.  I attended school-school on the 12-14th.  Between July 9 and 11 I wrote another big essay (well, not that big, but big to me-- 15 pages, double spaced, 11pt Times Roman font -- because anything longer than a blog post is big to me, because this is only the second essay I have written since 1994!)
I have spent July 15 until today catching up on everything that did not get done around home in June.  Also, I decided to read my most favourite Jilly Cooper novels again because I deserve to sit by the pool on really hot days and do something I actually WANT to do.  So, I am just now finding my writer's voice and I promise to regale you with wit and folly in the coming days.

I've been saving up ideas.  Here's a preview:
-I've got a new fella in my life.  He's handsome, huge and he eats out of the palm of my hand.
-too hot to cook "meal" idea
-Rocky. Rocky. Rocky
-boy's joke
-garden photos
-wonderings about the universe
-cleaning and organizing idea(s) -- depends how ambitious I am

Glad to be back.
Cheers
K

PS.  I am determined to figure out Photoshop Elements this summer.  The top photo of the calendar is SOTC (straight out of the camera) and the second one I doctored in PSE (photoshop elements). Messed with the lighting and colour contrasts and put in the circle and arrow.  Cool huh?  I could get addicted to this program. I will share as I learn.

Another, here's how you know it's gonna be a bad day...

So, here's how you know a it's gonna be a difficult day....

Your hair gets caught in the car door.

Yes, it's entirely possible.  I can't make these things up....

Picture Big Red in the wind, arms loaded, running late, caught in jeep door.

Shoulda just gone back to bed.

a random list

1.  I am terrified of spiders.  Terr-i-fied (say it loud, with the emphasis on TERR, like Oprah would).  Usually they make me scream.  Sometimes I hold my breath.  I overcame my fear when my babies were young and I would find an object, shoe, book, flyswatter, wooden spoon and beat them to death (usually screaming, crying or holding my breath).  I must say that one of the things I am grateful for in this world is that both my babies are old enough to kill spiders for me.  I just scream and point, and they save their momma.  This isn't the reason I had babies, but it's good I have found yet another use for them....

2.  I only like to write with fine-tip ball-point pens.  I dislike medium-point immensely.  I also far prefer blue ink to black.  It's an issue I have.  I just don't understand why medium-point was invented.

3.  I love my pillow (say L-OVE, like Oprah would).  It's memory foam and it's perfect.  Sometimes DH likes to lay on a corner, and I just have to push him off. I love my pillow, it's all mine and I don't want to share.

4.  I miss Oprah.  She gave me hope that I too might reach the stage of self-actualization.  I'm working on it, but it's hollow without her.

5.  Tonight I made a great supper.  I don't often have time nor inclination to make a great supper.  My menu was oven-fried parmesan chicken legs, campfire potatoes done on the BBQ, veggies, and mixed-berry cobbler.  In total the menu I served used 1/2 pound of butter and 1 1/4 cups of sugar (plus 2 tbsp. for sprinkling).  I should have just injected the fat and calories directly to my butt instead of forcing it to go through my digestive system; it's where it's going to end up anyway.  I will post the cobbler recipe in the next couple of days, so you too can share the joy.

6.  I haven't run in a week -- too busy and too cold today -- I'm a fair weather runner.

7.  I found $1.06 in the laundry today and felt like I'd won the jackpot.

Yesterday

Yesterday was a miraculous day.  It was a beautiful afternoon with no rain, despite the weatherman's promise of it.
I spent Saturday doing my flowerbeds and enjoying sunshine, and thinking I'd have a rainy Sunday to get at my paper I need to submit next week.  But no, no rain.  So I figured out a way to enjoy the outdoors and get my research done.

This was my office for the day...

While I worked I enjoyed this view to the east...

This view to the west....

And best of all, when my eyes got a wee bit tired and the wind was blowing right and the wind chimes played a lullaby I could look forward to this....