Hi all.

Yes, holidays also mean that I take a break from blogging for the day. This is less because I feel I’m due a day of rest from writing, and more because I’m finally unleashed from the desk-time requirements of my day job. As such, there are Things to Get Done™.

Like, for example, finally weed-whacking the garden like I said I was going to do days ago. And I’ll let you all in on a universal truth…

There has never been a contraption that has bedeviled the days of man like a goddamned weed-whacker.

I hate these things.
Hate. Them.
I’m loath to give the devil any ideas, but my version of hell would be a never-ending mountain of weed-whackers that need to be refueled and respooled with trimming line.

Another personal challenge to weed-whacking is, because I oh-so-cleverly relocated my hives into the garden to protect them from bear attacks (ha ha), I have to perform said landscaping while wearing a bee suit. That way I can avoid being stung while I’m trimming around their hives.

So not only are hydrogen atoms fusing into helium around me because I of how much hate these machines, I’m also encased in a synthetic fabric body suit while working in the garden…in July.

I did eventually finish cleaning things up out there, though. It went from this:

to this:

I realize some landscape fabric and rocks would take care of this little issue and I wouldn’t need to clean up nearly as often in here. Trust me, it takes up multiple lines on the ever-lengthening list of Things to Get Done™.

Speaking of which, I also had to prep for our little 4th of July BBQ. Which meant first starting some homemade bread.

We also had 6 lbs. of sausage FedEx’d from The Salt Lick on Monday for our BBQ.

Jen and I actually had our wedding rehearsal dinner at their restaurant in Driftwood, TX, so it’s a little nostalgic to have their BBQ during this, our anniversary month. I’m also happy to report that their food is still delicious and, for a few brief hours, our backyard is the best BBQ joint in Vermont.

All holiday pleasantries aside, we continue to struggle with Daphne’s behavior this summer. She remains stubbornly defiant, screaming and bleating at us if she doesn’t get exactly what she wants in her every conscious moment. Like getting into the car and driving to the lake…at 9:30pm.
Jen is actually bathing her as I type this and, given the level of screaming that’s coming from the bathroom, apparently we’ve an “iron maiden” setting in the shower that I was previously unaware of.
She’s also regressed to being sporadically non-potty trained over the past week. Because there’s no rhyme or reason to it (she’ll take herself to the bathroom just fine, then 45 minutes later she’ll hose down a chair), we’re not prepared for when she randomly decides to pee all over herself and whatever she happens to be sitting on in that moment. The latest example being yet another soaking of the couch, and then my neighbor’s camp chair…both of which happened last night.
No clue why she’s doing this again. But for now we’ve had to go back to constantly reminding her every 30 minutes that she should go sit on the potty.

I suppose we could keep her in diapers all day, but that really feels like taking things in the wrong direction…

And with that sentiment in mind, here’s hoping this weekend is better than our last.

See you Monday.

j.s.