Taking Off My Top

I wouldn’t quite describe my night’s sleep as blissful, but then again I felt ten times better than I did Saturday. I woke at 6:45am just as I had planned. I was up early to make the 9:00am family breakfast at Bob Evans. By the looks of it, it was going to be another fabulous day weatherwise. That made each phase of the early morning that much easier.

By 7:05am I had taken my flu meds, exercised, and walked Ykraps. Planning backwards from our scheduled departure time, I figured I could relax and enjoy coffee until 7:50am. I took Mindy her coffee at 7:45am. Just before darting out the door for my run, I attempted to reach Tommy, who asked that we give him a wake-up call when we saw him Friday night.

My run went well. It was lovely, and I could’ve comfortably worn shorts but didn’t. And as a change of pace, I ran along Trabue & Hague. The spring birds were singing in full chorus as bright sunshine dappled the morning vistas. Signs of spring’s awakening were everywhere - trees budding, flowers blooming, and lawns thickening & greening. It was a great morning to be alive!

I returned from my run at 8:25am. Meanwhile, I could hear Mindy’s blow dryer running upstairs. I waited a few minutes before heading up to shower so not to crowd the bathroom. It didn’t take me too long at all once I headed up. I was showered and ready in a little over ten minutes. In fact, I was ready even before Mindy. Somehow I ended up outside with my camera and locked out of the house. I must’ve exited through the garage. Anyhow, I spent those last few minutes taking a couple spring time pictures waiting for Mindy to come out. We left for Bob Evans at 8:55am. We’re relatively close so it didn’t take long. We were there at 9:01am.

Standing there by the entrance was my dad, and it looked like he was on his cell phone – an unusual position to see him in. He mentioned Bobby & April forgetting that it was “first Sunday”. Looked like it would be just the three of us. We were seated immediately, unlike those Sunday’s when there are ten of us. We were seated in a booth.

I ordered the same thing I had last time – two eggs, bacon, hash browns, & two pancakes. We talked about a number of things including kids, Pete Simsic’s health, Char’s visit to Oregon, and Connie’s wedding. Dad reported not speaking with Margie in many, many months. As I understand it, she’s made it clear that she doesn’t want to be friendly. Too bad! Mindy & I each asked dad for a favor. I asked for his help later in the afternoon removing my counter tops to make way for our granite on Monday. Mindy asked if he would get Jacob off the bus Monday after school. He agreed to do both.

We weren’t there long. We were on our way home by 10:05am. I was excited about the prospect of getting yard chores started – my first of the year. Relatively speaking, I would be getting a late start. Most years past, I have already had two or three weekend days of yard work in the bag. Before heading home, we stopped at the power wash car wash on Wilson Rd. I planned ahead and put my car wash bucket in the Trooper before we left the house. Hey, so that’s how I got locked out!

Mindy watched while I washed the Trooper – its first bath in maybe six months. More than anything the wheels were extremely grimey. After fifteen minutes of spraying & scrubbing she was about as clean as I could get her. We drove home where I put on the finishing touches. I shami’d her off and armor–all’d the tires.

I wasted little time moving to phase II. I changed into yard grubbies and grabbed the shed keys. It was time to get busy. I grabbed gloves, rake, and tarp and started out front. I spent a good 1.5 hours cleaning & removing dead yard debris from the flower beds. I filled the tarp so full that I could hardly pull it. I almost always use my spring yard refuse elsewhere in the yard. This time I relocated a lot of it to a spot down by the water that’s eroded away with the help of raccoons digging for critters. The rest I dumped into the shrubbery along the pond. Over the years it’s helped to rebuild what naturally erodes during heavy rain storms. I moved to the back next.

Out back I had more spent yard debris to rake up. I cut down the ornamental grasses and raked the gathered leaves from around the deck. That always fills a tarp or two. I drug those loads to the compost pile out back to help build up the lip along the drainage stream that feeds the pond. Next, I trimmed the honey suckle bush that hugs the green ash mid-way back in the yard. That was a big hack job given that I only trimmed it once or twice last season. It really needs it three or four times. All the yard work, if viewed on the whole, causes me angst. I get this overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, much like spending time in the basement trying to organize. But if I take it one step at a time I find much greater enjoyment in it. Let’s just say that I am getting better at it.

I ended up getting more done than I though possible. I even got both mowers out and started. The Toro started on the first pull, believe it or not. The tractor started quick too. I was most pleased. There’s so much more to do, however. It’s like a six to eight week project getting the yard from winter’s wrath to spring’s final plantings. In between there’s lots of grueling but fruitful labor. I strive to be largely in maintenance mode by Memorial Day weekend.

It was 4pm and time for Mindy & the kids, who were back from a weekend with daddy, to head to Maw-maws. I already made arrangements to stay back and remove the counter tops. I decided not to phone dad until I was completely ready for the lift off. Largely because of all the prep work I had done, it didn’t take long. I had the plumbing disconnected and the last counter top ready to lift off in less than 30 minutes. Dad arrived 15 minutes after my call. We lifted off the sink and counter first. That went smoothly – just as expected. Next, we carried out the island top. I placed them on the deck for the time being.

Dad didn’t stay too long. After he departed I spent almost an hour removing the liquid nails used to secure the tops to the cabinets. Later, I started fooling around with the dishwasher, which I realized wasn’t very stable. More poor workmanship by M/I (my builder) that has been masked for 14 years. Not able to leave well enough alone, I fooled with its stability until I caused the water line to develop a small leak. GREAT! That’s me, though. I had no choice but to tinker with that. Mindy & the kids were home now. I asked for Mindy’s assistance. Thankfully, I hadn’t kinked the copper hose- just loosened it, I think. After redoing the connection the leak stopped. Crisis avoided!

We were set. The laminate tops were off and cabinets ready to receive their shiny new granite. By then I was starving. Mindy, thankfully, brought home some dinner leftovers. I ate that in a hurry, and then had her pour me a Barley’s Pale Ale. We went up to bed around 10pm, but not before taking a much needed shower. I was filthy from all the yard work.