Post a Comment On: A Nod to Nothing

I had the day off today. I spent it, all of it, breaking up a sidewalk at the duplex we own. My arms, despite quite a few advil and tylenol, are achy, and my hands don't really want to grip things. They're not so keen on typing, come to that - it's like they're permanently closed around a 10# sledgehammer. The cement the city laid in 1960 was the worst - it's full of little pieces of red rock - hard as hell, and it rung, absorbing the force of the blows. Evil.

Some people, like Tall Brad, recommended a jackhammer. But by the time I got going, I didn't want to waste any time going to look for one. And this just points out that my back is still in great shape, unlike all of my friends. Not only did I break it all out of the 40' or so of front yard sidewalk and curb area, but I barreled it all around to the back and the dumpster as well.

So I drank about 12 bottles of water and a soda, and got a good tan, but we'll see if I can move tomorrow. For dinner, I ate my burrito outside so I wouldn't offend any sensibilities, but afterwards, at the liquor store, I noticed I was getting the once over a couple of times. And all flirty, not like I smelled horrible. Sure, the Parrot Bay samples lady probably just thought if she smiled I'd try her new Smirnoff's drink, and she was probably pleased that I only looked at her chest long enough to read "Parrot Bay" (that's what memory is for), but then on the way out the store, a pretty woman caught me smiling at her daughter and almost tripped over herself saying "hi" and trying to open my door for me. I credit the fact that I was so sweaty I'd ruined the Home Depot receipt in my pocket. I no doubt smelled of virility and good baby potential. Maybe it's obvious my back is in good working order and I could wrestle an antelope were it necessary. Christy once told me I smelled nice after working out, so maybe I'm still shedding a healthy odor.

Unlike on 66th as I left the duplex. I told Jen it smelled like someone had dumped a dirty diaper genie on the car after it had been sitting out in the sun for a day or four. She thought perhaps with all that construction, they'd manage to puncture a sewage pipe, which makes perfect sense. I almost gagged as I switched to recycled air and prayed it would recycle fast enough to get rid of the odor.

Here I am taking a lunch break. Pooteewheet was nice enough to bring me some lunch. Down by the curb, I took out sidewalk to the left and right as well. That's the city junk from the 60's. We're the only house in the neighborhood still to have it. The neighbor across the street put his piece in himself for a wheelchair drop. I had to rake and scoop up all that leftover stuff as well.
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The 10 yard dumpster, pre about 3 slabs and the post-raking material. At the end, I was having trouble getting the shovel up there to dump it out and kept spilling on the ground when I hit the side of the dumpster. It was pretty obvious it was time to quit.
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