Attitude Is Everything

Originally I titled this post "My Shitty Summer Begins."  And over the course of the past four days I picked away at writing it.  But it just wasn't jelling.  Maybe it was all the negativity I was infusing into my words.  Then something happened yesterday that changed how I was looking at things.  A little background...

Remember last summer when I posted about having to replace my entire septic system?   Of course you do.  I'm sure the exciting minutiae of my life is indelibly etched on your brain.  Long story short, the guy I hired to do the job failed to show up to do it.  No calls, nothing.  By then I was in the thick of dealing with my dying dog and the septic system was the last thing on my mind.  And then the fall rains came and it was too wet to do it.  Fast forward to spring.  I won't go into the trials and tribulations of trying to find someone to do the work but let me just say this -- if you're in business in a small town and want to stay in business, return a bloody phone call.  Even if it's to say, "sorry I'm too busy to do your job."

And then, Yay!  A real live guy answered his phone and came out to give the place the once over.  They would do this, this, and this (yes, those are the technical terms) but only after I ripped up the deck and tore down the playhouse.  Call when I was finished.  Right.  And so I began.

Grumbling away in my head the whole time -- 'This was going to take freaking forever.'...'I'm too old for this shit.'...'Okay maybe it's just my back that's too old for this shit.'...'I'm going to need more ibuprofen.'...'And beer.  Definitely going to need more beer.'  And so it went.  For a couple of days. 'Cause it's a pretty big deck.

But by the third day (after a rain delay which gave the old back time to recoup) I was kind of getting into the whole rhythm of working with my crowbar and hammer.  And before I knew it I was down to the framing.  Now that was going to be a buggar.  There were some pretty heavy duty nails holding that puppy together.  Enter the best neighbour on the planet.  With his chainsaw. Without me even having to ask.  (That's all part of being the best neighbour on the planet.) And we ripped that sucker apart in about an hour.  Saved me at least a week's work.  And several vertebrae I'm sure.  And he disconnected the wiring out to the deck.  I don't do wires.

So now I'm feeling pretty jazzed.  Actually looking forward to landscaping the yard again.  Okay maybe that's pushing it -- I'm no longer dreading landscaping the yard.  And now that I've got my head around that, I'm thinking about some more inside renos.  Because the timing isn't quite right to sell and move into the tiny house of my dreams.  For now I'll concentrate on making it a place I enjoy being.  Because the money I'm about to spend would finance at least three really great trips.  Really great trips that I won't be going on...sigh. Breaks my heart.

Well...gotta go.  Me and my new-found attitude have a playhouse to tear down.

And I need to buy beer.

For my neighbour.

Book Review:  I've read a few books by Chris Bohjalian and enjoyed them all. There's no pigeon-holing Bohjalian as to genre, he crosses many lines. Midwives, one of his  earlier works, was no exception.  Excellent ending.  To be more specific -- excellent last sentence!