personal

Wednesday

I know what you’re wondering, and the answer is yes, I did but a ten-foot-long soaker hose this evening after work. I watered the tree in the front, the lawn in the back, and I did a little cleaning up around the house. (Despite a dog who now seems determined to undo that cleaning by ripping up his toys and leaving the shredded bits all around. And by continuing to shed.)

Tomorrow, my parents return from their time abroad in Ireland. I’ve had a few postcards from them, a couple of phone calls, but it’s mostly been me and the dog for the past two weeks. Honestly, I think he’s a little sick of me. Although, last night, the air conditioner upstairs started to work again, and this evening I took him for a ride around the block in the car, so I may not have completely outlived my usefulness.

Today at work, we had a brief tour of all the fire exits, extinguishers, and emergency phones around the office. We’ve been there since April 1, so this was probably overdue. The stairwells are actually really nice, and I think we were all actually a little disappointed we couldn’t evacuate the building then and there, or even use the stairs except during an emergency. Opening them sets of an alarm downstairs, but they seemed wonderfully quiet compared to our desks, which have lately been surrounded by jackhammering and banging twenty-four/seven. (Or…well, okay, eight/five. But that’s still all work day being bombarded by loud noise right outside the window.)

Oh well. Just two more days of that, and then a three-day weekend. And we get to leave early on Friday in anticipation of it, which is nice.

Garden Talk

There’s not a whole lot to be said about this particular Tuesday.

I did stop by a Home Depot in Manhattan, looking and failing to find a garden soaker hose, not even one of the too-long lengths listed on their website. A Home Depot in midtown Manhattan is an odd place, I have to say, not least of all because the bulk of the store is hidden down below and a block deep. I suppose people who live and work in Manhattan must occasionally need lumber and gardening supplies, too, but it was a slightly weird experience. I was only there in the hope that I wouldn’t have to go buy one in the evening. (Lowes has the length I want listed on their site, but they don’t have any stores in the city.)

I don’t need to buy the hose, but the one we have appears to have a hole in it. I’d like to replace it (and use the replacement) before my parents come home on Thursday. Unless it rains tomorrow, I’d like to water the tree in the front yard.

This is what passes for excitement this week

Oh, Monday

A busy day at work, and then I came home and mowed the front lawn before dinner. You know, like one does.

I’m a little amazed that it’s almost the end of June, not least of all because I still have an issue of Kaleidotrope to put together for next month. And mountains of stories still waiting to be read.

Monday various

C’est la Sunday

A normal Sunday, for the most part. A little television, the New York Times crossword, and my regular writing group. I wrote this, based on the prompts:

[deleted]

I like how it started in a fairly silly and ridiculous place, with Dr. Electric and his cape, and took sort of a turn halfway through, as I started to discover who my narrator was and what kind of world he — at least, I think he’s a he — is living in.

Back to work tomorrow, which is just as well. I’ve been checking in with my e-mail off and on since Wednesday, thanks to a couple of projects coming due just as I was getting ready to leave for the week, and there’s plenty to be done when I get back in.