Wednesday, June 1, 2011

What Goes Up



What have I been doing lately? Well, not much writing, that's for sure.
Monday night I came home and there was Dave, starting to set up the gazebo. You can't do without a screened-in-something when you live in a Mosquito Motel. It's necessary as death, taxes and American Idol.
So I get home and there's Dave, and so I sigh and dig in to help because it's a two-person job. After that I planted the three trays of impatiens I bought on the weekend and set the Travelocity garden gnome in a place of pride. We had dinner at 8:30 p.m. and then hit the hay.
Oh, check out the lighting fixture I bought last year for the gazebo. A chandelier! Buahahahaha! It makes me laugh, every time I look at it – this fancy crystal (plastic) grandiose light in a screened tent from Walmart. I seriously went to Canadian Tire to buy the cheapest light they had but they were blowing this one out the door for less than a cheap light – so now we have a chandelier in our gazebo.
It's fancy. Like me.
Last night I got home and there was Dave with a shit-ass grin on his face piling up stuff in the backyard for our cheapo above ground pool.
"Get in the car," I ordered him, without stepping out. "I am SO NOT going to help you with that pool until I have something to eat." All I'd had all day was raw vegetables and hummus and there was no way I was waiting until bedtime to eat real food.
Lacking that, I drove his ass to A&W and we used a coupon for papaburgers. Nectar of the gods, I swear.
Then we got home and fought off mosquitoes, blackflies and deerflies while putting up the pool.
See? This is what it really means to live in Canada with all four distinct seasons: winter, winter, precious short summer and bug season. Every time a new season begins we take stuff down and we put stuff up. Away goes the snowblower, the snowmobiles, the snow tires and the snow boots. Out comes the mosquito magnet, the lawn mower, the gazebo, the boat, the swimming pool and the sandals. Our lives are all about finding room for the old crap and putting up the new crap. It doesn't make me happy to think that, a few months from now, I'll be taking down the gazebo and the swimming pool and helping Dave carry the boat.
It's a wonder I don't have muscles in my shit.

Oh. And our cat has a cold. He's been really sick lately. I'm waiting for the vet's office to open so I can call and get him in. He was snoring under the couch and now it's painfully quiet in here. I hope he's not dead under the chesterfield.
I'm afraid to look.

11 comments:

  1. I'm tired just listening to all that effort. I like the chandelier, though. :)
    I hope your cat's okay!!!!

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  2. A pool? It's five degrees outside! Oh wait, I forgot, you inland dweller. You get summer (fly season) early. Mind if I stop by for a dip? I'll bring the muskol.

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  3. Hi, Cathy. I saw your comment on Shotgun just now and came over to meet you. I'm meeting a lot of Canadian writers and loving it. I also LOVE the Australians, especially my friend Denise Covey!

    I like blogs like yours that post about family. I like to see the people "out there." I don't know why some bloggers won't post a photograph of themselves. Heck, none of us is a movie star! And we can always post a "younger" picture, which I didn't want to do. So I worked hard to get one which, at my age, I could live with! (I'm 71; I think I'm one of the oldest bloggers, at least out of those I've met!)

    I think you have a very nice, "normal" looking family. I enjoyed reading this post.
    Ann Best, Memoir Author

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  4. Hahahahahaha If it's that warm and he really died, the smell will alert you soon enough. And the flies will be inside the house too!

    I love the idea of having a chandelier in your gazebo, that's so awesome!!

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  5. A friend from the Dominican Republic was amazed at all the clothes that we needed here in Canada. He said the difference in their seasons was just a sweater...can you imagine all the money and work it would save us?
    He wouldn't have a cool chandelier in a gazebo though!

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  6. ... hope that kitty is ok ...

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  7. You buy lamps at the tire store? It does add a touch of fancy to your fly fort. We used to have A&Ws, haven't seen one in a looooooooong time but a Papa burger and a root beer sounds like a winner. Hope the cat's ok. :)

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  8. Whatever a papaburger is, I want one. I feel like we would have some fun hanging out, Cathy.

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  9. I like the chandelier - very 'up market'! I suppose you have 'crystal-cut' plastic champagne flutes and 'hallmarked silver' disposable cutlery to go with it... ;-p

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  10. I SO want a chandlier like YOUR chandalier. Love it Love it Love it.

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  11. Graet idea to decorate your backyard! I love it!

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