Milestones & Pond Scum
2008-08-13, 2:15 p.m.

Day 1452

This evening, August 13, 2008 at 6:20ish pm, our little (little, hah!) Zach will be precisely 24 years old. Hopefully, we�ll be stuffing our faces with either a penne & scallop dish, or the Z-man�s favorite cake � Cheeeeesecake. I�m all happy for Zach, he�s grown up well and has turned into a fine young man, in spite of my help in the parenting process. But all I really want to know is, when the hell did I become old enough to be the parent of a 24 year old? Cripes! I certainly try to not act that old. This is going to be horrible for my image! And my waist! Cheese cake for dessert? Going to have to go out and finish digging the pond afterwards.

Q � thanks for the tip on that photo hosting site. I don�t necessarily drive the camera all the time, so I can�t promise more booty shots for you. Oh, wait. That was boots & shorts pics? Hmm. Definitely more do-able, but I�ll have to talk to my photographer. You don�t really want to see my booty anyway . . .

Ahem. Speaking of milestones, (and I was), my van hit one this morning. As I was toodling from my morning spin at the Y to my place of workship, I looked down and caught this sequence of events:

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Then just a little later (like a minute, or maybe a mile . . .)

On a 7 year old Caravan. In NY. With our salty winters. At less than 20mpg, downhill with a tail wind. Lordy, I can�t wait to get rid of this thing. Trade in value is going to suck BIG time, but I am SO done driving it. I really, really, really want a VW TDI Hybrid (70mpg!!), but we�re considering getting a pop-up camper. Can�t tow a camper with something the size of a VW Golf (Gulf? � How much do I really want this car if I don�t even know how to spell it�s name?).

Speaking of milestones in pond scum, I made amazingly good progress in pond digging last night, in spite of it being A. � a weeknight, B. � a late start due to an unexpected stop at the grocery store on the way home and C. � an unexpected early ending due to dinner being ready 30 minutes before I was told it would be. (But when the cook is a little tipsy, these things happen, I guess)

Anyhow. No new booty pics to share, but we can use in the last one I shared as a reference.

That area sorta behind me and to my left (where the wheelbarrow is parked) is now 2 feet deep. The area immediately to my left and a little in front of me has a new tier of patio block about 12 inches below the one tier that�s showing. Where me & my boots are standing is now approaching 30 inches deep. Basically, all the shelves (tiers) are in and we�ve nearly � way through getting the floor down to it�s final depth.

We have Zach�s b�day doings tonight, so probably no digging. Tomorrow, I�m stuck with the key for the Thursday Al Anon meeting again (I�m either a magnet to that fecking thing, or a sucker - or both.) so I really need to be there. Ergo? No digging Thursday. Friday? My project team is having a small celebration at a small, local amusement park. The biggest rollercoaster doesn�t rate up to even a kiddie rating at a 6 Flags. I R thrilled. I�ll make the requisite appearance, have a hot dog and plate of Tater Salad (gotta love Ron White), then slink home. And dig. Then? I get to dig some more. You can kinda see off to the left of my butt in that pic above, there�s a couple boards on the ground doing an impression of a ramp. Well, right abut there, just outside the pond, I need to install a skimmer. The bulk of the skimmer needs to be below water level and outside the pond. Of course. So just when you think you�re done? You�re not. Quite.

But I will be done digging Friday night!! Because Saturday I get to help someone with one of the more fun things a guy ever gets to do. We got us a demolition job! Some friends of ours want to eliminate their garage. It�s detached from their house, doesn�t get used for parking cars, is not in very good shape at all and he�d rather take it down on purpose rather than risk having it topple over unexpectedly.

I�m taking a sawz-all and 2 chain saws. Maybe even a come-along. Just can�t skip out on a good demo job. Maybe we�ll get some good action photo�s out of it. Shorts, boots, booties, the works!

Gotta go fix a board. More tomorrow.

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