Hey all.
It's officially September and that means school is starting up again for me shortly. As you've probably noticed my lack of posting this summer, I feel unable to use the "too busy" excuse to explain my slacking. I'm just lazy. My bad.
It seems difficult to believe that this time last summer, I was eagerly describing every off-the-wall morsel of food my family members put into their mouths. But when you start work at 8 am every week day and your awkward sister doesn't wake up until at least noon, you simply don't have the privilege of observing Maddie hunt for "breakfast" in her natural environment.
I still have yogurt and granola nearly every day.
Aside from breakfast related stuff, there are some things that I've learned this summer. These are things that may be of interest to you. Perhaps not, but I'm going to throw them out there anyway. Read on if you're not bored yet.
1. Dead animals don't get "cleaned up" by nature as fast as you'd like. Sometimes they just hang out in the open for you to find. I was the unhappy discoverer of many a post-life furry thing during my summer escapades as a lawn maintenance worker. It ain't cute.
2. It is definitely possible to decapitate a gopher with a large riding mower. Yeeeup. However, some people enjoy this "sport" more than others. Those are usually the people that don't have to scrape underneath the *literally* bloody thing at the end of the day.
3. Always bring bear spray. I did not actually see a bear this summer.. But when you've got my mother's genes and the first thing you see posted at your campsite is a sign that states "BEAR IN AREA", better safe than bear lunch, right? Besides, sometimes those darn squirrels have it coming.
4. It is not possible to wear flip flops around certain people. "Let's climb this! OH LOOK, something to climb! Wait, wait, wait, let's go hike over here! CONQUER ALL THE MOUNTAINS!" - Sound familiar anyone....? ;)
5. Always wear your safety glasses. Line trimming over gravel is dangerous. Grass clumps from scraping large mowers are dangerous. Sticking your head in bushes is dangerous...
6. Sometimes you have to get creative when there's a wasp in the vehicle. You really can't freak out when you're driving down the Henday in a truck and trailer. I tried to remain calm. My coworker beat the crap out of that wasp with the binder in our work truck. Some swearing was necessary to show the little bugger who was boss. We emerged victorious.
7. Always bring a towel...and several changes of clothes. This is mostly applicable to anyone who social dances in the summer. It's hot. It's humid. You're drenched in sweat (that usually isn't all your own). Do yourself a favour. Don't feel the burn (of sweat stinging your eyeballs); don't let that swing-out get out of control with a failed hand grip. KEEP IT DRY, PEOPLE.
8. SPF 100 sunscreen exists. It's glorious. It's basically a solid. Highly recommended by me (a pasty person) to all the rest of you albinos out there.
9. Own more than one pair of sunglasses. Sometimes you sit on a pair, shove it in your purse, whatever. If you buy your shades from Walmart, be sure to have a back up. Or you're gonna have a bad time.
10. Check the weather forecast before planning a firepit party. Whoops.
Profound, eh? I never said it was a particularly enlightened summer for me. But there ya go, hopefully those few pieces of wisdom and experience will help you out next sunny season. Anyway, I'm off to go tan (aka. burn) my pasty legs. Toodles!
