but it's been two years and I haven't had time to get out my electric clippers. I went a bit crazy yesterday.
I rent.
I therefore don't feel a responsibility to landscape my yard like I would if I owned. I have had two homes before Connecticut and keeping everything pruned was a specialty I prided myself with. This, however, went to the wayside as a renter (and with a schedule that is a little spastic - okay, a lot spastic).
Yesterday, however, after finishing 15 graduate student projects for a summer course (over four weeks: INTENSE, and a lot of grading two days before the major summer institutes begin), I did a little house grooming.
Actually, it began with the fact that sometime today I pick up my summer guest from South Africa who is staying with me for four weeks. Feeling negligent about my house, I went speed shopping and totally redid the upstair's guest bedroom. I figure it will be nice when someone comes to visit or if Nikki, indeed, moves in after she graduates high school.
This, though, was not how I celebrated my grading. I went outside and hooked up my electric hedger and began pruning the ridiculous jungle that is my property. The landlords don't do this and it has been embarrassing pulling in my driveway because it looks like a neglected haunted house. So, I got a little sheer happy and pruned the $#%@ out of the front, side, and back. It is now neat and orderly. You can tell a human being lives here and not squirrels.
At 9 p.m., however, I reentered my house to shower and read a book. See, this is what life is like when you're a workaholic and you never have time to do what needs to be done around the house. As soon as you have a 24 hour window between summer course A and summer institutes B, C, D and E (and before you pick up a guest from overseas), you go ballistic on your property. Well, your rented property.
Then you come inside exhausted, dirty, and cursing the heat, the ridiculous schedule you keep, and the fact that you are a renter and not a home owner.
But, today is another day. I need to go to campus to get things ready for Monday morning. I need to pick up Beauty from Westchester (that's her name). Then I need to work on presentations for Monday.
In case you're wondering, the fixation on green life outside also exists on my graying life indoors. Right before writing this post, in fact, I noticed that a large clump of gray hairs has sprouted from my chest. In this manic state of exhibiting control, I plucked those mother $@#$%$#, too. They will grow back (as will the shrubs and trees - as will the volumes of student work), but for now, I will try to establish a semblance of control.
Yeah, right. It is all a facade.
I rent.
I therefore don't feel a responsibility to landscape my yard like I would if I owned. I have had two homes before Connecticut and keeping everything pruned was a specialty I prided myself with. This, however, went to the wayside as a renter (and with a schedule that is a little spastic - okay, a lot spastic).
Actually, it began with the fact that sometime today I pick up my summer guest from South Africa who is staying with me for four weeks. Feeling negligent about my house, I went speed shopping and totally redid the upstair's guest bedroom. I figure it will be nice when someone comes to visit or if Nikki, indeed, moves in after she graduates high school.
This, though, was not how I celebrated my grading. I went outside and hooked up my electric hedger and began pruning the ridiculous jungle that is my property. The landlords don't do this and it has been embarrassing pulling in my driveway because it looks like a neglected haunted house. So, I got a little sheer happy and pruned the $#%@ out of the front, side, and back. It is now neat and orderly. You can tell a human being lives here and not squirrels.
At 9 p.m., however, I reentered my house to shower and read a book. See, this is what life is like when you're a workaholic and you never have time to do what needs to be done around the house. As soon as you have a 24 hour window between summer course A and summer institutes B, C, D and E (and before you pick up a guest from overseas), you go ballistic on your property. Well, your rented property.
Then you come inside exhausted, dirty, and cursing the heat, the ridiculous schedule you keep, and the fact that you are a renter and not a home owner.
But, today is another day. I need to go to campus to get things ready for Monday morning. I need to pick up Beauty from Westchester (that's her name). Then I need to work on presentations for Monday.
In case you're wondering, the fixation on green life outside also exists on my graying life indoors. Right before writing this post, in fact, I noticed that a large clump of gray hairs has sprouted from my chest. In this manic state of exhibiting control, I plucked those mother $@#$%$#, too. They will grow back (as will the shrubs and trees - as will the volumes of student work), but for now, I will try to establish a semblance of control.
Yeah, right. It is all a facade.
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