I just finished writing Year of the Dog ! It had a massive plot hole that I had to fix which turned out to be more work than I expected. Here’s a snippet: “Hey, Auntie Nell.” He wrapped his arms around her, bussing her on the cheek and breathing in pikake flowers and shortbread cookies. And suddenly he was nine years old again, and her solid presence had made his chaotic world stable once more. “What are you doing here?” He usually took her to dinner on Wednesday nights, but today was Tuesday. The edges of her smile faltered a little before brightening right back up again. “What, I can’t visit my nephew?” She angled around him to enter his home. “Is this your new house? Looks lovely.” Which was a blatant lie, because the fixer-upper was barely livable, much less acceptable to a neat-freak like his aunt. She also left four matching pink and purple floral suitcases on the stoop behind her. Only then did Ashwin notice the cab driver standing slightly to the side of the walkway. “Can ...
Captain's Log, Supplemental
Captain Caffeine has been on crutches—he tore his Achilles tendon, it’s not bad, but he’s unable to put weight on his foot just yet.
The backyard had become the Amazon jungle. The Captain hates it when the grass—or, more accurately, the weeds become too long.
I admit, I was not a good wife. I did not want to have to clear away the chairs and buckets from the yard. I didn’t want to unlock that nasty garden tools shed that’s infested with spiders. I didn’t want to maneuver the lawn mower out.
The Captain tried valiantly to mow, since the lawn mower is electric and rather sturdy and he can lean on it. However, I finally decided he wasn’t going to give up or come to his senses, so I took over for him.
It’s a lot like vacuuming the carpet, except that instead of my seek-and-destroy mission to suck up every stray piece of dog hair, I had to flatten and raze the foxtails that had taken over the yard.
It wasn’t hard, but that mower is noisy. And it kicks up all kinds of little weed particles that got into my eyelashes and nose and mouth.
But I could understand the Captain’s feeling of satisfaction at seeing a nicely mown backyard. The dog enjoyed herself, running back and forth rather than weaving in and out of clumps of weeds.
Of course, now I’ve got a bit of hay fever and I’m a bit paranoid I won’t get all the grass out of my hair. But the backyard is mowed! That was my testosterone-induced good deed for the day.
Captain Caffeine has been on crutches—he tore his Achilles tendon, it’s not bad, but he’s unable to put weight on his foot just yet.
The backyard had become the Amazon jungle. The Captain hates it when the grass—or, more accurately, the weeds become too long.
I admit, I was not a good wife. I did not want to have to clear away the chairs and buckets from the yard. I didn’t want to unlock that nasty garden tools shed that’s infested with spiders. I didn’t want to maneuver the lawn mower out.
The Captain tried valiantly to mow, since the lawn mower is electric and rather sturdy and he can lean on it. However, I finally decided he wasn’t going to give up or come to his senses, so I took over for him.
It’s a lot like vacuuming the carpet, except that instead of my seek-and-destroy mission to suck up every stray piece of dog hair, I had to flatten and raze the foxtails that had taken over the yard.
It wasn’t hard, but that mower is noisy. And it kicks up all kinds of little weed particles that got into my eyelashes and nose and mouth.
But I could understand the Captain’s feeling of satisfaction at seeing a nicely mown backyard. The dog enjoyed herself, running back and forth rather than weaving in and out of clumps of weeds.
Of course, now I’ve got a bit of hay fever and I’m a bit paranoid I won’t get all the grass out of my hair. But the backyard is mowed! That was my testosterone-induced good deed for the day.
Comments
After 37 years of watching my Dad and numerous male friends mow my lawns I decided it was time I took on full independence and bought my first lawn mower. It's a lovely sense of achievement... worth a blog post for the both of us I think!!! Here's to girl power! :)
Camy
I'm still in awe that you avoided it for so many years.
I don't really like it. Mostly because of all the grass that got stuck in my hair!
Camy