Tonight, at 8:57 PM, Lazy Gnome drove her car into the garage for the very first time--an historical moment!!
To say it has been a long and rather tumultuous road is an understatement...and this post will be brief to focus on the positives! Now that the building is done and is all mine, and there is just niggly business stuff to look after, LG will probably feel better about summarizing the process and coming up with a "in retrospect" kind of lessons learned, sparing her readers the petulant--but justified!!--moans and groans (oh, the agony!) she has been through. But now, she is so happy she has the hiccups!!
Another reason to celebrate is that a very good friend had her third baby in the wee hours today--a shiny, bouncy baby boy. I don't know his name yet but that's okay...
LG should get some shut eye--her big adventure tomorrow is getting the car in for its winterization...smell any irony there? The first freezing cold spell is already upon us, and the car finally gets to sleep inside after two winters exposed--and NOW we are getting it ready for the season? Well, yes--and LG may buy winter tires: even the thought of the occasional trek to her office at the South Pole fills her with dread in good weather--this is craziness! And just in time--with the tires--as LG must drive on Monday in order to meet the furnace repair guy here...long story, and no doubt LG will bore you with it. Yes, there is heat; and yes, there are cats--let's just leave it at that for now!
LG is giving herself a Safeway-made salad, a cheap French wine and the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice tonight...we will see if it is any match to Colin Firth....sigh...
Friday, November 19, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Giving Thanks...and caution
Well, it has been quite a while since Lazy Gnome provided progress report on the garage and landscaping work in her yard...well, she has not only been lazy, but also working through some "issues"....Judging by the last post, LG is guessing that the stress started when the Store began making the errors in delivery...and, as the Garage Guy recently pointed out, each and every error or change delays things.
And so, here we are, October 11 and the garage is not finished. Well, it is nearly finished, but not yet. However, it is finished enough that the landscapers have begun their next phase of work. As it is so late in the year, only the grading and the paving stone pathways will be completed this year. The rest will await until Spring, which is also going to be easier on LG's wallet. (Given that the earth around the foundation was disrupted when the waterproofing happened, the landscaper recommended that it be allowed to settle, another reason to let things sit for a while.)
So, LG has some catching up to do, but will pace herself--and yourselves, dear readers--in providing the frustrating and embarassing details. LG has some concerns that providing a detailed history will cause her to re-live it, and wonders whether continual posting throughout the events would have been better therapy than the bottle that rests beside her now...beer: we might be moving up to gin very soon.
Well. For this first post after more than two months, let us just say this: the mind is a powerful thing and sometimes it really works against you! So, take control of it dear readers, lest you find yourself worried about being institutionalized. Coming out of the haze of stress and "depression" has been interesting; it has not all be caused by the garage, but it has been focused there as LG seems prone to blaming. So, for your enlightenment and hopefully in order that others may benefit from LG's recent experience, offered below is something that I truly hope you DO NOT identify with. Please consider it for its educational benefits, and watch for these signs in those you love:
"Top Four Ways to Tell if YOU are Stressed" [a.k.a., one bad week]:
4. You yell at a contractor working his butt off on your behalf to provide information you asked for and over which he has no control, resulting from a MAJOR change request you made at the last minute. Poor form.
3. Your eighty-four year-old mother has better short-term memory than you do. You phone her to apologize for forgetting to give her some left over turkey, while she is eating a sandwich made of said forgotten-given white meat.
2. You fork over $1700+ to the emergency veterinarian hospital after they treat your 3 and 1/2 year old, huge male cat for a urinary tract blockage usually caused by crystals; however, in your cat's case, the blockage is due to an inflammation which the vets suggest is caused by stress. But he's such a sensitive boy-cat--and you are therefore the stress carrier.
1. At the hair salon, while receiving a scalp and neck massage which is administered by a young man who is wearing more eye make-up than you have ever owned, you start to cry.
...and what you should do about it should this be your level of stress:
3. Practice avoiding the stress by thinking positively, not obsessing about what else can go wrong, appreciate what you have, and all that jazz. Today, Lazy Gnome addressed her Christmas cards while the plumber kept finding more "surprises" in the pipes under the kitchen sink. The strategy is to avoid the pressure of doing the cards in the third week of December when she will be tired of "Ho, Ho, HO!"; when they get mailed is another question.
2. Seek professional help--why is handling day to day stuff getting more difficult? This must be included in every list.
1. Self medicate with libation of choice. Use your imagination and feel free to share; readers and LG especially are interested in suggested new approaches for gin...
Someone famous said something like this:
How quiet the woods would be if only the birds that sang well, sang.
Lazy Gnome.
My wish is for you and your loved ones to have a really good Thanksgiving weekend!
Lazy Gnome...
And so, here we are, October 11 and the garage is not finished. Well, it is nearly finished, but not yet. However, it is finished enough that the landscapers have begun their next phase of work. As it is so late in the year, only the grading and the paving stone pathways will be completed this year. The rest will await until Spring, which is also going to be easier on LG's wallet. (Given that the earth around the foundation was disrupted when the waterproofing happened, the landscaper recommended that it be allowed to settle, another reason to let things sit for a while.)
So, LG has some catching up to do, but will pace herself--and yourselves, dear readers--in providing the frustrating and embarassing details. LG has some concerns that providing a detailed history will cause her to re-live it, and wonders whether continual posting throughout the events would have been better therapy than the bottle that rests beside her now...beer: we might be moving up to gin very soon.
Well. For this first post after more than two months, let us just say this: the mind is a powerful thing and sometimes it really works against you! So, take control of it dear readers, lest you find yourself worried about being institutionalized. Coming out of the haze of stress and "depression" has been interesting; it has not all be caused by the garage, but it has been focused there as LG seems prone to blaming. So, for your enlightenment and hopefully in order that others may benefit from LG's recent experience, offered below is something that I truly hope you DO NOT identify with. Please consider it for its educational benefits, and watch for these signs in those you love:
"Top Four Ways to Tell if YOU are Stressed" [a.k.a., one bad week]:
4. You yell at a contractor working his butt off on your behalf to provide information you asked for and over which he has no control, resulting from a MAJOR change request you made at the last minute. Poor form.
3. Your eighty-four year-old mother has better short-term memory than you do. You phone her to apologize for forgetting to give her some left over turkey, while she is eating a sandwich made of said forgotten-given white meat.
2. You fork over $1700+ to the emergency veterinarian hospital after they treat your 3 and 1/2 year old, huge male cat for a urinary tract blockage usually caused by crystals; however, in your cat's case, the blockage is due to an inflammation which the vets suggest is caused by stress. But he's such a sensitive boy-cat--and you are therefore the stress carrier.
1. At the hair salon, while receiving a scalp and neck massage which is administered by a young man who is wearing more eye make-up than you have ever owned, you start to cry.
...and what you should do about it should this be your level of stress:
3. Practice avoiding the stress by thinking positively, not obsessing about what else can go wrong, appreciate what you have, and all that jazz. Today, Lazy Gnome addressed her Christmas cards while the plumber kept finding more "surprises" in the pipes under the kitchen sink. The strategy is to avoid the pressure of doing the cards in the third week of December when she will be tired of "Ho, Ho, HO!"; when they get mailed is another question.
2. Seek professional help--why is handling day to day stuff getting more difficult? This must be included in every list.
1. Self medicate with libation of choice. Use your imagination and feel free to share; readers and LG especially are interested in suggested new approaches for gin...
Someone famous said something like this:
How quiet the woods would be if only the birds that sang well, sang.
Lazy Gnome.
My wish is for you and your loved ones to have a really good Thanksgiving weekend!
Lazy Gnome...
Thursday, August 5, 2010
D-Day: Delivery, part 1?
Well, Dear Reader: there it is! The parts and bits and pieces that will become my garage! And the Garage Guy has even started to put together some walls, which you can sort of see resting on top of the garage pad on the far left of the photo....it is very exciting!Lazy Gnome, who admittedly gets excited because she is not really all that big on surprises, sometimes finds projects a bit perplexing. For instance, although she spent many hours in person at the Store and even on the phone with the Store last week, there are a couple of mysteries about the Delivery. The minor one is this: LG was advised many, many times that the whole package comes at once, "except the car door which is delivered later/ on a separate truck" because it is often damaged. Even yesterday when LG was on the phone with the actual delivery division of the Store's organization, this is what she was told. So, upon her arrival home, she expected to find the door. Well, no: it comes a few days later and in fact sometimes you have to arrange for its arrival on a later date. Fairly significant distinction to the surprise-averse.
The second one is the biggie, however. The time spent in discussions with the Store was related to complications due to LG's changing of her mind on the siding. The complications seem to have arisen because she confirmed her siding on a different day, and paid for it all at once. Thus begat a second and separate invoice. Then, later, LG wanted to change the colour of the downspouts but the sample siding colour that she had chosen was no where to be found. So, LG changed to a less expensive siding in a colour they could produce for her at the time. Thus begat what is called a refund. However--well, to spare the reader the details, LG is still unable to have anyone of three of the Store's employees actually find a way to explain what happened to that refund. But, she has been reassured by senior sales staff that everything is in order with her order, and that all would be well. She neither owed money nor was owed money.
Okay; so, the purchaser has 24 hours to confirm the order has arrived....
Well, there ain't nothin' out there that looks like siding to LG.... and so, another round of discussions is what LG foresees for herself tomorrow. It is very unlikely that Garage Guy hid the siding somewhere or removed it from the property; after all, he left his battery charger plugged in outside.
The extra window is there, the name on the shingling looks like the one on the invoice....but, no siding.
The Store, which LG hopes she has left nameless to this point, has never had LG's business before. They appear to be prepared to deal with contractors, not actual people; certainly not people who have never done this type of thing before. They have all been exceedingly nice--that is not my concern (although one I trust not and would actively suggest anyone avoid)--however, there is a chasm between what they know about the business of ordering and construction and what their clients do; lots of room for improving customer service. Plus, the computer system and payment processes are archaic; perhaps they awaiting a systems upgrade, which would probably save their own staff a huge amount of heartache....
Anyway, as my neighbour said, "well, at least you've got lumber!"
And so, the lesson here: LG should look away from projects for that long desired serenity...
Progress!!
Yes, Lazy Gnome is very pleased that things are moving along in her backyard...and it involves none of her own sweat...
The upper photo shows the frame of the garage pad, as well as the road crush and rebar that form the underpinnings of the garage. The middle is the full shot of the poured pad with the frame removed.
It seems so high! Visually it is a bit of trick to realize how much soil and other materials were removed by the landscapers until you can find a point of reference. For instance, the bottom photo shows the back water valve, which is meant to be flush witht he top of the soil, sticks up about 8 inches.
Alas, the pad, as pretty and innocuous as it may seem, does reveal one of the main issues in a large project such as this: communication helps eliminate false assumptions. The garage guy and Lazy Gnome didn't talk details before this stage of the construction was undertaken--Lazy Gnome hasn't built a garage before and he didn't ask. As a result, the opening in the curb around the edge of the garage pad is not where Lazy Gnome's plan had it. It faces the house whereas LG wanted it on the side.
Plus, there is an issue behind the garage pad. LG did not include a driveway in the items for the garage guy to build so he said that he assumed she was putting in a road crush area and left a large area of rough concrete there as a base for that.
Well, now, Lazy Gnome has been planning for a new product that allows grass to grow through it but has enough support to drive over. It can be shovelled and the lawn can be cut--it's either a rubber or concrete type of lattice-work just below the surface or something. Well, that does NOT involve a concrete base, so that may be impossibly now. Argh.
Anyway, garage guy and landscapers have to talk....
But, today the supplier is to deliver the rest of the package, and when LG gets home from work, there might be signs of a structure reaching for the sky....!!
It is kind of exciting!! However, the rabbit in the bottom photo doesn't seem to appreciate the significance of all this...he's just happy to have some roots to nibble on....
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
And the Garage Begins!
The landscaper finished trucking away debris a week ago between bouts of rain. Now it's dry enough for the garage to begin. The photo shows the beginning of the forms--the frame into which the garage pad will be set. It is somewhat stalled because Lazy Gnome didn't think about what was happening enough to consider calling in One Call to mark the gas line, so the Garage Guy has done so and is going to wait to ensure he avoids an explosion. Yes, Edmonton has been the City of Exploding Houses this summer, and we don't need one here!!After the forms are finished, the road crush will be set down then the concrete will be poured. It is SO exciting to see something positive, something going up rather than being torn out.
However, we must return to the evils of water: more in the basement last week. Why? The Usual Suspects: Poor grading still. Eaves troughs are hosting wee trees. Possibly weeping tile full of sediment. Today's worries: drain/ re-do the weeping tile? Put up new eaves troughs? There's little point in fixing the grade if the downspouts aren't working!!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Wonders of water....
Well, dear readers: Lazy Gnome's frustration over the weather might soon turn to outright melancholy. She must be strong, and remember that water gives us and the world as we know it life, beauty and strength. As events this weekend in Newfoundland and Labradour have also reminded us, water is stronger than we are. At risk of getting partisan, LG would just remind everyone that water is a precious resource but far more than a commodity and that the pundants assume the next great war will be over it or because of it.
We cannot live without water. This much is true. Here are a couple other thoughts to ponder:
~"Water is life's mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water."~~ Albert von Szent-Gyorgyl (1893-1986)
~"Now I would give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground." ~~William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
~"The biologist passes, the frog remains." ~~Jean Rostand (1894-1977)
If you are terribly bored and frustrated over this weather and feeling creativity pent up inside you like cabin fever, feel free to write a 50 or 500 word essay, or a limerick or even a Haiku celebrating water or anything that comes to mind after reading the quotes, above. At the very least, guess which play the Bard's quote is from! (LG just finished reading a book that takes place in the late 1800's Japan which is full of images of balance and beauty, and all the strength and conflict it takes to create a moment of serenity. Highly recommended: The Teahouse Fire. Water figures prominently in the world of Japanese gardens and of course in the making of tea.)
Anyway, feel empowered to pen an ode to your basement flood or an elegy to the picnic that never was...or , if you are a Street Performer, well, you are allowed to just wail a bit.
Red Hot!
Well, nearly red hot, but large it's definitely not. Still, it's like a little miracle: with all this rain, and having been moved from the sun-drenched south side of the house to the shade-dappled West side to accommodate the landscaper guys, who would have guessed this wee tomato would be looking ready to pluck so soon!
Lazy Gnome bought this plant at the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market and plunked into this pot only about three weeks ago--and look!! LG feels like a real farmer! Well, maybe not so much but, it's a tiny step toward really local eating.
It's so cute, though, I can't really imagine eating it...oh, wait, yes I can!
Hope your garden is growing well; at least everyone will save on water charges this year, although we may bemoan the actual yield.
Cheers!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Work is progressing!!
Lazy Gnome is "happy" to say that this is the bottom photo is the view of the house from the alley as of this morning. Isn't it swell?
The Landscapers hauled away about 9 truckloads of concrete, earth, sod and green stuff yesterday alone. LG was surprised to see them here yesterday, and on Friday and on the day before that as there has been a lot of rain in River City this past week. One of the crew said that kind of work they were doing in my yard is about all they can do when it is this wet. He usually works in commercial rather than residential--putting boulevards into new developments, etc. LG realizes, too, that although she may be frustrated with weather-related delays, the companies also have to deal with the fact that they can't earn any money either.
The crew member also said that three years ago, some clients were waiting a whole season before their work could be done. Yikes!!
All this is to say that LG is less likely to be complaining about delays from now on--in part because the work has actually started and so there is some relief in that alone.
The top photo is the wooden walkway that the landscapers have provided to ensure LG has a way in and out of the house....it's a long way through mucky sludge without this gangplank, for sure!
When the crew was packing up to leave for the day, LG asked the crew lead if they found anything interesting in the yard as they were digging things up. "Nothing we can sell on e-Bay", he said.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Demolitionland....waterland
The landscaper demolition crew were here on Monday for about 2.5 hours. They managed to dig up pretty well all the cement in the back yard and the deck and pile it up into these lovely mounds before they left.
By then, it was raining hard. And it continued to rain hard all that night and much of the following evening. Parts of the yard are secure enough to walk on, cautiously, but some is still too slick to really get a secure footing. This is the second full day that they haven't returned, and Lazy Gnome is assuming they may not be here tomorrow, either.
Meanwhile, Monday night at 9:30 water was discovered in the basement. Not a huge amount and nothing appears to have been damaged, however, water is water and water in the basement is frightening. By some small miracle the garage guy showed up at the door Tuesday morning so LG showed him the situation in the basement. He believes based on consultation with his business partner that it is due to the grading and that once that is corrected it will not happen again. This is why we are going through this whole procedure, so it might be a huge sign from Mother Nature that we are doing the right thing and at the right time.
However, others have suggested having some magic composition injected into the wall at the point of the drip. This is worth checking out~~interjection: THUNDER! Surprise! So much for the sunshine which appears in the photo taken 15 minutes ago. This is reminiscent of the summer of 2004 when LG and her neighbours were trying to get fences built...hours spent hiding from the rain on the verandah, watching the water flow across the front of our properties and down the road...it was fascinating.
Back to the water in the basement: The most extreme possibility is that the weeping tile needs to be re-done. That is a huge intervention but should be entertained NOW given that the landscaping work is underway and why do everything up pretty just to dig it up again next year, say? Plus, it appears to LG that a poor backfilling job of the installation of the weeping tile originally is what has caused all the land around the foundation to slope toward the house.
Okay--more thunder: time to go close all the windows, again. Any drying the mud did today is now shot.
LG might crawl under the covers and hide...or, she might pull out the paint samples for the back entry and the back bedroom that she picked up although one should really select colours based on sunlight....
Or, she could wait in the basement for the first signs of more water.
Monday, July 12, 2010
...and now they have left
Well, the landscaper's demolition crew worked for a couple of hours in the rain, calling it quits around 6 PM. This is reasonable.
They piled up a montrous mountain of wood scraps that were once my deck, which sits in the shadow of the higher mountain of cement that was once the old garage pad, various sidewalks in the back and the patio underneath the old deck. Both piles are high a forboding, and awaiting ferrying away to a dump or recycle centre soon.
Lazy Gnome uses the word "ferry" purposefully: the torential rains out there now will force anyone trying to get near those piles tomorrow to use a boat, a special boat that floats and navigates through rivers and lakes of mud...no doubt over night the cement pile will glisten its cleanliness in the moonlight should the clouds clear, having been showered all these hours by loving Mother Nature. argh.
In short, every drop of rain that pummels down now melts away LG's waning optimism that this project will ever finish. There is no way they will be able to operate their wee bobcats in that gumbo in the morn...
They piled up a montrous mountain of wood scraps that were once my deck, which sits in the shadow of the higher mountain of cement that was once the old garage pad, various sidewalks in the back and the patio underneath the old deck. Both piles are high a forboding, and awaiting ferrying away to a dump or recycle centre soon.
Lazy Gnome uses the word "ferry" purposefully: the torential rains out there now will force anyone trying to get near those piles tomorrow to use a boat, a special boat that floats and navigates through rivers and lakes of mud...no doubt over night the cement pile will glisten its cleanliness in the moonlight should the clouds clear, having been showered all these hours by loving Mother Nature. argh.
In short, every drop of rain that pummels down now melts away LG's waning optimism that this project will ever finish. There is no way they will be able to operate their wee bobcats in that gumbo in the morn...
They're Here! They're Here!!
Yes, the landscaper's demolition crew are here...they started about 20 minutes ago and already the place looks, well, under demolition....it's exciting, a bit sad and very distracting at the same time.
Three guys and two wee bobcats, which surprises me. The sewer guys had a backhoe whick broke up the deck and old patio really easily; this is taking more work. And they are going to hurt their backs.
The first thing they did was drill some pointy attachment on the front of one bobcat through the hard surface of the gravel driveway right above the gas line. I freaked out a bit even though the drill-thing wasn't very long. Edmonton: City of Exploding Houses.
The house is rattling a bit, but that will be worse as they get closer to the house. The old deaf cat hasn't noticed, but the younger two are hiding or running about with their bumbs as close to the ground as possible.
So, I'm home on vacation and in part am happy to be in order to see some of this...perhaps this is not such a good idea. I might snap some pictures but do have other things to do.
More later....
Okay, the house is really rattling now...they must be breaking up the patio right by the backdoor...
Three guys and two wee bobcats, which surprises me. The sewer guys had a backhoe whick broke up the deck and old patio really easily; this is taking more work. And they are going to hurt their backs.
The first thing they did was drill some pointy attachment on the front of one bobcat through the hard surface of the gravel driveway right above the gas line. I freaked out a bit even though the drill-thing wasn't very long. Edmonton: City of Exploding Houses.
The house is rattling a bit, but that will be worse as they get closer to the house. The old deaf cat hasn't noticed, but the younger two are hiding or running about with their bumbs as close to the ground as possible.
So, I'm home on vacation and in part am happy to be in order to see some of this...perhaps this is not such a good idea. I might snap some pictures but do have other things to do.
More later....
Okay, the house is really rattling now...they must be breaking up the patio right by the backdoor...
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Thistle Forest: A Story of Clearcutting and Murphy's Law
As careful readers have concluded, Lazy Gnome prefers to lounge rather than to work in the garden. The whole idea of having the landscaping re-done was in large part intended to escape repeating long summer afternoons of pulling weeds in the back forty, an activity that only intensifies LG's dislike for yardwork.
During the period of waiting, it has become evident that LG cannot ignore scenes such as the Dark Thistle Forest on the excuse that the landscapers will take it away when they come. No, some of these plants are as high as LG's chin and are budding out, and it is not possible to claim ignorance of their existence.
With a sigh, LG commenced the planning of removing this patch and another where the carport once stood. However, ever the procrastinator, LG waited until the day after good rainfalls--of which there have been many this last month--which made it much easier to simply pull the evil green prickly things up, root and all. And the work did go relatively easily. Of course, LG did not try to do both sections at once; the work was spread over a week and, ever so nicely, Mother Nature cooperated. The forest in the photo was pulled down July 1--a little Canada Day project.
Now, while there are several honourable reasons for undertaking a project of this size and general icky-ness, LG had another motivation. LG's heritage, going way back, is Irish, and she bows to some of the supersititions common to that gene pool, and this case was no different. She even said to someone, "you know, no doubt as soon as I get all this thistle taken out and the place looking half-decent, the landscapers will probably show up!" LG applies this Murphy's Law type of logic a lot in her life. And, well, guess what: It WORKED!!
Yes, the very next day, the landscaper gave a date in the near future as the estimated date of starting the work--weather dependent, of course. (Note the hesitancy to mention this, and the refusal to provide the date: more superstition, of course, but you use what you got!!)
So, more news soon~~
Th wish is father to the thought. ~~ Derived from Shakespeare's Henry IV.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
J's Rose
Last summer, a friend donated several shrubs and perennials to Lazy Gnome's garden. She and her husband were having their own home demolished in order to build a green-conscious dream home, and so loves her garden she couldn't bear the thought that these plants would be trod upon and smashed in the process. LG was quite touched by this donation, and a bit overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for these newcomers.
To LG's surprise and delight, all of the donated plants have survived--even the potentilla. (LG is probably the only human alive who can, without intention to do so, kill potentilla: they grow in Wal-Mart parking lots for crying out loud, but LG has killed every single one she has planted, until the one that arrived in July 2009.)
This photo shows that even the dry-root rose bush made it through the winter, and even bloomed! This was taken June 26 and a few days later the petals were gone. It's hard to see any more buds forming, but the foliage shows it it still going strong. LG is grateful to J for the donation, and promises to look after it through the landscaping project -- the rose garden is out of scope for the landscape work.
~~
Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result. ~~ Oscar Wilde
All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure. ~~Mark Twain
Success is relative:
It is what we can make of the mess we have made of things. ~~ T. S. Eliot
Persian Yellow Rose...sign of hope!
This shrub makes LG very happy. It is the same as one planted in the last house, which was a mound of yellow for a few weeks, but sadly, it did not return the following year. LG was very happy to have found it again last fall in time for planting. LG had thought it was a hardy shrub, but a worker at a garden centre told her the Persian Yellow is a climbing rose.LG would be very, very happy if this week rose could be safely lifted, placed in a pot, saved and then replanted once the landscaping work is done. She has visions of it climbing up and over an archway at the entrance to the backyard, its yellow blooms forming a welcoming frame to the garden beyond...who is going to dig it up, care for it, re-plant it, erect the archway, train the branches, etc., etc., is any body's guess...the very thought of all that effort gives LG hives.
But, then, perhaps she will muster the inner resources for this lovely Persian Yellow...
~~
My life has crept so long on a broken wing
Through cells of madness, haunts of horror and fear,
That I come to be grateful at lasts for a little thing.
~~Lord Alfred Tennyson, Maud
Pointer
This guy and his buddies are constant reminders that we are all wild, deep down! He paused long enough for the photo, but LG sees here in the photo, thanks to Mr Squirrel's pose, that there really is quite a chunk missing from the corner of the foundation...sigh. Is this important, readers?
Push Mowers are Heaven!
Lazy Gnome loves her lawn mower. Now, she doesn’t often get all excited about a tool, let alone a gardening tool because being a tool, by definition, it represents work. And, as we know, Lazy Gnome is all about not doing work. However, if a tool can make a necessary chore more pleasant, that is a good thing[*].
This particular lawn mower is a Gardena 380C, a lovely wee push mower. It is LG’s first push mower but not her first tool for cutting the lawn.
This is push mower has so many advantages over the electric or gas-powered alternatives. First, it is quiet so you can safely cut the lawn without worrying about ruining your neighbour’s attempts at entertaining. Second, it is very light making it easy to manoeuvre and in LG’s case, take up and down the stairs as it currently lives in the basement. Thirdly, there are hardly any moving parts and what there are, you can see all at once—no mysteries! Fourth: no bagging. Okay, this is a choice but given the operation of this mower, bagging is not a necessity for safety because the blades can’t get moving fast enough to fling projectiles into anyone’s eyes. And no doubt there are other ways to sign its praises.
Others may find they prefer the power and likely increased speed of the actual mowing action of an electric or gas powered mower. However, the Gardena 380C involves no usage of electricity (so no charging or power cords to deal with) or messing around with gas. (LG’s last mower was a 2-stroke engine that involved mixing oil into the gas. Yikes and yucky!!)
While the push mower is very light to use, a person can still get a bit of a work out taking it around the yard. All the energy in its operation is from the energy burned by the user. And burning calories really is the only redeeming reason to sweat. Sweat = less guilt while drinking Mojitos. This is important: LG’s weekly usage of the 2-stroke monster drove her to drink. She would take an entire evening to do the lawn—to start, it was 45 minutes of edging by dragging two 30-feet electrical cords around tree trunks, under shrubs and around the corner property to operate a $2.00 garage sale weed whacker before she could even pull the mower out. And the bagging—the endless hoisting of the mower bag over her shoulder to carry it over to the contraption set up to ease the operation of dumping the clippings into the black garbage bag, so pleasant a task in itself. Then, every night after all this, she had a beer. Once week all summer over 10 years can build a bad habit: Pavlov would have been proud. It got to the point where even the smell of freshly cut lawn would trigger the beer reflex.
So, here at the “new” house, LG has been fighting that impulse so far with some success. Given that one tactic is to divide the lawn care over several days or evenings, this is a good fight because that could mean a beer every day at this pace!! So, LG owes even her current sobriety to the Gardena 380C...
*Unfortunately, there are some who disagree with LG’s understanding of pleasant activity in relation to cutting the lawn. For instance, the June 2010 issue of Family History Monthly magazine has an essay called “Products that Changed the World: Turf Trimmers” about the evolution of contraptions meant to address a fad that arose from the 1700’s, in which “[a] well-cultivated lawn became a status symbol.” They conclude with this: “With their manpowered equipment, our ancestors found lawn mowing a heavy, tiresome chore. Today, the task has been greatly improved with lightweight, electric-powered hover or petrol-driven machines. Thank goodness for progress and the development of these grass-guillotining gadgets!” Well, they are entitled to their opinion. However, it might be pointed out that the alliteration in the final phrase packs extra punch as the opening paragraph blames the initial fashion for formal lawns on the French...a-hem.
~~~
A bad workman blames his tools~~ Proverb
A bad excuse is better than none~~Another Proverb
This particular lawn mower is a Gardena 380C, a lovely wee push mower. It is LG’s first push mower but not her first tool for cutting the lawn.
This is push mower has so many advantages over the electric or gas-powered alternatives. First, it is quiet so you can safely cut the lawn without worrying about ruining your neighbour’s attempts at entertaining. Second, it is very light making it easy to manoeuvre and in LG’s case, take up and down the stairs as it currently lives in the basement. Thirdly, there are hardly any moving parts and what there are, you can see all at once—no mysteries! Fourth: no bagging. Okay, this is a choice but given the operation of this mower, bagging is not a necessity for safety because the blades can’t get moving fast enough to fling projectiles into anyone’s eyes. And no doubt there are other ways to sign its praises.
Others may find they prefer the power and likely increased speed of the actual mowing action of an electric or gas powered mower. However, the Gardena 380C involves no usage of electricity (so no charging or power cords to deal with) or messing around with gas. (LG’s last mower was a 2-stroke engine that involved mixing oil into the gas. Yikes and yucky!!)
While the push mower is very light to use, a person can still get a bit of a work out taking it around the yard. All the energy in its operation is from the energy burned by the user. And burning calories really is the only redeeming reason to sweat. Sweat = less guilt while drinking Mojitos. This is important: LG’s weekly usage of the 2-stroke monster drove her to drink. She would take an entire evening to do the lawn—to start, it was 45 minutes of edging by dragging two 30-feet electrical cords around tree trunks, under shrubs and around the corner property to operate a $2.00 garage sale weed whacker before she could even pull the mower out. And the bagging—the endless hoisting of the mower bag over her shoulder to carry it over to the contraption set up to ease the operation of dumping the clippings into the black garbage bag, so pleasant a task in itself. Then, every night after all this, she had a beer. Once week all summer over 10 years can build a bad habit: Pavlov would have been proud. It got to the point where even the smell of freshly cut lawn would trigger the beer reflex.
So, here at the “new” house, LG has been fighting that impulse so far with some success. Given that one tactic is to divide the lawn care over several days or evenings, this is a good fight because that could mean a beer every day at this pace!! So, LG owes even her current sobriety to the Gardena 380C...
*Unfortunately, there are some who disagree with LG’s understanding of pleasant activity in relation to cutting the lawn. For instance, the June 2010 issue of Family History Monthly magazine has an essay called “Products that Changed the World: Turf Trimmers” about the evolution of contraptions meant to address a fad that arose from the 1700’s, in which “[a] well-cultivated lawn became a status symbol.” They conclude with this: “With their manpowered equipment, our ancestors found lawn mowing a heavy, tiresome chore. Today, the task has been greatly improved with lightweight, electric-powered hover or petrol-driven machines. Thank goodness for progress and the development of these grass-guillotining gadgets!” Well, they are entitled to their opinion. However, it might be pointed out that the alliteration in the final phrase packs extra punch as the opening paragraph blames the initial fashion for formal lawns on the French...a-hem.
~~~
A bad workman blames his tools~~ Proverb
A bad excuse is better than none~~Another Proverb
Thoughts of Greece....yum!
Okay, not exactly gardening! However, Lazy Gnome has had a fantastic day by her own standards: shopping at the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market buying veggies and meats[*] from local producers (her latest thing); more shopping at another, new grocery store in hopes it would be a breath of fresh air and would, just maybe, focus on local producers--no such luck but at least they sell bus passes; more shopping yet at one of the humongous chains (okay; managed to buy the rest of what was needed); clothes shopping at a local consignment store and managed to buy something like 6 or more pieces for less than $100 including a suit for work(!?); and then visits with neighbours new and those who have moved on; and then naps! Two naps!!
Lastly, and what brings us to the name of this post, LG tried a recipe from a magazine purchased at a liquor store: Santorini Salad. Hmm...yummy! The salad included the requisite feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, and so on, with a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Although Lg is not a big fan of raw red onion, she included it, and to her amazement, the acidy yuckiness of the red onion seemed neutralized when she had at least one caper in her mouth. She tried this magic combination again, and again, and in fact had to eat half the salad--to prove her theory and therefore make it publishable in this fine medium--but it worked, every time! Wow!
The angle of the article was about the lowly caper, and LG must recommend it to you. The magazine is called "Tidings" and was provided as a promotion when LG made a purchase some weeks ago at Vinomania on Jasper[**]. (The magazine is free there because the store's owner, Mr Gurvinder Bhatia is a contributing editor to the magazine.)
Of course, the magazine recommended a particular Greek wine to go with the salad...perhaps still scarred by that nation's various alcohols during her soujourn to Greece 20+ years ago, LG is unable to string the words "Greek wine" and "good" together in a positive sentence...Instead, LG opened a Spanish red (of course) and found it to be quite pleasant...but, then, she also used Spanish capers where the recipe called for Greek...
Needless to say, LG is hardly a foodie, but she highly recommends this salad--plus, it is easy!! No doubt real foodies have known this secreat all along...but, hey--it is worth sharing.
* "Meats" including chicken sausage, pork sausage, ground beef and pork cutlets. Yes, for those aware that LG had been off things with legs, feathers or fins, that phase is, well, phasing out...
** http://www.vinomaniawines.com/
~~~
"Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise." ~~Alice Walker
Lastly, and what brings us to the name of this post, LG tried a recipe from a magazine purchased at a liquor store: Santorini Salad. Hmm...yummy! The salad included the requisite feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, and so on, with a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Although Lg is not a big fan of raw red onion, she included it, and to her amazement, the acidy yuckiness of the red onion seemed neutralized when she had at least one caper in her mouth. She tried this magic combination again, and again, and in fact had to eat half the salad--to prove her theory and therefore make it publishable in this fine medium--but it worked, every time! Wow!
The angle of the article was about the lowly caper, and LG must recommend it to you. The magazine is called "Tidings" and was provided as a promotion when LG made a purchase some weeks ago at Vinomania on Jasper[**]. (The magazine is free there because the store's owner, Mr Gurvinder Bhatia is a contributing editor to the magazine.)
Of course, the magazine recommended a particular Greek wine to go with the salad...perhaps still scarred by that nation's various alcohols during her soujourn to Greece 20+ years ago, LG is unable to string the words "Greek wine" and "good" together in a positive sentence...Instead, LG opened a Spanish red (of course) and found it to be quite pleasant...but, then, she also used Spanish capers where the recipe called for Greek...
Needless to say, LG is hardly a foodie, but she highly recommends this salad--plus, it is easy!! No doubt real foodies have known this secreat all along...but, hey--it is worth sharing.
* "Meats" including chicken sausage, pork sausage, ground beef and pork cutlets. Yes, for those aware that LG had been off things with legs, feathers or fins, that phase is, well, phasing out...
** http://www.vinomaniawines.com/
~~~
"Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise." ~~Alice Walker
Monday, June 14, 2010
Dear Reader: do you exist? No matter: Lazy Gnome has lived up to the name recently and if any readers have given up, they cannot be blamed. So, here goes...
The rain gods have blessed our corner of the world lately--often. So much, in fact, there are reports from the agricultural industry that should the rain gods continue their generosity beyond that of the sun gods, getting the crops seeded on time for harvest may not be possible.
And so, these farmers wait. Not much they can do until somthing happenes to signify they can stop wiating and start acting. Lazy Gnome has this in common with those farmers: waiting. Unfortunately, Lazy Gnome finds herself with LOTS to do while waiting. Lots to do that she thought she would be able to defer or avoid throughout the summer, perhaps until the Autumn. LG is unable to convince herself to pull quack grass from amongst daylilies that could be mowed up and sent to compost in a week, ignoring the half acre of quickly sprouting thistle, and simply cannot be bothered to properly edge the lawn that will be torn up soon...it will be soon, right? The snarled upper lip of alley-way dog walkers is getting under LG's skin, conscious as she is that the "view" ain't exactly a vista of beauty for her neighbours...
LG has been waiting since mid-April for part one of The Project: the removal of the crap currently masquerading as lawn and landscaping. In late May, the landscaper advised that LG's name was getting to the top of the list. Even then, LG was somewhat perplexed, having assumed that things could start any time as she is ready and rarin' to go! But, the landscaper's note clearly referenced "all this horrible weather!"
Really?
Has it been all that bad? Certainly not in April. Yes, there were those couple of unseasonable bouts of snow, but in LG's (albeit poor) memory, it has been cool more than wet, and even after the rain the ground seems to dry out quickly enough.
But, if farmers can't sow, it stands to reason the landscaper is stalled, too...right?
So, we wait, LG and the farmers...
What may be done at any time will be done at no time.~~Scottish Proverb
Nothing really belongs to us but time, which even he has who has nothing else. ~~Baltasar Gracian
The butterfly counts not months but moments, And has time enough. ~~Rabindranath Tagore
Punctuality is the thief of time. ~~Oscar Wilde
The rain gods have blessed our corner of the world lately--often. So much, in fact, there are reports from the agricultural industry that should the rain gods continue their generosity beyond that of the sun gods, getting the crops seeded on time for harvest may not be possible.
And so, these farmers wait. Not much they can do until somthing happenes to signify they can stop wiating and start acting. Lazy Gnome has this in common with those farmers: waiting. Unfortunately, Lazy Gnome finds herself with LOTS to do while waiting. Lots to do that she thought she would be able to defer or avoid throughout the summer, perhaps until the Autumn. LG is unable to convince herself to pull quack grass from amongst daylilies that could be mowed up and sent to compost in a week, ignoring the half acre of quickly sprouting thistle, and simply cannot be bothered to properly edge the lawn that will be torn up soon...it will be soon, right? The snarled upper lip of alley-way dog walkers is getting under LG's skin, conscious as she is that the "view" ain't exactly a vista of beauty for her neighbours...
LG has been waiting since mid-April for part one of The Project: the removal of the crap currently masquerading as lawn and landscaping. In late May, the landscaper advised that LG's name was getting to the top of the list. Even then, LG was somewhat perplexed, having assumed that things could start any time as she is ready and rarin' to go! But, the landscaper's note clearly referenced "all this horrible weather!"
Really?
Has it been all that bad? Certainly not in April. Yes, there were those couple of unseasonable bouts of snow, but in LG's (albeit poor) memory, it has been cool more than wet, and even after the rain the ground seems to dry out quickly enough.
But, if farmers can't sow, it stands to reason the landscaper is stalled, too...right?
So, we wait, LG and the farmers...
What may be done at any time will be done at no time.~~Scottish Proverb
Nothing really belongs to us but time, which even he has who has nothing else. ~~Baltasar Gracian
The butterfly counts not months but moments, And has time enough. ~~Rabindranath Tagore
Punctuality is the thief of time. ~~Oscar Wilde
Sunday, May 30, 2010
May Long Weekend: Bedding Out and Hardening Off
Apologizing for missing a couple of weekends, Lazy Gnome has been distracted by other things—there is more to life than obsessing about one’s landscaping—such as her elderly mother moving to the city where she knows no one, a friend recently diagnosed with cancer who is scheduled for surgery in 10 days, and so on.
Rant about the weather? Easily; however, that has been done more elegantly by others. But I am curious about one thing. There are, apparently, places on this planet (possibly even in Canada) where a person can have seasonal wardrobes. By this is meant that after a certain date is passed on the calendar, a person is safe to store away all their woollen sweaters and scarves and mitts, secure in the knowledge these items will not be required until, oh, another certain date on the calendar is passed. Perhaps this ritual is only an urban myth or the place exists only in fairy tales? Or, perhaps what we need in our homes is one of those conveyer-type clothes racks used at the drycleaners which could be synchronized with the Environment Canada website to automatically select the perfect combination of garments for us. Here, in Edmonton, in the season we ought to call “sprinter”, that could be a fetching matched set of Himalaya-worthy fleece, rubber galoshes and a sunhat to get us through the day.
Lazy Gnome appreciates the chilly weather, sort of. First, you have to work really, really hard to break a sweat when it is only 7.5C; therefore, there has been no need to carry a fancy hanky to dab one’s brow whence puttering outside recently. Also, when the weather is unbecoming as it is anytime there are particulates falling from the heavens—be they clear and soothing or white and sticky—there is ample justification not cut the lawn. Lovely.
Against her better judgement, LG did go to a Garden Centre on the Saturday of the May long weekend. She had her reasons. First, she rather thought that given the wet and cool weather that day, and the early hour, the crowds would not be too bad. That proved correct. Also, that particular Garden Centre had been recommended as a place to look for pet memorials. That proved correct, too. While other centres may have similar markers, she was quite happy at having driven many, many miles to purchase the stepping stone at that particular centre.
Oddly, she observed that there were scads of staff milling about, each of whom could not have been more friendly or helpful. More staff than customers in some areas it seemed. However, one of them slyly obtained a cart for LG who must have looked a sight trying to balance her overstuffed tray of items on her arm. Bad move, agreeing to a cart....LG found herself almost convincing herself that she should just buy another large, decorative pot so she could buy more annuals to fill it. Luckily, common sense prevailed. As it was, she spent more than she planned and will blame it all on the cart.
At the checkout, the friendly and helpful staff members said, “and be sure not to leave those flowers outside over night yet—with all this cool weather in the forecast for the next few days...” LG nearly rebuffed her. Surely, the worst of the weather is behind us—after all, it is the May long weekend and a late one at that! But what actually miffed LG was the insinuation that it was the May long weekend and the Garden Centre seemed to be confessing that it hadn’t bothered to harden off its annuals yet!
But, LG opted not to ask for clarification, and simply said,“thanks for mentioning that.”
Now, part of the reason LG did not challenge the comment is this. The previous weekend at a different home and garden store, she asked a gentleman who was watering the plants, “have these been hardened off?” He was speechless. Hmm. Is this usage of hers an example of Olde English, perhaps? A gardening store employee who hasn’t learned the lingo? Or has LG just brought with her the garden-speak of her native land to the south? The latter is quite possible given the debate she had with another gardener some years ago: are they “bedding plants” or “bedding out plants”?
Rant about the weather? Easily; however, that has been done more elegantly by others. But I am curious about one thing. There are, apparently, places on this planet (possibly even in Canada) where a person can have seasonal wardrobes. By this is meant that after a certain date is passed on the calendar, a person is safe to store away all their woollen sweaters and scarves and mitts, secure in the knowledge these items will not be required until, oh, another certain date on the calendar is passed. Perhaps this ritual is only an urban myth or the place exists only in fairy tales? Or, perhaps what we need in our homes is one of those conveyer-type clothes racks used at the drycleaners which could be synchronized with the Environment Canada website to automatically select the perfect combination of garments for us. Here, in Edmonton, in the season we ought to call “sprinter”, that could be a fetching matched set of Himalaya-worthy fleece, rubber galoshes and a sunhat to get us through the day.
Lazy Gnome appreciates the chilly weather, sort of. First, you have to work really, really hard to break a sweat when it is only 7.5C; therefore, there has been no need to carry a fancy hanky to dab one’s brow whence puttering outside recently. Also, when the weather is unbecoming as it is anytime there are particulates falling from the heavens—be they clear and soothing or white and sticky—there is ample justification not cut the lawn. Lovely.
Against her better judgement, LG did go to a Garden Centre on the Saturday of the May long weekend. She had her reasons. First, she rather thought that given the wet and cool weather that day, and the early hour, the crowds would not be too bad. That proved correct. Also, that particular Garden Centre had been recommended as a place to look for pet memorials. That proved correct, too. While other centres may have similar markers, she was quite happy at having driven many, many miles to purchase the stepping stone at that particular centre.
Oddly, she observed that there were scads of staff milling about, each of whom could not have been more friendly or helpful. More staff than customers in some areas it seemed. However, one of them slyly obtained a cart for LG who must have looked a sight trying to balance her overstuffed tray of items on her arm. Bad move, agreeing to a cart....LG found herself almost convincing herself that she should just buy another large, decorative pot so she could buy more annuals to fill it. Luckily, common sense prevailed. As it was, she spent more than she planned and will blame it all on the cart.
At the checkout, the friendly and helpful staff members said, “and be sure not to leave those flowers outside over night yet—with all this cool weather in the forecast for the next few days...” LG nearly rebuffed her. Surely, the worst of the weather is behind us—after all, it is the May long weekend and a late one at that! But what actually miffed LG was the insinuation that it was the May long weekend and the Garden Centre seemed to be confessing that it hadn’t bothered to harden off its annuals yet!
But, LG opted not to ask for clarification, and simply said,“thanks for mentioning that.”
Now, part of the reason LG did not challenge the comment is this. The previous weekend at a different home and garden store, she asked a gentleman who was watering the plants, “have these been hardened off?” He was speechless. Hmm. Is this usage of hers an example of Olde English, perhaps? A gardening store employee who hasn’t learned the lingo? Or has LG just brought with her the garden-speak of her native land to the south? The latter is quite possible given the debate she had with another gardener some years ago: are they “bedding plants” or “bedding out plants”?
Friday, May 14, 2010
Sewer Saga Part 1
Lazy Gnome panicked: the grade slopes toward the foundation along the entire perimeter of the house. So, last fall, in preparation for some quick repair work, Lazy Gnome called Alberta One-Call to mark the underground utilities. Lesson #1: Alberta One-Call is no longer “one call”. They will locate and mark underground gas and electrical at no cost, but won’t even look for water lines. So, advice for them: time to re-brand!
A plumbing company eventually located their locator device and their staff member who knows how to use it. He located the waterline, which is done by scoping the sewer because the waterline is always beside the sewer. Well, the scoping is interesting as the camera feeds a picture of your sanitary line which you can see through the viewer. It’s a bit like a ride at the carnival because the camera doesn’t stay right side up, so your view is continually spinning around. After he located the water and sewer line, he marked it and wouldn’t you know it: it goes diagonally across the back yard! Couldn’t be any longer if someone planned it. Then, pointing at the video screen movie of my sewer, he almost giggled: “See how the camera keeps hitting those bumps—your clay tile sewer line is collapsing! Your sewer is collapsing!”
Good to know it is clay tile: in the early 1950’s the city was experimenting with a cardboard-like application for sewer lines....no doubt a major technological advance of the times. However, the collapsing diagnosis is not good news. So, plumber-dude, having frightened Lazy Gnome, offered to return the following day with his buddy, sewer-dude, to do another video and prepare an estimate. Reluctant but worried, Lazy Gnome agreed.
Well, there was evidence that he was at the house, but Lazy Gnome did not hear back from plumber-dude or his company (other than the invoice) or from his sewer buddy. Ever.
Given that plumber-dude had bemoaned the recession and the number of staff his company had to lay off (except the bad apples), and the fact that Lazy Gnome had never had any problem with the sewer, suspicions grew.
Having previously experienced plumbers claiming a sewer needed replacing at a different house (that particular company’s problem was really its complete inability to install a functional toilet), Lazy Gnome had other resources. The City of Edmonton will scope your sewer, for free, any day of the week. It is a great service; Lazy Gnome recommends it if for nothing other than their unbiased verification. (Plus, if the property had had previous problems reported to the City, they will tell you.)
So, two nice City employees came by one lovely Sunday afternoon in September. Their scope and subsequent analysis was this: no, the sewer is NOT collapsing; but yes, there are roots in the sewer which require cleaning out—SOON. But, again, the City will also do that for you, at a fixed cost, any day of the week.
However, of course, more plumbing work was required before the roots could be cleaned out...more in Sewer Saga Part 2
To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.~~Confucius
A plumbing company eventually located their locator device and their staff member who knows how to use it. He located the waterline, which is done by scoping the sewer because the waterline is always beside the sewer. Well, the scoping is interesting as the camera feeds a picture of your sanitary line which you can see through the viewer. It’s a bit like a ride at the carnival because the camera doesn’t stay right side up, so your view is continually spinning around. After he located the water and sewer line, he marked it and wouldn’t you know it: it goes diagonally across the back yard! Couldn’t be any longer if someone planned it. Then, pointing at the video screen movie of my sewer, he almost giggled: “See how the camera keeps hitting those bumps—your clay tile sewer line is collapsing! Your sewer is collapsing!”
Good to know it is clay tile: in the early 1950’s the city was experimenting with a cardboard-like application for sewer lines....no doubt a major technological advance of the times. However, the collapsing diagnosis is not good news. So, plumber-dude, having frightened Lazy Gnome, offered to return the following day with his buddy, sewer-dude, to do another video and prepare an estimate. Reluctant but worried, Lazy Gnome agreed.
Well, there was evidence that he was at the house, but Lazy Gnome did not hear back from plumber-dude or his company (other than the invoice) or from his sewer buddy. Ever.
Given that plumber-dude had bemoaned the recession and the number of staff his company had to lay off (except the bad apples), and the fact that Lazy Gnome had never had any problem with the sewer, suspicions grew.
Having previously experienced plumbers claiming a sewer needed replacing at a different house (that particular company’s problem was really its complete inability to install a functional toilet), Lazy Gnome had other resources. The City of Edmonton will scope your sewer, for free, any day of the week. It is a great service; Lazy Gnome recommends it if for nothing other than their unbiased verification. (Plus, if the property had had previous problems reported to the City, they will tell you.)
So, two nice City employees came by one lovely Sunday afternoon in September. Their scope and subsequent analysis was this: no, the sewer is NOT collapsing; but yes, there are roots in the sewer which require cleaning out—SOON. But, again, the City will also do that for you, at a fixed cost, any day of the week.
However, of course, more plumbing work was required before the roots could be cleaned out...more in Sewer Saga Part 2
To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.~~Confucius
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Tulips, May 4, 2010
Not much to say--those who lived through the unusual spring storm on May 4 remember it and will hopefully forget it soon. It's not unusual to have a spring storm; it's unusual for to be as cold as it was, and for the snow to last longer than a day...but Lazy Gnome is eternally optimistic that it was the last for this season, hoping against hope that the Vitoria Day Long weekend--which is REALLY late this year--won't bring more heavy white stuff to dampen our moods....Yes, that is the same tulip as the photo in the last post, and you can just make out the one ear of the cast iron bunny--who probably needs a name, right?--behind.
The post is going up on May 9--and things are okay again in the garden weather-wise. The moisture has helped green things up...and the grass needs cutting!! Why is it that in the world of gardening, good news always brings more work!?
Oh--Happy Mother's Day to you, your mother and everyone in your life who is like a mother to you...and of course, to Mother Nature! It's a beautiful day to step out, breathe deeply and thank Her for providing the beauty and joy of the flora and fauna around us, and to pledge to harm that as little as possible in our time on the planet...
First tulips! May 2, 2010
It's spring in Edmonton, and Lazy Gnome loves the refreshing first flowers from bulbs planted in the fall...Lazy Gnome of course loves these because there is virtually no work this early in the year: you just dig a wee hole, through them in and Mother Nature kindly nurtures them over the winter--the hardes part is making sure they are in right-side up. The miracle is the urge within the bulbs that drives these shoots to surge upward, reminding us there is life over the long, dark winters, even if we hide inside rubbing our hands together for warmth. It is amazing these things can survive! No doubt there is a history of these little bundles of happiness...It seems to Lazy Gnome that we had an early and mild spring this year, with little to no precipitation of any kind after Christmas...the first red tips of these tulips were noticed April 1 and given the warm temperatures in April (26C+ one day!!) they may have bloomed earlier if there had been any rain. Another amazing fact about these particular tulips here by the cast iron bunny, is that they were rudely and abruptly re-located on Sewer Day....but that story is still to come. And, yes, that is a weed....argh!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Welcome!
May 1, 2010
This summer—hopefully this spring!—my yard will transform from neglected urban plot to low-maintenance, drought-resistant, mature neighbourhood paradise!
Well, maybe “paradise” is pushing it...but, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Lazy Gnome finds beauty in any gardening activities that do not require elevating heart rate or sweating. All Lazy Gnome wants to do all summer is sit outside and read, preferably with a coffee or a mojito...
History: a year ago Lazy Gnome purchased a 65-year old house in a mature neighbour of Edmonton, Alberta. While viewing the property, Lazy Gnome was seduced by thoughts that being so close to downtown, the large yard, with nary a tree or back fence had “lots of potential”. Yes, in the years between now and retirement, I could putter around and magically create a charming city retreat.
But my inner Lazy Gnome was screaming out: “Condos! I thought we wanted a condo!! Run—get thee to the condos! There isn’t even a garage to keep the snow shovel—AAK!! SNOW SHOVELLLING?!”
But, perhaps won over by nostalgia for by-gone days--largely imaginary--of lounging on a lawn chair, or evenings entertaining on the veranda of a different house, the choice was made, and the large lot was purchased...
I tried to convince Lazy Gnome that yard work could be meditative, pleasant and enriching. However, such a Zen—like love of yard work was only a simple a matter of attitude’s triumph over effort when one had not much to do anyway and reaching for the mojito rather than the rake wasn't a sign of moral depravity. Friends--garden loving friends even--were aghast that I pulled weeds after work on a Friday. So the quack grass choked out the snow-in-summer in the south facing flower bed? Everything has the right to live, and besides, who wants to spend all afternoon pulling it out. Peonies sprouting in the middle of the “lawn”? But you love peonies—they’re so cute out there!
A rare lovely Saturday afternoon wasted in trying to pull thistle, perennial dandelions and Manitoba maple suckers (from where!?) was the last straw: looking into the future, Lazy Gnome could only see this pathetic "meditative exercise" repeated weekly, and forever unless drastic measures were taken, and decided that a yard make-over was required. This will be necessary for the sake of the house, the neighbours, and the enjoyment of those years leading up to retirement...
Surveying the property more critically, Lazy Gnome admitted a few other things. The grade slopes toward the house in a four-foot band around the three visible sides of the house. The ancient deck’s exposed nails and loose boards are a safety hazard for residents and guests. No trees means no privacy: the chain link fence doesn’t block sightinghsof neighbours and their stuff (and theirs of you and yours), sounds, animals. The slope of the grade between the house and the alley funnels to a central low point, deep enough to create a spring melt-fed river between the back door and the garage pad.
Yes, the garage pad—a garage is necessary. However, due to the slope and drainage issues, the entire grade needs to be done first.
Reluctantly, Lazy Gnome acknowledged the fantasized puttering would never result in a garden paradise. I succumbed to Lazy Gnome's argument that this is too big of a problem to handle alone: I forced Lazy Gnome to "do it yourself" a landscaping project a few years ago...it was not good. Ergo, professionals would have to be engaged, and so the planning began.
The first step involved discovering where the underground utilities are found, and so a call to Alberta One Call was made. But, Alberta One Call is no longer “one call”. They no longer locate water lines, so it is necessary to have someone such as a plumber locate and mark the water lines.
Which, of course, lead to the Sewer Saga. But, that is a story for another time.
This blog will follow the events of the re-landscaping, partly because Lazy Gnome anticipates feeling somewhat guilty that there will be little yard work for her to do in 2010 and she would like to contribute something to the efforts of other hard working, earnest gardeners' efforts, even if it is only bland entertainment.
Today’s motto: In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd. Miguel de Cervantes
This summer—hopefully this spring!—my yard will transform from neglected urban plot to low-maintenance, drought-resistant, mature neighbourhood paradise!
Well, maybe “paradise” is pushing it...but, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Lazy Gnome finds beauty in any gardening activities that do not require elevating heart rate or sweating. All Lazy Gnome wants to do all summer is sit outside and read, preferably with a coffee or a mojito...
History: a year ago Lazy Gnome purchased a 65-year old house in a mature neighbour of Edmonton, Alberta. While viewing the property, Lazy Gnome was seduced by thoughts that being so close to downtown, the large yard, with nary a tree or back fence had “lots of potential”. Yes, in the years between now and retirement, I could putter around and magically create a charming city retreat.
But my inner Lazy Gnome was screaming out: “Condos! I thought we wanted a condo!! Run—get thee to the condos! There isn’t even a garage to keep the snow shovel—AAK!! SNOW SHOVELLLING?!”
But, perhaps won over by nostalgia for by-gone days--largely imaginary--of lounging on a lawn chair, or evenings entertaining on the veranda of a different house, the choice was made, and the large lot was purchased...
I tried to convince Lazy Gnome that yard work could be meditative, pleasant and enriching. However, such a Zen—like love of yard work was only a simple a matter of attitude’s triumph over effort when one had not much to do anyway and reaching for the mojito rather than the rake wasn't a sign of moral depravity. Friends--garden loving friends even--were aghast that I pulled weeds after work on a Friday. So the quack grass choked out the snow-in-summer in the south facing flower bed? Everything has the right to live, and besides, who wants to spend all afternoon pulling it out. Peonies sprouting in the middle of the “lawn”? But you love peonies—they’re so cute out there!
A rare lovely Saturday afternoon wasted in trying to pull thistle, perennial dandelions and Manitoba maple suckers (from where!?) was the last straw: looking into the future, Lazy Gnome could only see this pathetic "meditative exercise" repeated weekly, and forever unless drastic measures were taken, and decided that a yard make-over was required. This will be necessary for the sake of the house, the neighbours, and the enjoyment of those years leading up to retirement...
Surveying the property more critically, Lazy Gnome admitted a few other things. The grade slopes toward the house in a four-foot band around the three visible sides of the house. The ancient deck’s exposed nails and loose boards are a safety hazard for residents and guests. No trees means no privacy: the chain link fence doesn’t block sightinghsof neighbours and their stuff (and theirs of you and yours), sounds, animals. The slope of the grade between the house and the alley funnels to a central low point, deep enough to create a spring melt-fed river between the back door and the garage pad.
Yes, the garage pad—a garage is necessary. However, due to the slope and drainage issues, the entire grade needs to be done first.
Reluctantly, Lazy Gnome acknowledged the fantasized puttering would never result in a garden paradise. I succumbed to Lazy Gnome's argument that this is too big of a problem to handle alone: I forced Lazy Gnome to "do it yourself" a landscaping project a few years ago...it was not good. Ergo, professionals would have to be engaged, and so the planning began.
The first step involved discovering where the underground utilities are found, and so a call to Alberta One Call was made. But, Alberta One Call is no longer “one call”. They no longer locate water lines, so it is necessary to have someone such as a plumber locate and mark the water lines.
Which, of course, lead to the Sewer Saga. But, that is a story for another time.
This blog will follow the events of the re-landscaping, partly because Lazy Gnome anticipates feeling somewhat guilty that there will be little yard work for her to do in 2010 and she would like to contribute something to the efforts of other hard working, earnest gardeners' efforts, even if it is only bland entertainment.
Today’s motto: In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd. Miguel de Cervantes
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