March 2008…
Oh glorious month, it signals an almost end to cold weather except that sometimes zippy breeze coming out of the north. I was in charge of a little Miss Hayley, a slightly spoiled blonde girl who was due to have her tonsils and adenoids removed. She also stayed with me for Spring Break during the recuperation period. The good news was that Hayley could breathe better; the bad news was that she was in a perpetually bad mood.
Me: “Hayley how about some delicious chicken stars soup for lunch?”
Hayley: “NO!!!!”
Me: “Come on, let’s look at it, doesn’t it look good?”
Hayley: “Eww, what are those?”
“Me: “Those are the little tiny stars, made out of rice, I guess.”
Hayley: “NoOOOO!”
Me: “How about some creamed potatoes?”
Hayley: “I want ice cream!!!”
Me: “But you have eaten ice cream for three days.”
Hayley: “I don’t care!!!”
Actually, I have learned a few things having Hayley around at meal times. One of my biggest discoveries has been the little mandarin oranges in the cups that are quite wonderful chilled in the frig.
My neighbors left for Cancun, and I got to weed the flower beds and wash the windows. I just love spring cleaning (they probably weren’t having any fun in paradise, anyway.)
April
I enjoyed this month, butterflies, tulips, greener grass, and phone conferences with the teacher (Junior is a BAD boy!!!). In an effort to get even, I decide to confiscate the little sullen slacker’s video game controller.
It was soccer season. My year generally passed according to whatever sport is played at the time. Soccer games are fun, but they are generally early Saturday morning when the north wind is blowing like giant shop fan. Junior played goalie which, as I understand, is the next best thing to having a position where you can push everyone else around or just run them over.
Bad News: a water pipe sprang a leak in the sprinkler system.
Worse News: Pergosi, the sometimes landscaping plumber cut a hole in the gas line while fixing the sprinkler. It went something like this:
Pergosi: Escuse me Meez.
Me: Yes Pergosi?
Pergosi: Can jou come uh da here?
Me (frowning because that is never a good sign, gentle readers): “Sure.”
Pergosi: “Jou see de line running a here? Jou see de other line a running dhair? I uh cutta dis line cauz I couldn’t a really see eet. Eet was a duh gas line.”
Me: “Oh?”
Pergosi: “Jes, so uh, Ima gonna haf a go, but uh jou need to call uh da gasz company to turna off de gas. I weel hafa come back to fix a da line. Okay?”
Me: “Certainly.” Good to have lots of Advil on hand.
Note: One WEEK later Pergosi returns. He fixes the leak, but cuts off water to half of the sprinkler system and most of the grass died during the summer….