Tuesday... whee

Long weekends are great and all, but man I need a week to recover from the aftermath! Happy Tuesday for all of you who survived it and welcome to the middle of the week allgoddamnedready!

Oh... for those of you feeling fussy, musey, cuddly, obnoxious or whatever as you're passing by - please feel free to take a line to drop a 'hi' or f-u or whatever you want. Shoutbox... over there... help yourself. Thanks. In fact, take two.. it's still small :)

September already?

Labor Day - neat. I almost feel more tired for having had the day off than having worked. Isn't that how it always goes? Play hard, I guess! What with the dog-sitting, family gathering at the roomie's, catching up on episodes of shows, blog projects, did I mention the dog sitting? My two inside want to play with the one outside belonging to my neighbor.... um, let me explain why I have their dog. Neighbor is young, just broke off with the gf and is re-invading his folks' place and it's apparently bad enough that he's moving back in. The dog is slightly less welcome. Dad's not a dog kinda guy. So... I have her here until a more suitable arrangement can be made. What started yesterday as a 'it's only a week' turned into 'it might be a little longer' just now. Mmhmm... I'm not adopting her, even though she's a very pretty malamute mix. I'm hoping this works out soon because our cats here are freaked the hell out, too. Ahhh, Labor Day - a day of transition. It's also a day of transition from talking about how dang hot it's been to making bets on the first snow of the season. I can't believe I actually typed it out. It's been in the 90's and I'm bringing up the 'S' word! Okay, so placing bets, roommate thinks we'll have one of our usual freak storms this month where it dumps a few inches in the morning then it's clear and 60-something again in the afternoon. Hmm. I'm not sure, but watching the hurricane weather slamming up against the low front coming our way this weekend, I think he may be right. We're supposed to get rain for sure, but there's a chance - hey, it IS Colorado, land of freak weather!

To wine or not to wine...

Planning ahead would have been a better idea. I find it's grape harvesting season again. Labor day weekend and it's me versus the vines. This year, it's me versus a bumper crop and a bug of an idea to try countertop wine making. Someone stop me now! I've wandered through a dozen or more sites already for a balance of simplest approach and best results. Luckily for me, this time rational thought won and I haven't started mashing anything with any part of my body. Strike that - I'm pressing varying amounts of tissue on the scratches where the interwoven and thriving blackberry whips bit back - hard. I only have a couple of those this time, thankfully. The wasps didn't even pester me back this year. What's up with that? Last year they buzzed me off in droves, but this time they meandered lazily out of reach until I was done. Thanks guys, but... what gives? Nature... so weird.

Oh, and Neighbor Lady, even though you will never read this or really care - you can stop wrinkling your nose at the vines that have dared to batter their way a foot over the fence to your boxwoods. The horror! How dare green things actually do the unthinkable and grow! I've trimmed them... and your weeds.. hope you're happy. I know you're not, but I've made it all pretty and happy for me anyway.

Twenty pounds of grapes later - and plentiful amounts left for the wildlife, not to worry - I now am trying to think of the best use for them all. Wine? Went over that. I talked myself out that easily enough by not having 2/3 of the equipment. It takes more than bare feet and a vat big enough - who knew. I do now and I can't do it. But next year, I plan ahead and give it a try!

I can make more jelly, I guess.