Thursday, August 29, 2013

Flora and Fauna

Today was productive. My brother Dee showed up with a bobcat and cleared the fairyland, poison ivy and all. I swear I saw that machine tilt while the blade pulled those vines. They are 2 inches in diameter and that's no fish tale. OK 1 inch.

Dee is building a house two doors down, which is kind of cool. He is the one who apprised me of this place coming up for sale. This Spring Atlanta real estate was hotter than I've seen it in a long time. Dee's timing was perfect, he built and sold 3 gorgeous bungalows.  He is a master at building these types of houses, and they are cropping up intown like mushrooms. Dee married a treasure of a woman, Jenn. One of the most industrious women I ever met. Affable, cheerful, unshaken by circumstance of any sort. She and I washed walls in this place until I was pooped, but she kept going. A trove of energy I wish I had.

The fridge got delayed and is being delivered today, along with a cheap interim washing machine. I have prepared a path through the kitchen for its arrival, and managed to get the garage door in the basement open for the washing machine. YES, I have a garage in the basement. It's an old-timey one, double doors that open out. They are rotted through. It doesn't keep out the insects or rodents I'm sure. Nor the robbers. Thanking Tommie for her double deadbolt habit, as seen on the door to the basement.

It strikes me as I prepare that I'm not proud of the place yet, and that is unusual of me to live in a place like that. But I am proud to own it, and will be proud to show it off when all of this gets done.

The poison ivy rash has not subsided. Oy. What to do. Baking soda and cool water works, sort of. But I am et up with it, I'll have to buy a pound of it and soak in the tub. Then there is calamine lotion, drying but effective. Today I was bit by a mosquito and my entire arm went into anaphylactic shock. If there is a thing called skin panic, my arm went into it. I think these fauna are in collusion with their flora brethren and carry loads of urushiol boosters in their ugly little needle noses, so that the poison ivy assures a lasting impression on us mere mortals. They get a nice juicy fat-laden blood meal out of it; what do they care if they are doing a plant's bidding?

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