Decked Out

Lunch Date!

I’m now the proud owner of a deck that’s more like an aircraft carrier flight deck. The contractor will be back in a week or so to touch up the borders on a couple of the planters but last night was spent loading all his myriad tools into the back of his pickup. I’m more than a little amazed at what he accomplished in the short span he spent in our backyard which has been totally transformed. He even offered to add in a support beam so my wife can install the swing she and my granddaughter have been enjoying. I think she mentioned this to him a couple dozen times.

Deck Complete

Huge

Test Driven

Other than an intense interest and an addiction to This Old House I’m woefully incompetent to accomplish anything of this scale. I’m always impressed with people like the contractor who can perform seeming miracles with simple tools. I think a truly gifted contractor has a bit of an artist’s eye which may explain why I’m so hopeless. I will never be described (except in some fever dream) as artistic.

Some big doings across the creek (used to be a pond before the information age) yesterday as Great Britain voted to leave the European Union. I remember from my senior year in high school as British political forces hemmed and hawed about joining it. I’m not well enough informed to understand all of the political issues in play (I’ve been severely distracted by the presence of a little Californian) but this may be an indication of the same political forces now sweeping the US – intense displeasure with the political status quo. Many voters feel the political leadership is completely out of touch with reality and playing their own games instead of governing. Sick of the implied noblesse oblige conferred upon them by entrenched political leaders the voters rebelled. The Brits get out of the United States of Europe and we get Donald Trump. The Brits certainly did better than we did, no matter where you stand on the EU.

Sitting at the Table -Duck in Hand

Silly Face Intact

Congratulations Mommy!

To celebrate my daughter’s recent employment triumph I took all three ladies out for lunch. My granddaughter felt like a very big girl since she got to sit at the table in a high chair, with everything moved unfortunately (for her) out of reach. I got to sit next to her and we soon had a game going where she would try to drop her rubber duck without me catching it. Is it immature that I had so much fun doing this?

The Rubber Duck Game

The Contestants

The Winner

Ladies Heading out Last Night

I sent the adult ladies out last night to see the movies and volunteered to watch over the First Blog Reader. Granted it wasn’t much of an effort since she was already down for the night. I was left with a baby monitor and strict orders to only go up to see her if she cried for more than fifteen minutes. I think this was the only time I ever hoped a baby would cry. Unfortunately she was perfectly content to sleep through my entire tenure as primary caregiver. Buddy, feeling  a little neglected with all the granddaughter hoopla, used this opportunity to re-establish his primacy in Couch Potato Position #1, complete with serial gas attacks.

Reading the Morning Paper Together Today

Seriously Don't Know What I'm Going to do Without This

Both of Them

At Least I get to Keep the One on the Left