Day 6: Where once there were trees

Beautiful day today. Spent some time in the back yard playing with the kids and doing yard work. We even took a drive in the afternoon just to get out of the house.

What I'm watching today

Hell or High Water (2016, Netflix streaming) I'm typing as I watch this. This is not your typical bank heist thriller. No gunfights (yet). No car chases (yet). And in spite of it all, this movie is great. Set against the backdrop of the financial crisis of the past decade in West Texas, this film feels all too relate-able, even to someone who has never been to Texas. The bank robbers are a couple of brothers--one we're supposed to like and one we're supposed to loathe. The Texas Ranger in pursuit commands respect, but he's more of an unlikable antihero. The robbers' plot is incredibly clever, and the characters around them consider them to be more like Robin Hood than common criminals. No spoilers here, but I appreciated the ambiguous ending that allows the viewer to choose how they think it will ultimately end.

What I'm listening to today

Maladroit (2002, by Weezer) - Weezer's blue album fundamentally changed the way I listened to music in high school. And then Weezer did it again a few years later with the release of Pinkerton, easily one of my top 5 favorite albums of all time. Even my kids recognize the greatness and often request that I play "the blue one" in the car. The 7yo doesn't know what the song means, but that doesn't stop him from belting out "In the Garage" from beginning to end. But Weezer's subsequent albums and recent awful cover of Toto's "Africa" had me distancing myself from the band. (I was in a record store the day the green album dropped and vividly remember cringing as it was played in the store.) Sure Weezer has had some bright spots along the way, but they've been few and far between. Then yesterday a friend emphatically reminded me about Maladroit: "It shreds!" Does it shred? Yes, it does showcase the band's guitar prowess at times, and it certainly has more substance than some of those lesser, more colorful albums, but the songs are ridiculously short and the lyrics take a backseat to the riffs and solos. So is this my 3rd favorite Weezer album? It's a close one, but I think the red album has a slight edge. But maybe I'll change my mind with subsequent listens.

What I'm doing today

There used to be stumps here.

Removing stumps - I had a problem area in the back yard where the previous owners removed some trees or shrubs but didn't remove the stumps. So every spring, life attempts to emerge from the stumps, and I'm inundated with saplings. I don't know if they are trees or shrubs, but I never let them get tall enough to find out. If I did, then that tiny sliver of yard would be impassable. Today I finally had it and removed all the stumps. It's a lot more work than it sounds, because that part of the yard is landscaped with gravel, which means there are a few extra steps to take:

1. Rake away all the gravel around the stump, and set aside. Peel back any weed barrier that may be present.
2. Dig down as far as possible to get to the root ball. Dump the dirt that you remove into a container--not on the ground. Use whatever means necessary (shovel, pry-bar, hatchet, etc) to remove the root ball.
3. Using a gravel sieve, separate any dirt and debris from the gravel. Set the gravel aside in a separate container.
4. Fill in the hole with any fill dirt. Tamp down until level (or even with the grade of the slope if on a hill.)
5. Return the old weed barrier to its original position. If there is a gap, which there probably will be, cover with a new sheet of weed barrier, being sure to overlap with the old sheet(s). Secure with lawn staples/spikes.
6. Completely re-cover the spot using the "clean" gravel.

Auditing plasticware - I finally got fed up and pulled all the reusable plastic containers out of the cupboard. I then sorted and stacked them and got rid of any orphaned lids or containers. This was grueling work, people.Auditing plasticware - I finally got fed up and pulled all the reusable plastic containers out of the cupboard. I then sorted and stacked them and got rid of any orphaned lids or containers. This was grueling work, people.


Ok I'm done cursing at Blogspot's infuriating editor. See you tomorrow.