Unintended workout
Nov 27th, 2005 by Accidental Thinker
I’m sore, and it’s all my adorable husband’s fault. You see, it’s his job to do the yard work. It’s always been that way, despite the fact that at every opportunity, he delights in pointing out the other women in our neighborhood who mow their lawns. I don’t know how to turn on the lawn mower, and I plan to keep it that way. So it is that anything outside the house is Kent’s to maintain. Except we have this one hedge that hasn’t been trimmed in, probably, years. I’m not sure why this particular shrub has remained neglected amidst all the years of lawn care. I guess some things just defy explanation.
Yesterday, I had finally had enough. The hedge had grown so tall and unruly that it was blocking the light on the front of the house and spilling out into the driveway and the path to the front door. I was tired of looking at it. In a rare act of usefulness, I sought out our hedge clippers, only to learn that they are broken. Well how could I be expected to know such a thing? So off to the garden center at Target I trudged for a new pair. Then I set to work. I trimmed. And I trimmed. And I trimmed. Neighbors came and went. A friend dropped by. And still, ruthlessly, I trimmed. Some of those overgrown branches were beastly, but I fought and I won, using arm muscles previously accustomed to nothing more strenuous than pushing buttons on the microwave. My poor biceps have been paying the price ever since.
Apparently, I did good work. Kent told me I did so well that I should take over more of that particular chore. Rats. I knew I should have botched the job when I had the chance.
See what happens when you do a good job at something! sheesh… that’s why mom always made ME clean the bathrooms. By the time I got wise to her and started doing a bad job, she was just determined to get me back on track. Go get a store credit on those clippers fast! Or break the suckers 😉
No good deed goes unpunished.. hehe.
Too late. He has the evidence now. Prepare for summers full of ‘togetherness’ outside, you trimming the hedges while he cuts the grass. Can’t you smell the fresh-cut clippings now…? 😉
You DO expect him to help with the inside chores, right? Fair is fair, my dear. LOL
Lol, yes do something well and you had it!
I don’t do the hedges and I’m wishing I’d never learnt to operate the lawn mower ;o)
That is hilarous!! I have the same problem in the summer. I’m always being reminded about the women who mow and weed and plant flowers in their yards. Whatever!!! Yard work is not for me. Yes, like you I’m sure I could do it, but I would never reveal my true gardening talents. Sorry you have been exposed! 🙂
I hope your aches nd pains subside. Maybe it’s not too late to run out there and really hack it up? 😉
Lois Lane
You mean you didn’t do a sculpture like Edward Scissorhands?
Imagine your hubby’s reaction to that!
I am sure that Kent would never turn over the lawn chores over to someone (even you) who would try and “TURN ON THE LAWN MOWER”! It’s not an oven! Us “guys” usually just “START” them. But I think Kent deserves a gas hedge trimmer for Christmas! ~ Then wait until you try and use that thing! It won’t just be your biceps that hurt. But also your triceps, quadraceps and ceps you never knew you had! ~ jb///
You are a fine writer.
Two words. Power trimmer – spend the extra money and get a GOOD one. Bottom line the bushes won’t “stay” trimmed.
If necessary, the defense is you can’t ask a person to do a job and NOT give them the tools to do the job.
Plan B: Rental.
Plan C: Gomez Landscape Contactors. ;~)