The Glory of The Long Weekend

Today was Patriots Day, a Massachusetts state holiday that is known locally for the running of the Boston Marathon and a midmorning home game for the Red Sox and a Monday with no work for many of us. That was the case and I enjoyed three days of not working. However, upon reflection that is not entirely accurate. If I was reminded of anything over the course of this long weekend it was that I spend a good chunk of my down time moderately busy with chores (if not actually working my tail off) or in the midst of thinking up ways to make my free time busier.

Friday night began with a quick beer after work. I met up with the lady and a coworker and chatted for a bit, venting off the remnants of the week. Another friend stopped in and after a little more chatting lady and I went off to find something to eat. Decided on a Japanese hot pot place. While we ate we chatted about what to do for the rest of the weekend. Specifically, I described several outside projects that I hoped to start over the next three days so long as the weather permitted.

Up bright and early Saturday morning. Brewed coffee, made breakfast, discussed meal ideas for the next three days and made a shopping list, then we got cleaned up and sped off to Home Depot. I needed to get a ton of supplies. Actually it was only a quarter-ton. The edge of my house's driveway has become a giant muddy sinkhole and I am determined to fill in and pave the spot. So at Home Depot I loaded up two carts with bags of gravel, bags of sand, a slew of paving stones, a tamper, and 120 pounds of topsoil to aid me as I seed part of the front lawn. The load filled the car so we went back to my house and stacked all the building materials in the garage before heading to the supermarket.

Another hour was spent running through the market getting the stuff we needed for Saturday's supper and meals for the next two days. Then it was back home to unpack everything and walk around the corner for two other quick errands. Following a quick lunch I saw that the weather that afternoon was not going to permit me to work outside. So I did a bunch of indoor cleaning and before to long it was time to prep supper. We were going to have chili and then began a spell of cutting up onions and garlic and softening them over low heat while I sliced up steak. We browned the steak and then piled it into the Dutch oven with beans, added water and spices and walked away. Minding the chili til 10pm (we each had a bowl for supper around 8pm when it was cooked but not yet at it's chili-est prime) kept me busy in between playing games on the Wii and making mental plans for my paving project.

Sunday began with making breakfast and then a quick drive to a friend's house. We delivered a birthday present to him and then returned to my place and we checked on the hot dog rolls that we made after breakfast. I popped some hot dogs under the broiler while we listened to the Red Sox game on the radio. After a little while and a beer two chilidogs later (on freshly baked buns!)
I headed outside where I spread grass seed on the patchy corner of yard. Then I dumped out my three bags of topsoil and spread it about with a rake. Add some more grass seed, gently walked across the surface to tamp it down and then watered it. Next I watered the back yard after overseeding it also. I joined the lady on the porch and read for a bit but before long I found myself climbing a tree to cut off some limbs that bothered me. That particular crab apple tree constantly attempts to crowd over a lovely lilac tree growing by the corner of the garage. I sliced off a limb, then cut it up and cleaned up the pieces. That should allow the lilac space and added sunlight to grow even more during the course of the next year.

Stuffed from chilidogs I eventually had popcorn for a 9pm snack, did a load of laundry and researched and double checked technique and supplies needed for home driveway paving. Thanks to the internet I also double checked the products available at Home Depot to ensure that anything else I might need I would be able to find with little hassle.

Finally, Monday was the one true slow day. I slept in and was treated to a delicious breakfast and piping hot coffee. Somebody woke up alert and cheerful and I welcomed the treat of breakfast. We finally lazed about for a morning, watched most of the Red Sox game- a sound shellacking of the Blue Jays. We watched the conclusion of the women's and men's leaders of the Boston Marathon (including a world record finish by the men's winner) and then continued doing nothing. Besides making a supper of grilled flank steak with a fantastic salad that the lady created, we did little else but watch fun but silly television shows via On Demand and several episodes of No Reservations because Anthony Bourdain is just incredible. We even caught the premiere of the Boston episode at 9pm. Three days of little to do except the whole list of things we found to do. Fun and tiring and relaxing.

Now it's back to work again tomorrow.