Just some thoughts on the world around us such at it is as we, believe it or not, head into the month of June….
….mere minutes after I write a column complaining about the lack of scoring in the NHL playoffs and the frustrating fascination with blocking shots comes two of the best, action-packed and yes, high-scoring semifinal series since the Edmonton Oiler hey days (and that’s awhile ago folks, you know when they made the playoffs and everything, ahem).
In the past the playoffs have petered out on the interest scale as the Canadian teams drop off and the checking gets tighter and tighter and whoever scores first wins and….
But this year 3-0 leads aren’t even safe (hello Canucks) and home ice means little, except maybe if you’re only casually watching you can tell who scored by the crowd reaction.
You truly don’t know who is going to win going into any game, the Rangers’ record in elimination games is truly incredible going into this weekend’s game, and it’s fast and hard-hitting and intense….and I’m not getting my yard work done at all…..
……speaking of yard work, we had the outside of our house painted recently, and it looks wonderful (although any major household project is more stressful than you think it’s going to be as it plays havoc with your daily routine) but it’s leading down a road I wasn’t anticipating.
You see once you get your house looking better, it shows up some of the stuff that isn’t, well, as new or in as good condition as the new paint job.
Like the welcome mats (not that I noticed this one, but my wife certainly did), and the lights (which are now the wrong colour so I did see that one coming) the deck, the roof (don’t want to talk about that one cause I know it’s expensive) and then there’s the inside the home stuff…
So instead of checking one thing off the list and feeling good about completing and paying for it and actually making the list smaller, the list is now growing exponentially, as is the ‘kaching, kaching’ sound in my head.
Sure it’s exciting but a little scary too as we try to keep the excitement of a rejuvenated living space balanced with what’s realistic to do on our rather modest budget.
For now, I’m just going to pop a beverage this weekend, pull up a lawn chair with the better half, and toast the paint job before we move on, or don’t, to the next phase of homeownership…..
……and speaking of yard work, again, I have some time off so I’m hoping to get the yard looking as good as the house, again more pressure placed on yours truly – it’s OK I’ll get over it, plus did I mention the house looks wonderful?
Hockey will actually end soon and I’ll get some stuff done around the old abode.
If the truth be told we’ve done some stuff already and I’ve been to the dump on at least three occasions in May (mostly yard stuff too, I might add), each time with a better feeling than the previous experience.
There’s something freeing about going to the dump and actually getting rid of stuff that you’ve been meaning to get rid of for, well, longer than I care to mention.
You see I have trouble throwing stuff out, I’m not sure what you call that disease, well, except being incredibly lazy.
Although I like to think there’s a little bit of sentimentality mixed in there, not wanting to let go of the past, or some semblance of it anyway, but that doesn’t necessarily explain the state of my clothes closet or how many very small minor hockey jackets we have hanging in the downstairs closet (or maybe it does).
Anyway, more projects for yours truly to do on his holiday.
Looking forward to it, kind of.
