I used to like summer a lot better. I’m almost sure of it. I would guess that it has something to do with my formative years. Risking the danger of oversimplifying…summer was ingrained into my consciousness as “those three months that I got to go outside and play.”
In those halcyon days it meant school was out. That was the catalyst that would lead to 90 days of unfettered adventure.
For many years after high school graduation the memories of those years were so ingrained into my being that I would experience a heightened sense of euphoria each May in anticipation of June. Unfortunately, June would arrive and I was left with a heightened sense of, “um…I got excited about this?”
I eventually evolved past the giddiness in May and now when June arrives, I’m just left with a heightened sense of the current relative humidity.
If it weren’t for wind chill, summer would be in danger of slipping to my fourth favorite season.
Here are the realities…
Back then…
I was constantly mowing lawns of Russell residents in order to make lots of money to blow at Ike’s Recreation and the Rainbow Café.
Now…
I am constantly mowing lawn.
Back then…
My life revolved around Little League baseball games…win or lose.
Now…
I CAN’T BELIEVE THE TWINS LOST THREE STRAIGHT TO THE MILWAUKEE FREAKING BREWERS!
Back then…
I loved walking the trails in the hills at the Russell Park.
Now…
When I get my car serviced I have to walk to DeBoers to pick it up when it’s done.
Back then…
Clarence and Harlan and I used to spend half of the summer nights sleeping in a tent in our backyard.
Now…
Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.
Back then…
My friends and I would load up the station wagon and go to a double feature at the Starlight Drive-Inn in Marshall.
Now…
I try to stay awake through a double feature of the weather and the sports.
Back then…
I would get to sleep in until 8:00 every morning.
Now…
If I’m not up by 5:45, the cat is checking my vital signs.
Back then…
We would be so busy entertaining ourselves in and around Russell we would sometimes forget to come home for supper.
Now…
Yeah, I have fixed that issue.
So you can understand why summer has lost some of its luster for me. School never gets out anymore.
I still have a couple of bright spots during the summer. I get to spend a few weeks hanging with some of my favorite people at the Opera House; I get to eat some Aebleskivers in July; and there is that whole grilled burger thing.
Oh, and some years my lawn goes dormant in early August.
For the most part though I’m just biding my time until late September when the air turns cool and the leaves turn yellow.
And admittedly, next January when I’m standing at a gas pump with the temp at zero and the wind at about 35, I’ll remember why summer still has a tenuous hold on third place.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
A case of the blind hanging the blinds
Yes, I am indeed still alive, despite what my blogging silence may have indicated.
It’s been a busy couple of weeks with Opera House tryouts for “Chicago” and the ensuing casting and rehearsal preparations. Rehearsals began Sunday evening and I’m thrilled with the quality of the cast. If anyone out there would like to join us, we are still looking for a few people who would like to dance in some of the group numbers…male or female. It is a great opportunity to be in one of the most successful musicals of all time, while making a few friendships that could very well last a lifetime. If not you, maybe you know of someone????
Outside the glitter of show business, some of our time at the Wilmes household over the past few weeks has been tied up in a home improvement project. By “some of our time,” of course I mean “way too much time.”
My lack of handyman skills has been well-documented over the years. I never did inherit my dad’s ability to fix stuff. If it can’t be duct taped, I’m probably screwed. Of course duct taping the new blinds in place wasn’t good enough for my fussy wife…even if I COULD have found matching white duct tape.
That left us with only one option: screws.
Unfortunately, we found out early in the project that the screws that came with these top-of-the-line blinds are made of something that approaches Play-Doh in terms of durability. My “stand back and let me handle this” machismo was soon quashed as I ruined the first five screws, either by stripping the wimpy Phillips grooves with the cordless drill or by snapping them in two.
While I have no doubt that Kathy was thinking I am a moron and the screw snafu was my fault, we found the job started going much smoother once we scrounged our drawers for higher quality screws. Of course, I was stripped of my cordless drill and with a “just get out of the way and let me do this” attitude, Kathy took over with a manual screwdriver. This was just as – I’m still convinced – the cordless drill would have worked just fine following the screw upgrade.
In an attempt to make the task even easier, we made the decision to drill holes in the window frame before attempting to install the bracket screws. The instructions recommended a 1/16” drill bit. Before the end of our first day of the project, I had snapped off two borrowed bits for which we would need to purchase replacements.
After upsizing to the 5/64 bit, things went a bit smoother. In the end, however, the project, from purchase to final installation was about two weeks in duration. We ended up installing nine sets of blinds. This required Kathy to manually screw in precisely 63 screws, giving her a right arm that is nearly Schwarzenegger-esque in girth. I think she may now be a bit “bustier” on the right side also.
The project took a lot longer than we expected. Certainly longer than the manufacturer’s claim on the outside of the box of “15-minute installation.”
We were duped.
What next? Well I’m now on to my next big project…trying to mow a lawn that has been wet for 10 days and has grown to astounding heights. I’m hoping to be done by Sunday.
Oh, and you won’t see Kathy for awhile. She hit the road in pursuit of the National Women’s Arm Wrestling Championship.
I think I’ll wait until she gets back to put up those new shutters on the outside of the house.
Should take her about 10 minutes…
It’s been a busy couple of weeks with Opera House tryouts for “Chicago” and the ensuing casting and rehearsal preparations. Rehearsals began Sunday evening and I’m thrilled with the quality of the cast. If anyone out there would like to join us, we are still looking for a few people who would like to dance in some of the group numbers…male or female. It is a great opportunity to be in one of the most successful musicals of all time, while making a few friendships that could very well last a lifetime. If not you, maybe you know of someone????
Outside the glitter of show business, some of our time at the Wilmes household over the past few weeks has been tied up in a home improvement project. By “some of our time,” of course I mean “way too much time.”
My lack of handyman skills has been well-documented over the years. I never did inherit my dad’s ability to fix stuff. If it can’t be duct taped, I’m probably screwed. Of course duct taping the new blinds in place wasn’t good enough for my fussy wife…even if I COULD have found matching white duct tape.
That left us with only one option: screws.
Unfortunately, we found out early in the project that the screws that came with these top-of-the-line blinds are made of something that approaches Play-Doh in terms of durability. My “stand back and let me handle this” machismo was soon quashed as I ruined the first five screws, either by stripping the wimpy Phillips grooves with the cordless drill or by snapping them in two.
While I have no doubt that Kathy was thinking I am a moron and the screw snafu was my fault, we found the job started going much smoother once we scrounged our drawers for higher quality screws. Of course, I was stripped of my cordless drill and with a “just get out of the way and let me do this” attitude, Kathy took over with a manual screwdriver. This was just as – I’m still convinced – the cordless drill would have worked just fine following the screw upgrade.
In an attempt to make the task even easier, we made the decision to drill holes in the window frame before attempting to install the bracket screws. The instructions recommended a 1/16” drill bit. Before the end of our first day of the project, I had snapped off two borrowed bits for which we would need to purchase replacements.
After upsizing to the 5/64 bit, things went a bit smoother. In the end, however, the project, from purchase to final installation was about two weeks in duration. We ended up installing nine sets of blinds. This required Kathy to manually screw in precisely 63 screws, giving her a right arm that is nearly Schwarzenegger-esque in girth. I think she may now be a bit “bustier” on the right side also.
The project took a lot longer than we expected. Certainly longer than the manufacturer’s claim on the outside of the box of “15-minute installation.”
We were duped.
What next? Well I’m now on to my next big project…trying to mow a lawn that has been wet for 10 days and has grown to astounding heights. I’m hoping to be done by Sunday.
Oh, and you won’t see Kathy for awhile. She hit the road in pursuit of the National Women’s Arm Wrestling Championship.
I think I’ll wait until she gets back to put up those new shutters on the outside of the house.
Should take her about 10 minutes…
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