Cross Training

Friday's cross-training consisted of multiple hours working on updating the virus protection for the desktop and laptop computers, re-installing ITunes which seemed to disable the cd-rom and DVD drives, and multiple trips from the office to the basement to do laundry and retrieve more cd's to load onto ITunes and ultimately the IPod. You should see the sweat I worked up. :-)

Saturday, Kathy & I got up early after watching Michael Phelps win gold #7 and headed off to Lowes. Every Labor Day we have a parade viewing followed by a cookout at our house. Earlier this year we had the ancient deck removed and a new patio installed. The ground slopes in the back, so there was a bit of dirt leading down to the grass. We planning on landscaping, but hadn't gotten around to it. Then we realized we were having 30-50 people over on September 1st and needed to work on the backyard. The weekend of August 9/10 we went to Lowes for plants for the planter out front. Then saw all sorts of other plants that we HAD to have. And then saw some nice stones that we could use for a wall to build a planter box....we only bought 10 of those heavy stones that weekend. Well, we got them home and liked them.

Thus the trip to Lowes of 8/16...to buy 25 more of those stones (which I swear weighed 5 pounds each. Maybe 10.) as well as several bags of good dirt (not to be confused with Maryland clay dirt) and a few pavers we've used as a border. For those who don't know our home, we live in a row of townhouses. We are the 2nd from the end. Meaning all those stones had to go from the street, down the sidewalk, through our neighbor's back yard to stack on his steps. After all the materials were hauled, Kathy stood in the neighbor's yard and handed me stone after stone, which I hauled across the yard to approximate locations. I tried walking with them doing lunges for an extra workout.

In all honesty, I must confess that my labors in the yard ended there. Kathy was the one who dug the holes for the plants and placed the stones forming a nice wall around the flower bed. I went back in the house and loaded more cd's into ITunes, for I am the computer geek and she is the yard laborer.

Here is a picture of the not-quite-completed landscaping (part one) as well as our neighbor Jim's steps and backyard used for cross training.