More on that topic later. For now, here's what we've been up to in the past few weeks...
We've been trying to clean up the landscaping at the front of the house. So far, we've trimmed the hedges, pulled out the old landscaping fabric and chips and put down new, and added brick edging. On the south side of our porch, we've dug out an area and planted daffodils and hyacinths. I think I may have put them in the ground a little early (about a week ago) as the hyacinths are starting to send up shoots. The package said September was okay, but I guess you can't believe everything you read. They'll probably bloom just in time to get killed off by the first frost. You live, you learn!
It's back to school time. As you can see, the cats are hard at work. Maggie has a bad case of writers' block and Ducky is taking a study break. If I'm not mistaken, that's the fall fashion edition of Time magazine. Even in a recession, a fashionista has to keep up with the latest styles.
There's an interesting story behind this picture.
This past Tuesday, I went to St. Louis for a Brandi Carlile concert (yay!) Jeff was unable to go, but luckily Susie was free that night. It was a great show with once exception - the Lord of the Idiots was seated a couple of rows behind us.
Anytime there was a lull on stage, he found it necessary to yell at the top of his lungs, "We love you, Brandi!!!" or - my personal favorite - "You're f---ing fantastic!!!" At one point, she acknowledged his presence, something along the lines of "We love you, too. Really, we do." From behind us, I could here him say "Yes! Got it." Wow. Maybe he was recording the entire exchange for his collection of "Moments Where I Annoy Musicians and Everyone Else in the Audience". At that point, we assumed that his appetite for attention was sated.
Yeah, right.
So, I punched him.
I wish. Actually, his outbursts came to an end after a lady in front of us yelled, "Cut it out with the profanity! There are children present!" You know, all those children whose parents like to keep them up until 11:30 pm on a school night. There were a few; one was in our row. The concert continued without incident.
So, how did I end up with a bruised finger? On our way back to the car after the concert, my finger started itching and burning, almost as if I'd been stung or bitten by something. I scratched it, but instead of relief I began to feel a stabbing pain. The pain subsided after a couple of minutes and my finger was a bit sore. Susie had a few laughs at my expense and I forgot about it until lunch the following day.
Over turkey sandwiches at Stratton's Cafe (no, that's not just a cutesy name for Susie & Jon's kitchen), Susie jokingly asked me if my finger was bruised. I laughed it off until I actually looked at my hand. Lo and behold, the middle joint of my middle finger was discolored and slightly swollen. We both burst out laughing. Who else goes to a concert and wakes up the next morning with a purple finger?
After some investigation on WebMD, I have a theory. See, I may have gotten a little carried away with the clapping during Brandi's covers of Johnny Cash's "Jackson" and "Folsom Prison Blues". In fact, I must have been clapping so violently that I burst a small blood vessel in my finger. The itching and sharp pain are common sensations brought on by this condition. The bruising and soreness lasted for the next couple of days, but you will be glad to know that I have fully recovered from my ordeal.
I've got a couple more concerts that I'm going to be attending this fall (The Avett Brothers, Swell Season), so I'll have to try to control myself. Here's a thought...really thick mittens. Maybe not.
