Update

I have been neglectful of the blog for about a week and I'd apologize, except I have a very good excuse. Remember the blog post about exercise vs. yard work? Well!! This is SNS Harvey with the rest of the story.

The yard work was tearing down English Ivy from this great big maple tree in our front yard. The ivy had grown up the trunk and I vaguely remembered that trees don't like wearing ivy. I think it makes an unwelcome fashion statement, or it itches, or something. Maybe it isn't revealing enough. I don't remember that part. I'm stripping ivy away and all of the sudden, a zillion ants come marching down. To the ground. To get out. Of the tree. Boom, boom, boom. Surprised, I take a step back and fall off this little ledge of flag stone that surrounds the base of the tree. I know the previous owners put this there just to make my life difficult. It doesn't even look that great.

Being in the recovery program ETA, I'm supposed to follow this stupid little concept: "Love and tolerance of others is our code". However, when something like this occurs, I'm better at practicing, "My love and tolerance is IN code". I'm certain that I was being loving and tolerant as I kissed the bed of landscaping rocks, that surround the ledge, that surround the base of the tree, with my back side. My code of love and tolerance was there, it just needed to be deciphered a bit to see it. I was so loving and tolerant that I did a fearless and searching moral inventory of them right then and there, saving them hours of uncomfortable introspection. I really know how to live this program.

Next day, I'd already had enough fun -arguing with the old HP and testing the laws of gravity -for one day, I take a power washer to the tree with the intent of cleaning the ant house for the residents. At this point, I discover that the living quarters are much larger than they looked from the outside and the tree will have to be cut down.

This is sad. Despite the helicopter things the tree gives us every spring to carpet our yard (along with clogging our gutters) and the toilet facilities it provides for the birds to make deposits on my car, I like the tree. Our yard will look naked without it. I won't be able to enjoy watching other people rake the leaves in the fall, either.

Over the weekend, I discovered that, unbeknown to us, the English Ivy had invited cousin Poison Ivy to move in. I had been stripping ivy while wearing my swim suit (might as well work on a tan since I was outside! Multi-tasking is sooo popular these days). I landed on my back side. Think this through to the logical conclusion. I'm now on steroids and find sitting a tad uncomfortable. It's gonna be a few days until I'm back on schedule here. This is SNS with the rest of the story. Personally, I feel it has gone on long enough.

Have a good and sober day.