Life is *not* fair

As an adult, I know that life is not fair. I accept that, because I have no other choice, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it.

We are working on remodeling a pool deck. It is a complicated job, but we will get it done eventually. The folks we are working for are long time friends of the family. They are very nice people. They helped my father in law when he was starting out his concrete business, making work for him so he could feed his family. Bill's parents used to square dance with them. They are just downhome, real folks. The life is unfair part is that the husband was recently diagnosed with what the doctor told them was called "The Terminator". He has a brain tumor. It is inoperable. They flew to California last week to see another surgeon, hoping beyond hope for a different diagnosis. Unfortunately there was no good news for them. Damn.

We went through this with Bill's father. We watched as he declined, all the while determined to beat the disease that finally took his life. It was the most horrible thing I have ever experienced. I am a take charge kind of person, who fixes things. Being unable to do anything to help my father in law was incredibly difficult. Watching my mother in law suffer the anguish of a wife unable to save her husband was beyond painful.

Now, every day when we go to the job, here is this lovely lady whose husband is going to die. I see it written on her face. She is trying to be brave, and she is doing a fine job, but I can see it nonetheless. She is terrified. What can you say to someone who is going to lose the love of their life in such a hideous and painful way? They have been married for nearly fifty years. She will be lost. It is horribly depressing for everyone. The only bit of advice I could offer wasn't very good. I told her that at least they knew, and they had the chance to spend that time together, and love each other.

If life were fair, some murderer would have this awful tumor, and die a slow painful death. But life is not fair. I really hate this. All we can do is do the best we can on their pool deck, and hope that it gives him some enjoyment.

Life is not fair....

Passion redux

I wasn't sure that the non hardy passion flower would bloom this year. It had been somewhat neglected since mom passed away. We were careful to water it, and put it on the east side of the shop so it would get gentle sun. About two weeks ago, it sprouted a tiny bud. I was very excited. I have been watching it carefully since them. Today it bloomed! It went from barely showing color to fully opened within 2 hours. Simply amazing. The flowers only last a single day, so you have to be quick if you want a picture. What a beautiful and strange flower. Here is a progression from bud to flower. I think this will be the only flower for this plant this year. I can't find any other buds. Maybe next year it will be more generous.

Here is the other type. The differences are striking.

And here they are together. Similar, yet beautifully different.

New driveway phase III

Well, for better or worse, it is finally finished. I hate to break my arm patting myself on the back, but we did a great job on this. I am so pleased with it. I only wish that it was the driveway on my (future) new house, instead of the one we are going to sell the first chance we get.

Here are a bunch of before and after shots. First is the cantilever edge on the front porch, stamped and then with stain. This is made so that it looks like stones were laid on the edge of the porch. There is actually a lip that sticks out. It is hard for me to get a good picture.

This is the sidewalk up to the front porch, stained, during sealing and then completed. The sealer makes a huge difference in the appearance.
Here are more before and after pictures

Closeup details
And finally, the whole thing. We have been told this is called "curb appeal". Hopefully it will make someone just have to own this house. I can't wait to get out of this neighborhood.

Pop quiz

Concrete or rock? You tell me. Click on the pictures for a closer view. (A hint here...some of the pictures are of real rocks baked and surfaced courtesy of Mother Earth. The others are stamped concrete, courtesy of Moi. I thought it was clearly self explainatory, but I guess not. If you still don't get it, I can't make it any more simple...sorry!) I admit it is not easy. I managed to fool Bill, and he's no fool!

I love dogs

The dogs love to come to the office with us. There is pandemonium every morning at our house. As it gets closer to the time we leave for the office, they get more and more wound up. As we are picking up the things we need to take with us they are streaking back and forth between us and the front door. If it's a day they get to go, they jump up and down at the door. If it isn't, they pull the saddest faces you can imagine. Poor doggies! So abused. HA!

Today they got to come to the office. On the way, I saw a strange creature run out into the street. Mind you, this is a city. There are apartments, houses, businesses...paved roads... I was about two blocks away, but I could tell that the creature moved strangely. It had very long legs and was bounding like a small deer. Hmmm. Maybe someone had an exotic mini deer of some sort that got out. As I got closer, the animal had stopped in the middle of the road and was looking back and forth. I was close enough to see it now. It was a red fox. Monkey saw it too, and determined in what passes for a brain, that it must die - NOW! He flung himself out the window opening barking viciously. Fortunately for us all, he wears a riding harness that is buckled to the seat belt. Of course his cheerleader was egging him on, even though she didn't have the slightest idea of what she was barking at. She is too short to see out of the truck. We made it to the shop without any further trouble :)

The were went outside with me while I took pictures of the man eating passion flower buds. Monkey thinks that he owns the world. The world includes the boarding kennel across the street. He always tells people to move along. They never listen.

Here he is sneaking up on the people across the street. Did I mention how silly he is?

Monkey is such a fun dog. He loves to run and bark. He is so willing to learn, and he loves his people. What a pleasure he is.

How sad is this? He hates going back inside. He does it because we ask him to, but that doesn't mean he has to like it :(

My mother in law's dog comes to the office every day. She is a Jack Russel Terrorist, er terrier. Her name is Emmalina, Emmy for short. I call her Stinky Butt because she has a 'tude. She is a law unto herself. She doesn't mind very well mostly. She will mind me, but that is because I demand it. Otherwise, she mostly ignores people. It is amusing. This is Emmalina. She is a very intense little dog. She has issues ;) She and Rosie love each other. It's all good. They have an understanding and it works for them.

Here is the queen. She is my girl. I love her face. She had an eye doc appointment yesterday. He is pleased with her continuing progress, and we don't have to bring her back for three months. Her meds for the ulcerated eye have been cut back to once a day! YAY! She is definitely, for all her small stature, a bulldog. If you push, she pushes back...harder. If you ask, and she feels like it, she might do it. She does come when we call her, and she doesn't wander, so I am content to leave her be. I love her the way she is.

Here are all of them together. They mostly get along. When there is an issue, it is almost always because Blondie is guarding her goodie pile. She will actually bring a goodie with her so that she has something to guard. Fortunately she cannot bite, so we don't get too excited about it.

I love my dogs. They make life worth living....

Little shop of horrors

Anyone remember that movie? I have two different passion flower vines that are ready to bloom. The buds are just weird. Of course the flowers are weird too, but the buds are pretty strange. They remind me of the pods that the pod people came out of, only smaller. I can't wait for the potted one to bloom. I was afraid that it was going to die, but it has rallied well, and should bloom today or tomorrow. It is different than the purple one I showed earlier.