We have done the unthinkable and hired a lawn service.
I should clarify: this wasn’t unthinkable to me. It was quite thinkable actually; I’ve pushed for this since we bought the house. But Tara has been against the idea, mostly because she doesn’t want a lot of chemicals in the yard—especially near the garden.
Totally understandable. Neither do I! The company we chose uses high-quality, granular fertilizer that is formulated to be eco-friendly, which I consider a compromise.
(If anyone stumbles upon a receipt for Weed Man, it’s not what you think.)
Regardless, something needed to be done. Creeping Charlie*, crabgrass, and other weeds have been taking over large sections of grass, and there are unsightly bare patches that didn’t exist when we moved in. I don’t know if Dick had a lawn service, but Neighbor Brian does, and our grass looks like shit next to his. It’s not even about keeping up with the Joneses—I just want a healthy lawn.
This is not that:
Besides, maintaining the garden beds and ponds is work enough. The only thing I want to do to the grass is lie on it and watch puffy clouds drift by. After dousing myself in extra-strength DEET, of course.
(Yes, the bloodsucking bastards are back in full force.)
* By the way, I hate things that creep. Heavy traffic, poison ivy, the hour hand on a clock, bureaucratic red tape, molasses (hurry the hell up already; syrup has its act together!), people sneaking up behind you with ill intent. No good comes from creepers, just sayin’.
Make it Quik, please
After reading my last post, Matt asked whether I was a big chocolate milk drinker as a kid. Fair question, given my birthday tradition.
Oddly enough, I was not.
Don’t get me wrong: I loved chocolate milk—I just didn’t drink it all that often. My mom would occasionally buy the Nestlé Quik powdered cocoa mix, but those cans would last forever. If anything, I preferred Strawberry Quik. Maybe it was just the novelty of pink milk.
So, why go out of my way to drink chocolate milk on my birthday? It all started during a birthday trip to Sheboygan in 2024. We had stopped at a Kwik Trip to gas up and grab something to drink. I spotted a bottle of chocolate milk and thought, wow, it’s been years since I’ve had this. Instead of my usual Bai or Gatorade Zero, I splurged on the chocolate milk, reasoning that it was my birthday and I deserved this one small indulgence. It was so good, immediately after that first sip, I told Tara, “I should make this an annual birthday tradition!”
And so I did. #ManOfMyWord
Incidentally, Sheboygan almost became a birthday tradition too. We went again last year, this time for an overnighter, and had an absolute blast. If not for my recent trip to the Pacific Northwest, we might’ve planned another getaway to the Malibu of the Midwest during my birthday weekend this year, but I was all traveled out.
Clearly, I was not all chocolate milk’d out.
My town is underwater
A few days ago, my friend Ashley remarked, “I didn’t know your town was underwater!” after spotting my latest Instagram post.
That may be an overexaggeration, but only a slight one.
That’s what happens when 5″ of rain falls in a single week.
The Rock River crested a week ago, but it’s not like a bathtub, where you can just unplug a stopper and let all the water drain away. It’ll be weeks before the River Walk lives up to its name again.
Craziest thing of all is, our “storm season” hasn’t even ramped up yet. We got an early start this year, which is par for the climate change course.
And now it’s turned cold again, with frost and freeze warnings. This is why you never plant a garden in Wisconsin until at least Mother’s Day.
A few more odds and ends before I forget:
- Adios, Jamie Ding! One of the most successful Jeopardy contestants of all time was finally defeated, and I am glad. No shade against the guy–he’s a freakin’ genius—but watching one player dominate so thoroughly grows old after awhile.
- I read an interview with Dave Grohl yesterday in which he states his “new favorite band” is fellow grunge icons Alice In Chains. Dave said he never appreciated them in their heyday but has come around. As a huge AIC fan myself, this makes me happy.
- Scrubs is one of my all-time favorite sitcoms, and I thoroughly enjoyed the nine-episode revival. It perfectly captured the spirit of the original, and almost every character who’s still alive made at least a cameo (even Neil Flynn’s Janitor, but not Dick Van Dyke…he gets a pass, being 100 and all). I hope like crazy they bring it back again for an 11th season.
Anything “creeping” you out? Are/were you a Nestlé Quik fan? Got a new favorite band? Were you on board for the Scrubs reboot?
Mark My Words 
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