Several years ago, there was an incredibly rude cartoon series called Drawn Together. It was a spoof of the Big Brother type shows, where parodies of cartoon characters lived in one big house, blanketed with cameras capturing their every move. There was a Superman character, a Betty Boop, a Link, a Pokemon, etc. Every episode was weird and offensive and absolutely absurd. One short bit that we have never forgotten involved some gag around medical research where they infected the Spongebob character but were not able to heal him after. In the "speak directly to camera" part, he took all the blame on himself, saying, "Damn me and my incurable polio," before limping off on crutches squeaking "ow..ow..ow" with every step. My daughter and I have used that line often over the years, as shorthand to express stiffness, pain, and fatigue that comes from things like yard work. Today, after limping to my car, and barely having the arm strength to steer it back home, it seems particularly fitting.
Four times a year my brokerage participates in volunteer projects, and I'm always happy to jump in with enthusiasm. Usually the ones that occur outside during hot months give me pause, and I have to weigh the costs versus the benefits to decide whether I should go. Two years ago we volunteered at the Gardens on Spring Creek community educational garden in Fort Collins. I enjoyed it greatly. Today we had the opportunity to return for another project. I took the risk and drove up. There were only five of us this time, just agents, because space was limited. We five, plus a Gardens employee, spread a mountain of mulch over an area that will be covered in fruit trees next year. It felt like we covered half an acre in the new expansion section, but in real life it probably wasn't much bigger than my back yard. It was all pitchforks and wheelbarrows, and everyone took turns at every single job for two hours. Dusty, tired, and smelling a bit like a horse barn, we adjourned to lunch in old town Fort Collins. While there, I got a text asking whether I was up for a trip to the cabin this afternoon.
So here I sit, bouncing in the passenger seat of the 4runner, for once thankful for autocorrect. I figure blogging now, at 230 in the afternoon is the only way this is going to make it out today. I will be entirely used up by dark. I will most likely not be able to walk in from the truck to the house tonight. As it is, I plan on carrying only one single board up the hill. I'll help put up sheathing and Tyvek, but hauling is out of the question.
Damn me and my incurable polio.
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