the grass

I'm developing quite a grudge toward one of our neighbors. The neighbor on one side does a normal job on his lawn every week to two weeks. He does a decent job of it, nothing fancy or elaborate. He does have a riding mower which makes me a little jealous, but he also has a decent patch of grass to mow.

The other neighbor is the one making me have issues. He is fastidious in his once every single week lawn care regimen. He takes it very seriously, and his lawn shows the effort. It's not a showpiece as such, but it's nice and always looks good.

It would be so much easier for me if I mowed at least once a week, and it doesn't really take that much time. We do have a fair piece of land to wander over behind the mower, but it's only difficult because I let it be. And it's not that I hate doing it, which I do, it's just that I get lazy and put it off.

There are certainly more contributing factors than laziness. I've finished the mowing in time to cook supper too many times. There is special feeling when one is cooking supper while the sweat of manual labor dries on you and the grass is still sticking to your legs. There's a whole other special feeling knowing that your kids are going apeshit while you are in the shower, and I hate taking a shower when Momma isn't here to keep the craziness down somewhat. I never know what I'll exit into otherwise.

So the grass grows taller, and I can see the neighbor from my kitchen window as he casts a disapproving glance at my yard. Well suck it neighbor man! Not all of us care that much, and some of us have things to do other than spend one day in seven getting crazy busy with the lawn. I could also make fun of his Big Dog brand shirt and the fact that he tucks his shirt into his jeans even when doing yard work, but I won't.

My whole point here is that I'm starting to get really bothered just seeing this neighbor. I know he hates my yard and my jungle like grass. Hell, he should appreciate that it makes his look nicer, but somehow I don't think that thought crosses his mind.

My options here seem limited. I could get into the habit of at least keeping the grass height reasonable, or I can continue to grow more aggravated by his glances at my yard, or I can just ignore him entirely. I've been working on a combination of the last two for this summer, but summer is almost over. If I can remember to get that one last mow in I'll be happy through the winter though.

The last mow is fairly important. I didn't get it in last year leaving the grass just too high for my wishes. The yard looked especially hellish all through the winter, but by that point it was too cold to mow, of course. And each spring rolls around, I have the same thought. Each spring I swear that this is the year I maintain the yard as opposed to sporadically mowing it just enough to appease the neighbor somewhat. So, I look forward to the last mow, and I know in my heart that, promise or not, next summer will likely be the same thing all over again.