Hi guys,
Sorry for my absence I've been profoundly busy doing my own little battles as well. I've been more then grumpy--just downright furious.
Family, and garden pests
. Let's add to this list my husband's friend that hangs around like a bad case of Herpes. Every time you think he'll go away he reappears with a vengeance.
Nicest, good hearted, most generous and kind dude in the world. Would do anything for you if you have a need or there's an emergency. We reciprocate on all accounts. I couldn't have asked for a better best friend for my husband.
But this is also a guy who thinks Planet of the Apes is a documentary. He's a bit passive-aggressive with me since all I have in common with him is the fact we breath oxygen Otherwise we are diametrically opposed in our points of view on everything one could conceivably be.
Thus conversation is polite, and generic and neutral: family, work, weather, hobbies, pets, food, t.v. shows, etc. We tread on eggshells so as not to upset the peace or each other. We go out of our way to be respectful.
Maybe he was having his own holiday crap to deal. Maybe he wanted to unload to release his pent up frustrations with his work, his wife, his kids, his relatives or whatever. All he had to do was say he had a bad day or frustrated or p.o'd about life in general. I would have been all too happy to listen and try to cheer him up.
Instead he thought picking a fight with me was a better way to release his pent up hostilities. He broke the peace treaty rule. He started in on 'THE ONE' hot topic that sends me into orbit.
When I asked him to skip the topic, he didn't. I'm sure he meant it jokingly when he told me to, "Go watch soaps on the t.v. in the other room or go outside and play with your plants. You're interrupting the half-time show."
Before my husband could open his mouth I went off like a loose cannon on a wet deck. Finally took the filter off between the mouth and the brain and had a verbal vomit.
Punctuated my lengthy, highly opinionated tirade with, "This is my house! Get up, start walking, and DON'T let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!" Husband, was flabbergasted when I chased his friend out the door literally.
When husband regained his capacity for speech, the reply was, "I don't disagree with what you said in regards to a lot of things. He had it coming. I would have said something first--- IF you had waited a moment and gave me a second to respond.
But I couldn't get a word in edgewise over you and did you have to go all psycho and chase him out like a lunatic and throw his tennis shoes out the door? That was kind of mean. He's going to be afraid to come over now."
Seriously???
Let's just say I found another pair of tennis shoes to throw.
Gee. It's been awful peaceful here. See, there's no football on t.v. so I'm not interrupting the half-time show. The husband and the ape man go over other friends to watch it.
Since I'm not cooking, cleaning, entertaining or straining to be polite to people I tolerate on my husband's behalf I am now able to hog the couch. I
monopolize the t.v. all day. I don't watch the soaps. I've been catching up on all of my Netflix stuff. Oh yeah...and I have plenty of time to play with my plants.
Family.
There's a reason I deliberately chose to live 2 time zones away. There's also a reason the only number they get is for a prepaid cell phone
Problem solved. Not necessarily the way I wanted but simple facts prevail and reality sets in no matter how hard some facts are to accept. We all get along together when we're not bumping into one another on a regular basis or in constant contact.
It boiled down essentially to, "Do I want ulcers and no peace of mind, or do I want to achieve peace on Earth and peace of mind?"
Not a hard choice really. Just takes a few painful years to make one's self accept, make the changes and put themselves and their life first----for a change.
Plants..........
Arrrrrgh! Dealing with spider mite and/or some kind of fungus that is spreading like wildfire. Will be doing battle with that. Time to put on the hazmat suit, goggles and rubber gloves and break out the arsenal of 'professional' grade chemicals.
They'll either be cured of killed. Not a whole lot one can do about spider mite or fungus except use professional grade chemicals by calling an exterminator or finding them (Do It Yourself Pest Control.com)
If not cured then I have to literally destroy all my plants, treat the dirt, wash and sanitize all my garden pots and tools and wash any towel, sheet, whatever I used to cover my plants. I'll also have to have the tree removed in my front yard as it is infected also.
In case you holiday wasn't surreal enough for you here's some 'Far Side' giggles I thought appropriate for this Thanks giving season.
My roses are getting a clean prune with the deer chomp method this year ... 
