Bachin' it up... Day 1

The first time I heard the phrase "bachin' it up" my husband was detailing a conversation he had with one of our neighbors.  His wife and daughter were going somewhere for the weekend, I can't recall where, leaving him and his son home alone for a few days.  As he boasted about the house being left to the boys he made the comment that he and his son were going to be bachin' it up that weekend. For a second, I had no idea what that meant.  Then, slowly, as the synapses started firing properly...men, no women, bachelors...click. Ah, that's clever.

If it works for the men, it's only proper that it works regardless what sex you are. Therefore, since I have the house to myself (with the dogs of course)...I am officially bachin' it up.  The husband has gone to Montana on a man-trip with 2 of his co-workers to go snowboarding in the mountains.  They're going to be "roughing it" in the wilderness in a house with no cable, no internet, and spotty cell reception. 

He hasn't been gone for 24 hours yet and I've already cursed him for leaving me.  The snowpocalypse left the cities scrambling to plow the roads and unfortunately they didn't do a final pass on my street until yesterday while I was at work.  I came home to 2 feet of chunky, wet plow snow blocking my last 100 feet to what I was hoping would be a relaxing evening.  I paused...thinking, "how the hell am I going to get over that?"  Then remembering I was in the jeep...gunned it over the top.  Vroom!

I figured I probably should shovel that crap out of the way...otherwise it'll freeze and I'll never get out with my own car, a POS Civic Coupe, until summer.  So after letting the dogs out to do their business, I bundled up and got to work.  The sun had been long gone, having set just before I got home, and the temperature had plummeted to a bitter -10°F (with windchill).  I quickly discovered how packed the snow was and spent the next 40 mins hacking away at it until there was just enough space to get one car through at a time.  I was huffing, really wishing I had a snowblower, cursing my husband for leaving me with this catastrophe. 

On Tuesday, the first time I'd gone out to shovel, I'd left the puppy running rampant through the house. After I came in an hour later, I found my nice, warm, fluffy pink slippers all torn up. I was upset that the puppy had eaten my slippers but I still learned my lesson.  So, yesterday on my way home I stopped at the pet store to get him some new things to chew on...rawhides, bully sticks, biscuits, and a squeaker stuffing-free raccoon toy.  I gave him the raccoon before I went out to shovel.  By the end of the night, the raccoon was missing his tail and lost it's squeak.  Kona had mashed the squeaker flat.  He loves it though.  He carried it around this morning while I was getting ready for work. 

So, I have a few more days to myself...I'm taking suggestions on things to do. 

Note to self...

...Don't stay up drinking with the neighbors until midnight on a school night.  Er, work night.  At least, not when I have to be awake by 5:30am.  Not good for staying awake through the rest of the day.  Good thing I like coffee now.

Still, it was a fantastic way to end the long weekend.  A long, laborious weekend.  So much for Labor Day weekend being 'labor' free.  We chopped down 4 trees in our yard, which we had been itching to do since we moved in to the house almost a year ago. And when I say "we" I mean my husband did the chopping while I stood around and took pictures of the mass destruction (I haven't uploaded the pictures yet, so I'll have to add that later). I helped move branches though...

The work is still not yet complete but at least we're making headway, and the front of the house is slowly becoming known to the world through the jungle that used to be the "arborist's dream".   What kind of person thinks an overgrown yard is even remotely attractive?  An actual arborist would probably be appalled at the bedraggled state of this yard considering it was so unkempt that things were starting to kill each other.

I finally went back to hot yoga on Saturday, after a 4 week hiatus.  They still remembered me, and I had to admit my failing to come to yoga for 4 weeks in a row.  Though, I have to believe they understand that most people in my position who only come to yoga once a week anyway, feel no shame in skipping multiple weeks.  It was fantastic, although I screwed up and fell asleep awkwardly on the couch the following morning with the puppy.  Now my back is all tight again.  Looks like I'll have to go again this weekend as well.  

The best part of the weekend is finding out I have lost 4 lbs since the beginning of August when I last weighed myself.  So maybe there is some hope still.  I have been assuming my family and friends have been going crazy when they tell me I lost weight and how good I look.  I still think they're crazy because 4 lbs is not noticeable by far since I've not lost any inches at all. My Lola even told me "You look good now, getting smaller.  Not fat anymore." It didn't faze me...old Filipino women are as blunt as they are dramatic.  But I did ask my Ninang..."I was fat?" as I'm taking pictures of the delicious smelling pancit she cooked.  "Oh you know what she means...I keep telling her she has to be careful who she says things like that to you know..."  Still, it's nice to hear they perceive that I'm losing weight. 

The next best part of the weekend is completely tiring out the puppy.  Hooray for a docile half asleep puppy for 2 days straight.  I'm sure after sleeping it off today while I'm at work, he'll be ready to go again tonight, but it was great while it lasted.  The key to a lazy hound is a combination of a large open field, a frisbee or some ball like retrievable object, and willing victims kids.  This morning he literally sat there on our bed sprawled across my husband, watching me get ready for work when usually he's in my face trying to get me to play/feed him. 


Overall a blessed weekend. Couldn't ask for more. :-D