house sitting (jackass style)

sleeping in someone else's bed, eating out of their cupboards, and finishing the last of their milk, is the bricks and mortar version of supervising other people's progeny. you can look at all of the home improvement projects (fix ceiling, paint window trim, install bathtub that's sitting in the back garden) and feel relief that you dont have to revel in the daily reminder that you "should" be attending to the 'to do' list. of course, chances are you will be on the 'to call' list of friends to come and help; install vinyl siding on a carriage house; paint a garage; paint office walls; do yard work; grout tiles, all of which i have enthusiastically volunteered for, while the internal monologue is screeching, "shut UP!"

with the bed/fridge/hammock in the backyard combo-meal-deal comes The Neighborhood; yapping dogs that need a voice box transplant (a voluble "moo" would be entertaining) and of course the "tweens" on skateboards and mongoose bikes hopping bits of garbage cans (or each other), dangerously close to the 'less than a year old mazda 3, and if they scratch it in anyway, these little shits are going DOWN'.

for now i have a dog that i can over feed, a cat that doesnt require a lot of attention (do they ever?), and a garden that is ultimately not my responsibility if it shrivels up and dies.