2021-06-08 - 6:36 a.m.

I never found more info on that 5K. The high school students had a poster someone posted but it was lacking detail and I didn't find out more in time.

Great idea for a senior project. I hope it was successful. (Their marketing could have been better LOL! I think it was a running group that had the poster.)

In any event, I have not run more than the two times last week. I had a few days of pain in my one leg- the one that had an injury a couple years ago! Never healed fully!

That is sure sign of getting old: When the body doesn't bounce back and heal like it used to.

I did have a few days with great energy and got the last of my planting done. Spent one morning during mid week up early last week, out around 6 AM getting a ground cover in my front yard along with a couple pretty New Zealand grown inpatients with a pop of color, a lovely red-orange that should do well under the bushes as a border. Here is the ground cover under the bushes which does well in shade:

https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=256848&isprofile=0&

I love doing yard work in the early morning before it gets hot, or in the evening after the heat of day passes.

On Sunday I finally finished the project of getting all the planters filled with dirt and transplanted tomato and pepper and basil starters into them.

My back porch has at least a dozen plants., with four different variety of tomatoes. I have two nice slicing- Big Boy and something else (Gold?) cherry tomatoes, and a nice plum tomato good for making puree according to the lady who gave me that plant.

Last week my Pastor and I enjoyed visiting with a couple in the church, two ladies who have been together for 45 years and live this beautiful life on a gorgeous property in the country, near a mountain. Its stunningly beautiful and they have this incredible house that was customized with a room that has a stunning view. Its amazing what a 15 minute drive out of the center of town brings!

I really do live in a beautiful area.

Oh, so on Saturday in my yard work zeal I also decided to spend some time taking care of the invasive weed, Virginia Creeper, growing insidiously next door. I do this a few times a year as it is a now vacant property with a landlord not attentive to it. Better I go yank out that week than let it take over! I was annoyed I didn't so it BEFORE the thing took to seed this year! I usually do.
I never got around to it and the thing was huge, and in the seed state which stinks.

It was actually starting to cover the front door of the house. I don't want this thing growing into my space which it will eventually!

So I was attacking it with zeal. I can't count how many years my neighbor who used to live there and I freed the bushes of all signs of this plant and dug up its roots and tried to kill that thing. I mean we dumped bleach ( I guess bleach does not kill hearty weeds). Round Up works but it is truly toxic and I prefer not to dump that chemical near home if can help it. (even if a popular solution!)

Now I wish we had gotten some for this crazy weed.

I removed the creeper from the bush nearest my house, and cleared the front door. I was scuffing the removed vines in the empty dirt bag from the topsoil I used to fill my planters- a large bag.
I kept going and found myself pulling out another invasive--- was yanking ( I did have gloves on) and then noticed the hairy stem.

OH shit I thought, realizing I wasn't really paying enough attention.

There was a vine entangled on the drain pipe of the house beyond- the one two doors down where a really nice lady is renting with a couple of her young adult children ( much like me in so many resects! I mean even to the degree of one home with health issues all the time.)

So I had wanted to help her out knowing she is busy and I am sure would not mind if her drain pipe is not overtaken by this weed.

Which was a huge poison ivy vine.

I had already started yanking it, before the realization of recognition set in.
I was trying to remember if she KNEW it was poison ivy as I recall her telling me she loves how pretty that climbing ivy is.

I think she has no idea. She planted these pretty flowers in front of it!!

YES it looks lovely!

LOL

and I have no idea WHY My ADHD self did not follow through on the search in this house for TECNU.

DARN I am sure we have it here somewhere. Specially formulated to remove the oils to prevent a reaction.

NO , I just finished up the clean up- figured best stop there. ( I did not take out all that Poison Ivy- just one big swatch encroaching on the drain pipe and the accompanying porch of the adjacent house- near its door!)

I just cleaned up outside, then came in and hit the shower.

NOW a day or so later, or maybe same day? I forget... I had a sore on my lip first. I was thinking, DARN this itchy spot turning into a sore is like a COLD SORE and while had I occasionally get canker sores inside my mouth was a bit bummed thinking I might have just gotten more than a nice kiss recently.

(YES I did enjoy a nice kiss!! That was an unexpected surprise on my Artist Date out with just Me, Myself and I....
you see... there was this restaurant.
and this chef....

who I just happen to know. ... I mean have known each other for years....like ten years.... and we both acknowledged this mutual attraction was not imagined... had been kind of palpable over years... but ignored for all practical purposes....
But neither of us decided to be practical and shared a walk,... and a kiss...ah remember the reference to dream and manifesting? Oh yes....

It was actually this incredibly fun moment

Walk outside enjoying a cool summer night in the company of this incredibly good looking man as we were both delighted to spend time together....)

I really intended that to be my Artist Date with myself!! NO INTENTION otherwise. He just happened to BE THERE and happened to initiate... I mean I get it, he has been pent up at home but for going to work due to COVID so honestly am not surprised at the confluence of events. Both of us are vaccinated. I am feeling pretty comfortable at this point re-entering the world and frankly this opportunity was too good to miss and say no to! It was SO MUCH FUN!

and well

I was so happy I responded

But then the itchy swelling on my lip made me wonder if the choice was one with a catch!

But then soon enough as I was sitting at work on Sunday afternoon felt itchiness first on my lip with one blister,,, then a few itchy spots on my face, and my left ear , then on my arms...
and realized that I had indeed contracted poison ivy!

EEK!

So yeah

So my excursion with young sexy man was well worth it without consequence. A wild man I can handle.

It is the wild plants that are harder to tame.

( Yeah he is young. Thus the practicality of not being involved with him in the past! Mid 30s... but I mean... why not? My oldest keeps telling me I need to date a younger man who has the same interests and energy I have when I DO want to go out and hike and hear music etc... AND who is not
a. Married and lying about it
b. Committed to someone else but lying about it...

LOL
Basically a younger guy with fear of commitment !! YES WAY better than an older guy with fear of commitment.

LOL

But not an alcoholic... OK?

OK... at least not one still drinking.
DAMN I so have my type.

Just joke about it.

Chef... I mean ... OK

He has been sober since January.

You know... all things for a reason! ( Not saying he is an alcoloholic...just that he is a chef.. and that is a common job risk...and he chose to become sober in Jan, a fact I did not know when we started chatting and decided to get together for a walk and the chemistry was fun to discover was pretty on point!) But for that walk, I am sure I would not have been HAPPY at the spread of what is obviously poison ivy! LOL Not that it really should matter, but it was a relief to know I have a temporary allergy and was not gifted with a herpes strain!

Cold sores are something I hope to not become part of my world!

CRAP Where the @@($&@ did the "private" option for an entry go? REALLY it used to be here on this interface and has literally disappeared for me.

Whatever... saving it anyway. So anyway, it was just a blast to enjoy the company of a man with no worries about his integrity. Seriously. What a lovely change! I get so frustrated as the older I get the more I see that married men with issues are abounding and have no problem LYING, or if divorced with girlfriends have no problem LYING. So it was just nice to enjoy companionship with someone I know for a FACT is single as I have know this guy for years. No expectation of a relationship frankly but just the decision to enjoy a walk and company for the evening. Just perfect actually! LOL Suits me. I really do look forward to getting to see my out of town guy...eventually! Perhaps in July? Aug? We are working on seeing when feasible. The thing is, he has not gotten vaccinated yet. So until my whole house is all FULLY VACCINATED then I am wary. I don't understand why he hasn't yet. I just don't understand those worrying about safety of the vaccine frankly. I respect their views but really don't get it. So this guy at least IS vaccinated fully AND has not been socializing AT ALL during this pandemic. So he said. I trusted that.

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