Journal of a Sabbatical

June 10, 1999

corners

Reading: Before the Dawn by Shimazaki Toson

As far as I can tell, the herbicide I sprayed on the bittersweet yesterday has had no effect. New leaves have appeared since yesterday. The stuff I sprayed on the crabgrass and other weeds along the cracks next to the walkway has worked though. All the plants in and near the cracks have turned brown. I spent some time raking up the dead leaves from the cracks.

I don't think the walkway and the area where the walkway meets the parking lot look all that much better without the weeds. The curb is all banged up from snow removal and other wear and tear. It's crumbling in places. My walkway is crumbling too in one corner by the gate. I kept getting chunks of pavement when I tried to rake the weeds. The walkway is common property but so far as I know, the condo association does nothing to maintain it except shovel the snow in the winter. Individual unit owners are responsible for keeping it neat - that is, weed free - but there's nothing in the regulations about individual unit owners patching the cracks. I have no intention of doing any paving.

I tried putting in some of the snap-together and pound-in plastic edging next to the fence. It doesn't slide together as easily as the instructions claim and I couldn't pound it in with my hands. The shovel handle didn't work and I figured if I used a regular hammer it would break. I guess I need a rubber mallet like it shows on the box. My idea was to put plastic edging up against the fence and weed-block matting covering the small area of dirt (now weed free) between the fence and the walkway. That way any weeds in the yard next door couldn't spread under the fence and make my walkway look untidy - and Pajama Woman couldn't blame her weeds on me either.

I'm getting unbearably neurotic since Pajama Woman and the Busy Body started talking to me. They were going on and on about how the Beans of Egypt Maine were so dirty they never cleaned in the corners. The corners. I would think that would be the least of the problem given that the Dad Bean and two of the kids smoked like chimneys and threw the cigarette butts in the sink. But Pajama Woman and Busy Body went on about the dirty corners. So I have now developed a complex about the corners in my unit. Ohmigod, what if Pajama Woman gets a glimpse of my unit when we both open the doors to get the mail at the same time? What if Busy Body barges into my unit the way she does into Pajama Woman's? What if she has to use the bathroom where the litter box is? Eeeeeek!

So besides working on the yard I spent 2 hours cleaning the corners in the downstairs bathroom. I cleaned the wall behind the litter box. I scrubbed the radiator covers. I dusted places that have not been cleaned since the building was built, let alone since I've lived here. To me, it doesn't look all that different. But I guess I can have peace of mind knowing that if they do invade my home, they won't be able to accuse me of dirty corners.