Why I Never Liked Yard Work

August 24, 2012



At the beginning of the summer I hired someone to mulch the yard and trim the bushes etc. It looked beautiful. But I was warned that I would have to weed to keep it looking this good. And I did for  a while. But then it got so hot and I had to increase my hours at work and deal with the ant infestation and it was summer and I love to go out in the summer. Soon I would be cooped up in my house because it would get dark earlier and cold and snowy. So I've been going out alot.

But this past weekend I was home because of my work schedule and it was cooler out. I decided I needed to weed. So I started pulling up things that looked like weeds. At one point I remember thinking, I hope this isn't poison ivy. Or poison anything. I was very allergic to that stuff when I was a kid.

On Monday morning I woke up and my right eye was swollen. Sort of like a bug bite. By Monday night the right side of my face was getting blotchy and itchy. Tuesday it was even worse. By the time Hilary came home from work I looked scary. I didn't want to go to work Wednesday. My face and neck where itchy and ugly. But I hate to call in sick so I went, planning to get through part of the morning and then go home. But someone had already called out so I knew there was no chance of me leaving. I received lots of advice from my colleagues and some practical treatment. I even purchased a new medicated that stopped the itching. I still look somewhat like the Elephant man but its getting better.

So although I conquered the ants that enjoyed Hilary's birthday cupcakes in June I've learned my lesson as far as yard work. No, its not to wear gloves, long sleeves and long pants when I weed. It's to hire someone to do it for me. Some things are just not worth trying to do yourself.