Yard work

I'm not the best at keeping up with my yard work. My dad generally shakes his head sadly whenever he visits, dismayed that his son never picked up on his love for yard maintenance.

Every summer, I plan to change. I buy the right products and equipment, and I set a regular schedule for regular yard work. Unfortunately, those plans all go to heck almost immediately. However, I do tend to do the minimum to keep the yard looking at least semi-presentable.

That all serves as the preamble to my story: Last weekend, I cleaned up some bushes/plants/weeds with the trimmer and weedwhacker. (Yes - bushes, plants and weeds all look alike to me. I'm not proud of that, it's just the truth.) When I cleaned the same area last year, I was covered in itchy blotches from some kind of poison oak or vine. This year, I didn't break out for 4 days. I figured I was in the clear but, over the last two days, the telltale itching has started. It is a torturous nightmare.

This could be a good excuse for me to stop doing yard work all-together. Somehow, though, I don't think that reasoning will change that look of disappointment from my dad when he comes to visit.