It was all in all, a successful weekend. Saturday began with a routine dog-walk/ hike and prayer time with my buddies. It’s a great time outdoors especially as my friends look forward to walking my dogs while I am huffing and chuffing along the trail – trying not to fall headlong while balancing, poop-bags, a pooper-scooper, and water bottles. 
My buddies are being helpful because (1) I actually DID stumble and jam up my ankle in a big hole on a side trail – when one of our number detoured ( I had little experience with that trail while managing 2 dogs on a hike last year); (2) Like grandchildren, other people’s dogs are great to entertain and exercise, knowing that you give them BACK at a fixed time; and third, and it’s just what we do.
Later that day I rented a truck to haul old bedding and discarded satellite dishes to the dump. The dishes went into the side yard at the renewal year when the cheap subscription tripled, and 200 channels still were completely uninteresting drivel or movies we had seen 50 times. I have spent six months staring at the junk. It was time for me to take action! – before my wife would tell me that it was time for action. As it happened, Saturday also happened to be the great cleanout day. (See my post from yesterday.)
While out went the old, that same truck allowed me “in with the new”. While I had stared at insulation I installed last year in the garage for most of the last 12 months, and the electrical that I had run 12 months before that, I now brought drywall sheets to finish it. One side of the garage. But I have at least 12 months to get the job done!
After a busy day with my church routine, a lunch meeting and training session for lay leaders, followed by some relaxation time with friends and a COSTCO trip for a few consumables, we were ready for some down time. A knock at the door meant John came over bearing some home-grown vegetables and peppers – and an invitation. My chore before I could accept was to wash my wife’s car. 
And perhaps a side trip to the store for a little thank you-refreshments for my neighbor.
The best part of a late Sunday afternoon is an occasional beer, garden -talk and the customary military tales between two old veterans. It was a great weekend: exercise, spiritual time, de-cluttering, home repairs, driving a pickup truck again, service to the LORD, training, LUNCH!, more friend -time and more friend time. And I can write and read blogs this evening. That is, until Comet and Dexter poke me for some attention.
After a time of mental re-calibration, I can again relish analyzing faults, and stuffing the genie back into the magic boxes soonest. Our newest customer may not understand – but will appreciate – that the journey to understanding and restoring his boxes began with a dog-walk and a to-do list of chores around my house.
It's a Dog's Life 