I began the day in Baltimore, and concluded it in Dallas. No matter how often I travel, I've never gotten used to that. Humans were meant to start and stop their day within a 20 mile radius. One thousand miles is like taking the transporter, rearranging a man's molecules and befuddling his sense of place.

Upon return home, I immediately set about reaffirming my eccentricity for all the neighbors. This had begun Friday, when I braved the rain to start tearing gutters off the abandoned house down the block. With permission, of course, but I couldn't well go around to all the neighbors and knock on their doors to establish my alibi. And, in Friday's rain, with my hood on, I apparently looked like the stereotypical home-salvage thief, and that's the feedback my wife got from the neighbors ("Did you hear someone tried to steal the gutters off that house last week?"), and it was all we could do to stifle our laughter.

Sunday's unintentional comedy came from Squinx's efforts to help.  She's solidly in the 36-40 inch demographic, but insisted on carrying something from the teardown to our house.  Hefting a length of downspout, I judged it within her capabilities, and off we went.

It didn't occur to me that she would not locate the midpoint of the piece and lift it there.  Instead, she picked up one end and shouldered the rest.  She looked like an ant carrying a maple leaf.  Squeeky captured the moment on film.

Now I have about 60 feet of gutter lying in the backyard.  And, alas, Big Box Home Improvement Corp. just offered me a $100 gift card if I buy more insulation.  The attic is not yet finished.  Is life long enough for all this?

Posted by: Michael Rittenhouse at 08:45 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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