By Kat Bryant
The Daily World
It’s been a painfully blah week for me — literally and figuratively.
Because of my injured knee, I skipped several events I really wanted to check out this past weekend: Connie Parson’s “Historic Hoquiam Memories” expo at Emerson Manor, the National Record Day celebration at Boomtown Records, Ocean Shores’ massive arts festival, the inaugural Sunday Jam at the Hoquiam VFW.
I hear all went very well. Wish I could have been there. It just wasn’t a good idea for me to be walking around a lot, or to try to navigate a crowded room. (Insert sigh of annoyance here.)
I did, however, allow myself to go to see “Duck Soup” at the 7th Street Theatre on Saturday night. That required mostly sitting and laughing — two of my favorite things to do when I’m gimpy. (Yes, I have a history of hurting myself having fun. More on that another time, perhaps.)
It was my first time seeing that classic Marx Brothers comedy all the way through — and what better way to see a good film for the first time than on the big screen? It was gloriously funny, from Groucho’s biting one-liners to the famous mirror scene. I was sporting a massive grin even before the opening credits rolled, as the theater played audio from “You Bet Your Life” for the half-hour leading up to the film.
It was also my first visit to Hoquiam’s stunning historic theater. I was awed. It was like stepping back in time. I can’t wait to explore it more thoroughly with a behind-the-scenes tour next month.
Still, I have to say the best thing that happened last weekend was my lawn finally got cut for the first time this season.
I’d made arrangements weeks earlier with a neighbor’s son, but the perpetual rain prevented him from doing anything until last Friday, when the sun shone and the temperature soared above 60. I was starting to think I lived in a jungle, and poor Rosie wouldn’t even venture into the grass anymore. (Not only was the ground still squishy, but the grass had grown tall enough to tickle her belly — no small feat for a dog of her stature.)
On Friday, I got home from the office to find my young friend hard at work. For hours he mowed, pulled weeds, trimmed edges. He actually had to stop the mower several times and use the weed-whacker to cut the grass down to a manageable height. It was an epic battle, and he was clearly up to the challenge.
Meanwhile, I did my part: I put my feet up on the deck and sipped a Friday afternoon beverage with Rose at my side, enjoying the sunshine and the smell of freshly cut grass.
During one of his water breaks, he told me how much he loves doing yardwork and that a job well done is satisfying for him. You don’t hear that too often from a 12-year-old, and it made me think once again how much I’m loving this community.
In the end, I paid him nearly double the amount we’d agreed upon weeks earlier, based on the sheer magnitude of his work — and his diligence in getting it all done by dusk. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait so long for a break in the weather to accomplish the second cut of the season.
On a final note, my knee is feeling much better this week after a good rest. I’m hoping to hit the hiking trails sometime soon. I have a long list of places to check out.
If this rain would just quit….
Kat Bryant is lifestyle editor of The Daily World. Reach her at kbryant@thedailyworld.com or on Facebook at Kat Bryant-DailyWorld.
