Oh boy it's a Monday

Phase 1 opened up on Friday.
Not a big change in phase 1 but it's hopeful.
Yesterday was the 1st day in our state that no one died from COVID-19.
Damn good sign.  

We had a full weekend of nothing but yet we were busy.
Remember a year ago (or was it 2?) I had some landscaping done on the front of my townhome? Well, they put vinca as ground cover. She kept telling me it would eliminate my need for mulch all the time. I kept saying, will it look messy? Will it look like an English garden? (which I despise) She (landscaper) was emphatic that I would love it. 
We both hated it.  It is messy looking. 

I was talking to two neighbors over the last couple of weeks.
When speaking to Jackie I told her  I was thinking of ripping it out and she made a face and said, "Yeah, I see that"  Her face made me laugh out loud. I said I think your face Jackie just told me your thoughts. Then the direct next-door neighbor asked what that was. I told her vinca and why I hated it and planned to take it out. 
She said, "Oh that will look so much better"
Once they knew I didn't like it they did not hide their disgust of the vincas.
So apparently everyone thought it looked terrible.

Sunday morning after our coffee we decided we would get started.
It was relatively comfortable outside so we went to tackle this job before the heat was too oppressive.
Boy, did they take root. We had to pull out the roots so they didn't come back of course but it was far harder than one would think. 
We thought we'd be done in no time.  HA.
But after a horn or two honked with my butt in the air facing the street I decided to squat doing this. And yes it was like a squat work out and my butt is sore. Rick of course said if they wish to honk at his ass he will drop- trou for them. He was laughing but honestly, I don't doubt he'd do it. He is only an adult by age.

Of course, we were not done after the vincas were all out.
We chugged more water and went back to work.
I asked Rick to move 2 of the hostas and then we mulched. 
We were short 1 bag of mulch. Close in our calculations but shy 1 bag.
It looks so much better to me. You see we get no sun at all in the front of the house. So we can't have flowers out front only in the back.
It is what it is but at least it looks neater now.  The whole English garden thing always looks messy to me. I like a linear or neat look so I got that now and am a bit happier. Especially when the back shrubs grow a bit. On the side of the house, we took out the big shrub, and now there is an empty spot behind the azaleas. I'm not filling that spot this year. We will survive. Hopefully, the HOA will too. 

Our HOA are little nazi's and I am certain mango Mussolini would love them. I must have this door color, must have this type of storm door, can't paint the portico any color than what they tell me. I will never ever live where there is an HOA ever again. Rick flipped out the day they said our garage door windows were dirty. It was January. We don't clean them in January. He marched down there and handed the woman a squiggy and told her if she'd like to do them in 25 degree weather she could come by any day of the week. Oh they were not happy with him. They gave him until May 15th or something like that. I have learned you never tell Rick what to do or he will do the opposite like a child. I learned that early on. 
I plant seeds. He will think about things and then think it's his own idea. Yes, I am bad. It's worked perfectly for 33 years. It's so much easier this way than fighting or allowing him to get all riled up because someone is telling him what to do. But then one day he saw me to do this to someone. When they left he said, Oh my God you just planted a seed. You are going to get what you want. You little manipulative wench. I laughed and said as I kissed him, "good thing it would never work on you"  He laughed but was clueless how this might work in his life. 
Shh, we won't tell him. 

Back to my front 'landscaping'... last evening someone walking their dog went past our home. We were behind them walking up our sidewalk to our house with Izzy. 
We see them slow down at our home. We hear the lady point to our home and say, "Oh look they fixed the front, doesn't this look better?"
Oh my God did that make us laugh out loud.
So apparently everyone thought this looked terrible. 

We watched a 2 episode documentary on Epix called Laurel Canyon.
It's replaying both episodes this coming Sunday if you have that channel.
If you like Rock 'n Roll from '65 to '75 then I think you will like this.
This artistic enclave called Laurel Canyon was something that only happens once in a lifetime. I wish I had lived there to experience it. 
My niece of late calls or text me after she watches something from that time frame and asks if this or that was true. Yes, bras were burned, after removing them. (that one made me laugh) She was watching Mrs. America about that horrible as trump wench named Phyliss Shaffley. 
Oh, how I disliked this witch.
My niece had so many questions. They should show this kind of shit in school. It's history and it is far more interesting to kids in movie form. They can discuss it after the movie. 
But back to Laurel Canyon. 

If you like the Eagles, Mamas and Papas, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Linda Ronstadt, Poco, Doors, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne etc. then you will find this interesting. I sure loved it. I don't think it's on a streaming service unless they carry Epix and you get a free trial and watch it.
What I loved most about it besides the music was how much they helped one another. How much the camaraderie meant and how the art and music were more important than anything. Unlike today when no one plays their own music and hell 1/2 don't even sing well unless using auto-tune. It was peace, love and music. Ah, the good ole days.