“If you’ve got the time we’ve got the beer”
Quick, name the beer commercial … tick tick … Jeopardy theme playing … tick tick … give up? That would be Miller High Life. See the 1979 commercial here. This commercial just makes me feel good for some reason.
Anyway, I definitely have the beer (garage is stocked with Sierra Nevada, Magic Hat and Sam Adams) but the “time” is a different story.
Let me preface first by saying, I wouldn’t change a thing in my life right now. A beautiful wife/best friend/ partner in crime, two fantastic and healthy children, best dog known to man and a kick ass house/property out in the country in small town NJ (yes that is possible you haters). But …. time for personal enjoyments (i.e. gardening) is extremely limited. You know that going in so it’s hard to really complain – it’s just reality.
Now I know I tend to lean a tad bit negative (maybe cynical is a better term) but this post is now going to switch paths and go all positive on your ass.
This morning the alarm went off at 5:45 AM and rather than spoon my wife and force her to stay in bed until 6:30 AM, I immediately got up, put on the appropriate gear (which looked very criminal-like this morning – black hoodie and black Adidas pants) and headed outside. I was determined to get in a good 45 minutes of gardening tasks before our morning truly started.
To add to the drama, there was a steady rain and it was in the high 40’s. Did that impede me at all? Can I get a “hell no”? It may not seem like much but I:
- Planted a recently purchased Yucca (where have you been all my life you structural minx?).
- Removed and discarded two Ilex Glabra, along the front foundation, that redefine the term “leggy”.
- Trekked through the mud and determined my new layout where the Ilex were located (lots of shrubs in pots moved around until I found the right look).
I set foot back in the house at 6:29 AM and felt INVIGORATED (my absolute favorite term right now). It’s amazing how much can get done in a short period of time. I am super determined to do this same thing every morning. It will be tough – my wife and I are night owls and usually are not asleep until around midnight each night (me a little later after watching P Allen Smith re-reruns) but I can’t pass up this new found “time”. I’ll let you all know how successful I am as the days pass.
So crack me open a cold Miller my beer swilling buddies … cause I now have the time and I got the beer.
Cheers!
Your next project needs to be a kegerator 🙂 haha….. We bought a new fridge and converted our old one to serve up ice cold ones on demand. It’s beautiful. Add a frosty mug and it’s a glorious thing to look forward to after a day of gardening (just maybe not at 6:29am).
This is your morning work out, huh? Not a bad idea! Especially here in S Florida where it gets hot and muggy by 7:30am. Hmmm…now you’ve got me thinking!
Additionally, what wife can complain about a husband with that kind of drive and who speaks of her so kindly?!?!
BTW…we did the same thing Carri suggests…our old fridge is for recreation only! Woo Hoo!!
Not good with the American beer commercials. Especially ones that aired before I was born in 1981 😛 Besides, Canada has better beer commercials. Google ’em 😉
I do admire your fortitude. Love m’plants, but I wouldn’t give up spooning in the AM to tool around in the rainy yard when I didn’t have to. Should I be ashamed? I’m not. But like I said, I admire you. I even forgive you for the yucca 😉
I’m going to go ahead and award you a gold star for getting up early to garden. I don’t think I could do it, and I’m a bit a cynic (I prefer to call it realist) myself. If there is a polar opposite to a “morning person”, I am even beyond that.
Congrats on the Yucca, I’ve been wanting to try one of the hardy ones for a couple of years now.
Christine in Alaska
Congrats- you are now a SERIOUS gardening nerd- and I am glad that you are embracing it in full force like the rest of us blogging maniacs do. Just don’t you start bloggin’ about drinking those beers at 5:45AM- then we will all know you have taken this gardening to another level. 🙂
OMG I too am obsessed..so glad I found you, I live in the country on 9acres of land in Ontario. I love my garden soo much, I wish I could stay hame all day and work in it,I wish I could just quit my job,cause my work is cutting into my garden time…But gotta go to support my gardening habit…HAHA…Tracie in Waterford Ont Canada.
Hi John,
It’s been a while since I’ve read and commented on your posts.. we are so busy!!!! Just finished planting all my veggies in my new veggie garden where my pool used to be.. I can so appreciate you getting up early and working in your garden, I was up at the same time this morning and before leaving for work decided to check on my new garden and ended up weeding half way around it….. back in the house at 6:30am to get ready for work… nothing like an hours worth of weeding to start the day! 🙂
Your pictures on the following post look fantastic!