The Friday Morning Listen: Explosions In The Sky

Part of: Friday Morning Listen

(First posted on Mark Is Cranky

Somehow, I sort of lost track of the tail end of yesterday.

First it was the housework. The picking up and depositing of stuff so as to make the place look presentable for assorted guests. Then the vacuuming that followed. As my wheezing machine kept increasing in pitch, that Dyson guy's velvet British accent echoed in my head "...never loses suction".

This of course was all going on as the first snowfall of the season was winding down. I don't mind shoveling and snowblowing, but I'm ain't about ta do it twice in one day. Around one in the afternoon the flake drop finally ceased. First, out to the garage to move all of the crap that has been encasing that poor snowblower for the past seven months. Then ten minutes of begging, pleading and foul language as we try to get the (only one year old) snowblower started. Funny thing, if that danged kill switch is in the wrong position, she just won't start.

Damned safety 'features'.

A giant cloud of blue smoke and Mr. Husqvarna roars to life.

One pass down to the road and back up and stepson #2 is waving at me. Apparently, only one side of the beast is doing anything useful. A quick trip back to the garage confirms that one of the shear pins has, well, sheared.

Damned safety 'features'.

So we replace the pin and I'm back off to hurling rocks, leaves and snow at my neighbor's Grange Hall (it's a long story, ask me about it some time).

With the snow cleared, it's time for a shower.

The rest of the evening is a blur of conspicuous food consumption, bad NFL football, beer slurping, waiting what seemed like ten hours for stepson #1's friends to arrive for post-dinner Olympic beer slurping, more conspicuous food consumption, and two hours of The Apprentice. The evening was topped off by watching my mother, all 70-something years of her, playing a round of some card game called 'bullshit' with the now-drunk college kids. That was enough for me...I went to bed.

Continued on the next page Page 1 — Page 2

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Article Author: Mark Saleski

Mark Saleski is a writer and music obsessive based out of the Monadnock region of New Hampshire. He is an editor and writer for Jazz.com. He also writes reviews for Blogcritics.org and produces the weekly feature The Friday Morning Listen. …

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