Memorial Day was sure action packed around here.

It started bright and early with a giant lake in the kitchen. Heidi the Wonder Weiner is losing her grip, I think, and perhaps bladder control as well. Yukky.

Then it became Treat The Deck With Really Stinky Stuff Day. We bought this big six-gallon can (five gallons with one free) last fall, but between work, rainy weather, and general malaise, we never got around to applying it. Yesterday, we fixed that. The good news is two-fold: the deck looks a lot prettier in this golden oak color than it did in Neglect Grey, and the water sure does bead up on it now. The bad news is that since we didn’t wear respirator masks (never even thought about it, to tell you the truth, until Marisa’s boys said something), both BJ and I were even more loopy than normal and were fighting off low-grade headaches all day. And being loopy while encountering wasp nests isn’t all that good, considering the big welt in the middle of BJ’s back. Lucky me: I avoided being stung somehow.

Much more good luck than good planning, I assure you, but it seems six gallons of Really Stinky Stuff is precisely how much it takes to treat a deck of our size. Phew! Oh, that and about three hours in direct sunlight. So….

This Irish lass has SUNBURN now. Better than a wasp sting, I grant you, but between being hot from the sunny, warm weather, working up a sweat with the pump sprayer, turning slightly crispy, and having menopausal hot flashes, I think I was ready to create a thermonuclear incident.

Once the deck was dry, we put all the furniture back on it. Times like that make me wonder just how many butts I expect at a time on that thing. Seating for about 40, I think!

Then, we enjoyed barbecued ribs, baked beans, and mac salad with Brian and Marisa. All things considered, it was just about a perfect day.