Oh, man, I really wish you hadn't mentioned "rake leaves" because reminds me of the humongous pile of leaves one of our trees copiously sheds. Of course, we haven't swept it up in months and it's all drifted to one area of our backyard and is probably home to thousands of earwigs and black widow spiders...but I suppose I must do this and be brave and leave the computer for some outdoor work.
I left the raking for someone else on staff to do. I hate raking. Mr. Bigbossman is such a cheapskate all the rakes have bent prongs and are useless. It's a chore I loathe.
I voted for "rake leaves" but now I wish I could change my vote. I was thinking that if it was a nice day, you could be outside and the work isn't too strenuous if it's not hot out (well, perhaps depending on how many leaves there are), so it could be fun, but then I remembered:
Why does anyone rake leaves ever? *g* It's a useless task, IMHO, and we don't do it here. We never have. Leaves are part of nature and will decompose naturally providing a natural compost for the grass or whatever. I might sweep the leaves off a walkway (maybe sometime around when hell freezes over *g*), but I'd never rake leaves in my yard. *g*
It's kind of like shoveling snow. I...er...don't do it. Ever. *g* I drive over it. If there's too much snow to drive over, it's obviously not a good day to go out. *g* If a snow plow plowed a huge mountain of snow behind my car, I'd hire another plow or get a snow blower to get rid of it. Shoveling just isn't ever going to happen.
I'm actually quite serious about both of these things, but especially the snow. In Alaska, people would shovel our walkways and the driveway and leave just enough behind so that it would melt slightly and then freeze again to become a hazard to all humans who wanted to remain upright. If you just let it be snow, it stayed snow and you could easily walk through it without slipping and falling and killing yourself.
I realize that you might not have a choice if raking leaves is something your boss wants you to do, though, and that could actually be quite pleasant if it's a nice day outside.
Do you have gloves for picking up the nasty trash? I actually buy a huge box of non-latex surgical gloves that I use for cleaning and stuff like that around the house. *g*
I think there's a reason with both, but especially raking. Something to do with the grass in the spring? I dunno. I'm of the mind that a perfectly manicured, weed-free lawn is boring and that leaves should be used, as you said, as a natural compost intead of dumping tons of chemicals on it to get it to grow better.
I don't remember my father ever once applying chemicals to the lawn to kill the clover and dandelions.
We have one of the nicest lawns on the street, and we never rake (leaves or grass). *g*
I don't really pay attention, but I asked toolman and he said he runs over the leaves with the lawnmower (tractor *g*) and that makes them into a mulch. He doesn't put chemicals on the lawn, but every year he aerates the lawn (pokes lots of holes in it), puts down a natural starter fertilizer, and then reseeds it. He says you're supposed to reseed every year.
I don't recall my father ever putting chemicals on our lawn either. We had lovely grass, too. We did have the occasional dandelion, but I don't think that was a huge concern.
I relabeled the files in the office, to get the folks who've been here 10+ years consistent with newer folks. I did that because I wanted to sip a latte while I performed a task, and it ended up taking me over 2 hours. Mostly because instead of using actual labels, S. wanted them all done with a stupid label maker. Highly labor intensive.
Then I cleaned up the recycle areas and picked up around the outside of the building. Gross work, but some punks had a grand ol' time on the east side of the building with a 6-pack of bad beer and various candy bars. They left the wrappers, containers and bags all over the place (they like to tuck things into the bushes, like hiding the rubbish somehow excuses the littering).
Long story short: it took me about 4 hours total...aka 5.5 hours. ;)
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carisma_sensei
no subject
Date: 2006-09-30 06:44 pm (UTC)I hate you.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-30 11:21 pm (UTC)I left the raking for someone else on staff to do. I hate raking. Mr. Bigbossman is such a cheapskate all the rakes have bent prongs and are useless. It's a chore I loathe.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-30 09:22 pm (UTC)Why does anyone rake leaves ever? *g* It's a useless task, IMHO, and we don't do it here. We never have. Leaves are part of nature and will decompose naturally providing a natural compost for the grass or whatever. I might sweep the leaves off a walkway (maybe sometime around when hell freezes over *g*), but I'd never rake leaves in my yard. *g*
It's kind of like shoveling snow. I...er...don't do it. Ever. *g* I drive over it. If there's too much snow to drive over, it's obviously not a good day to go out. *g* If a snow plow plowed a huge mountain of snow behind my car, I'd hire another plow or get a snow blower to get rid of it. Shoveling just isn't ever going to happen.
I'm actually quite serious about both of these things, but especially the snow. In Alaska, people would shovel our walkways and the driveway and leave just enough behind so that it would melt slightly and then freeze again to become a hazard to all humans who wanted to remain upright. If you just let it be snow, it stayed snow and you could easily walk through it without slipping and falling and killing yourself.
I realize that you might not have a choice if raking leaves is something your boss wants you to do, though, and that could actually be quite pleasant if it's a nice day outside.
Do you have gloves for picking up the nasty trash? I actually buy a huge box of non-latex surgical gloves that I use for cleaning and stuff like that around the house. *g*
no subject
Date: 2006-09-30 11:23 pm (UTC)I don't remember my father ever once applying chemicals to the lawn to kill the clover and dandelions.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-01 12:24 am (UTC)I don't really pay attention, but I asked toolman and he said he runs over the leaves with the lawnmower (tractor *g*) and that makes them into a mulch. He doesn't put chemicals on the lawn, but every year he aerates the lawn (pokes lots of holes in it), puts down a natural starter fertilizer, and then reseeds it. He says you're supposed to reseed every year.
I don't recall my father ever putting chemicals on our lawn either. We had lovely grass, too. We did have the occasional dandelion, but I don't think that was a huge concern.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-01 12:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-01 01:07 am (UTC)Then I cleaned up the recycle areas and picked up around the outside of the building. Gross work, but some punks had a grand ol' time on the east side of the building with a 6-pack of bad beer and various candy bars. They left the wrappers, containers and bags all over the place (they like to tuck things into the bushes, like hiding the rubbish somehow excuses the littering).
Long story short: it took me about 4 hours total...aka 5.5 hours. ;)