I usually say I was injured while participating in an extreme sport such as bunjee jumping or cliffdiving...just a suggestion for next time.

I wish I could move in next door to you! The current owners should advertise it as, Live Next Door to Crazy Aunt Purl! There ya go.

Kitties! Sweaty men carrying dirt! Outrageous gas prices! Way too many excalmation points! Sounds like a good weekend to me. And I'd have smacked that co-worker...

such a beautiful picture of Roy!! thanks. He is one of my favorite pin-up boys!

Those gas prices suck. I am so, so sorry.

I will stop complaining about the $2.89 per gallon that I am currently paying here in PA.

laurie, I saw a license plate at the mall this weekend that said "GNOMES." Thought of you instantly. And, I think it's some kind of brainwashing our mothers do to us: when boys are at your house, offer them beer & sweet tea. It's just the rules.

we've said it before, you totally need to write a book - maybe you can just publish your blog beginning to end one day - and make mucho money for kitty care and laurie care! You can tell a story like none other! Totally laughing my ass off in the office!

I have always found that I can get more work out of men if I provide BEER. LOL! That sounds a little weird.

But heck, I even had a guy help me move to a third floor walk up for a couple of cases of beer.

Silly men.

WOW, even in Chicago our gas prices aren't THAT bad.

I am SOOO glad I'm not the only one hobbling around at work and sex had nothing to do with it. I hired handsome sweaty men to cut down 4 50 foot tall cherry trees in my front yard a few weeks ago, and yesterday two other handsome sweaty men came with a gas-powered log splitter and split about half of it for three hours... while I stacked the wood. And we're ONLY HALF DONE! They want to come back Tuesday "before it gets hot out". I don't think my poor log-smashed boobs will ever be the same. I'm gonna take "beer and managment" lessons from you!

Fiddlydiddlydiddlydiddlydiddlydiddlydee!

Beer is the answer to all our worldly problems and it is cheeper than gas.
I am also embarrased to say I got sore from swinging a bat at the cages with my son. My first softball game is today so I jumped right off the bar stool Friday and practiced hitting (after a few beers of course). It hurts to cough when I smoke.

I am also a member of the "hobbling not due to sex" club. I played hide and seek as well as soccer with an 8 year old and 5 year old yesterday. I am way out of shape.....

Hey, at least you got free help with the bags-o-soil. And chitchatting & beer! Yay!

Roy and Soba look smashing, as usual. How much do they charge you to post their pictures on the net?

As for the gas prices--I am so, so sorry. If I knew of a way to pump some of the $2.75/gallon stuff here and send it to you, believe me, I would.

See, this is why all my gardening is done in small pots that are easy to lift and move. Of course, I grow nothing so intriguing as a square watermelon, but I do grow everything I need to make a kick-ass spaghetti sauce. It's all in the herbs!

I pulled both my hamstrings gardening this weekend. Bending over to weed and bending over to mix fertilizer with dirt for several hours lead to me hobbling around the house and wanting to sit down but not being able to find a way to do it that won't end with me swearing in pain.

If gas prices were that high around here, I think I would be tempted to just drive around with my middle finger out the window. For real.

Octavio and Julio sound charming.

I too am trying to learn to garden this year, so I was HOWLING at your story. As luck would have it, we were also hauling away a wayward downed tree yesterday. I'm gonna be just like CAP when I grow up! LOL

Julio, Julio, where the hell art thou Julio?

$3.53!!!! You have GOT to be kidding me. And you sound like you got some kick butt new neighbors.

I have found that beer is a magical thing. It can help me move all my belongings from one apartment to another, as long as it is inside some nice strong men.

And I will stop bitching about the $2.99/gallon situtation we've got going on in my pretentious Midwestern town (delusions of being a Chicago suburb, and therefore with the high [for here] prices).

Everything was all good until I got down to the picture of the gas station. My car is currently down to half a tank and the thought of going to the gas station scares me to death.

A long soak in a warm bath with eucalyptus salts should take care of the soreness...not to mention your sinuses.

Maybe just maybe your new neighbors will be knitters! Heart Roy.

Sounds like the gardening is coming along (hee!)...stay out of that 500-degree weather, too. We're enjoying our first streak of Truly Hot Weather in the Sacramento Valley, and I'd like you to know that the only thing worse than 500-degree highs is 500-degree highs with swamplike humidity. Although maybe that would remind you of home?

All in all, it sounds like a very productive weekend! Gas prices suck ass.

I am so hobbled this morning as well as I spent some serious time cleaning on Saturday and yesterday the familio headed out to Moorpark to pcik strawberries and picnic. And what they heck is it doing being so darn hot this weekend. I am hearing it is to be 80 by the end of the week...

Time to move back to Florida sweet pea... our gas is only $2.78. I shudder at the fact that I said ONLY before that horrific price.

Thank you for making me feel better about the $3.09 gas here.

And, if it makes you feel better--my shoulders are still sore from what I have to assume was my carrying my groceries a total of five blocks or so yesterday afternoon.

Also, that's an excellent picture of Roy.

What the...??? You mean gas everywhere isnt $3.50 a gallon? Why are we the only ones to be ripped off soooo sooooo badly? I mean....we make all the movies for y'all and everything!

Heh. I am sore from putting up the window blinds yesterday (bought over 2 months ago). I had to use a power drill and everything.

Beer and/or food...it's just the Southern way. My husband needed help getting our brand new stove out of the back of the truck (lord knows I can't help him)...so we invite a friend over, feed him BBQ and beer and the stove gets moved.

To the garage. It may require more beer and food to get it actually installed...

I think you win in the complaining about gas prices. I thought $3.14 was bad.

Once again LOLTTASFCOE, translation: laughing-out-loud-til-tears-are-squirting-from-corners-of-eyes.

I know I'm old because ten years ago when I worked in the garden, I could work all day and wouldn't be sore until two days later and then only sore for two days.

Now: I work for two hours and am tired and sore immediately and it takes a week to feel back to normal. Damn, it sucks to be old.

Hell yeah you burn calories in the garden! And if you're "blessed" like me, you also get a lovely bout of poison ivy for your troubles. Photo evidence can be found here: http://bloomkitty.blogspot.com/2006/05/pink-things.html

I wish a tree would fall near my backyard. I need some help with my garden... as in setting the damn thing up.

What do you think about square tomatoes? *L*

I hope you feel less broken tomorrow. ;)

Say you are recovering from getting dirty with two gorgeous men. It's even true. Well, not having actually seen them, I don't know about the gorgeous part: maybe you should say two strong men? If they weren't strong before the Purl Tree & Dirt Exercise Program, they are now.

Purl, you are on the money! According to the CDC gardening can burn up to 350 calories per hour. Not bad....

Dang, at that price for gas, it would be cheaper to put beer in your car instead of gas!

Yard work weekends are hard on the back, but I always feel better after spending time outside. It does make me feel more "healthy" either from an exercise stand point or from the fact that I wasn't inside eating bon-bons and watching DVR-ed tv.

at Drew's comment....

I need help with getting a man to work. Even when I serve him a nice cold one, I still fall ino the catagory of "If he asked me to jump off of a cliff would I". If I ask nicely he thinks it's time to take my clothes off. If I complain about whatever I want done, He does it! But in such a way that I would have been better off doing it my self in the first place. Or he invites his friends over, I end up serving them cold ones, cook dinner for everyone and clean up huge mess, and still get nothing that "I want" accomplished.

That last picture of the gas prices was like getting kicked in the gut. How in the hell can you all afford to drive out there? I will not be complaining about my $2.99 a gallon back here, that is for sure.

The kitties look healthy, and that is a good thing.

I am beginning to think that the improved gas mileage I get with 89 is not worth the extra money. I've had to pump with my eyes closed the last few times I filled up. I have also taken to stockpiling beer, even though I can't drink it. It makes me feel better to have it. And it makes my husband feel MUCH better, which leads to the depletion of my stash.

I hope that you feel better soon. I also have some gardening to attend to and being a good 10 years older than you, I will have to watch it.

On the subject of gas prices, I returned from vacation to $2.29/gallon. In Washington state, they were about $2.17. They are always higher in CA because of the "special" formula.

Kvetching over. Off to read the adventures that I've missed for the last week.

Smart girl.
Use what you have. ha ha... I can see them now at home talking about what a nice lady you were to offer them beers for a little yard work.
I hope you did lots of eyelash banting and cute little smiles for all the hard work.
Poor cats are they ever going get better?

Soba looks way cute. I love when their cover their faces like that.

You have the Tom Sawyer charm. I love when that happens. Get em to paint your fence!

I once threw my back out by rising from the sofa as I ran to get a snack during a commercial while watching TV. Now that's embarassing...but it kept me out of work for several days!

Here's how sick it is out here. This morning on the way to work I saw gas at $3.32 and literally swung over 2 lanes in the middle of Pico Blvd. to get me some. My sweet little Honda currently needs $34 worth of gas - I remember when it was $15...

I too own a Honda. I too remember when I could give the guy a $20 to fill up and would actually get change back. It doesn't seem that long ago. I just checked http://www.californiagasprices.com/ and am relieved to see that my usual Chevron station is still at $3.29.

I _had_ been complaining about gas being over $3 in upstate NY, but I will complain no more. You have that honor and I, for one, will never resent you for doing it. $3.53! Holy shit!!

P.S. Way to ply the garden help with beer, Miss O'Hara!

Bill Hicks: "Please, give me the Satan-worshipping family. The ones who have the good albums."

If it isn't too late, save a few logs of the wood, it can be turned on a lathe into a vase,bowl,box ect... Rough turning it green, then letting it dry out, then finish turning is best. I would guess there are 5,000 wood workers in L.A. that would love turn it for you, as long as you gave them some extra pieces also.

I'm going to get my bicycle fixed and start riding to work. Scary (because of traffic and looking goofy), but I can't cut the wine and yarn out of my budget, so goodbye gas.

I got my daughter some Love's Baby Soft for Christmas. Every time I smell it (and believe me, it permeates the house) it takes me back in time. I can't believe how much the Soba looks like my Java kitty. Glad your babies are doing better.

It's good to know that sometimes you can find men who enable the Southern Woman in you - outside The South. I'm hoping that when moving home to the midwest, I can still find men who respond when something heavy needs to be toted! Also, I almost gagged when I saw how expensive gas is there!!!!

Here in Delaware, one gas station up the street is still at $2.99 for regular grade. Most of the others are $3.08+. One time last year we hit $3.30 a gallon, and folks were panhandling for gas at the Texaco. Nothing like filling your tank then having people come up and ask you to fill theirs too.

Gotta tell you...Drew's pic on the right is looking a little scoundrelish. Before you even made mention to Scarlett O'Hara, I was thinking he looked like Rhett Butler. Weirdness.

Move to northwestern Wisconsin, where the men are men and the gas is $2.79!

Shopping? Trader Joe's? Men who can say more than "So, how 'bout dem Vikes?"? Who needs 'em?!

BTW, we do have kitties here. That makes up for a lot.

Hi Laurie

Love your blog.

I don't normally post just lurk but I noticed your petrol photo today and that you pay around $3.85 for a gallon on petrol.

In the UK we are paying around double that - ours is nearly £1.00 a litre and there are around 4 litres to a gallon (British weight). So approx £4.00 a gallon which equates to something like, oh..$7.53 or thereabouts.

Keep up your blog!

Well, I guess I need to stop complaining about paying $3.33 for gas on Saturday...I still think it's a rip-off, but it's the closest station.

This weekend, I filled up my car for the first time since gas prices skyrocketed. Since my car only runs on "Super Dinosaur" brand fuel (Premium, with gold flakes, perhaps?) I thought it wouldn't be much worse than my all time 'record' of paying $38 for a fill-up. Wrong! I turned the pump off at $60. It wasn't full yet, I just thought that $60 sounded significant. Gas was $3.56, and that was at our local CostCo.

I just love California.

I wanted to cry because I paid $3.31 today. It sucks when you have to decide between a full tank of gas or renewing your costco membership.

WOW! Octavio, Julio, some beers and now you can't walk. I see you are finally taking my advice.

LOL @ rb ;)

... or move to Iowa where gas is $2.60 a gallon ... when did we begin getting excited about $2.60 a gallon? ...

And a beautiful winery (free wine tastings and music) within 10 miles and several more scattered around our state ...

That was the best story I've heard in a while. I laughed out loud a couple too many times here at work. Hehe!

I was gazing longingly at the pictures of SUNSHINE. We've been getting clobbered with rain here in NE and the access road behind my house is so flooded, there are ducks and Canadian geese swimming in the newly-formed creek (aka northern branch of the Everglades).
I tried gardening last year but think I want to have the yard regraded before replacing the dead plants. Oh for an Octavio and Julio! Maybe your landlord will hire them instead of Francisco?
And maybe it's time to break out the cotton yarn, or learn to crochet now the hot weather's there?

I think that tree was just pointing Octavio and Julio straight to you. "Hey guys! There's a nice lady with some beers that lives over theeeeeeere" (crash) "and you should hang out with her."

Eleventeen hundred pounds of soil? Oh, my! Definitely sounds like it's time for a beer.

Your writing is delightful!

fuck a feathery proverbial. your petrol prices are at $3+ a litre?

We're carrying on like a butcher's tray of pork chops with petrol @ $1.30L here... Things are not looking positive for the future!

holy friggin' gas prices, batman. I was complaining about $2.99 this morning.

So where were Octavio and Julio when an 80 foot hundred year old poplar keeled over in the next but one neighbour's garden and took out my hydrangea? Because we all own the garden, in the way that no one feels they own it, no one did anything, and summer came and went as the neighbours hacked a trail through the foliage so they could get to the sunny part of their garden. The kids loved it, the cats loved it, neighbours spent days tutting over the fence about the general awfulness of it. Eventually a bunch of cowboys showed up and took the fallen part away. The following winter the remaining half fell down, but had the good manners to fall west instead of east, and as those neighbours care even less for their garden than most, it lay there for over a year. If a tree falls and no one gives a damn, who is going to pay? Anyway, there is still a twelve foot stump, bravely showing green, and the displaced owls have returned to another tree and I continue to provide them with winged McNuggets as I feed the chirruping population of small songbirds. The Hydrangea has not yet forgiven the tree for falling on it, and even after a three year course of careful pruning looks rather resentful.

Well, I just lie in bed wishing for two men to come around and help me spread gromulch around my garden....
Mia

From my gardening back to yours, "this Bud's for you"!! I love how easily guys agree to help out when cold ones start pishhing!
I just finished cutting a 3'x10' garden out of my lawn for a pumpkin/rhubarb patch and hauled the sod to the front of my house (vague hope of having a lawn there instead of a gravel pit). Those sod bits were a foot thick!! I made my husband haul the bags of earth for me though!

I refer to them as "extreme gardening injuries". Some people buy it. 10 biting heads and forty-eleven claws..you are freakin' hilarious!

Em, appropos of nothing, the crochet dude with the mustache scares me. But don't worry, I'll be strong and keep coming back for more Crazy Aunt Purl. At least she's not Scary Uncle Mustache with Crochet Hook. Whew.

LOL @ Carla... I'm harmless...

I agree with Octavio, it's never to early for a cold one. And anyways, if they are your new neighbors, who knows what they will do for a little of your cooking? You might have someone to help with all of you gardening excursions now, since Fernando seems to only butcher when you are not home.
Good luck with the new ones, and with the gatos.

Holey shit, that gas is expensive!

Try to get out there and garden again soon. It'll help you not get too stiff. I had this same thing happen when I started my garden this year. I kept at it, though, and am not having any trouble with soreness anymore.

And, just to make you feel better, it's most likely just that you're not using those PARTICULAR muscles all the time (so you can tell yourself you're not actually out of shape).

I do believe you are about to pass us (in France) on the gas prices thing.

Krista is completely right about the gardening thing. Back when I had a yard, I used to suffer at the beginning of spring with various aches and pains. I found the best way past them was to get out in the yard again. A couple of weeks of gardening and no more pain.

Oh, I so adore Roy. What a gorgeous boy.

A bit of entertainment for your not-so-mobile state. I remember so many of these dances! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg

Oh my goodness - you are hilarious.

I LOVE YOUR WEB LOG!!!! I just recently found it thanks to She Just Walks Around With It.

You must be psychic because in your May 8 post you said something about it being early and a tree could still fall on your house. I'm glad it only fell on the patio.

Hang in there, girl!

Cheers,
Theresa

Yeah, yeah, gas is expensive. I'll tell you what the real crime is... what you people have to pay for salad dressing. It costs more than a gallon of your gas. Meanwhile in flood-striken eastern MA, we can get 2 bottles of Ken's Lite Caesar dressing for 99 cents when Demoula's Market Bastard is having a sale.

I suggest you convert your cah to biodiesel. We can send you the crates of Ken's. We'll float 'em out to you on the flood waters.