Friday, December 30, 2022

The Yum Yum Tree


Another rare sunny day yesterday. I investigated the possibility of getting tickets to the elevator up the smokestack of the Battersea Power Station, but none were available. Apparently we need to plan farther ahead than that. So instead, we just walked the dog.

We went to the cemetery, where she ran around with great enthusiasm, having been mostly shut up indoors during our recent rainy spell.

Another dog-owner, there with some little old feeble Dachshund-ish thing, asked if Olga was friendly. "Usually," I said, and she retorted, "Usually?! That's not what I want to hear." The truth is, Olga does sometimes snarl at other dogs, just as any dog will get into a temporary, territorial spat. Just yesterday morning, in fact, she encountered a young staffy named Daisy who lives across the street, and Daisy jumped on her in a puppyish way, and Olga responded by biting down on her snout -- not hard enough to break any skin, but enough to serve as a reprimand from an older dog to a younger one. The owner didn't mind and we laughed about it.

So, hey, I was trying to be truthful.

Anyway, Olga wasn't interested in the Dachshund-ish thing nor vice versa, so the question was moot. She was too busy chasing her tennis ball and rolling around in the muddy grass.


"Look at me, with mud on my face and possibly other dogs' poo on my flanks! I'm a happy dog!"

(A happy dog in need of a bath, which she got when we returned home.)


The Christmas tree recycling pen at Fortune Green has been set up again, and already has some business. By the end of next week it will be piled high. Someone discarded a little tree in the middle of our street yesterday morning -- I pulled it to the curb and may eventually walk it down to the recycling station. Honestly, why don't people just do the right thing?

I also raked the leaves in the garden, tidied up the freeze damage on our banana tree, and did some other light trimming and pruning. And I hooked up our new DVD player, which is indeed a tiny thing that seems like just what we need. Now if I want to watch "Monster" (unlikely), I can!

Last night's movie was "Under the Yum Yum Tree" from 1963, with Jack Lemmon, Edie Adams, Imogene Coca, Paul Lynde, Dean Jones and Carol Lynley, among others. It's another film I've been curious about for years, since I like many of the actors involved, but I found it tedious overall. Two hours of my life I'll never get back! I rented it straight from YouTube, which I'd never done before.

We just had an early-morning visit from a plumber to assess the leak in our hallway. He's talking about possibly replacing our entire shower. That should be fun.

20 comments:

Moving with Mitchell said...

I remember trying to watch Under the Yum Yum Tree. I didn’t get very far. Thanks for the reminder. I won’t try again.

Ooh, a new shower. I wonder if the Russians will complain about the
construction noise.

Andrew said...

Rainfall shower along with a hand held shower and a douc...Sorry.

Dumping the tree there is just littering on a grand scale. Though I do make the effort to dispose of rubbish properly, it can be hard at times when there aren't bins around, like this afternoon when I was out walking. There is no excuse when there are bins and other disposal facilities.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

"Proficiency - Design and Build" at Fortune Green should be able to install a new shower in just under a month. Do they have staff shower facilities at your place of work?

Ed said...

People are just lazy. The same ones who leave their Christmas tree in the middle of the road probably leave their shopping cart right beside their parking space or illegally park because they don't want to walk an extra 50 feet.

My Christmas tree is outside my back door right now. Eventually I will carry it down to one of my burn piles and set fire to it when I have enough snow on the ground to prevent it from turning into a raging wildfire.

The Bug said...

I'm glad you've had nicer weather. NOT glad about having to have your shower replaced. I wonder if you could use the Russians' facilities? Too bad about the movie - that's a lot of hilarious star power that was apparently wasted.

NewRobin13 said...

I'm glad to see that Olga got out for a nice walk and roll around in the muddy grass. I'm sure she loved it.
Hope all goes well with the new shower installation.
Yes, the discard the Christmas tree season has begun.

Ms. Moon said...

I don't know why people don't do the right thing. Is it laziness or is it the idea that the rules do not apply to them? A combination?
Who knows?
I'm glad you got out for a walk. I'm sure that Olga enjoyed that.
What? A new shower? Well, that might be fun. After it's put in and completed, of course.

Janie Junebug said...

I always wonder why people don't do the right thing, too. Laziness? Cruelty? Stupidity? I'm trying to think of a real excuse for leaving a Christmas tree in the road and can't come up with one. Franklin is such a pleasant fellow, but he does get angry when he can see the dogs who live behind us through a gap in the fence. He barks at them in a mean way and if Penelope runs up behind him when he's doing his angry bark, he turns to chase her away. He also sneered at me once when I made him go out for a potty break during a hurricane.

Love,
Janie

Margaret said...

My Xmas tree is upside down in my yard waste container and ready to be taken away. I think many people are lazy and into flipping the middle finger at everyone. So they feel that they can do whatever they want and not do anything that inconveniences them a little bit.

The Padre said...

Bring On The New Shower For Sure - Olga Girl, You Just Be You There Girlfriend - Enjoy The Evenings Of Movie Watching And Reminiscing - Happy Friday Brother Reed

Cheers

Sharon said...

It's always something with older houses. Come to think of it, it's always something with younger houses too. You can't win.
Glad you had a bit of sunshine yesterday. It's been pretty gray here for the past few days. I'm ready for the sun to make a return.
I watched that new movie Glass Onion that everyone's been raving about. I wasn't as impressed as others who have been recommending it.

John Going Gently said...

I bought the elevator ride for my brother in law for Christmas

Kelly said...

When asked if any of our dogs bite, I answer "not that I'm aware of" since there can always be a first time.

I don't think I knew you could rent movies from YouTube. Is it a paid service or is it available to anyone with a YouTube account?

Peace Thyme said...

Happy New Year 2023! Hope you are feeling much better.

Catalyst said...

I wonder why it is that things (your shower) seem to need replacing or repairing often during the holidays. Just seems meant to tamp down some of the joy.

Beth Reed said...

What a Happy Dog Olga had been and then you washed her adventures right down the drain, lol. If the plumber doesn't have to replace the inside water pipe and they NOT tile the shower and use one of the vinal ones with great caulking, then they should be able to do it in about 3 days. but regardless you will probably be told not to use it for at least 36 to 48 hours so all the glue can dry properly. (I would park myself right in the bathroom and make sure that they apply the glue correctly because most just put down a couple of swirl's of glue and call it done which leaves air bubbles that will help loosen the glue! (I only know this because of many bathroom renovations I was a part of when I did construction and I worked with a OCD plumber!).

I don't know why people do not do the right thing. I think Ms. Moon is right! A combination of Lazy and thinking the rules do not belong to them.

Have a great New Year's Eve and New Year.

Elizabeth said...

Well, way across the world, we're having London-like weather -- gray, chilly, rainy! For days now -- and I realize, again, how dependent I am upon the sun. I'm grateful for the rain, of course, in our drought-ravaged part of the world, but I'm wishing for at least a day or so of sunshine and blue skies. I'm glad that you're getting a few!

River said...

I always thought freeze damage, like frost and sunburn damage, should be left on the plant until the danger of more freezing etc is over. the damaged leaves serve to protect other parts of the plant. I know it doesn't look good until you have warm enough weather that you can safely trim the damage away, but you could try to ignore that.
The discarded Christmas trees make me sad. buy a tree, keep it for a couple of weeks then toss it away. What a waste. This is why I have a plastic tree. Paid for once and used again and again for years. Until now, I don't bother anymore, but I still have the tree, packed away in its box.

Steve Reed said...

Mitchell: I'm glad to know I'm not alone in judging that movie to be mediocre. With a cast like that it should have been fantastic!

Andrew: It is one of my pet peeves when I can't find a public trash bin, and that happens often here! But I still carry the trash for as long as it takes.

YP: Yes, we do have showers at work, should it come to that.

Ed: Laziness like that makes me nuts, as you can probably tell.

Bug: I know! It should have been MUCH better than it was!

Robin: I will let you know how the shower thing goes!

Ms Moon: I think people just can't be bothered. I'm sure whoever dumped that tree figured the council will pick it up at some point. But meanwhile we all have to look at it for weeks and weeks. Grrrr...

Janie: Dogs just have their limits! The only reason for leaving a tree in the middle of the street is if someone put it on top of their car to transport it and it fell off without them noticing. Which I doubt.

Margaret: I think that's true, though the council also makes it difficult. Why won't they pick up our trees curbside? Why do we have to lug it to a central location?

Padre: I wish I could just wiggle my nose like Samantha Stevens and have the new shower appear.

Sharon: That's on our watch list but I haven't made the leap to watching it!

John: Oh, that's a cool gift!

Kelly: That's exactly the right response re. the dogs! When I found the movie on YouTube, there was a rental button next to it, and I had to give them my credit card info. That's all it took. Just like renting from Amazon.

Peace Thyme: Happy New Year to you too! Yes, I'm more or less well by now, though a bit stressed about the flat repairs. :/

Catalyst: The timing really IS incredible!

Beth: Happy New Year to you too! Hopefully we'll get an OCD plumber too. :)

Elizabeth: Well, that's not very California-like weather, is it?! So much for "California Dreamin'"!

River: I honestly don't know what's better re. Christmas trees -- buying a natural tree each year that will then decompose, or buying a plastic one that you can re-use but that will last 1,000 years in a landfill? You're right about freeze damage, and I did leave enough on the banana's crown and roots to give it some insulation.

Jeanie said...

I find honesty in the dog deportment department a wise and good thing! Can't be too careful. And good luck with the plumbing and new shower. Could be a good thing... or...

I saw on the news here that some farmer in Maine is picking up people's Christmas trees and feeding them to his goats. They appear to love the needles!