Leaves

I'm back in town after a disappointing experience attending a workshop dealing with crisis response preparedness. The facilitator did not facilitate. Instead, he acted as if he were a presenter. Consequently, the way in which I envisioned the issue being addressed was not to be.

I did learn something. Mostly, I learned that, in a crisis (a business-related crisis), I'd be poorly prepared. I did not have appropriate answers for questions like "exactly what is the procedure for using backup tapes to resurrect server files?" and "do you have telephone numbers for your attorney, CPA, technology support team, etc. so that you could reach them on a weekend in an emergency?" Lots and lots more. It was a wakeup call, but a poor excuse for a facilitated workshop.

After attending the session, I should have decided to spend my weekend creating an emergency response checklist, complete with all appropriate phone numbers, instructions on how to use alternative (to my corporate computers) means to send emergency notices to my clients, my bankers, etc. I have not and will not. Instead, I am taking the weekend off and away from the office to the extent I can.

Something there is that doesn't love a fallen leaf,
That wants it bagged.

This morning I took time off to learn that my failure to do any yard work during the past many, many months has left me a physical wreck. The leaves in my front yard could easily have been concealing several dead bodies, so I decided I must rake the leaves before the forecast cold, wet, miserable front comes thundering through. Raking leaves...even using a leafblower...is hard work. My neck aches, my arms are sore and tired, and my legs are tight and sore from flexing as I bent down to fill up bags with leaves. I need to fire the guy who's been doing my yard; I blame him for my physical condition.

The electric leafblower was not up to the job, so I finally resorted to a rake. Just as I'd finished getting the leaves into two big piles (one entirely from the huge oak tree in my neighbor's yard, next door), my neighbor drove up. He suggested I was stupid for raking the leaves, because there are still more in the trees and they'll come down after the cold front arrives...anyway, doesn't my yard guy take care of that?

As I withdrew the sharp steel blade from his chest, blood sprayed from the wound. He wheezed and apologized for voting for Bush... OK, that didn't happen...neither the blade nor the Bush apology. I just felt like impaling him on a sharpened rake handle or plunging a machete deep into his chest. But I was polite and refrained from reacting badly.

At any rate, I need to get more exercise! Just doing the yard will be an improvement over what I've been doing.

I'm glad I got the leaves raked before the blast of cold air and rain comes through. The yard would have been a horrendous mess. It may be, still, but it can't be as bad as it could have been.