Thursday, March 22, 2012

...of Backyards and Automated Sprinkler Systems

One of the benefits of teaching, both in the public schools and at the college level, is the time off. I never really understood the need for the breaks, but now after seven years of being "on stage" for four or more hours every day, I find that I really look forward to the down time. More than that, I need the down time. It allows you to re-animate.

This week, for the Carlsbad Municipal Schools and New Mexico State University, has been a very welcome and needed spring break.

On an average evening in the Christensen house, you will find my wife or myself grading, preparing lessons, reading about teaching techniques and of course, attending to the various tasks required to run a household. This week, however, there has been no grading, no prep, very little required reading and the like. This week, we have taken the opportunity to work on fun things, cool things, our things, and boy has it been fun.

When we moved in in August, we found that this new house came equipped with an automated sprinkler system. Unfortunately it had been maintained by at least one large canine who decided the chewing sprinkler heads and burying the valves was the preferred method of maintenance.

This week, armed with plyers, gloves and the debit card (for new sprinkler heads), I set forth early, as the mist hung low in the yard and I conquered the beast. This morning, with the help of my lovely assistant wife and three weed pulling children we de-weeded the backyard and tested the system.

In addition to these momentous feats, we built a cabinet for the television and I started a novel. The cabinet is on wheels and once the TV is strapped in, the kids will be able to check it out on weekends to watch a movie in their room. We have never liked the idea of having a permanent TV in the kids rooms and as they get older, this seemed like a nice compromise. We shall see. We shall also have to wait and see about the novel, which is currently only 1200 words long and will probably wax cheesy as it is about a young city slicker who travels west to start a new life in Montana.

Now it is time to trounce my family at 100 pin bowling and so I will sign off. I hope that your week has been as non-productively productive as mine.

1 comment:

dave said...

I want a sprinkler system soooooooooooo bad