Smoking cessation program.

Since we were all beachy-keen yesterday, today was a day of catching up around here. It's nice to have the day every once in a while to play catch up and just get stuff done. I need that to keep my sanity. Zeke helps (in his own way) and tons of things get accomplished. First on the list was to clean out the rolling dumpster, a.ka. my car. It was completely, out of this world ridic. I literally opened the back door and a fly was sitting in the back seat on a pile of peanuts like "yo, close the door...". It wasn't good. Out came the Lysol wipes and shop-vac. Now my car is shiny and new again. For a half-day at least. Tomorrow is a new opportunity for Zeke to get it all gnarly again.

During the Big Clean, we saw my neighbor Shep. Shep rocks. He's one of the only neighbors around here that we really see on a regular basis, so Zeke tends to absolutely love him. Shep is also about 60 years old and looks like he belongs in ZZ Top. He's one of the original farm owners here in our development and he tends to not look too fondly upon the "yuppie types" who came along and built the newer homes around his farmhouse. Then there's his relationship with Zeke. He can't seem to be mean to Zeke. It's funny. Shep wants to dislike Zeke. Shep wants to ignore Zeke. Hell, Shep ignored me for the first 5 years I lived here. But no, Shep and Zeke are buddies. They pretty much talk every day about life and the stuff going on in Zeke's little dirt pile at the top of our driveway. And now, Shep talks to me. Maybe it's because he has to or because it's just the right thing to do if he's going to talk to my kid. But all I know is, today, Zeke told Shep that he should stop smoking the cigars that are ALWAYS dangling from his mouth as though he were born with a lit one in there. And ya' know what? I have a feeling Shep may be out buying some Nicorette patches as I type. That makes me feel like Zeke and I accomplished a whole lot today...