Facelift

The Dallas mayoral election: Did I say 2%? Because I meant to say 20%. Leppert squashed Oakley by something like 58 to 42. I'm not surprised by the Leppert win, but I am surprised that the margin was so large. And as with most elections, I was depressed by voter turnout. It was something like 13%, which is pathetic. I think that all Americans eligible to vote should be forced to spend some time in a true, vibrant democracy, where they will learn the power one vote can have.

Anyway, on to more important things. I got a new fence. It took forever to build, but I think it looks great. It is a HUGE improvement over the piece of crap that was in its place. The contractor made a mistake and built the better board-on-board privacy fence instead of the side by side that I ordered, but that is their problem. They still made money off of me.

The old fence bowed in at a 70 degree angle at some parts along the side

I am now debating whether to stain the fence. You don't have to because cedar is supposed to last 15-20 years. I could let it age naturally. Or, every 2-3 years, I could spray it with some noxious stain (clear, most likely) that contains heavy metals to extend the life of the fence. And if I decide to stain it, I have to let the fence dry out for a few months, which means I'd stain it one 110 degree August weekend.

The grass is green and lush, but the rest of the yard kind of looks like crap and the trees need to be trimmed. Also, there is a funny double barrier of hedges where the old short fence along the driveway used to be. But landscaping is for another day.

I got a nifty iron gate that closes over the narrow driveway. One reason (not THE reason) I got the fence and gate is because a certain new resident could jump over the old 4 foot fence that ran from the side of the house to the right side of the garage.

Help me, please.

Up till now, Nacho has been an inside dog. Now he can run free within the confines of the backyard, chase bugs and squirrels, lie in the grass, and not poop all over the guest bedroom while I'm away at work all day. Okay, the latter only happened four times in four months, but one diarrhea disaster is enough.