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A view of Hyangwonjeong Pavilion at Gyeongbokgung Palace, dressed in the autumn colors of the changing foliage.
(한국어: 단풍으로 물든 가을옷을 입은 경복궁 향원정의 풍경)
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Once again it is that time of year, when The Missus Herself returns to her homeland for a visit with her family. She and two of her sisters (both of whom live in the US) went last year, and then again this year. (I don't know if they'll go next year, everyone is getting on in years, we shall see.)
So once again Your Humble Scribe is left to fend for himself. I don't mind, not really, I've always been something of a solitary beast. Very catlike in that regard. I don't mind company, but I don't really crave it. If that makes any sense.
So Sarge, you might be asking, why didn't you go as well?
I have been there, once for nearly four years, once for a month, it's lovely, the people are nice but, well, it ain't home, is it? It is for my better half, sure, but not me.
I once understood a lot of the language, and even spoke a bit of it, but that was forty four years ago. I'm a bit out of practice. We speak English at Chez Sarge. When we were first married I mentioned that given my knack for language, perhaps The Missus Herself should teach me Korean.
She pointed out that as the plan was for us to live in the United States, her becoming fluent in English should be the priority. I bowed to her logic. Still and all, I wish I'd picked up more of her native tongue.
That being said, I'm on my own, my knee is getting better, I've a full larder and a hard drive full of computer games I can spend all day and night playing. No one to say, "Aren't you going to bed?"
Nope, I'm footloose and fancy free. My oldest daughter, The Nuke, worries that I'll turn feral, lose all that training her mama put me through. She'd rather I come down to Maryland where she can "take care of me." Yeah, you know, keep an eye on me.
My biggest concern at the moment is finding someone to cut my grass, and not temporarily, as Danny Glover said, in the Lethal Weapon series, I'm getting too old for that shit. I mean, I can do it, I just don't want to. We also travel a lot, if I'm not there to cut it, well, it doesn't get cut. So having a crew to do that for me would be just the thing.
Not easy to do, so far. Everyone wants to just sit on their riding mower, swirl around for a bit, then walk off with my money in their pocket. Our backyard has lots of flower beds, had one fellow say he'd do it, then he backed out when I told him he couldn't use the riding mower in the backyard. Not that I wouldn't let him, it was just not feasible.
Sigh ...
It ain't like the old days where every teenage boy in a ten mile radius was looking for a lawn mowing job to make a bit o' cash in the summer. Now they all want to be interns in an office and poke at a computer all day.
Sigh ...
We'll find someone, eventually.
First World problems, neh?
