Chalk one up for me!

The town I live in has contracted out to a firm to come around to clean out and trim the lined drainage ditches in front of all the homes. Even though Mr. Pop keeps our ditch clean and the grass on either side of it in manicured condition, the crew still works on it. (Job security?)

Last Friday, I could hear the crew coming down the street, working on the ditch in each yard. They have professional weed whackers, and professional leaf blowers, both of which make a hell of a noise. Then there are guys with shovels who scoop up any mud or gunk that has settled in the ditch.

Okay, they came and went and I forgot about them. Then about two o’clock in the afternoon I hooked up Murphy to his leash to take him outside. As we stepped out the front door, I saw something black and in globs all the hell over our driveway and on our white garage door. Upon closer inspection I discovered it was mud. The guys cleaning the ditch had somehow let their weed whackers get down in the mud in the ditch and the whacker had thrown mud all over the place. I couldn’t lead Murphy across the driveway to where he usually goes without he and I both stepping in the mess. I was livid.

I called the department at city hall that hired this company. I told them what had happened and someone must come and clean up this mess. They told me they had someone to do that but they would have to check their schedule to see what day they could come out. I explained that my schedule didn’t include having stinking mud all over my driveway and I would appreciate it if it was cleaned today. After some conversation and a face to face meeting at my front door, I was assured it would be cleaned before dark. I never became irate or ill spoken, but I stood my ground. The mess had to be cleaned up that day.

I still had my doubts but at 4:00pm a pressure cleaning company showed up and cleaned off every spot of mud. Plus they washed it into the grass at the end of the driveway so we wouldn’t track the muddy water inside the garage or the house.

So hey, I felt like I really had fought city hall, and damn it, I won. Feels good to win one once in a while. Real good!