Blood, sweat, tears, dirt

Bich is tired.

Bich is so, so tired.

After two days, 15 yards of dirt (according to Amanda, that's 30,000 pounds), two wheelbarrows, multiple garden tools, one tiller, and endless amounts of "oh, shit, we will never get this done/yes, we will, we have to or we'll be those neighbors with dirt for a lawn and we already have drug dealers down the street," we managed to rip up a lawn and lay down an entirely new level of soil that is ready to be seeded.

Truly fantastic moment: As we're cleaning up, the older couple across the street -- he's usually seen outside with his banned cigar and a Mason jar full of bourbon, while his wife is cooking inside; they're pretty cool and full of great stories, and they watch the neighborhood like hawks -- pulls up on their way out of the neighborhood, and she says, "My husband hasn't stopped talking about all the work you've been doing for two days!"

He: "You've restored my faith in American women!"

She: "Everyone expects the man to do all this work, and you've been out here doing all this work, too!"

Rich, walking up: "What about me?!"

She: "Oh, yeah, you, too, but she's the wife! I should be cooking you two dinner! We've never seen anyone work so hard on their lawn in this neighborhood in all our years here and I've been here since 1942!"

He: "You've restored my faith in American women! Seriously! You're a lucky man!"

It's good to know the neighbors know Rich is fulfilling his manly duty, and I'm apparently doing womanhood proud.

Tired.

Afterward, we walked down the street to celebrate the end of our dirt-moving with a Blue Moon at Rug's and Riffy's, the local dive. I was especially dirty, having wrangled with the garden hose, a little water and the soil (we need a new hose now).

We walked in, sat down ... and I was promptly denied for not having my ID with me.

Sure, I suppose I should be happy, but let's be honest -- I don't look that young. Can't be mad at her; she's just doing her job.

But I really, really wanted that beer.

Anyway, so many neighbors stopped by or yelled over to say hi, tell a little joke about us digging through all that dirt, tell us to be patient ... I found it all very satisfying, despite the exhaustion. I almost forgot about the cold I've been fighting all week; maybe the dirt really does do a body good.

Rich took a little video: