You know those moments when you think, “I’ll just do a little yard work,” and suddenly you’re living a full episode of a DIY survival show? Yeah, that was me this weekend.
After the not-so-next-day delivery finally showed up, I enlisted my buddy and we dove in. It all started innocently enough with clearing the weeds from the garden. Armed with gloves, a spade, and way too much ambition, I attacked. Winter might have packed up and left, but spring clearly hadn’t gotten the memo yet. Those weeds laughed at me—I swear I heard one whisper, “Nice try, buddy.” Still, after an hour of battle, I emerged victorious, dirt in my hair and pride in my heart.
Then came the main event: building the landscaping wall. First up was the no-dig barrier. Sounds simple, right? It’s basically a strip of plastic that stares you down like, “I dare you to make me straight.” After a solid wrestling match and some strategic spike placement, I finally got it under control.
Next came the cement foundation. I went with Quickrete because the YouTube videos swore it was foolproof—just pour and go. Seven 50-pound bags later, I had spread the dry mix along the entire edge. (Pro tip: skipping the water step means you won’t accidentally cement your shoes to the front yard.)
Finally, the glory phase—laying all 110 bricks. I stacked, adjusted, re-stacked, leveled, and glued each one into place. Two glorious (slightly crooked in spots) rows now stand in the yard as a proud testament to my weekend warrior efforts. At one point I even considered naming each brick after a defeated weed for poetic justice.
By the end, my arms were complete jelly, my buddy was openly questioning our friendship, and my back was filing a formal complaint. But hey—I had a wall, and the weeds did not.
Moral of the story? Yard work is 10% planning, 90% improvisational comedy, and 100% sore muscles. Still, I now have a real brick wall and another good story to tell.
Stay tuned for next weekend, when I heroically attempt to… I don’t know… sit down without groaning.