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Stripy, the Green-Eyed Lady

The Cat

“You get a wife, you get a house,
Eventually you get a mouse. 
You get some words regarding mice,
You get a kitty in a trice. 
By two a.m. or thereabouts,
The mouse is in, the cat is out. 
It dawns upon you, in your cot,
The mouse is silent, the cat is not. 
Instead of kitty, says your spouse,
You should have got another mouse.”
~ Ogden Nash

Unlock Your Newfound Potential; Part 2

Next she attaches the hose, deciding which nozzle to use in order to keep from shattering the window pane. 

“Let’s go easy to test the waters. No pun intended”, she says in amusement. 
“But what about the bleach?”, she ponders. “After all, there’s got to be something to use to keep that Shrek-beast from returning once it’s clean. That’s better than soap suds, right?”
Dashing back into the house, she promptly returns with a gallon jug of Clorox, Original Scent. Procrastinating a little, she waves at the neighbors passing by and tries to avoid the task at hand. It’s time to face things head on. 
“So where is the plug?  Maybe it takes one of those handy, durable battery packs to get things started,” she vacillates.  “Can’t be……doesn’t that look like a gas tank, which was probably emptied last summer when we split up? Sheesh.” 
Breakups are so ugly. With renewed conviction she turns the black knob, pulls out that skinny little wire, and gives the starter handle a vigorous jerk. Once, twice. Sputter, sputter, and then off it goes! 
“Work fast, now,” she commands herself.
“Squeeze the handle, make sure to stay away from the window!”
“But where’s the power surge? It’s not doing anything except giving the house a gentle shower. Seriously?”, she thinks out loud in exasperation. 
Deep breath. Time to be aggressive, act boldly, and attach another nozzle. 
“Stay Away From That Window!!”, her brain cautions for the umpteenth time. 
Not realizing the force of water might lend itself to a loss of balance, secure footing is regained, and clean streaks slowly begin to shine through on the vinyl.
“Wow, that really looks good”, she congratulates herself. 
It’s all a matter of rhythm. Using both hands, she swings the wand back and forth across one side of the window, beneath the glass, along the pane, and on to the other side. The pressure washer made the front of the house look new again. 
“This is awesome!  Job well done!”, she beamed with a winning smile. Further affirmation that Spring is the perfect time to unlock your newfound potential.  

Unlock Your Newfound Potential; Part 1

It’s an Indiana Spring. New beginnings. The boxwood bushes show youthful growth every day. Before long their wild shoots will reach out to bridge the gap between the solid hedge and the vinyl siding on the front of the house just beneath the office window. Over time, in a slow determined effort, Nature left its mark on the pale gray siding. Remnants of fuzzy, green moss attached to the north side of the house. Being determined to challenge Nature and eliminate the blobs, an intimidating bright yellow machine on wheels is parked in front of the pane of glass. Its reflection shows a timid, middle-aged woman, hair hanging loose with several strands tucked behind one ear. Worn blue jeans threadbare at the knees, long-sleeved shirt (to keep mosquitoes from having a smorgasbord), canvas garden gloves protecting a recent manicure, and dingy white Nikes, all come together as protective armor for the job at hand.  

“Now how in the world do you start this thing?”, she murmurs to herself. 
“Oh yeah, it needs water.”
Around the back yard a sun-bleached rubber garden hose hangs coiled over the fence to keep it suspended above the ground. She checks for spiders and bees, two vicious insects that snicker and laugh every time the woman jumps, scrambling to stay out of reach. Following a wave of her gloved hand and the stomp of her foot, the hose uncoils and snakes around to the base of where the power washer sits patiently to begin the task at hand. Stay tuned………