keeping up with the joneses

Our neighbors are constantly making us look bad. They’re retired, so when we’re at work, they’re getting a step ahead of us on outdoor projects. They mowed first. They raked first. And now they shovel first. When I got home today, our sidewalks were a disaster. Kids had tromped home from the bus stop down our sidewalk, creating a nice, stamped down layer of snow. What I wanted to do was ignore the snow and take a nap, but then I saw the line. Our neighbors had obviously shoveled hours earlier, and their front sidewalk was immaculate. There was a definite line marking our properties, and it made me burn with guilt (thank you Catholic upbringing). I headed out with my jacket half-buttoned and my head bare. I was going to be tough and get this done quickly. And it wasn’t all that bad. However, when I was out making my first pass at the fresh six inches, my neighbor came out to touch up his shoveling job. And so the neighborly competition continues…

P.S. The beauty of shoveling before Matt gets home is that I get to pick exactly what I do—so I left him the driveway. He’ll love me.