Stomp Sandwich
Longtime visitors know that I'm pretty enthusiastic about lawn care. Newbies, FYI: I'm pretty enthusiastic about lawn care. So the other night, I went out in my back yard on a weed control mission. I filled up my tank sprayer with a gallon of water and a couple of tablespoons of Weed-B-Gone, and I started patrolling.
Since the boy has been of age where he can run around the yard, I've been cautious about what chemicals I put on the grass. I don't worry so much about the herbicides, but I've been using pesticides very sparingly. As a result, I've had a bit of a lawn insect problem this year. So as I was walking around with the sprayer, I'd occasionally scare a lawn moth out of hiding. I've never explicitly stated my feelings on lawn moths, so let me be clear: I think they should all die. Now. No, yesterday. They should all have been dead yesterday. Needless to say, whenever I see one fluttering around near the surface, I go in for the kill. I give them a taste of my size 11s. A little stomp sandwich, if you will.
So let's recap: I walk around with my tank sprayer, spraying weeds. I see the occasional moth fluttering low to the ground, and I swiftly raise my leg and bring the thunder down upon it.
I fully understand that though what I'm doing makes perfect sense to me, someone who is more than a few feet away probably can't see the moths, and it probably looks like I'm pausing my spraying to break into some kind of dance. With this in mind, I tend to only do this in the back yard, where there is a lesser chance of someone seeing me and calling the authorities.
As always, I started behind the garage and worked my way out. I tend to keep my head down, as to better be able to spot the weeds and the moths. A few minutes in, I saw what I assumed to be the Moth King, as it was very large. I tried to do a couple of little quick stomps, but I kept missing. So I dropped the sprayer and follwed him. He paused, presumably because my grass looked too tasty for him to keep flying past. It was then that I delivered the fatal STOMP, followed by an audible, though not excessively loud, "HA!"
It was then that my subconscious was like, "don't look up!" Then my conscious responded, "huh?" and looked up to see what I wasn't supposed to look at. As it turns out, my chase for the Moth King had brought me far enough into the back yard where I had a nice view of my neighbors, along with two other lovely couples, who were having a nice get together on their back deck. Or rather, they had a nice view of me. And apparently it was a good show, as all of them were watching me do my stomp dance.
I waved and promptly went back inside.



Comments
Cate said:
Poor Moth King. A moment of silence for The Moth King, everyone.
elasticwaistbandlady said:
Omar, it's time to confess to everybody the real reason for all your fancy footwork and super stompabilities.....you've been offered a role in the Broadway musical, STOMP.
Congratulations Omar!
Glo said:
So, you do parties now? Sweet. I totally need someone for the nephew's 6th birthday...clowns just pale, y'know?!
this is an awesome story, btw. Doesn't suck at all.
Lia said:
Only thing you could do, really. It's like the pesky little fly that I never quite manage to smush.
Nadia said:
So, this "Moth King", why have we not heard of it before? Is the "Moth King" in cahoots with your nemesis? If so, were your size 11s truly enough to destroy this "Moth King"? (I'm not convinced.) Or have you simply been lulled into a false sense of security by ye old "Moth King"?
(Come on, Omar, 'fess up. There's no "Moth King", is there? You've just got happy feet. Embrace it, man. Embrace them. Glo's already pretty much guaranteed you're gonna make a killing.)
Syar said:
moth karma...the deadliest karma of all.
cadiz12 said:
it'd been more of a show if you had a costume. i'd suggest a very long dreadlock wig, the locks of which would bounce around with each consecutive mothdeath.
elasticwaistbandlady said:
Janet Jackson will have to revise her song "That's The Way Love Goes" now. It should be, "Like a moth to the lawn, stomped down by Omar"
I've gotten word from the tin hat conspiracy society that MOTHMAN is unhappy with the killing of his brethren, and has you in his sights for Mothra like revenge. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Lianne said:
Get down with your bad moth stompin'.
So enjoying the visual on this.
Jon said:
I like that you patrol your lawn. I also like to think that there is no time of day or night that you will not patrol. Say it's 3 AM, and the thought of weeds sprouting up suddenly wakes you from your slumber... you hop out of bed and go on patrol. You're a lawn vigilante Omar, and I respect that.
jasmine said:
this is non sequitor.
for all the times i intended to submit a photo, i never did. this week i didn't intend to and of course had an idea for one.
muphy. law. blah.
Jon said:
yeah, that muphy's law gets me every time. Curse you muphy!! May you burn in hall!!
Lia said:
I knew there was something I'd forgotten today. Can I get an idea, take a picture, and submit it in time? I don't think so.
Darn.