August 31, 2006
I hope your day's been better than mine...
I get up this morning and I still have those damned vertigo related little dizzy spells that Ive been having since Saturday. Im late, Im dizzy, Im tired, Im in a bad mood the second I see my yard because everything is stil in hurricane mode and to top it off its freaken trash day and I have to haul ass outside immediately and almost have to chase the damned trash truck with two full garbage cans.
I get ready for work and bark at my wife - who wakes up at 6 AM everyday just to make me cafe and sometimes pack me a lunch and and see me off - because the cafe isnt ready as Im about to whip out the door. It takes her a whole 30 seconds to hand me the steaming cup of cafe cubano.
I head out for work running late and when Im running late to work I get really irritable so every single other human being infront of or around me is a cause great ire. And there's more traffic today than usual as it seems everyone is guilty for missing a day or two from work and wants to get in early to score some brownie points at the office.
Suffice it to say that if I were ever to have a heart attack induced by asshole Miami drivers, it would have been this morning. I get to work almost 20 minutes late.
When I get to the office, I know I have stacks of piles of stacks that need to be done and Im pissed, Im dizzy, and Im sweaty at 7:20 in the morning and my day hasnt even remotely begun.
After a few hours of emails, phone calls, plan revisions, tutoring a new intern and the beginnings of a headache, I get a phone call. It's the Mrs. Seems the barge with the tree cutters that's been out in the canal back all week - Miami-Dade County Tree Cutting Subcontractors - is finally at our house and has begun butchering the ficus that I have spent the past two weeks calling and emailing ad infintum every known planning and zoning and environemntal entity and sub-entity in the County trying to save. The Mrs had been arguing with them for the past half hour to no avail. I feel useless of course, because Im at the office and I have shit that needs to GET DONE.
When I get off the phone my head is pounding. I finish off something that needed to get done first and tell my boss I have to run home because of the fucking ficus. This of course, after taking so much time away from the office for this blog and health issues and funerals and interviews and having taken the past two days off because of the "hurricane".
I head out at around 11.40 and haul ass home.
When I get there I can hear the chainsaws blaring already from my backyard. My heart sinks. My ficus. My beautiful fucking ficus.
The same stately ficus that was felled by Andrew in 92 and has survived over a decade - withstood every freaken hurricane therefater - and become this incredibly beautifully canopied nuturning tree. I cant even describe this beauty. It was just inspiring. The way despite the trunk being horizontal, it just kept blooming. You would stand under close to the center and look up and you were inside a perfect sphere of leaves.
I think the County's Subbed out project inspector noticed the absolutely intensity in my face when he saw me as I was opening the front door to run through the house and out back and start yelling at the tops of my lungs. I was ready to call the cops myself to save myself.
The inspector tried to be as cordial as possible, I tried with all my strength to respond in kind. He explained that they had to cut the trees that hang out over the canal and that since the ficus was on the ground, they were going to remove it as well.
Needless to say I got my point across, expressing my concerns with as much respect and civility as possible. But I believe it wasnt really the merits of my arguments or my veiled threats about letters to their bonding companies or lawsuits and restitutions that persuaded the inspector to cede. It was my countenance. (The Mrs says I look a little "intense" when I get like that.) They were only going to cut the overhanging branches and limbs and leave my tree so I took the guys name down, shook hands and headed back to the office after inspecting the tree.
I just got home from work again. I just walked into my backyard again. And my day has not improved an iota. When I saw the condition of my ficus tree, I swear I started crying.
Posted by Val Prieto at August 31, 2006 04:48 PM
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Comments
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I share your pain 'mano...
Nature has a way of healing itself... un poquito de agua, un poquito de abono.
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Posted by: Deacon ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.babalublog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 31, 2006 06:55 PM
Val...........
Tranquilo mi hermano. As the guy before said, nature has a way of fixing the damage. This is important but mas importante es la salud tuya y la de tu mujer. I work in the medical field, and believe me......I see people with PROBLEMS that can`t be fixed. Tranquilo asere.
Posted by: Barrio La Cantera at August 31, 2006 07:19 PM
I share your pain Val. We had three beautiful orange trees cut down by Dade county subcontractors. They jumped the fence, cut the trees down and then left the gate wide open when they left.
Posted by: Firefly at August 31, 2006 07:39 PM
I just love the South Florida ficus trees and sympathize with you. Concerning vertigo, has your physician ordered Anti-Vert? My husband, aka Mr. Wonderful, also suffers from this as well as severe balance problems. Physical therapy has helped with both conditions. Feel better soon.
Posted by: Grammy in Phila. at August 31, 2006 08:33 PM
I know how attached one can get to a tree. At one time I considered adding on to the house, but that would have meant removing an ornamental pear tree I planted in memory of my mother. I decided the tree was more important.
Posted by: Patricio Texidor at August 31, 2006 09:36 PM
I sympathize with you Val.
Ficus trees here are extremely hardy and they grow back very quickly. Last year's hurricanes knocked down a ficus down the street that was almost on the ground with roots torn and half uprooted. The owners propped it up and it is now growing again. (I thought it would die.) Just fertilize regularly and water during the dry season for this year and it will be beautiful again in a few months.
Posted by: mavi at September 1, 2006 08:41 AM
The tree will be beautiful again.
Don't worry .... be happy
Have you have your sinus checked?
Cuidate mi niño.
Posted by: maruka at September 1, 2006 02:21 PM
Trees are yet another expression of God's beauty, patience and mercy.
They live, and so any wounds must be sealed and protected.
But if the roots are untouched in one year, or two, your tears will be no more.
He is a God of plenty and blessing.
Patience, 'mano.
Posted by: mareseydoats at September 4, 2006 07:24 PM
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