Hey, you kids, get off the county land I am nominally responsible for maintaining!

Today I officially became a Grownup.

I was at home midday setting up porch furniture that had just been delivered, and saw a car park in the street next to our side fence. Laura had observed people stopping their cars there after hitting the McDonald's drive-through up the street, and just this morning Fiona and I removed the remnants of an apparent late-night al fresco dinner for two.

So, I was not at all lovin' it when I saw a food wrapper come sailing out the window and onto the grass. Full of righteous indignation, I went over to the fence to confront the perpetrator. Our property slopes up from the street so I had the extra advantage of dealing with this behind a fence several feet above street level. Gracie was also in the back yard so I had a mobile reserve to hand. John Keegan would have been proud. ("How did Mr. S. react to this offensive maneuver?")

I digress.

I was shocked to see that the litterbug was a high school student, in fact a dead ringer for Michael Cera ("George Michael, how could you!"). Must have been from Falls Church.

Anyway, I made the kid pick up the litter - after he first said he'd pick it up "later" - at which point he and his girlfriend took off for a more crime-friendly environment (i.e. Falls Church).

I felt really good about striking a blow for community neatness, until I realized that all of the hair had disappeared from the top of my head and I was wearing blue chinos with whales on them.

Also, Laura and I accept that we are now stop #1 for Halloween egging.