The Park, The Benefactor, The Call…

Sunset found me in the park again.  I had greatly missed this nightly ritual yesterday evening – too tired to get up the energy to walk to the convenience store.  I bought two 16oz beers tonight instead of two 40oz.  I felt this was much more acceptable and in keeping with moderation.  I completely totally over romanticize this little routine – my homed edition of Albert Vanderburg’s homeless sunset brews on the beach.  It is almost like a reward for a hard day’s work I treat myself with.  The ambience of the call of cicadas juxtaposed with the quiet solitude of the park brings me such joy. I can get lost in the moment if I let my mind wander.  I also enjoy the peace inducing 30 minute walk home after my sunset brews.  It is a quiet and fitting end to a busy day.  

The Benefactor…

My benefactor is 72 years old I learned today.  He is retired after working for Uniroyal for years and years which was an incredible job to have when I was a young man.  Union. Great pay. Good retirement.  He is apparently an alcoholic from the amount of beer he seems to drink – or just a very ambitious Pabst Blue Ribbon lover to not label the man.  His house and yard has fallen into disarray over the years.  The city has made some complaints and now he is fixing things up again.  Apparently, I was in the right place, at the right time, when I found him.  I have made good money working for him this past week and a half. 

Tomorrow, he is letting me borrow his truck to drive to a local plant nursery to purchase bales of pine straw and bags of mulch.  I am to spread these all around his shrubbery and flower beds.  We are going to plant flowers next after weeding all his beds.  I look forward to this work much more than digging ditches as I did today.  That was one dirty and sweaty job. I almost had an anxiety attack while I was working and had to sit down in the grass for over 30 minutes to calm down.  He is also talking of getting me to power wash the vinyl siding on his house as another job.  He is going to have to buy or rent a power washer.  This is turning out to be a boon for my little yard care business.  I told him he is going to have the nicest looking yard and house on the block if we keep this up.  I am willing to keep working if he is willing to keep paying me good money. 

The Call to Kim…

Well, I got up the courage to call Kim when I arrived home from the park.  I called the two 16oz beers I drank my liquid courage – making me feel gregarious and social for a change.  We talked a long time about our pasts.  Much was revealed.  We’ve both had our fair share of hard times.  We also talked of the things we liked of which many we shared.  She loves Asian food and so do I.  She has a little house dog and I told her all about my Maggie.  We both agreed they’ve got to meet soon.  Another big topic of discussion was work and the many interesting people and things that transpire down there. She says I have the easiest job at the store only working four hours a day bringing in shopping carts.  It made me smile and laugh.  She’s probably right which suits me just fine.  I couldn’t handle much more stress than I already do with regards to my job.

The next step is to go out for dinner down in Auburn.  I want to go to the Outback for steaks which she had hinted she loved. I’ve just got to get up the courage to ask her.  I am pretty sure she will say yes.  We really hit it off tonight talking on the phone for about 45 minutes. 

I feel like I’ve been dead for years and it is so nice to be living again.  To have a full, interesting, and vibrant life once again like I had when I was hanging out down at the Piggly Wiggly with George and the gang everyday.  Before dad took control of my life.  Why I didn’t do this sooner, I don’t know.  Mainly, I was afraid of my father and what he would do to me and my life if I bucked our quiet status quo.  Now?  Let him do his worst.  I am back in the land of the living for a change and I am here to stay!