Enter the Rabid Zone…

Tomorrow starts a phase of existence in my father’s and brother’s life that can best be described as rabid and obnoxious. Yes, it is the start of college football season. I get left out during this time as I find watching college football akin to watching ice melt. So, you all be thinking of me the next 9 weeks as I put up with these crazed, rabid men in my family.

“Football is good for your soul!” my father keeps telling me to a milquetoast reception.

They need to be spending all those millions of dollars they spend on football on scholarships and the like. Or, at least pay the players. I am just an old fart of a fuddy duddy aren’t I concerning this matter?

Well, Auburn spent over $2 million dollars putting up a gaudy new jumbotron. Think of how many scholarships could have been afforded by that money.

Put Your Feet Up. It’s Okay!

I was one sleepy pups when I got home today. I was so drowsy – nodding off as I was driving home up through the Valley. I got in my skivvies and curled up in my computer room bed – the one bed Maggie can still jump up on. We went to sleep for over five hours. Maggie was like…don’t get up! I hope I can sleep tonight, but at least it was on a weekend in which I have absolutely nothing to do. I can catch some Rip Van Winkles when I need them.

A Shirt On Your Back…

Today, at the Humane Society, Mrs. Barbara had ordered a bunch of Humane Society t-shirts and they had finally arrived. Yay! I got a purple, bright orange, and black t-shirt. These are to be worn while we are at the Society so adopters can know who the staff are. I was so proud to get my t-shirts. I immediately went into the bathroom and put my purple one on. They are very nicely done. They are also for sale to patrons who come to visit and adopt – another way to support us through donations by buying a t-shirt.

Google Chrome Pro Tip…

Search for the Superblock extension in the Google Play store. It blocks most ads and even blocks the ads in YouTube as well. You have unfettered ad free music and video listening and viewing. It makes watching music videos such a pleasure now.

I’ll Take 4K For $400, Alex…

I just emailed the pharmacy the Newegg shopping cart with the ASUS 4K ultra high definition monitor I want to get. I then called the pharmacy to tell my father I sent Matt, the pharmacy computer guru, an email.

“We’ll get to it if we can,” Old Fuss and Feathers told me huffily. “We’ve been really busy today.”

Harumppff!!!

I wanted to tell him to do it after the store closes, but I would have been reprimanded.

“We all want to go home after working all day,” I can hear him tell me now in retribution. 

Dad is having to work today and tomorrow to make up for not working Monday and Tuesday due to his class reunion.

It sure is nice to be off today and not have to volunteer. I have done nothing but goof off today and I am still in my pajamas this late in the afternoon.

Volunteering has seemed to have lost some of its veneer and luster for me, but I am not going to give up. I am committed now. I will probably feel differently in the morning after I have rested up some. The first of the week sure was busy, though. I performed a full week’s work in three days. I am also still adjusting to volunteering on Fridays as well.

One of the big benefits of my medications is that I can think this way in a rational manner. I am also dependable. Off my medications, I am impulsive and flighty and would have quit willy nilly without a care of the consequences or how it would effect my friends. Dad’s amazed I’ve made it this far to put another spin on the matter. He has no confidence in me in such endeavors nor does he encourage them.   

2:30 PM Tablet Scribblings…

Well, I have finished my list. I am done. Finis. Now, it is Barbara’s job to count all that change and money. She just gave me $25 dollars out of a donation box for gas which will just about fill me up. Tracy still has just a few businesses left and she will be finished as well. I am very pleased thinking this would go on until Friday or the next week. I informed Mrs. Barbara that I will not be coming in tomorrow.

“That’s fine sweetheart,” she told me. “You have gone above and beyond the call of duty of a volunteer.”

That was nice to hear. It feels good to be apart of something larger than me – to be making a difference in the lives of the animals and of my friends.

I am ready to get back on schedule, though. I want to rest tomorrow and spend lots of idle time on my computer listening to music, watching the weather, watching movies, and playing games.

Summer, dad buys the Le Sueur brand asparagus who also make what we call English peas.

Reedited after I got home this afternoon…

Another One Under My Belt…

I am warming up some pork chops and rice for supper. I never got around to eating them last night. I just stuck them in the fridge for later. I am especially keen on the asparagus tonight which dad drizzles with a mayonnaise and lemon juice emulsion sauce. It is just delicious. There were four biscuits, but I am unsure how well they faired a tour of duty in the fridge overnight. I might slice them in half and toast them in my toaster oven with some butter. That’s what my grandmother, Sally Lou, would do. Leftover biscuits were a treat at her house.

Last night, I was so tired that I sat down in my recliner in the den and fell sound asleep instantly. Maggie woke me up about 3 AM barking loudly as if someone was in the yard. I checked to make sure my car alarm was on, I turned on the porch lights, and then double checked all the doors to see if they were locked. I then went and retired in a proper bed and slept soundly the rest of the night. 

Sharyna thought I liked Jermaine. Hah! Just kidding! I like Jermaine. He’s a good friend, but he can just talk your ear off for 20 minutes or more. Southern etiquette dictates that the person who started a conversation finishes it. The same goes for the phone. That’s why I was avoiding him last night. I was tired and ill and wanted to get in and out as fast as possible. I was one pooped puppy last night.

Skinny Minny, unfortunately our Kroger doesn’t have that service or I would certainly use it. I think Walmart does, though. I would never convince my father to try Walmart's service unfortunately. Kroger is just ten times more convenient as well as far as location and parking. 

Noon Tablet Scribblings…

I just made it back to the Humane Society to take my medications at noon. I take them out of the med-pack in the mornings and put them in a little spare pill bottle. This really helps me finish my busy day. They “hit” me around 1 PM and I can really feel their effects. It is like putting on rose colored glasses.

Mrs. Barbara has printed out alphabetical lists of establishments with donation boxes. As I hit each one, I grab the donation box and mark it off on the list. I put a new donation box in its place. When I get a sizable amount accumulated, I bring them back to the Society and Mrs. Barbara opens them and begins to count the takings. Some businesses are missing donation boxes and I can only assume they were stolen.

We still have to do our morning chores, though. I clean the kennels before having to go out on my donation box gathering duties. On a normal day, we would finish our chores and go sit out in the shade in lawn chairs outside waiting for people to come who want to adopt. We have some of the best conversations during these times. Who would have ever thought I would want to be social? I chalk it up to my continued improvement and the Risperdal I take.

Balk Goes Grocery Guy…

“Oh, you can make it to the grocery store!” dad exclaimed over the phone as I balked. “I’ll drive you and help you unload as well.”

Dad showed up at my doorstep with a big plate of pork chops and rice and that kind of mushy canned asparagus I love. I was just absolutely exhausted from a busy day and it is a full moon as well. Maggie was the only ecstatic and enthusiastic one of the bunch – so glad to see her Papa.

“Get in the car and let’s go,” Old Fuss and Feathers barked. “You can eat your pork chops when you get home.”

Guess who was buying his groceries? Yes, you guessed it. It was Jermaine. I’ve begun to think Jermaine lives at the grocery store. I darted down the soup aisle just barely avoiding him in produce. I managed not to get caught tonight with tales of woe about his misfiring engine which I will eventually have to help him with.

My grand total was $88 dollars. I told you I am getting close to the century mark each time. Dad didn’t complain one bit going so far to brag on my amount of frozen meals and told me I did good despite my adverse condition. I really was dragging my heels something pitifully this evening. 

Dad helped me get all my groceries from his car to my doorstep and I took it from there. Most of my groceries are still in the bags, but I managed to get the cold and frozen stuff put away.

Short and Succinct…

I don’t see how anybody would blog on these tablets, but they do. The little onscreen keyboards play havoc with my big and cumbersome fingers. I wanted to write that blogging is going to be light this week most likely. Tracy and I have a gargantuan task ahead of us gathering all these donation boxes as I shall call them. I will try to blog when I get home at night. I am volunteering all week with full days to boot.

My Poor Dearest Maggie…

Maggie doesn’t get to see much of Charlie and Papa these days and it is the highlight of her existence when she does. She gets so excited when they pull up out front in their cars. She used to see my father every night when he brought my medications, but that ritual has long since ceased. For the longest time, she would pine in the window hoping my father would arrive.

Once again, Charlie and Papa just pulled to the curb and gave me my Sunday night meal and pulled away. Maggie barked futilely at the screen door hoping they would come inside and see her. I want them to come inside as well as I miss them and I love them. I always straighten up the house for naught. Maggie is sulking on the couch looking like the most pitiful of creatures you’ve ever seen.

It is 3:30 PM and I am Calling it Quits…

I was in the bed at 9 PM last night. Charlie woke me up at 9:30 AM with breakfast. I overslept this morning and boy was it nice. I felt like a million dollars is what I told Charlie and my father. Charlie made a remark about how good my hair looks and then he was on his way to my father’s house with my father’s biscuit and senior coffee. I ate breakfast, took a shower, gathered a bag of essential computer parts and tools, and headed to the Humane Society down through the Valley.

I did manage to upgrade Mrs. Barbara’s computer this afternoon after taking care of my feeding and watering chores. It now has 16 GB of system memory and I transferred the operating system and all her files to a 250 GB solid state drive which is now the boot drive. She can use her old 500 GB hard drive for files, photos, and such as I formatted it and it is clean and ready for use. It is like a different computer I tell you. It boots up in seconds instead of minutes now. She is going to be so surprised and delighted. I was tempted to upgrade her to Windows 10, but thought it may confuse her.

When I arrived home this afternoon, dad called me and told me to come and get some leftovers just as I had hoped last night. I got a huge bag of “the works” pizza and a big box of sausage and cheese lasagna. Dad said there is plenty more to be had after I eat what he gave me today. He inquired if I liked vegetarian lasagna and I replied that I most certainly did. There was a whole pan in the basement fridge.

Sublab & Azaleh - Maera

Lasagna and Red Wine. Yes, it is Time…

Dad is hosting his class reunion tonight – the class of 1964. He got Johnnie’s Pizzeria down town to cater the event and I hope there are lots of leftovers. Yes, I am thinking with my stomach and here I am supposed to be on a diet. He’s been busy cleaning the house and working in his yard for days to get ready. I am going to call him about 10 PM tonight and see how things went. I was worried about parking as there is not much parking space around my father’s house. I just drove around his block and from the looks of the amount of cars there wasn’t a big turnout. I hate that for him as he worked so hard to get ready for this event.

Cats and Dogs, and an Iguana?

This weekend is my weekend to check on the animals while the Humane Society is closed. I am sitting here on Mrs. Barbara’s slow computer goofing off. All the animals now have food and water. I don’t know what has gotten in to me, but I am still getting up at ungodly hours. I was opening the gate this morning at 7 AM in the predawn dark. That’s 6 AM Tracy’s and Barbara’s time. The days are starting to get short again which depresses me somewhat. 

We are going to have to upgrade this computer. I checked and it has 4 GB of ram and is running Windows 8.1. I am hoping I have enough compatible sticks of ram at home to upgrade it to 16 GB of ram. Oh, don’t mind me. I am just rambling on. It would really supercharge that computer, though. I have a spare 250 GB (SSD) Samsung solid state drive I would like to install as well. Now, that would really speed things up. Zip, zoom, bam!

Someone left a full grown and healthy male iguana in a big box at the gate last week. We’ve been feeding it veggies and such like spinach and cabbage. Tracy is attached to it so Mrs. Barbara is unsure of what to do with it. Mrs. Barbara is scared of it and I tried to explain to her that they are harmless. They sell iguana food, but one of us would have to drive to Pet Smart in Auburn to get it. We really need a heat rock or heat lamp for it to bask under or on, but the kennels stay so warm this time of year it hasn’t been an issue yet. Tracy wants it to be our mascot and call it Iggy the iguana. People would come in just to see it she said. Mrs. Barbara reminded her we are not a petting zoo.

A big job is coming up next week. Tracy and I are going to be very busy. We have donation boxes shaped like sad hound dog heads all over at countless businesses throughout the Valley. There is a slot in the forehead to donate bills and change. Tracy and I are going to collect these hound dogs and then we are going to tally up our donations. That’s going to be a lot of change to count and roll for deposit. I will be volunteering all week next week needless to say.

Hazy, Smokey Skies in Alabama Today…

Today’s weather pattern was carrying the smoke over the Northwest wildfires across Alabama today. It also made it about 1 to 2 degrees cooler in the Southland filtering the sunshine. I wonder if it will affect sunset? More vibrant colors?

Yay! I’m Home…

My heart just wasn’t in volunteering today. I was just going through the motions like an automaton. Tracy kept coming back into the kennels to talk to me and said I was a terrible conversationalist this morning. My head was in the clouds and I was in some galaxy far, far away. I finished up my duties, told everyone to have a good day, and headed back up through the Valley glad to be headed home. I only stopped at Daniel’s to get a bag of their little crispy and well done burgers. Delicious!

Making Facebook Work for Me…

I have just about unfollowed everyone I was friends with in Facebook. We are still friends and they can see what I write, but I can’t see what they write. Now, I am mainly showing my model railroad and railroading groups which are quite a few. It is a breath of fresh air not to have to wade through inspirational quotes, memes, cat shenanigan videos, pictures of children and babies, and recipes.  I also turned off Facebook chat. No more messages from Laura, Tuleana, and Wendy. I am not interested in dating at this moment anyway. I guess I am coming across as an old curmudgeon and spoilsport, but it works for me.

Waffling On What to Get…

As the 1st of the month soon approaches, I am yet again faced with more purchasing power and the conundrum of what to get with my money. I now have a bicycle and feel it would be frivolous to order another. My father never ordered my mountain bike as I had surmised. I am now leaning towards a nice and new ultra high definition monitor for my computer room computer. It would be nice to watch my Blu-Ray movies all in 4k ultra high definition glory.

ASUS MG28UQ Black 28" 1ms (GTG) 4K Ultra High Definition Adaptive-Sync (Free Sync) Gaming Monitor, 3840 x 2160 , W/ Asus Exclusive GamePlus and Flicker free Technology, Pivot &Height Adjustment, Built-in Speakers. $379.99

Jurassic Blogging…

I really should give up my efforts here and join everyone on Facebook. Every single one of my my old blogging friends is over there. I could share the meme of the day and comment on my sister-in-law’s countless photos of her kids. I could watch cooking videos that are too complicated to make or remember. The problem is that Facebook is not conducive to anonymity and long form writing. My writings would be neutered per se – short blurbs that wouldn’t tell a complete story. I could never, ever write about Johnny Otis’s forays into drinking for example. The saving grace for Facebook for me is all the scale modelling groups and model railroading groups.

Phelian - Lost

Local Dives and Eateries…

My father frowns upon my eating out, but I ate a big breakfast at Sarah Jay’s this morning. They claim to have the best burger in the Valley and I will have to try it sometime. For $8.99 I got a heaping portion of scrambled eggs, four slices of fried bacon, two biscuits smothered with sawmill gravy, and a bowl of buttery grits. It was a mighty fine breakfast and more than I could eat at a single sitting. I got a to-go box and brought the leftovers home to Maggie. My favorite part was the grits as they were cooked to perfection – creamy and seasoned well with lots of real butter.

A Tad Bit Tipsy…

Last night, I caught up with my father after driving to his house for a visit. I was lonely and needed our usual banter about family and things from the past. He had been drinking again and it makes me so mad. We go to such great gargantuan lengths to keep me away from alcohol and here he goes getting drunk. It is almost like a slap in the face.

“You’ve been drinking again,” I told him when he denied it. “I can smell it on you and you are slurring your words.”

He pushed his amply filled plastic cup of wine to the side where I couldn’t see it. I couldn’t help but smile. We watched Jeopardy as I drank a diet Coke and then I headed on home. One thing about dad when he has been drinking is that he is extremely affectionate and it will melt even the hardest heart and dispel the most verdant anger. He must have told me he loved me 20 times last night and kept wanting to hold my hand and feel it in his.

Azaleh - Moonlight

Isn’t this a Lovely Day to Get Caught in the Sunshine?

Practice makes perfect and I now have the treble clef portion of We Three Kings of Orient Are down pat. As soon as I got home from the Humane Society, I sat down and began to play – eager to continue last night’s efforts. Next comes the bass clef line so lets see if I can get both hands to cooperate in playing this song. It is going to be slow going at first. It feels good to be playing again after a multi decade hiatus.

My Inquisitive and Nosey Friend…

Tracy was asking me questions on why I wasn’t married today.

“I have a dog and she acts like my wife,” I replied to Tracy with a laugh.

Maggie is a lot like my wife. She can be demanding at times.

“Well, you are a good looking guy who has a good personality. A woman should have snatched you up by now.”

“It takes two to tango,” I reminded her. “I just haven’t found the right person yet and I carry a lot of baggage as well – the proverbial skeletons in the closet.” 

I didn’t elaborate on the baggage part and thankfully Tracy didn’t ask. Nobody where I volunteer knows I have a mental illness. They just know I have to go to the bathroom every day at noon like clockwork. I am taking my medications.

The Cycling of a Different Kind…

I looked at the clock on my computer and it read 8:55 AM. It was time to drive down to the pharmacy and then go get my injection. I was giving them some time to open the store and get my prescription filled. Maggie had a hissy fit that I was leaving and going somewhere in the car.

“What about our tranquil morning in the computer room listening to ambient music?” she seemed to impart.

Dad shortly handed me the Risperdal Consta box and I was good to go. I signed in at Kamath medical at 15 after 9. My appointment time was really 9 AM, but they allow me some leeway.

“Does your life ever go in cycles?” I asked Rebecca as she dutifully prepared my injection this morning.

“What do you mean?” she asked me with an inquisitive glare.

“Right now, I am going to bed early and getting up really, really early,” I replied. “I was wide awake at 6 AM this morning.”

“The kids and work dictate my cycles,” Rebecca then told me. “Breakfast, off to school, work at eight, etc.”

“I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be a parent,” I replied wistfully.

“It can be a handful,” Rebecca told me with a chuckle. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”

Rebecca injected the Risperdal which was extremely painful this morning. I bled a pretty good bit as well and there was blood on my Band-Aid. I didn’t say anything about it as it would just worry her for naught.

Back to the Basics…

I didn’t buy diet food tonight with dad’s strong urgings. I ran out of food early last week and dad subsidized my diet for a few days there out of his pantry. I ended up eating lots of neat and odd food – food dad didn’t care to eat or have. One night, Charlie brought me a big grab bag of snacks.

“Eat sensibly and eat in moderation,” my father told me as we walked across Kroger’s parking lot tonight. “And then you can eat what you like.”

I got a lot of stuff to make sandwiches. Oh, I did buy a dozen Lean Cuisine frozen meals which are technically a diet food I guess. Dad made sure of that.

“Get you some frozen meals,” dad kept telling me as we passed in the grocery store.

He was doing his shopping as well.

My big splurge tonight was a big fancy bottle of Califia cold brew coffee which I wanted to try. It was $4.99 for the bottle, but the bottle is huge.

I bought a few Chinese frozen meals I like as well. Got to have a little General Tso’s or chicken chow mein.

I was a big spender once again. I spent $90 dollars. Dad never says a word about it these days which is very kind of him. I guess that is just going to be the norm from here on out. I seem to spend around $100 dollars regularly lately.

Comment Reply…

skinny minny said...

I know you play and play well from past posts but I can't remember do you have a piano or keyboard?
What brought on the learn a hymn thing with your Dad?
I love Christmas hymns hope you post a video or two on here of you playing some

Andrew Replies…

Charlie gave me a nice upright piano and you can see it below with that picture of my cruiser bike. Dad has been urging me to start taking piano lessons again and we thought this would be a prelude to that – get the rust out so to speak. I will be sure to post a video as soon as I am proficient with some hymns.

Let the Challenge Begin…

Woolookologie - Forest

Debonair Styles By Charlie…

Charlie was running really late this morning for breakfast. He arrived around 10:30 AM. Last week it was 8:30 AM. Maggie and I sat on the couch on the lookout for him. We can see him from our perch turn around the corner far down at the end of the street. Not one electronic device was whirring, no music was playing, and the silence was golden. Soon, here came Charlie. Maggie had to jump up on the couch three times to make sure it was him.

“Charlie’s Here!!!”

“I am cutting your hair tonight so don’t wash your hair today,” Charlie told me all businesslike. “it’s easier to cut when it is dirty.”

This logic escapes me, but I told Charlie thanks. I’ve been hiding under baseball caps these past few weeks my hair has gotten so long and unruly.

This morning’s sausage biscuit was the best one yet. McDonald’s must have changed their biscuit recipe as they are delicious now. I used to couldn’t eat them. I’d turn up my nose and give my biscuit to Maggie.

Let the Cleaning Commence…

I was up and running at 6:45 AM this morning. I don’t know what possessed me to get up so early. I immediately got on a cleaning kick. When this happens, I have to roll with the punches. I make great strides on mornings such as these. My main job was decluttering the house and putting things away. I also Charlie proofed the kitchen and laundry room.

A Challenge: Two Hymnals, Two Pianos, an Atheist, and an Agnostic…

Dad challenged me to learn to play one hymn per week this morning. He is going to do the same. I already know I am going to learn the Christmas hymns in the hymnal. That way I can play them at Christmas on dad’s Yamaha grand piano which sounds exquisite. Dad thought that was an outstanding idea.

My Huffy Good Vibrations Cruiser…

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Too Far From the Tree…

“Remember when your mother got fixated on photography?” dad asked me this morning. “She went out and bought a $800 Canon camera and I about shit in my pants.”

I chuckled and said I remember that clearly. I was about 12 years old.

“She got hooked on architectural photography and there are several scrapbooks of hundreds of photos she took in your library,” I told my father.

“You are on a similar kick with this bicycling thing you have going on,” my father then told me.

“I could have far worse fixations like beer or pornography,” I replied in my defense.

“True,” dad said. “Just don’t get carried too far away. For years there, it was computers and computer parts. What happened to that?”

“I quit computer gaming and no longer needed the latest and the best,” I replied. “You need a very powerful computer to play the latest computer games.”

“Well, I am going to get you that mountain bike next month,” he told me. “Maybe that will placate you somewhat.”

A Very Banner Day!

Today, three dogs were adopted and four cats were adopted. The Humane Society crew was ecstatic. Tracy came back into the kennels to give me a high five. Finding animals a home is our utmost duty and responsibility, and it makes all the work and cleaning worthwhile.

Tracy and I cleaned especially hard today so we wouldn’t have to clean so much come Monday after the weekend. I usually go home at lunch, but stayed until six this evening cleaning kennels. Tracy helped me put out fresh food and fill water bowls to the brim. I am one tired little puppy to coin an apt phrase!

Mrs. Barbara informed us today that in a few weeks she is going to start opening for business on Saturdays from eight until noon. There has been a demand for it. We all thought it was a good idea with regards to the late working crowd being able to adopt.

Rides of Glory…

I still have my bike ride to accomplish this evening. My big goal is to ride around the block twice before I am winded. I slowly go a little farther every evening. It’s a really good feeling. Those endorphins get to flowing as you exercise. Dad calls me every night to see if I rode my bike and to get a status report. And you know what? It is also a lot of fun. 

Dad keeps saying my mountain bike is on backorder, but I have deep-seated fears he didn’t order it. Soon, it will be next month and I will have $400 dollars to spend. If so, then I am going to get a much nicer mountain bike with that money – about the best mountain bike Walmart sells at $379 dollars. The crème de la crème.

The 29" Mongoose XR-PRO Men's Mountain Bike

A Father’s Uncouth Advice…

**** PARENTAL/FEMALE ADVISORY ****

“I know what’s wrong with you,” dad said sitting in his recliner across from me tonight.

Charlie was sitting on the couch. I was sitting in mom’s old recliner. I had just got finished telling them both what a rough day I had yesterday.

“It’s these internet girlfriends that have gotten you all in a twit,” dad said.

“John, he gets lonely at that house by himself all the time,” Charlie said in my defense.

“Son,” dad said seriously with a stern look. “When it comes to women, your hand is your best friend.”

“That’s gross dad!” I exclaimed loudly.

Charlie loudly echoed my thoughts. Old Fuss and Feathers laughed and laughed.

“It’s true and you both know it’s true!” Old Fuss and Feathers said laughing some more. “It’ll keep you out of women trouble for sure.”

Thunder On the Horizon…

I volunteered today from 12 PM to 4 PM to make up for missing yesterday. I was very quiet today and both my coworkers picked up on it.

“What’s wrong with you?” Tracy worriedly asked me. “You are always jabbering away full of words.”

“Yesterday was my father’s birthday which was good, but I had a tough day overall,” I explained to her. “I am recuperating.”

I didn’t elaborate not wanting others to know such sensitive and personal business.

“I hope you get to feeling better,” Tracy told me sincerely. “I miss your witty good humor.”

WOW! donates wireless internet to the Humane Society. I had brought my Huawei tablet computer in with me today and kept checking the weather radar every thirty minutes. This intrigued Tracy. She loves my tablet because it is so thin and compact. The thing is not much thicker than a couple of quarters.

“What do you keep looking at?” She asked me this afternoon ever the busybody.

“He’s probably got an online girlfriend,” Mrs. Barbara said with a good-humored jeer and a laugh.

“Thunderstorms!” I said excitedly with an excitable grin. “We have some moving up from the South. I love keeping up with the weather.”

As I was preparing to head towards home, Mrs. Barbara asked me a question.

“Sweetheart? Do you think you could start coming in on Fridays as well?” She asked me. “We could really use you. Now tell me if I am asking too much of you.”

“I will be glad to,” I replied. “I will see you all early in the morning.”

Eating Myself Out Of House and Home…

I was having such a tough day yesterday addiction wise. I had to use one of my emergency packs of cigarettes from the freezer I was smoking so much. That’s the second time this week I’ve had to do that. I couldn’t quit eating – eating a whole pack of ice cream bars over the course of the afternoon. My house is messy as well and needs tidying up. It is really getting on my nerves. I ate a gigantic 1000 calorie $24 dollar Maverick ribeye steak at Longhorn (the calories are on the menu). I was so frustrated with myself – my seeming lack of self control.

Then, I had to think to myself how blessed I am. We all have bad days. I have Maggie, my dearest. I have a paid for home to come to every night. There was a time I was sleeping in a tent in the woods – no home to call my own hopeless, hungry, and cold. I have a very comfortable and warm bed to sleep in. I also have a very nice and dependable car these days. I guess it is all relative – my addiction problems that is. Maybe today will be a better day food wise and cigarette wise. I did get in a long bike ride last night after I had returned home. I was huffing and puffing coming up the hill to my house at the end of my ride sounding like a steam engine pulling a heavy load.

Happy Birthday Old Fuss and Feathers!

Today is my father’s 72nd birthday. I just called him and sang happy birthday to him over the phone to his delight. I am taking him out to eat tonight. He still hasn’t decided where he wants to go. I am headed now to Kroger to get him a birthday card. I forgot to get it Monday night with all that was going on.

Addendum: We’re headed to Longhorn Steakhouse in LaGrange this evening. Dad says it is better than the one in Auburn. Either way, the drive is about the same.

Moments of Shine…

Last night was my last dosage of medications out of my current med-pack. It slipped up on me before I could tell my father. Dad had another med-pack at his house, but it only had a noon and night dosage left.

“I’ll put the pills in the chair outside the door,” my father said early this morning when I called him. “I'll get one of the pharmacy techs to make you another med-pack and you can pick it up this afternoon.”

Knowing my father, there was fifty/fifty chance he would forget to put out my medications before he left for work. I drove over to his house with my fingers crossed this morning. There they were in a Ziploc bag sitting on a chair on the porch much to my delight. He also remembered my 28 day dose pack of heartburn medications I had asked for the day before. Thank goodness! I’ve become so accustomed to taking my medications around noon, that I wouldn’t know what to do without them. The withdrawal is quite palpable. It was one of my father’s moments of shine. I called him when I got home and told him he was awesome for remembering – my fears assuaged.   

This afternoon, I drove down to the pharmacy and they had my new med-pack ready. I took the opportunity to get me a few ice cold diet Cokes as well. A very nice treat!

Riding My Little Heart Out…

With the rigors of last night behind me, I've had the best time riding my Huffy cruiser bike up and down the street today despite the summer heat. I was very wobbly at first, but my equilibrium is adjusting. It has been ten or more years since I spent any amount of time on a bicycle.

This evening, after it cools down some, I am going to be bolder and head for parts unknown – other avenues in the neighborhood. Yes, riding a real bike is much different than riding an exercise bicycle. The hills kill you with that one speed bike, though. I need the “granny gear” of a road bike or mountain bike for that. The only true thing I need badly is a helmet. I couldn’t get up the gumption to visit Walmart and buy one today even though I passed it driving to the pharmacy this afternoon. 

Air - Alone In Kyoto

Out Of My League…

“You must be on a diet,” Jermaine said with his raspy voice surveying my cart. “You’ve got $20 worth of yogurt there.”

Jermaine wasn’t far off on the total. It was $28 dollars to be exact. I told Jermaine that he was right and then I asked him how his car was running.

“The engine is running a little rough, but it seems to be running fine overall.”

“That’s nothing that a little tune-up wouldn’t solve,” I told Jermaine reassuringly. “You probably need new sparkplugs, plug wires, a distributor cap, and a new rotor.”

“How much would all that cost?” Jermaine asked warily.

“Probably about $50 or $60 bucks,” I replied.

Then I saw her getting milk out of the milk cooler. I completely forgot about Jermaine and was transfixed. I could still hear Jermaine talking, but my gaze was on the beautiful red haired lady now in front of me. It was Wendy from Facebook. We’ve been chatting a lot lately – almost every day. I was too shy to go introduce myself. Besides, she was gorgeous and way out of my league. Seeing her in person dashed all hopes I had of us ever dating. She wouldn’t want an old fat scallywag like me.

I quickly headed to get my sugar free Klondike bars and then waited for my father to arrive. Dad finally walked into the store after a long 10 minute wait standing by the registers with my shopping cart.

“Have you been waiting long?” he asked seeing me standing there hapless.

“About ten minutes,” I replied with a deep sigh. 

“Your going to get hungry for something more substantial,” dad remarked of my cart of diet food. “You can’t live on SlimFast and Greek yogurt alone.”

“I’m pulling a Martha,” I replied with an inquisitive look upon my face.

“Yes, you are,” my father said with a frown – deep furrows forming in his forehead.

My mother was known to overdo it at times and take things too far. I inherited that aspect from her – that all or nothing mindset that has plagued me over the years.

“Let’s go get you some frozen meals and then we will checkout,” my father told me.

I watched as my father put a dozen random Lean Cuisine meals in my cart. I didn’t care what kind. I was still thinking of Wendy. I felt like I had been hit by a sledgehammer and was dazed and in a stupor.

“This is going to be really expensive!” I said to my father pointing at Maggie’s big $15 dollar bag of Purina One as I then remarked on all the expensive Lean Cuisine meals in my cart.

“If it is too much then I will put it on my Visa,” he said as the cashier tallied my groceries.

The final total came to be $122 dollars. Not quite a record holder, but close. The most I’ve ever spent is $125 dollars.

Tonight’s Kroger Battle Cry…

Greek Yogurt!!! And Kroger Slim-Right!!!

Gooey and Grand…

“I don’t see how Little Caesar’s makes money off those $5 dollar large pizzas,” Dad told me last night as I stood at the curb in front of Charlie’s open car window. “You are going to love the pizza tonight. It is absolutely delicious.”

Dad had already eaten two slices of my two pizzas on the drive back to my house. He was riding shotgun this week while Charlie drove.

The pizzas turned out to be some of the best pizza I have ever eaten and I am a big Papa John’s fan thinking they have the best pizza. They were piping hot as if right out of the oven and had ample and generous amounts of cheese, pepperoni, and sauce.

I was extremely appreciative of all the food yesterday evening. Charlie even got me a chicken pot pie from KFC for good measure. It was the end of the week and I was completely out of groceries. Along with the food came three large diet Pepsi. You could hear me slosh all the way to the bathroom to relieve myself.

The White Truck Brings Gifts…

I was sitting in the computer room this afternoon when I saw my father and Charlie pull up in front of my house in the white truck. This bode fortuitous as the white truck often does and it was. 

“Maggie? Charlie and Papa are here!!!!” I jubilantly exclaimed.

Maggie squealed in the other room and rushed to the door along with me beside her. I walked outside to greet them regaining my composure. Maggie barked from the other side of the screen door awaiting anxiously to see them.

“I’ve got you a bicycle you can have,” my father said. “I was debating on whether to give it to you or not fearing it would just get stolen.”

It was a Huffy men’s cruiser type of bike – you know, those bikes with one speed, huge seats, and gigantic handlebars. Well, I was just overjoyed to get it in the interim of getting my mountain bike.

“I got it for exercise,” my father told me. “But I have never even rode it once. It’s been sitting in the garage for ages. The tires were flat from disuse and me and Charlie went and put some air in them for you.”

Dad, Charlie, and I each took turns riding it down to the end of the street and back. I was pleased as a Georgia peach. Charlie said he hadn’t ridden a bicycle since he was a kid, but seemed to be doing a fine job of it to me.

“Now, you are going to have to bring it inside every night or it will get stolen,” my father further warned me of my neighborly miscreants.

I promised my father I would do so. It is propped up against the porch door in the den as I write this. I might take it out for an after dark cruise around the neighborhood tonight.

O-U-T OF S-H-A-P-E…

Well, this morning the house was nice and cool. (I turn the air down to 75° degrees in the evening before bed.) Charlie came by really, really early this morning with biscuits for the Mags and I and a gigantic diet Coke for me. This was a blessing. I ate my sausage biscuit and decided to “ride it off”. LOL I rode three miniscule miles and was huffing and puffing and my heart was beating something crazy. I am so very much out of shape. All these times of just sitting in front of my computer all day have caught up with me and are haunting me. I am not going to give up though. I am serious about this weight loss shit (superfluous profanity!). Maybe I will ride four miles tomorrow.

Hopefully, my much anticipated mountain bike will be here soon. Dad said he thought it was on backorder yesterday, but I am not giving up hope so soon. The bike I picked turned out to be Walmart’s best seller which would just be my luck. The silver color, which I wanted, is already sold-out. I think riding an actual bicycle will be a vastly different experience than riding an exercise bicycle.

Toad The Wet Sprocket - Walk On The Ocean

Situational Saturdays…

I have brand new neighbors across the street. I walked over today and talked to the wife of the familial unit.

“I just wanted to welcome y’all into the neighborhood and let me know if you need any help moving,” I told her as I shook her hand.

She seemed very friendly and waved goodbye as I walked off back to my house. Dad marveled that I did that considering my social anxieties.

“You’ve come a long way, son,” he told me.

Culinarily Frou Frou…

Dad and I watched our GPTV cooking shows this afternoon. We have both grown to enjoy this Saturday event very much. Some of the cooking can be way over the top, though. A guy was barbecuing saffron infused cheese and bacon stuffed chicken breasts over old growth grapevine wood which gave it a “sweet, succulent taste”. Dad just looked at me and we both rolled our eyes.

“Now, where in the hell are you going to find old growth grapevine wood around here?” dad asked me facetiously.

Every time I heard grapevine, I thought of that monthly publication put out about Alcoholics Anonymous.

If You Can Fix It, Then You Can Have It…

I’ve had my eye on mom’s Schwinn exercise bicycle for awhile now. I want to get in shape before my mountain bike arrives. At least get a head start. Dad paid a chunk of change for it and my mother never rode it.

“It never has worked,” dad told me as I stood in his den after driving over.

“Let’s go work a little Andrew magic on it,” I replied.

Dad chuckled and said good luck.

I walked down in the basement and immediately looked for a power cord and plugged it up. Simplest things first applies to a lot of things in life and not just computers. The bright view screen came on and then you could adjust the pedal resistance.

“Did you get it fixed?” Dad asked as I walked back upstairs.

“It just wasn’t plugged up,” I told him.

“Well, I’ll be damned after all these years of it sitting in the basement!” Dad exclaimed. “Go get the white truck from Charlie and we will take it over to your house.”

The thing weighed an absolute ton and I think dad got into more than he bargained for. Maggie's not quite sure what to think of it as well. She just peers into the computer room at this apparent and perceived monstrosity.

George is Home…

“He’s really shaky,” The taxi driver told me after I had exited my car. “Will you look after him?”

I had just returned from my father’s house. I followed George inside and got him seated in his favorite chair. There were empty liter vodka bottles everywhere. George had been on a bender and it put him in the hospital.

George’s house also made my house look immaculately clean. He had really messed up things when he had been drinking. There was trash all over the floor in the den and kitchen.  His tile hall had been muddied by muddy feet.

“Here is my phone number,” I told George writing it down. “Call me and I will be right over.”

“I just want to get in my bed and sleep,” George said taking off his extensive bandages.

“Do you have some smokes?” I then asked and George said yes.

I knew this would be very important.

“How about lunch? Are you hungry? I could get you a fried catfish plate down at Merl’s.”

“I am fine,” George assured me.

George ambled on outside to smoke and I followed him – his first cigarette in a week. He assured me he would call me if he needed any help. I am going to walk back over later this evening and see how he has been doing. I know he’s got to be hungry. There wasn’t anything to eat in his fridge when I looked.

Don’t Let Users Use You…

Everyday it is something different with Rich and Tuleana. Rich used to be the boyfriend of Laura. Yes, that Laura. That’s how I met him. Laura dumped him and he shacked up with Tuleana. Laura’s demise as far as I am concerned is a whole ‘nother story that I will tell another day.

“Will you carry Richard and I to the gas station so Richard can get some tobacco?” Tuleana asked me today over the phone.

This would entail driving 25 miles to their camper they live in to pick them up. Driving all the way to the SunCo gas station in West Point, Ga. where they sell loose leaf tobacco and then a drive back to the camper. I think that would be 75 miles if I reckon correctly.

Yesterday, they needed to go to Walmart to do grocery shopping. Both times I’ve made up some excuse not to go. Being low on gas is always a good excuse because they are not going to put gas in your car. It would be different if they were friends in a true friendship way or that they would compensate me with gas money. They expect me to do it for free and they rarely say thanks.

It would be much better if they lived in town, but they live in bum fuck Egypt. I could fathom a short drive across town for some cigarettes, but a 75 mile round trip is too much without any gas compensation. I am not exactly Mr. Moneybanks here. Hell, it takes me weeks to normally drive 75 miles in my car.   

Dinner for Two…

Dad invited me over for supper tonight.

“I need to do this more often,” he said.

He cooked my mother’s spaghetti and meat sauce. We had a big, grand salad which was my favorite part of the meal. I went off my diet and slathered my greens in Marie’s chunky blue cheese dressing – a zillion calories. The salad also had shredded cheddar cheese, diced ham and sliced eggs – a zillion more calories. I could have made a meal out of it alone. We also had the ubiquitous barbecue bread dad always serves with spaghetti. It was toasty, buttery, and delicious as well. Dad’s spaghetti was spot on and I had to resist going back for seconds.

It started to thunder loudly while we were eating. You could see the lightning flash outside the windows of the kitchen dining room.

“That’s odd,” my father said perplexed. “Having a storm blow up after dark this time of the year.”

I had my tablet computer with me and pulled up the weather radar.

“There’s is one teeny little thunderstorm that has blown up on the radar and is headed this way,” I told my father and then showed him the tablet. “It is tiny.”

“Maybe I won’t have to water my lawn tomorrow if it puts out some good rain,” dad replied.

I checked my tablet again and the storm had grown in strength.

We finished our meal and I told my father goodnight and thankyou for the wonderful dinner.

It started to rain very heavily on my drive home. I guess dad got his wish. I was outdone about it because I washed my car today and meticulously detailed my wheels. The rain negated all of that work. I was hurriedly trying to get home before the rain started. I was voicing some choice explicatives as the heavy rain pelted my windshield.

Look How Grey Maggie is Getting…

She’s getting old. All she does is sleep these days.

Can You Say Denied? Not a Drop…

Of all this weather activity around us, we didn’t get one drop of rain. I was hoping to move operations to the porch after the rain cooled off this very hot Southern summer day.

An Injection With a Twist…

“My babies have gone back to school,” Rebecca told me lamentingly this morning.

“It is just too early to be going back to school,” I replied very worriedly.

School was a horrific experience for me so I am biased. A time filled with countless superfluous homework, social anxiety, bullies, rote memorization and meaningless exams.

“We should have sent you to a school for the arts,” my father says in these later years.

“It is rather ridiculous to be going back to school the first week of August,” Rebecca agreed with me.

“I might be wrong, but I remember going back to school around Labor Day in September,” I told her. “We didn’t have air conditioning in our classrooms when I was in first and second grade.”

Rebecca gave me my shot and I thanked her profusely. She was all business this morning so our conversation didn't linger as it normally does. I told her she made a big difference in my life and I exited into the office. I left her with a smile on her face. Pat quickly made me a next appointment card.

“Here you go, Andrew. You have a great two weeks,” Pat said to me.

“Thank you for being so kind to me,” I replied and I headed to the front door.

I was handing my father my next appointment card when Ralph, a new pharmacy employee, offered me a chicken biscuit from Burger King.

“I ordered two butter biscuits and they put six chicken biscuits in my bag,” he told me of his bounty.

Dad was happily munching on a chicken biscuit sitting behind the counter. I ate my biscuit on the drive home and it was delicious and an unexpected treat.

Frugality Reigns Supreme…

I was mister frugal tonight grocery shopping. I only spent $66 dollars. I was delighted when I found out Kroger’s version of SlimFast was half the price. It was on the bottom shelf out of view. They just had a few more grams of sugar per bottle which I can deal with. I also bought lots of strawberry Greek yogurt to snack on. All the yogurt I bought was $14 dollars.

The only non diet thing I bought was Vienna sausages for Maggie. She certainly loves the things. I might eat one or two myself. Don’t tell the diet police.

I also, once again, got the sugar free Klondike bars. I ate one even before I began to put my groceries away. It was nice, gooey, and soft from being in my warm trunk on the drive home. A sheer delight!

“Now, you are going to have to lock that bike up at night,” my father told me of my mountain bike as we walked to our cars. “I’d bring it inside the den.”

I agreed and told him I would bring it inside every night. The seedy contingent of the neighborhood forces us to hide our beer in our clothes dryers and lock our cars and homes religiously. All valuables are considered suspect to theft. Oh thee of the night of ill repute.

It’s Official…

I decided to go with the Mongoose mountain bike after many weeks of mulling it over. It was no easy decision to come to I tell you. All my options were enticing. Matt, at the pharmacy, ordered it this afternoon. It is going to be shipped to my father’s house August 11th so some assembly will be required. They wanted me to pay tax if it shipped to my local Walmart. I hope I am up to the task. I thought, hey, I am trying to diet/lose weight and it would be better exercise than walking around the block and more fun to boot! I plan on riding down into the Valley and watching trains with it. It’s all uphill coming back, though. I am going to have to get into shape quick!

26" Mongoose Blackcomb Men's Mountain Bike, Black

Wake Up Cacophony…

I got up at the ungodly hour of 5 AM and couldn’t go back to sleep. I lay in the bed for quite some time hoping to fall back to sleep to no avail. I took a shower and got dressed in some old cleaning clothes. Maggie followed me into the kitchen as I got and ate a SlimFast protein bar for breakfast. She got little nibbles of it and two slices of pizza for breakfast so she was a happy dog when I left the house at daybreak. She ran outside barking up a storm not wanting me to go as I pulled out of the driveway.

I was down at the Humane Society at 7 AM this morning which is 6 AM their time. I told you it is a long drive. I pass time zones to get there. It is nice having a key to the place as I can come and go as I see fit and when it pleases me.

The dogs all started to bark up a storm when I entered the kennels. I called it my “wake up cacophony” this morning. The symphony of the canine.

“Come on ya’ll,” I hollered very loudly. “Let’s get you all to the outside kennels.”

I started to open all the trapdoors while dodging poop. The old timers know the routine well, then they will get fresh water and kibble when I let them back inside. There was many an empty food dish this morning.

Libby, as I’ve named the old black Labrador in homage to a friend’s older black Labrador, stood her ground and wagged her tail briskly glad to see me. She got special treatment this morning getting food and kibble first before I started cleaning. I’ve come to love the dog and would carry her home with me in a heartbeat – to give her a stable and loving home in her waning years. She is just sweet as molasses. I believe she would have a lot of patience with high strung Maggie. Just what my father feared by me taking this position. Yes, I get attached to the animals. It is only natural.

Radiohead - Daydreaming

72 Hour Psychiatric Hold…

George was acting awful erratic this afternoon. First, he parked his car in front of my house and started to walk back home. I walked out to greet him.

“Car trouble? Or did you run out of gas?” I asked George.

“I’ll move it in a minute,” which made absolutely no sense.

George can barely walk as it is and rested for a moment on my mailbox to steady himself.

I went back inside to watch ever carefully as events unfolded. George came back out to move the car with a stumbling gait and almost hit my neighbors across the street as they pulled out of their driveway. They had been watching closely as well and called 911. At this point, George was almost incoherent. The ambulance and two police cars arrived.

“I was the one who called the police,” my very rotund neighbor said boastfully. “I thought he was going to kill somebody or kill himself.”

The police officer informed us both that George is going to East Alabama Medical Center to be held for 72 hours on a psychiatric hold. I hope George rests and feels better. They have awesome food and you can eat as much as you like. They just keep that wing of the hospital freezing cold like a meat locker.

Comment Replies…

skinny minny said...

I don't get why the new wheels? I mean what's the point in them(other than looks)? I can see the mountain bike ( exercise, fun, and maybe even transportation in an emergency) I can see the appeal of the aquarium they are fun to set up and then relaxing. and of course the computer parts I understand because of your joy in using them and improving your computers. Of course at the end of the day get what you want I know I get and do things others don't understand... :)

August 5, 2018 at 11:05 AM

Andrew Replies…

Minny, the wheels are strictly for aesthetic reasons. I think it is a guy thing. They would just make the car look sportier and would give my car a smoother ride as well as they are so light. Dad probably won’t let me get them fearing it may screw up the car so it may be a moot point anyways. I will most likely get computer parts if my father can remember to order them. I just like to dream!

glittermom said...

What kind of rims are on the car now ?

Andrew Replies…

Glittermom, just some heavy black steel rims with hubcaps on top.

What My New Wheels Would Look Like On My Car…

I still haven’t decided what I want yet with my hard earned $300 dollars – a mountain bike, new wheels, an aquarium, or computer parts. Dad forgot once again to order my computer parts. Is this some kind of omen? I have to keep in mind also the cost of transferring my old tires to my new rims – a job for West Point Tire and Auto.

Suzanne Vega - Frank & Ava

Frank & Ava…

Any good Suzanne Vega fan will get the Frank and Ava reference. I had the tune in my head as I drove. ♫ It is not enough to be in love! ♫

There sure was some testy partying going on next door last night. George is usually in the bed at nine. Well, I was leaving at nine to go see the grandkids at my father’s house and George and Lisa were still going quite strong and quite loud.

“How are ya, George?” I hollered over the music.

He didn’t even hear me telling Lisa to do something. “Try it now,” is what I think he told her. That made my imagination run wild. “Try what now?”

All the doors to the house were open and every light was on. There was loud honky tonk music emanating from the door by George’s kitchen leading out onto the carport.

I fear George’s car battery is dead this morning as he left the door to his car open all night. I should have walked over there and shut it, but it probably would have been too late this morning anyway. So I expect when they get sobered up some for George to ask me to jump off his Caravan sometime today.

Happy Birthday Horsefly!

Today Horsefly turned 47 years old! That’s a picture of my brother, sister, and Horsefly at his birthday bash last year.

Charlie always invites the most people so I shy away of attending the birthday party. Too much socialization for me. I am sure Charlie will send some burgers and birthday cake my way tonight as he normally does on such occasions.

They never thought Horsefly would live very long and boy, has he proved them wrong!

A Wee Little Visit…

“I asked Horsefly who he wanted to visit tonight and he said you,” Charlie told me. “So here we are. He usually likes to visit with my sister Polly who lives around the block.”

Maggie was just going nuts at this fortuitous event. You’d think she won the lottery.

“Say hello to Maggie Horsefly,” Charlie said as he took a seat on the couch.

Horsefly paced my house turning the lights on and off in every room. Maggie was with him every step of the way following him.

“Look at her,” Charlie said of Maggie. “She loves him.”

“You would think Maggie would be scared of Horsefly because of his mannerisms and because he talks so loud,” I replied.

“Oh, I’ve got you two ice cold Cokes in the car,” Charlie then said abruptly. “Walk out to the car with me to get them.”

I was relieved when they were diet and not regular. This is something my father would never do – this little perk Charlie affords me. Dad would be doing good just to get over here in one piece and remembering where his keys were.

“That’s why he stays so slim,” Charlie then said of Horsefly. “He never stops walking. The only time he stops is when he is in the bed or watching Sesame Street.”

“Well, we are going bowling,” Charlie told me. “Do you want to go?”

“I would be gutter ball central!” I exclaimed with a loud laugh.

Charlie told Horsefly to come on and they headed out my door to Valley Bowl.

“Love you,” Charlie said as he passed me.

“Love you, too!” I replied extremely heartfeltly.  

Temptation Lurks Around Every Corner…

I arrived back from my father’s house this morning to find George busily cleaning his laundry room. His guest/lady friend was standing in the doorway to the house smoking a cigarette and directing.

“Do you need a hand?” I asked George, walking up onto his carport.

I said hello to Lisa. The orchestrator. She looked three sheets to the wind.

“Take the stuff I am pulling out of the laundry room and put it up at the road to be thrown away,” George told me very thankful for the help.

George now keeps his beer hidden in his clothes dryer as someone was stealing them off his carport. I chuckled at this new revelation.

“Sit down and have a beer with me,” George said as we finished the task at hand.

Lisa took a seat and cracked open a beer herself.

I was just honest with George today. I was the confessor.

“George, I was just an incorrigible alcoholic for decades and haven’t had a beer in 6 or 7 years. I just can’t drink the stuff without getting into serious trouble.”

George apologized for all the times he asked me to have a beer.

“I drink too much beer as well,” he confessed to me as I bid him adieu. 

I know myself well. One beer would have turned into a six-pack. A six-pack would have turned into a twelve pack and I would have blown the past 5 years of trust I have built up with my father. Many of my freedoms like the debit card would be taken away.

Duty Calls…

Angie, the pharmacy owner, called my father early this morning and asked him to come into work at 2 PM. You have never heard a grown man whine so much in your life. I was over at his house to pick up some beautiful tomatoes he bought at the farmer’s market or curb market as it is known around here.

“Martha would have said no,” I told my father as I chucked.

Dad chuckled and said I was probably right.

“I want to stay in my pajamas all day and watch the television,” dad told me. “I am going to miss most of Dr. Phil today.”

“Order my computer parts,” I then told him sheepishly always in fear of angering him over such matters.

He forgot Monday and Tuesday saying they were really busy. I had the choice of a new mountain bike, new wheels for my car, an aquarium, or computer parts. The choice was obvious.

I don’t know why Matt, the pharmacy computer guru, has to order them. We could just order them at home. My father can be so damn stubborn at times.

Daryl Hall & John Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

The Old Soul…

We have an older black lab in residence with us at the moment. She will not go through the trapdoor to the outside kennels. She completely refuses and no amount of my coaxing will get the old gal out there. I got down on my haunches today and rubbed her face while she licked my face in return. Something about the portal scares her. Many of these dogs come in emotionally damaged in some way. They need kind, caring, and patient homes.

“You have it your way old girl,” I told her this morning.

I had to do things the old fashioned way and use a pooper scooper.

It was pouring rain when I left the Humane Society about 11:30 AM and I didn’t mind. We need the rain. It is nice having a car where the wipers work as they should.

Ambivalence…

Tuleana called me this morning and it was no coincidence that it was the 1st of the month and government checks were here. They don’t have a car and have to bum rides all the time. It would be much better if they lived in town, but they live way out in the boonies by the truck stop on the interstate. It is a good 25 mile drive from my house.

“When are you coming to see us?” she asked me really wanting to ask me to carry them shopping today.

“Oh, I might get out there in a couple of days,” I told her to her chagrin.

“We miss you, Andrew,” she told me and I told her I was at “work” and couldn’t talk long.

“Do you want to talk to Richard?” she then asked.

“That’s okay,” I said. “Tell Richard I said hello.”

“When can we see you?” Tuleana then asked.

“Maybe sometime next week,” I replied. “Listen, I need to get off the phone.”