Sometimes it is the Little Things that Matter the Most…

“Are you and Tracy up and dressed?” Charlie asked me over our cellphones around noon. “I’ve got a special treat I want to bring you two for lunch.”

“We’re up and going Charlie,” I replied, glad to hear his voice.

“I’ve got two plates of the best chargrilled chicken wraps that you have ever eaten!” Charlie, the feeder, said.

This got me excited and Tracy quickly got in the bathroom to fix her hair and put on a little makeup. She was making herself presentable as she so often says.

Charlie finally arrived and said the food was payment for fixing Janice’s computer. The wraps were unbelievably tasty. I loved the addition of jalapeños amidst a smoky Southwest sauce. The chicken breast strips were chargrilled to perfection and were accompanied by ample portions of pepper jack cheese. Even the wrap was chargrilled on both sides.

“Call me back on my cellphone and tell me what y’all think,” Charlie told us in parting.

(Days like today it is hard to write while other days it just flows effortlessly.I guess the old prime motivator upstairs is acting on shaky ground today.)

A Sunday Good Morning and a Little Laptop Surgery…

I could’ve slept in this morning, but I was up at 8am. I feel like a million bucks. Going to bed early and waking early has made the biggest difference in my life lately. I feel so well and rested.

I never know when Charlie will be here with our Sunday breakfast. It is going on 9am now and he still hasn’t arrived. The earliest he usually arrives is around 8:20am. Tracy is lingering in the bed a little longer than I. (Time warp: Charlie arrived at 9:45am this Sunday)

Let’s Open it Up and Take a Look…

Tracy was complaining last night how slow her laptop has gotten. I don’t know how she stands it. It is slow as molasses, yet she still insists on using it. I ordered a kit from Newegg this morning to convert her laptop from a conventional hard drive to a 500 GB Samsung solid state drive (SSD). That will incredibly supercharge her laptop. The processor is only as fast as it can access data. It will be like a completely different computer. I also ordered enough Crucial sodimms (laptop RAM) to upgrade her memory from 8 GB to 16 GB. RAM is so cheap right now. Why not? That should help as well with no accessing the page file. I love this kind of stuff so it was right up my alley. I get all warm and fuzzy thinking about it.

Just In Time For Warm Weather…

Charlie stopped by this afternoon with his portable air compressor. We filled up my bike tires with air. I am set to start riding again. I’ve got bike fever like I did when I first got this bike back in the fall.

Charlie also brought four Chick-fil-A sandwiches on his journey here. They were very well appreciated. Two for me, the big guy, and one for Tracy and one for Maggie.

“Hey, I want to ride, too!” Tracy told me, feeling left out after Charlie had departed.

“We will have to drive down to the bike shop in Auburn and look for you a bike,” I told her in reply. “Unless you want to buy a bike at Walmart?”

We might drive down to Walmart in a wee little bit and see what kind of bikes they have for sale. We really don’t need anything fancy. Just a women’s bike that Tracy can ride around the neighborhood with me. I am thinking cruiser like mine so that is what we will probably buy.

A Train a Day Keeps the Blues Away…

I spent much of the day down at the railroad tracks watching trains and photographing them. The weather was just absolutely gorgeous. A fine spring day. I think I’ve wrote this on the blog before, but Tracy says that has to be the most boring hobby a man could have.

“What do you do when there are no trains passing by?” she asked me this evening.

“I listen to music on my iPod and read magazines and books,” I replied.

Lunch was some fried chicken livers and a chocolate milk I bought at the Qwik Mart across the highway. I got chided for eating those as well.

A Seat at the Table…

“Come over for breakfast!” my father said early this morning. “I’ve saved a seat at the table for you.”

I rushed through a quick shower and headed to my father’s house. He had cooked Clark Brother’s sausage, scrambled eggs, and homemade biscuits. The adornments were sharp cheddar cheese slices and strawberry preserves. It was a real treat as you all know how much I adore a big breakfast.

About the time we finished eating, Charlie walked through the back door.

“I’m cutting your hair tomorrow night so get ready!” Charlie told me. “And don’t forget I’m bringing you and Ms. Maggie biscuits in the morning.”

He then fixed himself some biscuits with butter and strawberry preserves. Charlie has an insatiable sweet tooth.

“John, these biscuits are delicious!” I heard him say. 

Afterwards, we retired to the den to watch The Weather Channel. You know I love the weather and weather watching, but The Weather Channel bores me for some reason. I guess because they never show local weather much and only show the weather in someone else’s backyard. Usually, there is nothing more boring than someone else’s weather unless it is something like a hurricane.

“Are you tired of sausage biscuits already?” Charlie asked me abruptly as we sat in the den.

Charlie asked me this a few months ago and I gave him the same answer. I noticed dad turned his head to look for my reaction. I had complained earlier that Maggie and I were tired of sausage biscuits every Sunday.

“Maggie and I are just glad to get them,” I replied mostly honestly.

What could I say? I’d rather get sausage biscuits than nothing. I do love it when they get the order wrong and we get bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits, though.  Nice surprises are the spice of life!

A Hair Bristling Experience…

I was on the very last leg of my daily walk when this silver SUV slowly pulled up nearby to me. The hair on my neck bristled with warnings of danger. It was almost dark outside and I couldn’t quite discern who it was in the bright headlights.

“Andrew! It’s Charlie!” Charlie said rolling down his window.

I laughed in complete and total relief.

“How far do you have to walk to finish?” Charlie asked me.

“Just a few hundred more yards up to the house,” I replied, huffing and puffing, almost out of breath.

I was doing some serious power walking tonight which also makes me feel self conscious. I think I look silly doing it like being a member of the ministry of silly walks ala Monte Python. .

“Get in the car, then. I’ve got you and Maggie some supper.”

I climbed in Charlie's car and away we went just up the hill to Andrew's casa. Charlie had gotten Maggie and I each a chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A before he left Auburn on his way home from work.

“There is plenty of that Polynesian sauce you so love in the bag,” Charlie told me.

I don’t know what misguided Charlie into thinking I love that Polynesian sauce so much. I like my Chick-fil-A sandwich with mayo and ketchup.

Charlie went straight for the kitchen like a man on a mission.

“Wait a minute while I clean your sink!” he told me eagerly.

I laughed in exasperation. I had just been washing dishes earlier in the day and hadn’t quite finished the job. Charlie scrubbed away while I changed out of my walking clothes into something more comfortable – a t-shirt and some shorts.

“It is so warm tonight!” Charlie said making small talk.

“It got up to 81° degrees today,” I replied to Charlie. “I noticed all the crickets were back out and chirping on my walk after being dormant for most of the winter..”

I asked Charlie about a William Fowler in the Air Force during Vietnam and he couldn't recollect anybody by that name. Sorry Sharyn. I tried!

Charlie also had Horsefly’s nightly chicken strips in the car and said he needed to deliver them before Horsefly got cranky.

Good Food and Company was to be Had…

Charlie arrived at ten this morning. Oh, what a sight for sore eyes he was. I welcomed him inside, but he could only stay for a few minutes. Old Fuss and Feather’s senior coffee was getting cold. Dad says that McDonald’s senior coffee tastes better than the coffee he makes at home and thus he relishes it.

“Hey Maggie Lou,” Charlie said as he lavished praise upon the Magster.

Maggie wiggled joyously and barked repeatedly.

We were all happy souls this morning. Fine company and good food was to be had. Charlie asked me what I wanted for supper tonight and I told him to get me another $5 dollar fillup chicken sandwich meal.

“I didn’t know they even had a chicken sandwich meal deal,” Charlie said.

“I looked online at all the meals they offer,” I told Charlie. “I don’t know why I am so keen on chicken sandwiches right now.”

“I’ll bring you and Maggie some Chick-fil-A next week one night,” Charlie told me to my delight.

There was a time for goodbyes and Maggie and I stood at the screen door and waved Charlie off. Maggie stood and barked wanton goodbyes. Hell, I felt like barking myself. 

The Never Ending Day…

Have you ever had one of those days that you thought would never end? I had one today. It seems like I have been up for days. 11:30pm is about to arrive so my day is winding down. I got up too early for starters. I am listening to light classical music on music choice while Maggie grooms herself on the couch before going to bed. It is chilly in here, but I don’t want to turn up the heat before going to bed, So here I sit with a heavy jacket on in front of the den computer.

Charlie showed up with breakfast at ten this morning. McDonald’s completely screwed up our order. Maggie and I got egg McMuffins and I got a gigantic sweet tea to drink. I dearly missed my usual diet Coke. Beggars can’t be choosers, though.

I’ve had two sets of Logitech Z523 speakers to fail. I had another set fail this morning and I was so deflated and disappointed computer parts wise. I am having to use my monitor’s built in speakers on those two computers. Lackluster sound at best with no bass whatsoever. I don’t think I will be buying any Logitech speakers from now on. They make great mice and keyboards, but their speakers suck. I might try a set of Cyber Acoustic’s speakers next.

I just wanted a simple chicken sandwich tonight without Charlie making a special trip to McDonald’s to get it.

“Now, I don’t mind making an extra trip,” Charlie told me over the phone calling to see what I wanted.

“Just get me the KFC crunchy chicken sandwich $5 fillup meal,” I told him which was a mouthful of words.

I also got a chocolate chip cookie and some of those well done potato wedges KFC sells. They weren’t half bad. 

I waited until 7:30pm before telling Maggie Charlie and Papa were coming. She only had to hold vigil for an hour in the window. Here they came pulling up near my house about 8:30pm. Charlie parked way down almost in front of my neighbor’s house. I walked out to greet them while Maggie barked behind the screen door.

“Hell, why did you park way down here?” dad asked Charlie.

“Cause I can’t drive worth a shit, John!” Charlie exclaimed.

I couldn’t help but chuckle and welcomed them inside.

A Visit Extraordinaire…

I was sitting at this computer when Maggie started whining jubilantly. That could only mean one of three things – that Charlie, Tracy, or my father had arrived. It was Charlie and he was a sight for sore eyes.

“What are you two doing?” Charlie said as he handed me a McDonald’s bag. “You said you liked those chicken sandwiches the other night so I went and got two more for you and Maggie.”

“Well, thank you!” I exclaimed excitedly.

Charlie wanted to see all my many Christmas gifts. I invited him into the back bedroom to show him all the clothes I got.

“I liked the two shirts you got me,” I told Charlie. “They are so soft. They feel like silk.”

“I thought they would make good sleeping shirts thus the short sleeves,” Charlie replied.

Then I took the cover off the side of the computer and showed Charlie my main gift – my Vega 64 video card.

“I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, but it sounds wonderful,” Charlie told me laughing.

Charlie didn’t stay long.

“Eat your chicken sandwiches while they are still hot,” Charlie said as he was heading out the front door.

Maggie gave him a good sendoff then she was ready to eat. She has become to associate Charlie with food these days. I pulled off the dill pickles and put her sandwich on the floor. I blinked and it was gone. Maggie had wolfed it down.

Cold, Dark, and Dreary…

We have been beseeched with the worst weather lately. It will soon have rained for a whole week. They say we shall see the sun again on Friday – when all of this gloom clears out.

Charlie? Meet Tracy! Tracy? Meet Charlie…

I was sound asleep when there was a loud knock on the door abruptly awakening me. It was a very rainy evening and the rain had lulled me to sleep earlier in the afternoon. I was so drowsy I could barely stay awake. Maggie was going bonkers so I knew who it was. It was dad and Charlie with my two pepperoni pizzas on this our Sunday night feedings.

“Andrew! How are you?” Charlie asked loudly as he stepped through my front door.

“Good to see you, Charlie,” I replied, giving him a hug.

Charlie went directly to gather all my trash and to give Maggie fresh food and water. He was all business tonight.

Then there was another loud knock on the door. “Who could that be?” I wondered. It was Tracy. She had a big duffel bag packed hanging from her shoulder signifying she was sleeping over. This was a surprise to me, but a very nice surprise. I welcomed her inside and told her things were busy at the moment.

“Hey Tracy,” my father said giving her a hug. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, Mr. John,” she replied shyly.

Charlie came walking out of the kitchen with trash bags in hand. During my slumber, I had forgotten to take out all the trash.

“You must be Tracy,” Charlie said putting down the trash bags to give her a hug.

“Tracy? This is my good friend and my father’s best friend, Charlie,” I told her.

“Nice to meet you, sir!” Tracy said.

“I’ve heard such good things about you,” Charlie told her. “You treat Andrew right!”

“You will hear more out of Charlie for sure,” I said with a laugh. “Wait till her finds out where you live and he will start feeding you!”

Charlie said, “Oh, hush!” and laughed.

Maggie was just beside herself during all of this. Tracy? Charlie? Papa? It was almost too much to bear and she happily went around greeting everybody and sniffing fingers checking ID’s.

Papa and Charlie soon left. They ran across the yard in the rain to Charlie’s car and drove off. Horsefly was awaiting his chicken tenders.

“Let’s get your car in the driveway and off the street,” I told Tracy as she handed me her keys. “Someone drunk will hit it in the night if we don’t.”

I braved the rain and pulled Tracy’s car in behind mine.

“You’re going to have to help me eat all this pizza,” I told her stepping inside and she said she was famished.

The pizza was piping hot as if just out of the oven making it doubly good and the cheese all gooey and stringy..

Tracy is now in the shower. We are going to watch Interstellar once she cleans up some and then go to bed. We both have early starts in the morning. Tomorrow is going to be a long day for Tracy. She has to work a full day and I think she has two classes tomorrow night.

DAD!!! CHARLIE IS COMING TOO EARLY!

Can you really complain having breakfast delivered to your door every Sunday? Sheesh, Charlie was here at eight this morning, though. Maggie woke me up loudly whining and barking at his arrival. Not much is going to escape Maggie’s proximity alarm. She is especially attuned to car doors shutting.

Once I am up, then there is no going back to bed for me. I can probably take a nap this afternoon fortunately. I knew I shouldn’t have stayed up so late playing computer games. I feel zonked and bleary eyed.

“Here’s your biscuits,” Charlie said hurriedly forcing them into my hand.

Then he handed me an extra large diet Coke. It was a frenzy of activity. Charlie was a man on a mission this morning.

“I don’t mean to wake you up so early, but Horsefly is ready for bed,” Charlie told me apologizing. “He dictates the schedule.”

I told Charlie thanks and good luck at getting my father up this time of the morning. Charlie had him a sausage biscuit and his coveted senior coffee.

“I’ll honk the horn till he comes to the door,” Charlie said and he was off in a flash.

I went ahead and called my father on the house phone which its rings can wake the dead warning him that Charlie was on the way.

“Good morning and shit!” is all he sleepily said when I told him what was going on and he got off the phone.

Creatures of the Night…

Charlie woke me up at 8am with breakfast this morning. I never know when he will get here. I was abruptly woken by a loud knock on the door and I sleepily opened the front door in my underwear and a t-shirt as Charlie handed me the goods. Maggie was going strong, though – so glad to see him. She was proud to get her sausage biscuit.

“Horsefly was ready for bed and I had to hurry,” Charlie told me.

Horsefly sleeps in the day and doesn’t venture forth until after nightfall. 

“Enjoy your biscuits,” Charlie said and he was gone in a flash.

I bet Charlie didn’t dare wake my father that early. I just arrived home from my father’s house and noticed he had fixed a strong pot of coffee – the house smelling wonderfully of roasted coffee beans. Boy, was he surly this morning. Auburn lost really badly last night – got the pants beat off of them by an unranked Mississippi State.

“We just won’t talk about it,” he told me when I sat down in the den meaning the Auburn game. 

“Looks like we may be getting a hurricane,” dad then said changing the subject.

“Today will be the last 90° degree day and then the daily temperatures fall progressively,” I told him. “I do think fall is on the way.”

Old Fuss and Feathers still rations out my cigarettes to me. I had to ask for an extra pack this morning as I had gotten behind. I normally only smoke one pack a day. He didn’t balk which I feared.

“I might smoke me a few today, too!” he jokingly told me and I laughed.

Cigarettes are prohibitively expensive these days and my father never complains about the cost. He’s good to me about that vice.

Dear Charlie, We Need You! Maggie Needs You!

Charlie was running really, really late this morning. Maggie can’t understand why he just doesn’t come.

“He’ll be here in a moment, sweetheart,” I kept telling her over her incessant whining and whimpering

I should have never told her Charlie was on the way at 9am. Charlie didn’t arrive until 10:30am.

“Charlie’s coming this morning,” were my famous last words as far as Maggie was concerned.

I called my father in the interim. The Auburn game had a three hour rain/thunderstorm delay. He didn’t get home till after 2am last night. It took seven hours to complete the game. Oh, for the love of football. I would have gone home during the delay and watched the rest of the game on the television.

Charlie finally arrived in his granddaughter’s car and this stymied Maggie.

“Who is this?” she seemed to say looking out the screen door with little fanfare.

It wasn’t until Charlie was walking across the yard did Maggie finally believe it was Charlie and she went just nuts.

“OMG! It’s Charlie!!!”

I have a date with my father in the next hour or so to hook up his Blu-ray player. He has an Auburn Blu-ray disc he wants to watch that my brother gave him and I bet he will watch it all day ad nauseum with the television’s volume turned up obnoxiously loud. 

The K.I.S.S. Principle–Keep it Simple Stupid…

That is how I’ve gone about my day today. I volunteered my three hours, grabbed lunch at Sarah Jay’s which was a delicious burger and fries, and came home and took a long nap with the Mag Dawg.

Charlie woke me up late this afternoon with half a Little Caesar’s ExtraMostBestest pepperoni and sausage pizza which I relished. I had never eaten a pizza with so much cheese on it and there was extra sauce hiding under all that cheese. It was gooey, delicious, and delectable.

“What’s your daddy doing?” Charlie asked me at one point.

“Dad is cleaning that gargantuan house today,” I replied. “He was mopping the kitchen floor when I called him earlier.”

“I’m headed his way,” Charlie replied. “Maybe he will be glad for a break.”

“I am sure he will be glad to see you,” I told Charlie.

“Does Auburn play tomorrow?” Charlie then asked me.

“Yes and it’s a night game. It won’t start until 7:30 eastern time,” I replied.

“Let’s pray hope they win!” Charlie exclaimed. ”For all our sakes.”

I chuckled and agreed. Maybe we can get old sourpuss to smile and laugh for the first time in a week. We are playing an unranked Arkansas so the odds are in our favor.

Look Who Showed Up On My Doorstep…

“I noticed the other night that your lampshades were looking threadbare so I went and bought you some after work,” Charlie told me.

“Where would you buy lampshades?” I asked just out of curiosity.

“I got them at Walmart,” Charlie replied.

That figures. Walmart sells everything these days.

“I was drunk one night and fell on that one,” I blithely told Charlie

Charlie laughed and chuckled.

“Just another reason for you not to drink. Don’t you get drunk and fall on your new lampshades!”

“Here are also two Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwiches,” Charlie then said. “I got you plenty of that Polynesian sauce you so love.”

There were like ten containers of Polynesian sauce in the bottom of the bag. Can you say overkill?

During all of this, Maggie was about to have an orgasm of happiness.

“Let me get on the couch with Maggie then I have to take Horsefly bowling,” Charlie said.

Maggie very vocally let Charlie know how happy she was to see him.

I was just as overjoyed as Maggie about us having company. Charlie brings gifts and also brightens moods for which mine was rather morose before he arrived. It also got me off my duff and gave me something to write about. 

There is Something About That Risperdal…

This morning was my injection so I have been really, really drowsy all day. At one point, I fell asleep sitting upright in my recliner. Try that on for size. I’ve tried to fight sleep all day so I will sleep tonight.

“You look like you need an injection,” Rebecca told me this morning.

“Do I look that bad?” I asked worriedly.

“You look like you had a hard time getting it all together this morning,” she told me.

“You know me well after all these years,” I replied to her. “I am really struggling this morning. It was a miracle I managed to buy groceries last night.”

I can get to looking rather frumpy and unkempt around injection time.

Breakfast Unannounced…

Charlie goes to McDonald’s every single day to get Horsefly his morning biscuit. Well, I was sound asleep in the bed at eight dreaming about model trains when there was a very loud knock on the door. I was startled awake and thought these better not be missionaries. I pulled these creaky old bones out of the bed to go answer the door. Maggie was already at the door wagging her tail and barking.

“I got you two bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits,” Charlie said. “I know they are your favorite. I also got you the biggest diet Coke they sell.”

I chuckled sleepily and thanked Charlie very much.

“I am in a hurry to feed Horsefly and get on the road to work,” Charlie told me. “Love you and I will see you later.”

Isn’t Charlie just awesome? What a special friend to have even though he is sabotaging my diet unwittingly. Maggie and I ate our biscuits and I relished the diet Coke as I sat at my computer and tried to get woken up.

Charlie will then go home and tear up Horsefly’s biscuit in tiny pieces so he will not get choked. He then has an hour commute to and from work.

McDonald’s Courier…

The urge to shake the dew off my lily woke me up at 8:30 AM this morning. I stayed on up knowing Charlie was coming. Within moments, like clockwork, there was a knock on the door. Charlie had brought breakfast. I had never seen Maggie fawn upon Charlie so much.

“Does she still bury the biscuits?” Charlie asked chuckling.

“God yes!” I said with a laugh. “She will eat the sausage, though.”

“Well, whatever makes her happy,” Charlie replied with another chuckle.

Charlie brought me a giant diet Coke which didn’t last very long. I was so very thirsty this morning. Diet Coke is sublime with a cigarette or two or three. Some smokers would say the same about their morning cup of coffee.

Maggie got both sausage biscuits while I munched on a pack of whole grain and cheddar crackers. She’s already buried three biscuit halves with one more to go. She looks pooped out now, though, sprawled upon the hardwood floor on her side. Burying biscuits must be tiresome work.

Two Steps Forward and One Step Back…

I was just going to eat a simple pack of crackers for supper last night, but hunger got the best of me. I was just ravishingly hungry having only eaten a meager amount during the day. I got in the kitchen and stir-fried some Chinese noodles, garlic, soy sauce, mushrooms, carrots, and shrimp. The smells drifting into the den about drove Maggie crazy and she got underfoot while I was cooking. The whole house smelled like a Chinese restaurant.

I ate my fill totally blowing my diet to pieces last night. I was like a pill bug about to pop. Maggie was begging in earnest so I put the leftovers on the floor and she wolfed them down. It was her first meal in three days. She outwilled me. I was tired of worrying about it and I went to bed without a guilty conscience. “Shit happens,” is what I muttered to myself as I climbed into my warm and inviting covers in an otherwise chilly house. 

Charlie called me at 7 PM as he was leaving Dadeville this evening.

“I am running late. I’ve got to run by Lowes in Opelika, but I going to get you two large diet Cokes from McDonald’s when I get back in the Valley,” he told me.

Charlie brought the Cokes a lot earlier than I expected. He caught Maggie and I both off-guard. Maggie squealed with glee when he knocked on the front door. Maggie saw those McDonald’s Cokes and thought it was biscuit time. She whined and whined and Charlie said he would bring her two sausage biscuits in the morning.

I did well today with my diet. I forth went breakfast, had a PB&J sandwich and baked Lay’s potato chips for lunch, and ate a Turkey meatloaf and herb roasted potatoes Marie Calendar’s Delights meal for supper. The turkey meatloaf, despite sounding repulsive, was quite tasty with a roasted red pepper sauce. There was also a serving of turnip greens with the meal simply called a serving of “greens” on the box.

Some Call Midnight Bedtime…

The last thing I remember last night was the TV droning on as I sat in my recliner. That show Without a Trace was on the Escape channel – one of the few channels I get. My dear Maggie was sound asleep on the couch softly snoring. I leaned back in my lazy boy to get more comfortable and a moment later it was light outside and the clock read 7 AM. Now, that’s what I call a time warp in this neck of the woods. I had to look at the clock twice to make sure the time was correct.

The phone then rang loudly at eight. I hurried into the computer room to answer it.

“Do you want me to bring you and Maggie some breakfast?” Charlie asked. “I am at McDonald's now getting Horsefly’s morning biscuit.”

“I better stick to my diet,” I told Charlie of those calorific biscuits from McDonald’s. “And Maggie can stand to lose a few pounds as well.”

I almost felt guilty for refusing. Charlie so enjoys feeding the Magster and I.

I looked out the window and George was rummaging around in his laundry room on his carport. That’s where he keeps his beer as he likes to drink it lukewarm. Soon, I heard the familiar cracking open of a Miller High Life as he lit up a cigarette and sat down to enjoy his wares. I couldn’t help but chuckle. Vices start early around here it seems. I worry about George, though. I can hear him hacking up a lung from the back room of my house.

Marital Bliss…

I drove over to Charlie’s new house this afternoon to see what was going on. There is always something interesting going on at Charlie’s house. He had a carpenter installing new kitchen cabinets today. They were gorgeous.

“I am getting a new glass black top stove after this,” Charlie told me. ”Just like yours, Andrew.”

“I don’t know how we are going to afford it,” Charlie’s frugal wife said looking at me.

I chuckled and Charlie jeered and mocked Janice playfully.

Janice needed something from Charlie’s other house, the house by my father’s, so we set off on a mission.

“Get you two diet Cokes out of the fridge before we go,” Charlie, the feeder, told me.

“You know?” I said to Charlie. “My grandmother always said everybody needed to be married at least once for the lessons about life it teaches you.”

Charlie laughed and agreed. It certainly was true for my ex-wife and I. It will teach you temperance quickly.

I happily obliged about the diet Cokes. They were ice cold, crisp, and delicious. We got in Charlie’s Caprica and away we went. I sat in the running car while Charlie brought out a big box of various things and put them on the backseat. I should have gotten out and helped him.

“You hungry?” Charlie asked as he got back in the car. “Let’s run down to McDonald’s and get us a big Big Mac.”

We got Janice and the carpenter something to eat as well after a phone call to see what they wanted. I headed home to eat my extra value meal thanking Charlie so much for lunch. The smell of that McDonald’s food about drove Maggie crazy. There was some serious begging going on and a pout when she didn’t get enough. 

“Eat More Chicken!” Said the Cow.

Charlie’s been by. He brought Maggie and I Cokes and Chick-Fil-A sandwiches. He called me and said he was on the way. I was so glad to hear from him.

“I forgot you're drinking diet drinks,” Charlie apologized to me worriedly.

“I can splurge tonight,” I said happily of the two cans of regular Coke now in my hands. “It is just 280 calories for two and I haven’t eaten much today.”

“I would have been by earlier, but Horsefly bowled six games tonight,” Charlie told me. “I thought he was going to drop dead from exhaustion. He was a sweaty mess.”

Horsefly, like Charlie and I, has been known to overdo it from time to time. Moderation is the key.

“Have you heard from your daddy?” Charlie then asked me as he sat next to Maggie on the couch..

“There is no cell service on St. George’s island,” I told Charlie. “I don’t think the beach house even has a phone. We probably won’t hear from him until he’s headed home Saturday week.”

Charlie worked all day on top of seeing about Horsefly, Maggie, and me. He was ready to head home and kick up his feet. In all honesty, he will probably have some project to do around his new house.

“I am supposed to be checking your medications to see if you are taking them,” Charlie said urged by my father. “But I trust you to take them on your own.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “You will certainly know if I am not taking them.”

Maggie and I stood at my screen door as we waved goodbye to Charlie and he drove off headed to home. Charlie’s last words were that he would see me before taking Horsefly to his Saturday matinee. He said he is going to bring Maggie and I something to eat and drink every day while my father is away.