Up and down all night long, nearly on the hour. 3:57am, time for the pill. Finally got up around 6:30 and made coffee. Adam is already leaving, too quick to take a cup with him.
Hummer is out and flying. Man, that little bird can fly! He zooms to the top of that pine tree in no time. He has a buddy he flies with sometimes, another male I think. They do aerial acrobatics that are hard to believe; shooting straight up, one chasing the other, then a power dive straight down and leveling out above the yard and over the fence they go, streaking away. I saw a Jay one day go from the apricot to that other tree 60 feet away, and those two Hummingbirds passed him like he was standing still. It startled the Jay. Reminded me of the Roadrunner-Wylie Coyote cartoons where the Roadrunner passes so fast that Wylie twirls in mid air and falls flat on his face. Ha!
What do you want, Jay? Why aren't you squawking for bread crumbs? You're looking at me, head cocked to the side. There's your buddy. Oh, he's brighter. He's the male and your the female. I'll check the bird baths for water today.
Chris is going to water the tomato plants today. I don't trust myself to climb the hill. It's all I need to have an instant of off-balance, catch myself only to make it worse and fall off that damn thing. Finally grew tomatoes and had more from six plants than I imagined. Still coming too. Makes me think of Pudge and Phyllis. Wonder how he's doing and how she's managing. Fine, I suspect. Strong people. So glad we made contact again.
Got another email from Mike. Man, those are a joy! Little tete-a-tete tests and jokes, bodacious sometimes, derisively political sometimes, but ever full of wit and impish intent. Ha! As always, Mike isn't fooling anyone, however much he tries! His heart is as big as ever! My challenge is to keep up, and I'm thankful for emails from other friends that I can share with him just to show him "I get some too!" His email today was typical. It showed a series of beautiful female golfers in various poses around the golf course. The heading was "I was just wondering..." Then the series of pictures. And before the last picture, "I know some of you are serious committed golfers, so I thought you could help with this one," an even more exaggerated busty and butty pose of a golfer with her club stretched behind her back. "Is that, or is it not, a graphite shaft?" Ha-ha-ha! Love you, Mike!
Now, Brenda has become a sophisticated and gracious lady, hasn't she? Still with that touch of country that'll get in your face if you task her. And, successful. I'm so proud of her. And, her husband Paul seems a good man. Wish I knew him better.
In fact, I can't think of a single classmate that I'd give up or want to do without. I'm honored to know them.
"Are your lab tests in?" Chris asks, impatient.
"Yes."
"What do they say?"
"I haven't looked." She looks at me, hand shading her eyes and a worried look.
"Why not? I'd rather not worry about it."
I laugh. "Well, if the results are in, it's a little late to worry! Hell, I wouldn't know a Hemoglobin from a Hob Goblin. What's the difference if I don't know what I'm looking at?"
But, we come inside and I log on to the Kaiser system and we read the results; that number is in range, this one is too, then that, and that... all are okay. Heart rate 66 and BP 112/64. Just about perfect!
"What was that?" she asks.
"What?"
"That note?"
"What note?"
"The one I just saw before you clicked? What was it?"
"Where?"
"I don't know," she says. "Click back..." and I do. She reads the note to "... check with your doctor for better interpretation..."
Finally, we click all the way out of the browser back to Kaiser's email that tells me that the results are available. She reads it all, every line. I set up a notepad doc to give her the login and password so she can read it anytime she wants... so she won't worry.
"Did you call Kaiser for your appointment?" she asks.
"No. I will tomorrow if I don't hear today." She looks at me with that worried look again. Well, it's only been two days since the last scan. Sheesh. I'll give them another day. Chris will not give up, so I'll be happy rather than right. I'll give up.
Pam is coming over later and I'll fix us a hamburger. She's one who could break my heart if something were to happen to her. And, it wouldn't heal. I didn't give her enough toughness, I think. But, she's grown into a good woman. Love her so much.
I think my dilemma over what book to read next has been decided for me. Two weeks ago I was wondering whether to read "To Big to Fail" or "All Things Shining." I already know what the first is all about; the banks, the crash and I can see it playing out as the Occupiers march on the Port of Oakland at this very moment, and a general strike in Oakland, teachers on strike, businesses closing for the day and the banks backing down. "Bring down the banks!" they yell. Well, they won't be brought completely down, but a few notches would be just fine with me. The marchers are fed up with how the country is being run. And, at least in Oakland, they're got a list of complaints. Let it spread!
So, All Things Shining it is and reading the western classics to find meaning in a secular age. Just what will it have to say? Should be interesting. It seems appropriate to my mood, more answers coming to hand magically.
As I leave my last book, Examined Lives, the notes refer to St. Augustine's quotes, probably not in proper order here: "a perversity of will...", "My God, I was caught up to you." "...a desire for that of which I had the aroma...", "...looked back on the religion implanted in us..." He read again Paul's letters. See Augustine, Confessions, VII and VIII, and Contra Academicos, 2,2,5. Cool.
It'll be okay.
Dave
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