Saturday, February 22, 2014

Loose Change

Today, Calmer Half and I got out in the sun for a walk. It was only about a quarter mile, up and down the road, and my lungs wouldn't have taken another fifty feet - but I'm feeling well enough to feel housebound. This is progress! The sun was shining, air calm, birds singing, squirrels scampering, old dogs sprawled in the yard and not even bothering to lift a head as we toddled by.

As we walked along the road, we saw fourteen cents and a pair of nail clippers scattered on the ground. I eyed it, and contemplated if stooping to pick up abandoned money would be worth the coughing fit that bending would trigger. Looking over at Calmer Half, I saw the most disturbed look on his face, as his eyes scanned the quiet suburb intently, hand hovering over the pocket that hangs heavy.

"Love?" I couldn't figure that one out. He looked over at me, and grimaced.

"I'm used to things like that being left in the street so the target will stay still long enough for the sniper to get a good shot." He squeezed my hand in a vague apology.

"Ah, but you're in America now." We toddled on, leaving the coins, and the past, behind.

"I know."

"I love this country."

"I love you."

Friday, February 14, 2014

Saint shot full of arrows day

Calmer Half and I had our date day yesterday instead of today, celebrating both Valentine's and 10 years of his still walking after his back being broken. It was glorious! We went to two different stores on different ends of the city, "looking for ammo." Which made a glorious road trip in the sunshine with the car heat on pleasant - and after stopping at a Krispy Kreme with the "Hot now!" sign on, we proceeded to a third side of the city for the best Thai around.

It was even better than expected - the owner was out, and while his wife was being sole waitress, the son had been dragooned into cooking. The guy was doing his best, and it's clear he really learned how to cook from his parents! However, he's very new at the restaurant - he wasn't up to doing the full menu, and the food we got was made much closer to home cooking than restaurantized-thai. His mother rocketed around looking anxious while he whipped up fresh spring rolls half the size, half the meat, and bursting with flavor, and the tom yum soup I got had at least twice the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves westerners normally get. He did forget that critical question of "how hot?"

That's okay, I know what sliced bird's-eye chilis look like, and how to pick them out. It was glorious!

Monday, February 3, 2014

sick, I am

Apparently Yoda had laryngitis, because after I croaked out the information that was absolutely needed today...

Well, higher management was making noises suspiciously like giggling, and contributing radio traffic like "After the input from Dagoba, there, the Death Star has decided..."

...yeah. Fortunately, higher was also pretty good at working with me today on "I've got X,Y, and Q under control, Z will take care of itself until the boss between us gets back, So-and-So already has a heads-up that he may need to fill in for me, so when you can spare him from critical task F, just pull him. I go see the doc now, and not coming back till I'm well."

I have good management. Though, higher has the funniest face when they come out of a blind corner, so I don't see them until after they've heard me say "Someday my prince will come, and he'll be bearing ten thousand rounds of 22 Mag..."