The Penultimate Day of Summer Vacation

 Today is Penultimate Day.  Some Penultimate Days are happier occasions than others.  The end of vacation Penultimate Day, our current Penultimate Day, is bittersweet for obvious reasons.

I want to celebrate Penultimate Day with some festivities, but I had to visit an endodontist just this past yesterday in order to have an APICO procedure done and I'm not feeling top notch.  If you don't know what APICO's all about, look it up here.  You can an unpleasant visual image here if you're interested in what I endured. Not super fun, but it's important to take care of health issues.  Don't put these things off.

I expected to be laid up this weekend, but I'm basically doing fine.  Spending most of my Penultimate Day icing my face, but we're also watching a documentary about Del Close called For Madmen Only.  Interesting stuff. See it if you feel like it.

  

The Swap Show

Foto Credit:  30 Something

 I told my dad about a friend's cantankerous elder parent.  My dad suggested that he and this other elder should swap places.  He felt that the elder would appreciate their situation more if they lived my dad's life for awhile.

This brilliant idea reminded me of that old classic show, Wife Swap.  My dad and I propose a new show called Elder Swap, where older adult people swap out their elders. With all the antics these elders get up to, hilarity will ensue, and life lessons will probably be learned.  This idea has potential.

The Eels

 We watched a movie on campus today called Murina, which means eel if you live in Croatia.  The movie's about a girl who lives with her parents and does spearfishing for eels with her mean dad. Her father is a brutish jerk, but the girl stands up to him, even though her wimpy mom admonishes her for provoking him.  There's another man in the picture who is also unimpressive in terms of his behavior. 

The main character wears a blue bathing suit for about 80% of the movie.  She's super good at holding her breath underwater and even won a medal for breath holding.  This special talent becomes crucially important to her at several points during the movie.  

We both liked the film a lot. You should see it if you feel like it. 

CSI: Sidewalk

 I'm on the case of the mole on the sidewalk.  This is an eastern mole, common in Indiana.  It's about 6 inches long, with an attractive white patch. His tunnel might have been filled with poisonous gas. But more likely, he was killed by a cat who just dropped him on the sidewalk when he remembered that his family rejects hunted gifts. Raccoons kill moles, but they usually eat them.  Perhaps the white patch indicates old age.  We'll know more when we get the autopsy results.

Interesting side note:  Moles have very soft fur.  

Last Day of Summer Vacation

 

For the final assignment of my writer.com class, I chose images and descriptions from my notebook and crafted these into a flash fiction.  There were other things I was supposed to do with the story after I wrote it, but it took me so long to write this story that I decided to call it done.  You should read this if you want to.

            Lala got in line at the County Kitchen truck parked at the corner.  In front of her in line stood Chase, softly snapping his fingers and tapping his slippered feet.   "Have you found Benjamin Beagle yet?" he asked Lala.

            "Not yet," groaned Lala. It had been 3 days since she lost Benjamin Beagle, the only client of her summer dog-walking business.   All summer long they'd walked all over town like best friends, but three days ago, Lala didn't snap the leash on all the way.  Benjamin Beagle smelled something tantalizing and took off like a rocket. Lala ran after him, but couldn't keep up.  She called for him, but he abandoned her without looking back.  When he crossed bustling 17th Street, Lala lost sight of him. Myrtle and Ed, who paid her fifteen dollars a week, didn't seem angry or even sad when Lala told them that Benjamin was lost. 

            "He always comes back," said Ed, without looking up from his computer screen. Lala cried her way home. 

            "Wanna help me look for him?" Lala asked Chase. 

            "Can't.  Ran out of my meds and my dad wants to get more before school starts tomorrow.  After my doctor appointment, I have to get a haircut because my dad says my hair looks wild.  Then we're going to SchoolSmart for supplies. My dad is ticked off about how much stuff is on the fifth grade supply list. Epic last day of summer vacation, am I right?" He grabbed his sandwich and ran off toward his house.

            Lala thanked Ms. Roberta for the brown bag and walked west. She checked the light poles to make sure her Lost Dog posters weren't covered up.  She passed the screaming kids at Baker Park pool. Lena, who had invited Lala to join her for a final summer swim, spotted Lala from the diving board.  "Lala!" she screamed.  After her cannonball, she rushed to the chain link fence. "Hope you find Benjamin! See you tomorrow!"

            "See you tomorrow!" Lala waved back and kept on toward the dog park.   She sat on the cement path next to a row of rocky cairns.  She gathered rocks to make her own cairn for luck. She saw Mr. Terrence, his bald head sweaty shiny, struggling with a large cooler.  "I've been carrying this cooler of drinks for over a mile," he told Lala, when he got closer.  

            "You're strong," Lala replied. "Did you see Benjamin?" Mr. Terence shook his head, set the cooler down and sat on it.  Lala handed him the lunch bag and said, "I'm going back to school tomorrow." 

            "Yeah, First Day of your Fifth Grade Magical Mystery Tour.  You're going to rock it.   Did I tell you I carried this cooler of drinks for over a mile?" he asked, tapping the side of the cooler with his flattened hand. 

            Lala nodded and stacked the last rock on her cairn.  "See you at the crosswalk, Mr. Terence," she said, standing to go. "Glad I got to see you on our last day of freedom."

            "Freedom's not going anywhere, Fifth Grader," smiled Mr. Terrence. 

            Lala said good bye with a fist bump and headed home. Her mom would be back from her day job at Betty's Bakehouse. Maybe they could drive around and look for Benjamin before dinner time.             

            When Lala walked in, her mom was right where she knew she would be, on the plaid couch, watching Judge Judy.  Lala sat down and leaned her head on her mom's shoulder. She smelled of scones and pecan pie and fudge brownies. They held hands while they watched Judge Judy praising a man for bringing correct documentation to court. Right before the delivery of her verdict, the courtroom drama was interrupted with breaking news.  "Dog rescued from Gorilla Enclosure at the Indianapolis Zoo" announced a voice while video of Benjamin being chased by a gorilla appeared.  "Zoo workers intervened with a retrieval protocol to draw the gorillas away from the dog.  No one knows how the beagle found his way into the enclosure, but he's safe and looking for his family."

            "Benjamin?" whispered Lala and her Mom at the same time.

            They jumped up, hands squeezed together, linking them in a happy dance that lasted even after the station had returned to the regularly scheduled program.  Mom grabbed her car keys.  Lala shuffled in to her sneakers.  They headed off to retrieve Benjamin the Beagle on this epic last day of summer vacation.

The Milkweed

 Husbandman and I walked by the most colorful garden this evening---full of marigolds, zinnias and snapdragons.  We don't understand how this garden exists because when we have planted these flowers, the deer of our town eat them up on the daily.  I call our little side garden, "The Death Garden," because it's a place where plants go to spend their end of days. 

I've planted five plants this year, all natives that you could see on any street corner.  Natives aren't my favorites, but it's time to face facts.  Two have maintained their blooms --- the rudbeckia and the cone flower. 2 other deer resistant plants have been munched --- lobelia and butterfly weed.  Today I planted a couple of milkweed plants.  

My interest in citizen science has led to the planting of pollinator plants that will sustain butterflies and bees. 

A Visit with my Dad, Working on Our Family Tree

 

Writing assignment last week was to write a pantoum.  I have never been that enamored of poetry structures, but writing this pantoum was interesting to do, kind of like a puzzle.  Here's my pantoum about my dad and my great grandfather.

A Visit with My Dad, Working on our Family Tree 

Lee Heffernan

 

did you ever steal a car

I ask my dad

not really, maybe just for a joy ride

a rarity, this unheard story 

 

I ask my dad

how he's feeling 

it's a rare unheard story  

when he's not feeling lousy in the morning

 

how do you feel, Dad?

on this long day, in your long life

lousy in the mornings

but in the afternoon, we search for family

 

on this long day, in his long life

his crumbling body 

can't keep us from finding roots

welcome Ancestors, join us

 

in our crumbling bodies

we drink coffee

welcome in my great grandfather

who built a radio tower

 

we drink coffee

talk of Ireland, New York, Boston

and that first radio tower

in Bordeaux, France

 

Ireland, New York, Boston, France

the Navy, out of funds, discharged him

so he sailed back home to Boston

a laborer, he lived a good long while

 

discharged because the Navy ran out of funds?

how does that even happen?

a laborer, he lived a good long life

and fathered four sons

 

how does this even happen?

from cane to walker to wheelchair

my dad fathered seven children

he brought us all on a joy ride

The Neighbors

 Dad and I are getting a lot of good movie watching accomplished down here in the Southland.  I did go outside twice to wheel my dad down the street in his wheelchair. We met two young sisters, older (9) on a bike, younger (7) on a scooter.  They approached us eagerly in a friendly fashion.  Older immediately asked, "What's wrong with him? Did he break his leg?"

I said, "No, he's just kind of old and can't walk so great."

 "Younger asked, "Can he talk?"  

I nearly replied, "Can he ever!" but instead I introduced the girls to my dad as Mr. Dan.  All 4 of us chatted about the street and bike riding and of course the importance of being careful.  Almost suggested helmet use, but figured that might be for another time.  When it was time for us to part ways, Younger said, "I want to tell you a story but it's kind of long about my mom." 

Honestly, I wasn't in the mood for a story of length, so I said, "Well, we're going to head in."

"Okay, I'll make it shorter.  My mom was folding clothes and then she died in the kitchen." 

I looked at Older and she concurred with, "They called 911, but she was already dead when they got there."  We offered sincere condolences and headed inside.  

The next time we headed out for a walk, Dad mentioned that he would love to hear more about the story about their late mom.  I told him we should probably leave it alone.  

The girls appeared halfway down the block and Younger scooted adjacent and said, "I feel sorry for you.  Why can't you walk?"

Mr. Dan chimed in with, "Well, I'm old and I'm getting near to the time when I'll....."

I cut him off. "He walks sometimes in the house, but he's kind of slow.  The wheelchair is easier for us to get outside for some fresh air." I am pretty sure my dad was about to tell a 7 year old that he was on death's door.  Smooth move, Dad. 

These are great gals and I hope they enjoy the rest of their summer.  They said they probably won't see fireworks tonight because they're going to their aunt's house.  I won't catch any fireworks either.  I'm already in jammies at 7:30 pm.  Time for Jeopardy.