sentimentaltom
Still not in a rhythm here in the new location but I can see some normalcy on the horizon. I had a week of no travel to get some annoying move business out of the way like transferring my soon to expire out of state plates and as long as I was at the DMV I switched my license over as well. Still kind of freaks me out that they don’t just print them right there and hand it to you because it feels like we’ve had that technology for quite some time but maybe they are propping up their fellow government employees in the postal service using their ultra reliable delivery system to get me my legal identification. (I do realize that sentence was painful to read but I just don’t have editing in me today)
Tired to get a doctors appointment out of the way this week but I think the word is out on my tiny asian GP as she was booked up this entire month. For those in the know there is something special about tiny hands when it comes time for the invasive examination. I realize the women reading this just scoffed because they regularly have intrusive digits in uncomfortable places but that is the price you are paying for your previous life’s sins from a certain theological perspective. Okay maybe that’s just me attempting to make myself feel better about winning the birth lottery being born a white male in this country, during this time in history, but either way, being a girl comes with a lot…
I was driving to run some quick errands yesterday after my last call on a Friday canceled when my car turned itself into a favorite watering hole.
I don’t really take pictures of my favorite bar tender because he has lived a life and I don’t want to inadvertently expose him to any past troubles he possibly has successfully avoided to this point in his life. He reminds me of my dear now passed friend Patrick who was just trying to make his way through a messy world. Minus the part where you knew Pat was capable of things that most normal folks considered extreme. Case in point; Robbing his way to my wedding.
I sent the invitation to his mom’s house knowing that she was the one human who he would always keep in consistant contact with. Before cell phones if you had a buddy who was in a notorious motor cycle club and worked part time as a rough neck on an oil derrick with no know address, communication was tough. Needless to say there was no rsvp but at one point during the reception when everyone had been seated and dinner was being served in walked my friend in an almost full tuxedo, unbuttoned shirt down to his belly, a bottle of Dom Perignon in each hand yelling my name. He walked to the head table, set the bottles down, and kissed me on the lips. Pat made it just in time.
It turned out that he didn’t have quite enough money for the trip back from Colorado so he had to borrow some fuel, snacks, and cash from various outlets on his way home. Then he realized that he needed a wedding worthy outfit so he stopped somewhere in Iowa at a tuxedo shop and liberated a tux that he tried on. The only problem there was he didn’t know that he needed the bag of studs to use as buttons on the shirt so, oh well. As for the champagne, he managed to find a liquor store that had two bottles they weren’t really using. Man I miss that guy and living so close to where we all grew up has me thinking about him a alot.
That’s Pat on the right. H also didn’t get the tie and was pissed that we all had vests. Holy hell I look different but I do so love that picture.
That story is also partially brought to you by my roommate and I doing a lot of reminiscing on our youthful misadventures. Again, very lucky to be born when I was as photographic and video evidence would not go well with some of our exploits.
And now I need to start getting ready for two full weeks away. I’ve got back to back conferences in Orlando. One runs Tuesday through Friday and the second is Monday through Wednesday of the following week a mile from the first. So it would be stupid to fly back Friday night only to fly back on Sunday. Sitting by the pool it is. Might have time to write because the first meeting will be with my former company and the first one in more than a dozen years where I am participating not working.