One of the fellas suggests I ought to look into getting one of those brain tickler tests to rule out possibilities and I laugh.
“Food poisoning is fun my friend, you ought to try it.”
We go back and forth for a few and I say what is going on is probably tied to an allergy or maybe something that requires a colonoscopy.
“Dude, do you know how uncomfortable those are?”
It makes me laugh again and I tell him it was a great nap and the prep was far less uncomfortable than what I am dealing with.
“So what are you going to do?”
“I am going to give it a few days and keep taking baths once or twice a day. Been helpful, and I think I can beat this on my own. Besides, I am going to need to get a car in the spring so it gives me uninterrupted research time.”
“That is more information than I need.”
“You remember when I walked in on you two back at the house. I bleached my eyes and I can still see it . That is a 30 year nightmare.”
We both laugh and he asks me if I heard about a couple of divorces and some of the guys that died.
Car Talk
Technically don’t have to do anything about the car until somewhere around May or June of next year but figured I’d start thinking about it.
Haven’t decided if I want to stay in a sedan or move back to an SUV but have a few ideas. Got a buddy trying to convince me to buy a used Lexus.
“I have had mine for 12 years. They last forever and you’re old enough to appreciate a little luxury and ought to let someone else deal with the depreciation on the car.”
“Been considering that. Don’t care about getting a luxury brand to get the luxury because I can get it in other ways but certainly appreciate it.
Could get some of what you are talking about in an Avalon or something similar, but we’ll see.”
Didn’t mention I saw an old Dodge the other day that looked an awful lot like my first car. Nor did I tell him about the older Camaro I was eyeing.
I am not a body work guy, don’t think that is where I excel but I can do all sorts of stuff on an older car and half the guys I work with spend a chunk of their weekend working on cars.
Wouldn’t be hard to get some help or tools if I needed it.
There is more than a little pleasure that comes from working with your hands. Touches some of the same spots that writing and exercise does for me.
It Has Been A While
Post Zoom funeral some other members of the old gang reached out and asked what I was doing with my life.
Had one of those conversations where you could feel the other person’s head exploding because they can’t reconcile who you are now versus who you once were.
Explained not only did I not marry the girl they remembered we had broke up last century and yeah, I can talk lumber prices, power tools and marketing without losing a beat.
Made for another funny conversation because I realized they had been living in a bubble their entire lives so they had no idea what the real world is like.
“Brother, you know that not everyone walked into daddy’s business after college. Some of us had to work for what we have and took a circuitous path to get here or there.”
There is laughter and an explanation that I anticipated followed by recognition on my part this may be the last conversation until the 60th reunion happens in 2024.
I am ok with that, this isn’t one of those people I wish I had stayed in touch with.
“I guess it has been a while. Sometimes I forget how long it has been.”
“Yeah, I do too, but when you leave LA for a while it is easier to put together a memory mark the way school provided with grades like freshman or senior year.”
He tells me that is true and asks if I remember the spring.
“Drinking beer on the balcony of the pub, looking at girls in bikinis and shooting the shit. Yeah, I do remember. And now those girls we stared at are the same ages as our daughters.”
“Frightening, isn’t it.”
“Yeah. Time moves too damn fast.”
The Memory Banks
Had a nice conversation with one of my older cousins about my dad and grandfather. He is 92 and among the last of the older generation of the family.
Talked a bit about the fighters and ball players my grandfathers used to talk about. I think he was kind of surprised I knew their names.
Didn’t give him the background on the how and why but thought yet again about life in general. He went through D-Day and experienced things I’ll never face.
The storyteller in me wonders about it. I have heard bits and pieces from him about his experiences and learned a little more from his kids.
It must have been something and though I sometimes think it would be cool to have my own set like his, I am glad I don’t.
They come with a price and I got enough from my own battles, why add something like that. Got enough of my own stories to share with the select few anyway.
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