Overheard

Overheard a little office chatter the other day ..... 

Voice #1: "What's that guy's name, Rick?"

Voice #2: "Who? The older crazy guy?" (FYI - Rick is three years younger than me.)

Me thinking to myself: "What's that make me? The ancient grouchy lunatic fringe guy?"

'Tis The Season

Two days away from work coming up.

This is what this time of year does to me .....

I just had to tell myself, for the third or fourth time today, that its Monday.

My body and soul are convinced that its Friday.

Had a dream last night where I was apparently attempting a comeback at slow-pitch softball.

And that there was a team that wanted a washed up 68-year-old on their roster.

Yeah really!! Well maybe not really. It was a dream after all.  

At my first batting practice in 20-plus years, it was swing-and-miss at the first dozen pitches.

So the pitcher mover closer ..... and closer.

As if that would help.

With frustration growing, I choked up on the bat handle, made contact and knocked the pitcher out with a comeback liner to his face.

And that's where it ended, with me standing over the pitcher wondering if I killed him.

Oh, and my ex-wife was on the scene as well.

It's not clear, upon four to six hours of separation from the dream, if she offered any batting tips or not.

Retreat

I keep making little additions and revisions to my music listening space.

I still want to find a working cassette deck.

But I think it's ready to be featured in the future book, Dust & Grooves, Volume 3.

It's become my place to hide-out in and escape to .... to get away from all other noise.

To get away from the daily human annoyances .....

                         ..... my retreat.

Vanished

Became extremely excited this morning while feeling myself up.

NO! Not what you're probably thinking.

Instead, I discovered that this decade long facial growth that was part of the reason that I've sported a beard for the past four years ..... it's no longer there!!

The unsightly dime-sized wart, or whatever it was, has fallen off. 

And so painlessly that I couldn't even tell you when.

My face feels smooth again ..... well except for the beard that is.

Now if I could only be sure that a sign or two of aging had also vanished, I'd consider a return to shaving.

The Weight

At work, wearing my freezer coat (and safety vest) and after an hour or two, I feel like I'm 88 years old.

(I'm actually 68. Don't tell anyone.)

I simply take the coat off and suddenly my legs feel like 18 again. 

Or perhaps 28 or 38. 😁 

Damn thing weighs me down both literally and spiritually.

Could it be one of those 'mind over matter' things?

Let The Sunshine In

I really hate it when you open the curtains and the December afternoon sun shines in and reveals all the places terribly in need of dusting. 😂

Life of Keys

It's comical how I get so uptight and nervous when I approach two inanimate objects .....

..... garbage dumpsters and storm water grates.

Afraid that I'll drop my keys and they'll be lost forever. 

Even if they are secure in my pocket, it's like I'm worried that they'll pop out.

I don't feel truly at peace unless the keys are safe at home, hanging from the reserved hook in the kitchen.

Because if you don't have your keys, you truly have nothing!! 

Imagine if I was one of those guys who wears his thirty-eight keys on a loop attached to his belt.

It's bad enough worrying about my six or seven .....

                  ...... one or two that I don't even remember what they are for.