Hank Revisited

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Hank is watching tennis with Craig in the pig-pen.

I once mentioned to Tommy that Hank seemed to spend his days napping with short bursts of activity like chewing on a toy or walking outdoors.  Tommy replied What do you expect him to do, read books and engage in hobbies? 

No to the above. But I do like to think about the possibility.

Hank leads a comfortable life. Sleeps on the leather couch in the den until we greet him in the morning.  Eats the breakfast left-overs and then heads down the driveway for his morning walk. This is followed by a two-three hour nap. He might raise his head once in awhile if he hears an interesting sound like me rustling around in the pantry where his treats are stored.  It’s a nice life. Reminds me of a young male client who told me that his favorite day is spent eating, sleeping and reading. He thinks he’s lazy. I think he understands how to live.

I ordered six Araucana chickens and six Black sex-linked chickens. The Araucanas are from Chile and lay blue eggs. The Black chickens are a cross of Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks.  It’s time to mix things up.

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Planted Early Choice and Beefsteak Tomato seeds. Started green peppers for the first time.  We are sliding into spring.

 

The New Gas Station Attendant

There’s a new gas station attendant on Western Avenue. He’s a nice enough guy. Friendly and efficient. He wears a baseball cap and has a nice open face. The first time he filled my tank and announced the total, he surprised me with a riff about god. Actually he handed me a piece of hard candy which he said was in keeping with his promise to god.  If someone does something nice for me, I promised god to do something nice in return. I had given him a four dollar tip which was little compensation for him standing in subzero temperatures while I sat in my toasty warm car. I am grateful.

Mentioning god during our short interaction was unnerving.  And it wasn’t a fluke. Every time he fills my tank, I am handed a piece of hard candy embellished with god comments. One good deed deserves a good deed from god. I will pray for you tonight.  I am worn out by the general concept of religion. The Catholic Church refusing to take full responsibility for decades, probably centuries, of child sexual abuse. The born-again Christian churches infusing their constricted values into our political system and causing an already corrupted system to wobble into chaos. The Muslim church inspiring woman-hatred. That’s not even taking into consideration the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition. All in the name of god. What would Jesus say? Stay out of church. Be careful how you quote god.

The gas station attendant means no harm. He is oblivious to any thought that his conversation might be offensive. He makes me miss my favorite attendant who was twenty-something, complained about the general failings of our world and made me smile when he talked about his guitar. I like to woo the ladies with my base chords. What happened to my guy? By the way, the glove compartment is filled with a growing collection of hard candy.

Bad Advice

I had a vivid dream last night about singing in a dark, little bar. The bar was crowded and raucous. I was aware of singing original work and in some part of my brain, told myself to remember the songs. I didn’t with the exception of Bad Advice. It was a funny song with a catchy refrain. At some point in the dream, most of the audience left. I was disappointed and stopped singing. There were a few people in the back of the bar who told me to keep going. We love your singing.

I am starting a list of bad advice. Feel free to add your own versions of bad advice given by well-meaning or not so well-meaning advisors.

  • Only work for money. Volunteer work is a waste of time.
  • He’s too tall for you.
  • Don’t put yourself out and make yourself tired.
  • Don’t try for …….no one will hire you, vote for you, want you.
  • Women can’t wear their hair long after age 40.
  • You can’t write if you have never taken a writing class.

Additions to come.

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