Homework

 The neighborhood has really gone down hill this year. I was assaulted Wednesday morning on my run by the couple Im calling Bonnie and Clyde. They ran up to me aggressively and then flew overhead and hit me on the head not once, not twice, but three times as I ran flailing and screaming. Today they struck again, once on the first leg of my run as they did their routine of rushing me and then dive bombing onto my head and again on my return lap. But this time they hit hard and I knew it wasnt just feathers or feet - I really felt it this time. I was able to escape as they continued on to defend the nest they built next to the canal path and by now the light was much better as sunrise was minutes away. I turned into my neighborhood and I could see more people starting the day before the unseasonable March heat and waved as I passed. One unusual aggressive wave from a car that i returned in kind but then thought maybe she wasnt waving at me? I dunno but whatever, I was almost home. I walked in and got my glass of water and headed to the computer to log my time for the day and then the bedroom to tell Mark of the hateful geese and I was thinking of either starting to wear a helmet or change my route - at least until the hatchlings were in college. He wanted to see the welt when he said, youve got blood running down your neck. Oh, well that kinda explains the weird wave I got from the car just a few minutes ago. Maybe she was saying something and I couldnt hear over my headphones. Anyway, so now Im taking antibiotics for at least a week cus they drew first blood. 

It was a literal and figurative sign from above that its time to change my morning route. I will now be running east on the canal and not west.

Homework

 Time is relative - and time is an illusion. Also, I forgot more than I remember, so there's that too.

Anyhooo - so I was trying to remember when it was I moved to Phoenix. I kinda sorta remembered it was in September but for some reason I thought it was 1996. Also, I remember a couple of other touchstones that helped me confirm I was so so so wrong. I remember we wheeled in a big tube tv at work so we could watch the final verdict of the OJ trial AND I remember at some point Shawndra came for a visit and we went to see the new movie Fargo at the theatre. So, basically, OJ trial was done in October 3rd of 1995 and Fargo was released in March of 1996. So I guess I actually moved to Phoenix in 1995. There it is, internet for the win again.

Homework

 "Give me a call when u aren't busy. Just want to hear your voice."

That was the text I saw pop up from my mom on Saturday. It wasn't an unusual text - if I had gotten busy and hadn't called in a while Id get something along that theme. I called and we chatted about a whole lot of nothing but in the mundane she slipped in "Im going in for a CAT scan tomorrow" Still not unusual since mom once fell in the bathtub she was using as a makeshift platform to paint the bathroom walls. She had tweaked her neck and as the years marched on she found it necessary to get 3x's yearly epidural shots to help quiet the pain. This was different though and of course I had to tease out the details otherwise they wouldn't be forthcoming. 

"Well, Ive been having tummy trouble" 

"Like, are you seeing blood?"

"Ya, I've been seeing more blood lately"

"Did they give you any idea how long you have to wait to hear any results?"

"No, but they did set up another appointment for a couple of weeks out"

"OK, well let me know how it goes cus you me and Kimbra all have the same screwed up gut so whatever you experience is something we both are gonna have happen."

So ya, we'll see how this turns out. I gotta be honest and say Im worried. She just had a birthday a few weeks ago and turned 84. I mean, its not what I would call 'at deaths door' but its not 'spring chicken' either. Health is a precious commodity along with time and we guard both jealously.

Homework

My jog path is about 3 1/2 miles from my door and back again. After work it was cool and breezy with the sun about to set - perfect. I headed out as I usually do with the first mile trying to suppress thoughts of turning around and plopping down on the couch. After leaving the sidewalks of my block I moved on to the bike path that follows the canal here in Phoenix. It was a little uncomfortable with the wind blowing head on into my face - I swear it was at least strong enough to add resistance I wasn't expecting. Be that as it may I kept on at my regular pace which was somewhere slightly faster than old man in Pixar's 'Up'. I often see wild life out here even with this being smack dab in the middle of Phoenix. This is not a new development - my house was built in 1969. But I have seen coyotes beebopping down the road looking for their missing ACME package and Owls and other fowl and the random house pet. Today we had a goose chilling by the canal - not cool enough cus as soon as I started to get close he (or she) started to make a path from the canals edge to the bike path and intercept me. I didn't pay too much attention since I was enjoying my 80s mix and I lost sight of it was it was behind me. That's when I felt wing on the top of my head as it decided to make a short flight above me and just as quick landing in front of me. 

Homework

 2nd grade was in Pueblo Colorado, just maybe a year from Clare Michigan and getting thru kindergarten there. Im struggling to remember the name of the teacher but I will tell you we had already moved once from our landing in Pueblo so the schools changed from 1st grade at Thatcher close to the Mineral Palace park and to Bradford Elementary which was what Im guessing with hindsight was a newer building. 2nd grade was in an out-building for overflow to handle the influx of population. And what I remember about 2nd grade was a poem that as I remember was James Whitcomb Riley going on about witches in colored garb and a magical little control panel table with a built in chair to sit and flip the metal switches and twist the knobs with dozens of scale readouts to tell you within fine precision just how much you were adding to absolutely no results.