casual phone call catching up with a friend been friends since high school

                                                                              dated briefly

preferred their friendship more

he was the instigator 

hed decide

after a third degree

questioning himself

                     How longs it been since we talked  realised how shabbyCalled

Hey dude!nice surprise.

Isnt it Howya been

Been laidup. Three days ago went to the Walgreens to get my CoVid shot and the gal recommended I also get the RSV and Shingle shots.

Whas RSV

I know this . give me a moment . . . Respiratory . . here’s a humdinger . syncytial . .

. . Easy for you to say

I had to think hard.

                      Respiratory syncytial virus vaccine.

   Thas a mouthful good thing its an injection rather than a pillyoud choke on it

Yeah. she laughed  You’re right there.

If it were a pill whaflavor ya think it might be Or woud you prefer

It’s an injection.

If it were a pill  woud it be tasty or taste like assI think medications ought to taste like shit to incentivise us to maintain our health

Sometimes we get sick.

Infected by someone else

Yes.

Incentivise us to have incentivised friends

Really?

Kind of a dog chasing its tail huh

Kind of.

Three shots in a sitting

Yes.

Howd she convince you of tha

She saidinsisted . that’s how they were doing it at Walgreens.

All in one arm

No.

One each in the arm and the third in the ass

It’s Walgreens.

Didya ask

Ask?

Take me in the back an give it to me in the ass

   No.

Thas how Id take it In the ass

                                     he coudnt help himselfno straightface  burst out laughing

Cracking yourself up huh?

                              Pretty suggestive.

Yathink

I think.

                 finally she giggled

Thank Gawd

             Was thinking Id never play strip poker with you  Great pokerface over the phone

You’re terrible.

I get tha a lot

                So two in the left one in the right  Yare righthanded  So either the RSV or Shingle in the right

You’re good, you’re right.

I get tha a lot too  I am good 

At taken it in the ass?

Ooooh  Listen to you

                        An I thought you were a prim an proper young woman

You know I’m not.

I do

     Otherwise we woudnt have gotten along all these years

I’ve thick skin.

Tha create an issue at Walgreens Bend any needles

STOP.

Awright

           So  I gotta ask   The gal said thas how Walgreens was doing it three at once

Yes.

Didnt tha seem unlikely   Odd

I thought it was odd.

But she convinced you

She did, well, not convince me, informed me that’s how they were doing it if someone was having the three shots, saved them from returning again or againanagain

Makes sense

Made sense to me

So

     Did it occur to you tha after she gave you the injections she went back into the Pharmacy an closing the door behind herselfleaning against it began laughing  quietly  gave thumbs up to the staff tha she stuck another sucker three times theyre having a contest among themselves  maybe a pumpkin in the offing for Halloween for the winner

   You’re . .

. . If I was running the Pharmacy Id make it a contest

You cut me off. You’re sick.

No

    I like making work fun  Id bet theyre not but if I said so in any pharmacy in any drugstore theyd be WOWed by the idea

No.

Oh Sorry the clinician laid you up for  three  was it three or just two days 

Three.

        No sooner than I got home.  Sick.

Sorry

        Not going to do tha again arya

Nope.

      the nope came out of her musically  she was a singer

Nice nope

Thank you.

Yare welcome

               Whaelse is new

Hung out with my friends a week ago.

Your rich friends

   Yes. My rich friends.

Don say it like tha I happen to know aside from yourself Im the only friend you have who isnt

   You’re right.

I know it

Anything new in the world of wealth

They insisted, because they thought we looked so good at the luncheon to take a snobshotsnapshot . .

. . You said snobshot

   I did.

Thas clever Make tha up all on your own

I did.

Im proud of you

Are you?

I am

      Why did we quit dating

Maybe because I wasn’t clever then.

Possibly

          Or you werent willing to put out

OH COME ON . .

                                     

1101,  Thursday,  19  10. 23

1150,  Thursday,  26  10. 23

Stones  Gimme Shelter  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeglgSWKSIY

   activationaggravation

                          thas how his morning beganhis motor flipped ON or rather how he awoke from dreamingdreamed rightsmackdab up to the edge of consciousnessAwake  commencedcommiserated the wake thall trail his boat the hemplines heaveduntethered gathered on the bow an stern pushingoff the dock pulling on the oars  the sinuous wake thall follow him through his day give him something to look at  admireappreciate as he moves forward unhurriedly  his back to the action  ahead the intentions hes pulling towards  no accuracy needed until the final few pullsaugments to dock

activated

           sometimes he feels hes a machine

aggravated

              sometimes he feels like a machine  an automaton  rote   routine

usually though

                 only when waking from a night that didnt restorereplenish him  the water table stingy  denying him not filling his well

he was of the habitritual of taking deep draughts during the day investigations  then seemingly too many questions too few realisations

                 an going to sleep  irritated  didnt have the time the endurance to plumb everything that occurred to him

he kept notes

coudnt keep up with them

closing one eyelooking he realised the benefit of having an abundance keeping a pantry

closed the other eye looked  he realised he was inept desperate tha one day he woudnt be wakened activated or in the middle of a day be extinguished

                                      leaving  aggravated

   

0640,  Thursday,  26  10. 23

0858,  Thursday,  26  10. 23

Stones  It's All Over Now  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb1Z7UOkzOI

Katahimikani  Shimmer  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtCByTuJ8xY 

he leaned over to hallie and said

she leaned away smiled

                             You’re kiddin’.

No I wanted to say so I didnt take you aback

We’ve been dating long enoughas a matter of fact I’m a little surprised you said anything. You usually like catching me with my pants down with everyone else.

I do

     I love you when youre pants are down

Oh. How cute are you?

I warm you I like to think like you warm the cock of my heart

Cockles. 

           That’s cockles.

But I have only one Arya tryin to tell me something

amused gently shook her headrolled her eyes

                                             You’re incorrigible.

I do my damnedest

                     Though you do you heat the cockles of my heart   Too

Are you having a party just between yourselves?

she lookedup at Paul

                        Ohno . . definitely ohno.  Just you wait.

pushing back in his chair he said to the table  Were done waiting 

she leaned back into her chairsmiling deeply he loved her dimples coud fetch water in em

Gentleman as I was telling hallie  I have to use the li’lboys room an I thought Id askmention  woud anyone care to join me Girls went earlier  I just thought Id extend the courtesy

                                                               he stood

they just looked at him  stonefaced they knew him better than that

he looked down into hallies beautiful face 

                                            Well then baby  youll please excuse me

walking away he asked a waitress if she could direct him to the restroom

                                                                              I need to rest

she burst out laughing

she could take a joke

afternoon,  Monday – Labour Day,  4  9. 23

1212,  day-between-2-Ts,  25  10. 23

Koronis  Weave  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aDUUy28d9w

. . . No no  no

But she’s just right for me.

he laughed

              Those are the lyrics

I know, I know.  he smilednodded   guy had a great sense of humour

But Christ Mark Youre not kiddin

I wouldn’t kid about that.

   No I suppose you woudnt

Come on man, you’ve met a couple of my girlfriends.

I thought they were girl friends

No. Girlfriends.  They were my girlfriends I introduced you to them as such.

Yadid Youll have to excuse me 

                                 Youre a goodlookin guy  I made an assumption youd pursue goodlookin women

No.  Goodlooking women know they are, and that’s an impediment.  You have to admit that my girlfriends, facially, were attractive.

Attractive yes  Save for the doublechin

                                         But attractive   Ill give you that

And they were sweetthey certainly liked you.

Thank you I enjoyed themthey were a lot of fun   Then they were gone

Yeah. My relationships don’t last longdon’t withstand the test of time.

Time

      Correct me if Im wrong  inside six wee . .

. . If that. 

           Like, I imagine, like all women, when they recognised they’re being used that cools their jets.

But nothing you said

No. Nothing I said. 

                     I treat them like queenslike . goddesses.  But the wheels come off.

   Ever fall in love

I don’t know if I have that in me.

                                       Asya know.

that was sobering

he knew

         Mark had been a runner  heroin  made good money

hurt himself

              his fiancée stepped up  ran for him

developed a taste

overdosed

   broke his heart 

 

0949,  day-between-2-Ts,  25  10. 23

Arthur Godfrey  Too Fat Polka  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h-a9cvsbMM

Neil Young  Needle and the Damage Done  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYY87VEQtRM 

   the Republican PartyNO no  petty Republicans

                                                       he preferred Republicants

theyre no party

they are not equal or an equivalent of the Democratic Party

   so just call em Republicans

in 2015 Bannon announced Trumps intent was to deconstruct government the administrative state

                                                                                                        the former governed in kind  how many Acting Secretaries were serving him when he lost the 2020 election

Acting as badly as he acted as president   

   currently UNABLE to elect a Speaker with 217-vote  theyre doing just that  

                                                                                     theyre uninterested in anyone serving

to their constituents 

                      Take a good look in the mirror

Youve electedunleashed people more interested in celebrity than doing the hard work of governance

perhaps some are qualified to serve on high school student counsels

   maybe 

hed suggest Quit calling them a party

                                         if unable someone follow him into the can and hold his hair as he vomits

Republicans in disserve to the People  to their oath to the Constitution

2011,  2sday,  24  10. 23

3rd Trump attorney pleads guilty  https://www.npr.org/2023/10/24/1208198441/jenna-ellis-georgia-guilty-plea

her religion wasnt the only thing getting in the way of a friendship

                                                                      frankly ClarkGableish he could give a damn

she was a friend of a friend and that friend wanted her to become a friend of his

I don see tha happenin

Why?  She’s a nice person.

Tha aint either here nor there  Not a checkbox for me

What then?

A climate denier

No . . no . no . he crackledsoftly  She’s just hard to convince . .

. . Shes convinced  Gawd makes the weather

                                                Gawd makes it Has nothing to do with us people  An you look past tha

I do I said . . she’s a nice girl.

Shes an idiot You wanna befriend an idiot thas up to you

She has a safe word, butter.

   Really

Don’t you think? She grew up in the Central Valley knew where the whorehouse was.

As a religious person woud

                             Have to know so she coud make a wide berth arc around it not be seen in its general vicinity whaever the church deemeddefined as general vicinity

Her safe word is butter.

   Has she ever used it

What kind of girl do you think she is?

A girl with a safe word tha shes never going to use anya know I never use never lightly   Whas yoursmines STOP

Not subtle Though I havent had to use ithavent met a really romantic chick yet  laughed like a bull snorts

Yours

I’ll have to give it some thought.

Then while youre thinkin I think Ill ask your friend if the name of the whorehouse she sidestepped was called Husk It Lick It

NO. 

   Are you kiddin meyou kiddin me?

No

     She has a safe word She shoudnt be offended

I’m offende . .

. . Yare a prude

                  Lemme tellya wha shes your friend Shes lanky which you think is sexy an she aint got a thing I want Yare home free  Wont ever have to look over your shoulder to see if Im gaining on you  Im walking away in the whole other direction

pleading She has a safe word.

   Im soft as butter

afternoon,  Monday – Labour Day,  4  9. 23

1431,  2sday,  24  10. 23

Zeppelin  Whole Lotta Love  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xG5sR0WWIY

Lemon Song  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvCQ6ntgteQ

She prepositioned me

I propositioned her

   Hold on hold on. What the hell are you talking about?

Pre an pro  Past is prologue

                              Weve a past

What do you mean?

Drop whaya understand a preposition is Im talking prepositioned me set me up  provoked me

                                                                                                    An falling back on our history I propositioned her ya understand tha correct

What was your proposition?

   Excuse me Thas not gentlemanly

he cleared his throat

                       We’re friends.

We are Anwhere Im from friends don ask friends because

Because?

   Because its none of their gawddamn business

bent his nose out of shape

You may have partook in locker room prattle high school beyondNope I gathered up my shit an left when tha banter commenceddidnt mind finish dressing in the hall

nose bent furthur out of shape

Yadid didnt ya Stuck around for the stories

                                                 Operative word Stories

They were my buddie . .

. . O  Tha explains it I get it

What do you get? miffed

I had very few buddies

                         An they didnt say They may have wanted to say but they knew I didnt want to hear

And you call me a prude.

You are

        Youre confusing the two Prude is not committing to an actfinding the act   unsavory for whaever your reasons Not listening to a fingerscrossed salacious story isnt being prudish

blandly Fingers crossed

Statement  Question

Question.

When I was a little kid wed lie cross our fingers behind our back  tha would disallow the lie we told

                                                                                                          Our parents were onto us Whenever they asked us something theyd sit us down an have us place our hands on the table in front of them  Game over

You could still lie.

You could lie We woudnt   Not even to save ourselves from a sound spanking

Anywho  I don thinkcorrect myself believe  I don believe youll ever have to worry about being prepositioned

afternoon,  Monday – Labour Day,  4  9. 23

1218,  2sday,  24  10. 23

Don McLean  American Pie  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5ecvBaqHBk

origami 

had science background so sometimes pulling on wordspulling them apart dissecting he got interesting takes   origami original gamete   game he played with himself rather than just playing with himself

                                                                                                   he went to the post office to mail letters   LETTERS?   Yahletters  something else he also did

                                                                        as a matter of fact he was mailing letters and notesincluded his own letter that were written to him in the 70s fifty years old  to addresses he didnt rememberhe remembered living there but not their addresses moss doesnt grow on a rolling stone an motherfucker he was rollingliving without a care in the worldwithout a care for tomorrowLIVING in the moment

                                                                                               could be he was grateful no one had a camera

it would have been hard to explain the evidence

the mail clerk picked up one of the three yellow envelopes he set on the counter 

she squeezed it

looked at him

               Anything you want to insurewhat’s in this?

Theyre letterswhich do you have

she turned it overhe saw the address upsidedown

                                                     Origami even in that moment his brain teased him Youre a girl ya must remember origami Only guy I ever saw playing withfolding paper was the cop in Bladerunner Harrison Ford Philip K Dicks Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep actor performed in Miami Vice

I believe you folded papercoloured paper as a girl

I did.  I did. her face wistful  

it looked good on her

                      The gal thats going to origamied notesthose tight  stingy  little triangles                

I know them! they were tough to unfold.

A bitch to unfold he smiled

she was still smiling wistfully

Theyre from the seventies

Oh man.

You said it

            I thought theyd enjoy readinem again likely shake out some good memories since they wrote em

They know they’re coming?

Only one the one youre holding

                                   I gottasay Im really enjoying your expression

My expression? she blushed

If I may  a return to your girlhood   Those were the days I gather

   You have no idea . none.

No Although I am happy to have incited them 

                                                Happier yet when I think of people whose memories good moments old letters an other memorabilia are remindedremember

Yes yes.  in her eyes she was faraway

she stumbled throughconcluded his mailings  they wished each other a fine day

 

memorabilia 

trigger

game went off in his head origami  original gamete teedit up

                                                                  memorabilia

   memorable   memorabllabia

O  so many

1638,  Monday,  23  10. 23

1030,  2sday,  24  10. 23

Kenny Loggins  Footloose  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq3Q3FfJkK4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltrMfT4Qz5Y

Michael Sembello  Maniac  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIgJenz0ZK4

Eric Carmen  Hungry Eyes  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g0DMh1Ck_E

Chippendales Audition  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stqG2ihMvP0

Awright Donnie nodding sympathetically  Ive reconsidered

                                                              Id like to extend an olive branch

Really? Regarding which inviolate subject.

Inviolate Lets not get carried away numbnuts

Numbnuts.

            Really looking to soothe the roilhuh?

Aint a gawddamn thing inviolate ya squatting on pussy hindquartersChrist thought there was something more to ya something substantial rather than being butthurt whining Had you back in Chicago ya woudnt have made it out of grade school

               Take the olive branch

Or Ill take it to you

You’re offensiv . .

. . Know me to be otherwiseYa don

                                          Ive reconsidered  I happen to believe thas mighty kind of me

Regarding wisely he skipped inviolate what?

Tinder outcome swiped left

Denied?

Yes  You recall

I do.

Ya do thas amazing 

                      Usually your memorys shit  Carry on blow me away

I remember.

             You thought it was hilarious.  Bets too . .

. . Bets Yah 

              Im sure tha kinda hurt your feelings But shes only a girl friend Youve built her up to something else in your head  She aint  

An she certainly aint All tha

That’s your perspective. You don’t know her like I do.

An I never woud 

                  Ya know how much I dislike using never so tha ought to be tellin

That’s no matter, you said as much not twothree weeks of me seeing her.

Yup Girl friend  Not girlfriend

                                   An you were looking for a girlfriend

   Were getting off the beaten path

We are.

         And so . . your remedy?

Four Tops Walk Away Renee 

                                Rather than a trombone or lack thereof  Wah waah  waaah

Ohjoy! 

          You’re a real piece of work. 

Stop

       Everyone says so

afternoon,  Monday,  4  9. 23

1632,  Monday,  23  10. 23

Four Tops  Walk Away Renee  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojBo_E6w5ZA

silver bullet

back from walkingreading for twoanhaf hours  The Brilliant Abyss

fresh cup of black coffee

sat

     opened on-line

Vox article  Baby Boomers 1946 to ’64 are Ageing. Their kids aren’t ready.

bullet points

  *  By 2030, the US will, for the first time, have more residents over 65 than children.

  *  The physical demands, medical bills, and logistics of caretaking create an immense amount of pressure for millennials.

  *  There’s no magic bullet. However, that doesn’t mean the situation is hopeless.

  *  Caregivers say the time they spent with their parents was invaluable.

                                                                                             actually theres a silver .22

dont tell him no one remembers zip guns

                                          what parent in their right mind would want to take down their kids

their children didnt choose to have them

beats to hell a walk off into the wilderness 

1454,  Monday,  23  10. 23

https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23850582/millennials-aging-parents-boomers-seniors-family-care-taker?ueid=50c730cb0ac5cbd04b51d81774de5e3e