August 2006 Archives

On the way home from church today, there was a guy walking along the interstate. He had to be at least 70 years old, and was carrying a duffel bag. We turned around at the next exit, hit another turnaround and asked him if he needed a lift. I figured, ya know, if he had a gun was gonna pop us in the heads, at least we'd die while trying to do something for our fellow human.

He wasn't really a hitchhiker. He was just...well, a walker. And he was old enough to be our grandfather, seriously. I could not leave him out there. Not when I have air conditioning in the truck. He said, well, it wasn't so hot today(only 90 degrees at the time) and he was DRENCHED, but he was going to walk from San Antonio to Austin and try to find work, because that might be a better place for him to do it. He asked us to drop him off after a couple miles, at a grocery store, because he was going to get something to drink and maybe wait for a trucker going that way.

We honestly would have taken him to Austin, but he protested so strongly. Erik said obviously I don't know bumb etiquette, and I was too talkative to him (you know, "hi, what's your name, where ya headed, what kind of work are you looking for...?") and that I must have problems if even a bumb won't ride with me. Then he started singing, "Mr. Wendell." Jackass.

Then, THEN... when we went to the grocery store nearest our house, there was a little girl there, with her dad. She could not have been more than eight or nine. She was wearing a prosthetic left leg, but you would not have known it, save for the camouflage shorts. In my opinion, that is too, TOO young for those kind of challenges.

Well, a Cheerleader Carwash isn't really a trustyworthy fundraiser in this town these days, since the local cheerleaders got busted for narcotics. If there's a need for cash, it will have to be done the second-to-first old-fashioned way: by holding a houseparty and inviting George Clinton to perform.

I just now got off the phone with Tasha, after a looong conversation that ranged from weather to our first apartment to brains and Intestinal Fortitude to how she loves North Dakota air to Bill Beeks died today.

Wow. I hope Lara's okay. Her dad died this afternoon, after an accident with his airplane. I played Barbies and dress-up in this man's basement for years. I hope Lara's okay.