Scrivener's Palsy

A day of odd reading material. Could tell from the moment we went in the pub for lunch that Jim had something planned, our places were set at the bar, and as we assumed them he slapped down a copy of a glossy mag for each of us. First issue of The Garage Slab. A magazine about garages. Funny, but not a joke, an actual magazine. Articles about interesting garages, a pin-up, recipes, lots of photos. Then, later, giving Bev a break at the reception desk, she hands me a couple of things for Pegi, one of which is a large format paperback "Stories Told In Stone" which is a study in cemetery iconology and includes several interesting glossaries: Historic Diseases (old names for things and what they actually were); the heraldry of tombstones; gravestone elements and cemetery vocabulary. More later. Damaged myself last night. Asleep on the sofa, in bat fear and loathing, plus it was much cooler downstairs. Woke up to pee, still dark, forgot where I was, I had been drinking, yes, but that was hours before, and slammed my left foot into the carpenter's chest I use as a book support in front of the sofa. HARD. Broke great toe, splint it with tape, go back to bed. Hurts this morning, then worse throughout the day. I don't leave work though, I would have, but D and Sara were being very funny and I got caught up in it, finally being funny myself, despite the fact that the toe was burning in a kind of fevered pain in my shoe. I walk a lot in my job, 10 miles a day probably, need to get one of those things that keeps track, or maybe not, could be too much information. I know I won't stand and cook, so I stop at the Dairy Bar get a footer and jalapeno poppers. Reread an Elmore Leonard at the island. He does dialog very well. Thunder in the distance, so I Send Later this, then get right back. I don't think this cell is going to strike here. Sounds off to the north. No lightning, just a gentle rumble of thunder. Very nice sound, and it stops all the bug noise for a few seconds, so a sequence developes: bug noise, slow thunder, silence, bug noise. The timing is completely irregular and the thunder varies in its sound. I have these sanguineous crusts (scabs to you, but I have the glossary in front of me) on my head where the bat feasted and I wonder what are the early symptoms of rabies. I've got these bat wounds and a broken toe, I feel old and in the way. Shuffle over and get a drink. The wind picks up, and a whippoorwill. Rain, but only the edge of this, I think. Power out for most of the day, every day this week, my digital clock informs me. Must be the edge, because this rain is light, the whippoorwill and bugs maintain their chorus; I imagine them, getting wet, figuring what the fuck, might as well keep on doing what they normally do. Maybe they get under leaves or something, have little feathered parasols they pull out when they know we're not looking. Finally take some aspirin and go shoeless, flex it enough to know it's not broken, just badly contused, and I am not much worried by gangrene but the rabies still bothers me. Develops beyond my control. These anxiety attacks. Suddenly I can't stand on a high ladder or fly. I can't. I'm thirsty, I could be coming down with rabies. But maybe I'm just thirsty, get a drink, smile.

Tom

I heard the crows,
they were offbeat
and raucous.