Wasted Day

Into town again, to call the phone company. Had a beer and talked with Cory about his honeymoon. Went to the library. Found the Kimchi at Kroger. I knew they had moved it. Kimchi on scrambled eggs for dinner. I'm afraid they're going to have to replace the entire phone line through the State Forest, four miles of which would be for four houses. Can't be a high priority. TR was at the reception desk at the museum and we chatted, then Kroger, then stopped down at B's house to help him lift his stove into position. Lift, because he wanted it at a cooking height. We talked about Guy Davenport. Everyone should read all of him. One of the truly great minds. No mail, no phone, but at least, as TR pointed out, my driveway is passable. Small favors. B insisted that I take back the Emily Dickinson book, The Gorgeous Nothings, the beautiful facsimile reproduction of poems and fragments she had made on the back of envelopes. Neil had sent me this book, now one of my cherished possessions; it's in her hand (which I find maddening) and slams you into the real. The introduction is by Susan Howe, who is the go-to Emily person, and it's the real deal. Emily stripped bare. When it first arrived I took a week off work and submerged myself in it. I may have eaten some bread. Emily was a baker. I loaned the book to B, and he kept it for months. He gave it back to me in a reluctant manner. I'm rarely affected by anything so strongly, but when I got home, and was eating Kimchi on scrambled eggs, I had the book propped open in front of me. When did she die? (Though dying is not the issue.) 1886? I think 1830 - 1886. I have a rubbing of her tombstone in front of me. Dear sweet Emily. Called back. Examine that. Like dealing with vapor. Lunch with TR, and Brandy from the accounting office where TR's Mom works. Spirited conversation. I like Brandy, she's extremely outspoken. Called the phone company again. Stopped at Kroger and found a pound of Mozzarella remaindered for $3, and a package of remaindered chorizo, also for $3, four meals. When I got home I made a large bowl of vine-ripened tomatoes, with the cheese cut into bite sized pieces, and a dressing of balsamic with walnut oil and black pepper. Pan fry the chorizo. A side of Kimchi and the tomato salad. An excellent meal. With the Kimchi, $1.75 a meal. The ground acorn and cornmeal breakfast costs me almost nothing and I can still have a foot-long hotdog for lunch and come in for less than $3 a day. Linda and I had talked about that, back when I had a telephone. She knew I could do it, eat on $3 a day, just wondered how I'd go about it. For years I ate for nothing and turned a profit, now I buy most everything, except for what I scavenge. My filtered water costs me less then six cents a day, coffee, brushing my teeth; and I need to set aside two dollars a day, to cover taxes and insurance. Parting shot, I was walking away, TR said he might stay for dinner. Devious bastard. I knew he wanted to stay for dinner. I told him, yeah, that was a good idea, maybe we could talk.