Reflection

Re-broadcast of the Ig-Noble awards and it's a cute and funny hour in a nerdy way. Science as amusement. I could certainly win one for either my extensive study of tadpoles or the unwritten but well researched subject of twig-and-leaf dams in grader ditches. It's not uncommon for me to go several days without speaking, which strikes me suddenly, when I realize people speak incessantly. Banter. Even the town crazy, Moony, whose name is Richard, can go on forever. I occasionally buy him a beer, late in the month, when he's always broke, just to listen to him talk. He's extremely paranoid but quite coherent. He plays the keyboard well, which doesn't seem that odd, musicians being what they are, court jesters, and he knows a lot of Hank Williams' songs. To see me talk, I'd probably be arrested: ranting around outside in my bathrobe with a knit hat and fingerless gloves. I usually restrict this to the back porch, where I'm less likely to get shot. There ain't no money in poetry, that's for goddamn sure. Fair curve. Anything in G. Soon as I came outside I could see that the far front tire had to be flat, I don't have a lug-wrench, and the large SUV version of Fix-A-Flat wouldn't work. Call B and he comes up but his lug-wrench, but it doesn't fit my lugs. He loaned me his car so I could run into town and buy a wrench, stopped at the library, got whiskey; B drove me back to the ridge. When things are not going my way, I usually stop doing anything and read. An older Thomas Perry novel I'd missed. Excellent diversion. Another flat gray sky, it's supposed to get warmer and rain. I need to clean leaves from the grader ditch, and I need to dump the composting toilet, which is going to involve turning the compost heap. I haven't gotten around to making the ham and bean soup yet, because the deer heart intervened, but it's on my list. Lug-nuts are metric. The Jeep Liberty is made in Toledo, Ohio, so why are the lug-nuts metric? 19mm tells me nothing. Not the day I had imagined. I had imagined being sore from hauling and splitting wood, bitching and moaning, but having soup and cornbread at the end of the day. Made do with fried potatoes and sausage, a couple of perfect fried eggs, and several slices of toast. I have an old wedge of Romano that I shave, occasionally, with a vegetable peeler, and I love it toasted.