After shaving and just about to trek to the outside shower I heard food crunching. That couldn't be Holly as she was in the hallway. Tiptoeing to the kitchen I spied a little possum at Holly’s food dish! What a cute little guy. I left the back door open and closed off all the rooms I could. He was by the fireplace when I left the house. Holy was unfazed at this intruder. (When I returned from the doctors he was nowhere to be seen.)
I had a good check up and only had to have a few spots sprayed with the nitrogen. Because of the Melanoma I beat in the winter of 2017 I have to see the Dr every three months which will slow down to every six months next year. I really like my Dr. I had him and his assistant laughing. He said my incisions looked really good. I told him how visiting with friends when there is a lull in the converstaion I will pipe up and say, “I’ve had an operation and let me tell you about my incisions!” I had to explain that line is from a favourite 1934 “B” movie “City Limits.”
https://archive.org/details/City_Limits_1934
Got to the “Y” about 10:20 and did my second 8,000-meter erg in two days. Will get my last 40,000 meters for the “Dog Days of Summer” Concept 2 challenge in easily now. I was tore up from that erg to be even more tore up after my Yoga class!
Leaving class, I saw my good friend Danny sitting on one of the hallway benches. I’ve not seen Danny in quite a spell. Danny did character photos for a painting he wanted to do of me back in the spring of 2017. He has been so busy I honestly almost forgot about the painting. Danny said he had stopped by my house and figured I was at the “Y” as my truck was still in the driveway. He finished up the painting and wanted me to have it. I nearly cried when I saw it… it truly was me:
When Danny first approached me to do this painting he explained to me how he wanted to capture real me and not just a reflection.
To be really me for the sitting I first wore my first Utilikilt I bought in Dallas back in 2009 on my way to the brick swap. I laugh today to think how intimidated I was in wearing it. I had such a rush from the dealer I wore it the Motel 6 and then to the Outback. I did not have the courage to wear it to the swap. That would have to wait till the meeting Kalamazoo, MI in 2010 for the “brickers” to see me “as I am!”
By the time I wore it for this sitting it was so shredded from the various brick projects I could no longer wear it in public.
The work boots were from a fall motorcycle trip to Western, PA in 1990. My friend John was hosting the Spartan’s, a motorcycle club out of Washington, DC. He thought I’d enjoy meeting everyone. I made the trip down from Lockport and experienced such a great weekend. Those boots were bought at the best boot/leather shop in the tiny crossroads town of Gipsy, PA. Those boots still fit after all these years. A lot of bricks were acquired wearing those!
The tee shirt I wore was from when Ron and I would do “theatre weekends” in New York City. We loved seeing the shows done by the “Ridiculous Theatrical Company” founded by Charles Ludlam. The Wagner “Ring Cycle” which runs some 20 hours was boiled down into two acts. It was called “Der Ring Gott Farblonjet” a masterwork. When Brunhilda was put to sleep on the magic rock and then surrounded by impenetrable fire which was cardboard flames suspended by wire and then rocked back and forth it was brilliant “camp magic.” I could live another lifetime from the memories of those trips to New York City with Ron.
The book I’m reading from is the first journal book I bought in London the summer of 1970. It was a blank diary for 1971. I had hopes of documenting my time at watchmaking school. My life in school was pretty dull and I only kept writing in it for a few months. My last “school entry” was March 27th 1971. It was not till a 1985 trip with Don to Rochester turned out to be so bizarre I had to write it down which spurred my journalling.
That first entry turned out to be such a life changing event. Once again that old diary was being written in. I filled out the last page in June of 1991 and other book had to be purchased. My journalling is now done on line and shared all over the world.
Of course, perched on the swing hanging from the pergola surrounded by bricks is pure Jamie. It is funny how events in life seem to tie together.
Cornelius stopped by last evening and we visited on the front porch. He was stretched out on the porch swing while I was in the rocking chair. Holly was between the columns at the top of the steps watching the street. Neighbors, joggers, and walkers would exchange “Hey’s” and waves with us as they passed. I said to Corny that Norman Rockwell would be hard pressed to paint such contentment as we were living.
After Corny left I picked up my copy of “Blue Heaven” by Joe Keenan. This book is a favourite summer read. I got my copy second hand to replace my original hardback which was never returned after loaning it out. This paperback is even better as it is autographed by Joe Keenan.
There is also an inscription on the front page: “…. Say my glory was I had such friends.” Yeats
Just love it...all of it.
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