Things of Significance

Another bulleted entry. Another easy way out.

• Broke one of my nails off! It was a two-part process. First, on a Wednesday, I jammed the tip of my nail very hard into the wall while I was groggily reaching for a sweat jacket that was tossed next to my dresser the night before. ('Cuz that's how I roll these days.) The pain was immediate, intense, eye-opening. A little bit of blood oozed out from around the nail bed. The following Friday Penny succeeded in kicking my nail while I had the audacity to change her diaper. The nail needed to be removed immediately because it was sticking out of my finger in a way that made me feel slightly nauseous. It looks so pathetic now.
• Fixed a very special antique lamp that is shaped like a jaguar. It's green. I wonder if Free ever saw it? It lived in the Woodruff's bus during the summer I camped out in it. It is super-cool and as soon as I discover the whereabouts of my camera batteries (or just by new ones when I give up) there will be a pic.
• Had my pool drained and refinished. It looks incredible now. The pool people are coming daily to scrub the sides, add the acid, clean the filter, and check the acidity levels. I am far too disorganized at this point in my life to deal with it. Besides, their fee is very reasonable and the are British, not Floridian, and they are a small breath of fresh air for a couple of minutes a day. Incidentally, I do most of my face to face socialization with contractors and the girls behind the counter at Walgreen's.
• Gone to Walgreen's on a daily basis!
• Started a bunch of bathroom painting projects that are not yet finished. This will give my brother something to do when he gets here Sunday. He is going to be living with me...probably for a long time. If he's still here when I leave for Jersey in a few years, he's going to be obligated to stay here and pay me rent until it's time to leave it and sell it. I've been doing him A LOT of favors lately, because he's my brother and I love him, but I might need some favors eventually too. He has an excellent opportunity to live an independent life here without the scrutiny that would naturally occur when living with parents. He has a good chance to grow and I hope he does.
• Read a couple of really good books. I read Hiassen's Lucky You and Tim Dorsey's Hurricane Punch. I read for the second time Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities. The copy I read was Rob's from his college years, in which he underlined and made small notes in the text. That's a pretty nice way to read a book.
• At the moment I am about 3/4 of the way through a book tited A Prayer for Owen Meany. John Irving, the author also wrote The World According to Garp and The Ciderhouse Rules. He's written more but those are the ones I've read. All incredible stories. Owen Meany was the first one I'd ever read. It was a gift from my friend and mentor, Pam as a birthday present in the fall of 2002. It's a story that changed me. When I'm done reading it maybe I'll be able to articulate just how that happened. The Owen Meany character reminds me of Rob, from his small stature to his unusual voice to his honest and brash nature. The way Owen's story ends, how Rob's story ended, and the nature of my own life story at this time-not entirely similar but enough to think about. More on that later...