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Miles today: Zero

Baby what a big surprise, right before my very eyes; just to be alone was a little more than I could take… so I wrote a blog!

“The mind should be allowed some relaxation, that it may return to its work all the better for the rest.” — Seneca the Younger

Ah… the sweet joy of stillness. Lecy’s wife Deana flew into Minneapolis yesterday for date night. Geeto and I haven’t seen Lecy for 16 hours. This morning he texted to arrange a time to reengage today; he needed to confirm Shootman’s address to meet. I told him to just listen for the sound of coffee consumption, muscles relaxing and crossword being defeated… not much else is happening. We’re just sitting in the morning sun; we’ll be sitting when the evening comes.

Geeto related a story about his walk with Shootman and dog Pickle to the market for potatoes last night while I was in the shower. An old man approached him on a bicycle to state he hadn’t been to that corner on the creekside for ten or more years. He also relayed that he does 100 pushups every day. He was obviously lonely; Geeto’s story made me again grateful to have some friends; doubly grateful for the friendly hosts along our journey: Realis, Jerdees, Beiswangers, Shootmen…They’ve enabled such calm and relaxation when most needed on this journey. I don’t want to be like that lonely man there on the corner, moving too fast to rest.

Geeto said it reminded him of those Allstate commercials where the parents do annoying things. My kids used to be annoyed when we went to restaurants and I would always ask for the name of the server at our table. I picked up this habit from my dad. Geeto does the same thing. At the heart of this engagement is a recognition of human relationship that although brief, can still be meaningful. The server is there to provide a good dining experience, and I’m grateful for their presence and company. They’re not subservient to me, I’m not superior to them; we’re sharing an experience in life albeit minuscule in the grand scheme. We can be gracious and kind in these endeavors and make the world more peaceful and caring. It’s a small but meaningful thing, and I think my kids understand that now that their frontal cortexes are sufficiently enlarged.

Geeto texted me as I was exiting the shower in the late morning, “Think I’ll go out for a walk; not much happening here, nothing ever does.” As some people know, I have individual text tones for many of the starring actors in my life story. My wife’s tone is a simple and soothing riff that opens my favorite LED Zeppelin song (Ten Years Gone). Daughter Sarah burst in loud and proud with the starting note of Whiplash. Isaac’s always brings a wry smile with Skeletor’s interjection in He-Man’s rendition of the Four Non-Blondes classic (What’s Going on); Ike is a funny guy. And sweet Caroline is introduced by a brief Giddy-up from a Beck’s song Wow that has meant something to us. I love to hear these tones when my family is reaching out or responding.

For Lecy, I have a clip from a Jimmy Dean sauce commercial – he has prodigious digits like five short bratwurst attached to each palm. I’ve only met one person with meatier paws – the father of Lisa P., a brief girlfriend in high school; that relationship was brief partly because she permanently chipped my upper right incisor with a glass jar, and partly because I had nightmares of her dad’s Bluto-like meaty mitts.

For Geeto the text tone is from the opening line Brian Eno’s Baby’s On Fire; as a Chicago firefighter, this just seemed appropriate to me. My sister Michelle introduced this song to me decades ago, and now it subconsciously reminds me of her every time Geeto texts. The next line in that song says, “Look at her laughing, like a heifer to the slaughter.” (Apologies to you vegetarians or PETA members out there…) As we rode through western ranching states, we saw a lot of cattle. Geeto and Lecy would always, I mean EVERY TIME, greet the bovine beasts and typically told them how delicious they looked. Now Geeto’s tone will always revoke remembrance of some of these desolate miles we shared.

My good friend Mike L. texted early this morning to wish me well on the continuing journey, and to say that he appreciates the blog. I think I’ve said in some days past, personally I’ve been frequently disappointed in the blog. I want to include more interesting experiences or thoughts that occur through the day; I don’t want to just write, “I’m out there in the spotlight, you’re a million miles away.” I want there to be more to entertain. Unfortunately, I’m not completely happy with the blogging as the demands of the day have squeezed out a lot of evening creativity juice. And I haven’t mixed in a single lyric Easter egg in weeks! And those Easter eggs are first and foremost for Mike L.

So, I decided to write today, as much for my own satisfaction. And, I tried to make up for a lack of Easter eggs. It’s been a grand experience so far; we’re past the halfway point to Rhode Island; I’m a week away from home; and barring an early blizzard I do believe our most difficult days are past.

Tonight, we’re headed to the White Squirrel for a Waylon Jennings cover band. We’re very much looking forward to a night out with Shootman and Jen and a little live music. In advance homage to tonight’s show, here’s my playlist addition for the day: Hockey Tonk Heroes

Thanks all for your attention and support. I’ll be relaxing more today and thinking of many of you.