Vignettes from the Ever-Lasting Now

Bloomington, IL 61701 February 16, 2020 I have a funny story about this seemingly snippy gal at the Main Street Thrift Store yesterday. Ya see, two days ago I saw her taking pictures of new stuff that was being brought into the store from their van – which happens often. She had been snippy to me previously when I came in to see if they still had a guitar I wanted to buy, so I was a little snippy to her when I asked about the price on an old home-built bookcase. She said it was $79, and I said I wouldn’t pay more than $20 for it – so there – because I had built similar ones myself either by myself or with my Uncle Phil (I didn’t tell her that). Meanwhile I asked another guy working there how much these nice wooden Buddhas were - $12 apiece or $12 for the pair? He said the pair, so yesterday I stopped in because I saw a friend's Facebook post about Buddha, whom he likes, and figured I might get the pair and give him one for his help in finding a place to live back in May. Wel...

February 19, 2020 Bloomington, IL 61701 This morning I needed to get a copy of my birth certificate, so I went the the LaSalle County Clerk online to find out the process. Whilst there, I noticed the line under the Coroner's Department: " The LaSalle County Coroner’s Office exists to provide the people of LaSalle County with a thorough investigation in the event of a death." The phrase "in the event of a death" appealed to me because it suggested that death was something special, and I reckon it is. But it also suggests that if you just so happen to die - heaven forfend - somebody's gonna do something.

I haven’t had many dreams about deceased loved ones, but I met a woman when I was hitch-hiking from Ashland, Wisconsin, who told me about a recurring dream she had about her deceased brother. In the dream, she was visited by her brother, who didn’t know that he was dead. He wanted to climb out of his grave and return home. He continued to appeal to her, night after night, to let him come home. She realized that he was indeed dead, but she had no idea how to tell him that, so she went to her father’s grave (in real life) and appealed to her father to let the brother know that he was dead. That night the recurring dream ceased.

January 16, 2019 I was living in Lincoln, Nebraska, when a kid from next door came over and invited me to attend a party he was throwing when his mother was out of town. I didn’t care too much for the kid, so I gave him a polite no. He went back next door, and a friend of mine from two houses down - on the other side of the kid - came over and told me he was going to the party. “Suit yourself, Mike” I said, or some such nonsense. The party revved up and got kind of noisy, so I thought I’d go and see how good neighbor Mike was getting along. As it was he was just headed back to his place, which was on the other side of a hurricane fence (chain link fence) from the party house. A young punk sneeringly called out, “See you later, Grampa!” from one side of the fence. Mike reached over the fence and pulled the kid clean over the fence, saying “Who you callin’ Grampa?” That, plus some guy calling the cops on all those underage kids, caused the party to grind to a halt. Now, that’...

February 19, 2020 On the Web "The LaSalle County Coroner’s Office exists to provide the people of LaSalle County with a thorough investigation in the event of a death." Just *in case* somebody should happen to die.” (Heaven Forfend) For some reason, I found this explanatory note REALLY FUNNY. Compare with: February 25, 2020 Laundry Room “Use washers and dryers at YOUR OWN RISK.” You see, it’s O.K. to use the washers and dryers, but just use them AT YOUR OWN RISK. I found this sign too to be HILARIOUS. Perhaps I’m going wild with the meds, which I am also using at my own risk. Life is a risky business, after all. https://youtu.be/G2UVsyVLLcE

February 21, 2020 Internet Transmission BNormal, Illinois, to Kenya, Africa Hey Jack – Looks like you’re living the dream, or at least some kind of dream, as most people are because they have their collective head stuck up their collective arse. I was gonna say a lot of clever things, but I need to get up and get moving because otherwise I’ll seize up like an engine left in the rain. I’ll get back to you in a bit from the library. Sounds like things are going well for you over there in that Certified Shithole™ country.