Caterwauling

Mom went to bed early because she’s dizzy. Again. This is a thing now. 

Nae-Nae is stomping around on her wood floors in heels. The kids are beating on mom’s ceiling. I can hear them from the living room. 

My colleague who lives across the lake apparently has no clue about my nine lives online. So he said innocently enough, “Do you still like it there?”

I said when did I ever like it? He said he knows the upstairs people are awful. He can even hear them screaming and see them walking around from across the lake. 

He says he’s encountered a lot of snooty people here. I said trash is more like it. Not enough money to buy class. Then I told him about the crazy who charged me around the lake with her unleashed dog. He said wow. 

I said it out loud that I’m not renewing my lease. It felt freeing. I don’t know if by speaking it into existence that I’ll come into money and move to Tuscany or that I’ll be without means to pay the rent. Either way, I’m looking for daylight and running toward it. 

I just hope mom is strong enough to run with me. 

I just saw the saddest Veterans Day parade go by the office.

There was a U-Haul decked out in red, white and blue bunting and party favors.

Then a SWAT team van.

Then a cop car.

The end.

It reminded me of the “Straight is Great!” parade my friends and I tried to throw in 1992 at our musical-theater-student-dominated school.

Four of us showed up. Because we were the only non-dancers/-actors in the joint.

Of course, the “inclusive” events didn’t get any attendance either. I mean, why go out of your way to hang with your people when the entire college is your people?

In all seriousness, though, how sad that traffic was blocked off for a mile in each direction, and all the thanks we can show our veterans is a car full of cops and a van full of soldiers.

I continue to tip my hat not only to my grandfather, but also to his mom Jesse, who had five sons in World War II and proudly displayed a sign in her front window that she was a “Five-Star Mom.”

I have a problem with the rights that many people take too far, yes, but it’s because of Calvin, Clair, Red, Russ and Tom (and even little brother Ron) that we have those rights to appreciate or trample on. Thank you all for loving your country.

And so very sorry, Grampy, that the Veterans Hospital in Oakland/Aspinwall took your life so senselessly. Somehow this parade seems a fitting example of how our vets are really treated in exchange for their sacrifice.