Musings from “Life Is a Road” author–Daniel Meyer
Archive for January, 2010
Pretzels…lots of them…Now!
Jan 29th
Y’all (technical Texas term) may be familiar with that guy in the UK that says wierd stuff in his sleep? He and his wife record what he says and sell t-shirts.
Apparently there is some skepticism that he’s really saying such things.
I don’t doubt it at all. I know I talk in my sleep…but my wife does too and when she does…it is inevitably interesting.
Case in point:
A few nights ago I woke up for no apparent reason (I often do). My wife was warm beside me.
I adjusted the covers and then reached over and rubbed her back.
“Hmmmmmmm.” she moaned in obvious pleasure.
So I rubbed it some more.
“HHMMMMMMM.” she moaned even louder.
So I rubbed her on the butt (Yeah, I’m a guy, get over it.)
Without hesitation she said in a sharp, clear voice, “Not unless you bring the pretzels.”
CUAgain,
Daniel Meyer
Normalcy
Jan 24th
No work for me this weekend. Resting. Processing. Recuperating. Recharging.
I putter. Watching some TV. Listening to music. Reading. Writing. Plotting my next project.
Sunday I manage a nap…and for the first time in days, my dreams don’t wake me in a cold sweat, yelling for people to get down…to run…to get away from the laughing drug dealer who, even as he steps over bystanders’ bodies, just won’t run out of bullets.
The wife sits across from me, reading, occasionally looking up at me. We share a look then…a promise…a reaffirmation…that only intimates can make or understand. Nineteen years and my heart still gives a lurch.
The caffeinated kitten, who now (and seemingly rather suddenly) inhabits a big orange cat’s body, bounds in through the gap we left in the patio door for some fresh air…his collar jangling. He prances up and proudly deposits his latest catch at my feet…a large leaf from the front bushes. It joins the growing pile of similiar prizes he’s left me in the last hour.
He gets some praise and a quick skritch behind the ears and he’s off to his next big adventure.
The Maine Coon is upside down, half in and half out of a bag on the kitchen floor…his natural habitat methinks. He snores.
Bills to pay. Back to work tomorrow. Normalcy.
And yet I wonder…is that okay?
CUAgain,
Daniel Meyer
Where’s the damn erase button?
Jan 22nd
I started this week as a juror on what seemed a fairly mundane case.
The prosecution’s case was very carefully put together. He knew his business. The defense had nothing. There was no reasonable doubt. There was no doubt at all. The verdict was inevitable, and even with our diverse jury, quick and unanimous.
And then the other shoe dropped.
The case was far more than it seemed, as we suspected from the extreme care the prosecution had taken with the case, and we discovered for certain during the sentencing phase.
I ended the week with the images of an innocent bystander murdered…caught in a shootout…in full color/motion and from every angle…burned into my head.
It shook me up far more than I can explain.
Yeah. The jaded, world traveling, burly, biker dude.
And I can’t find the damned erase button.
To the defendant…whom we put away for 85 years…may God have mercy on your soul…if you even have one…because surely I have none for you.
And damn you for making me face that fact.
Ride. I think I need to ride.
But I need to vomit first.
And I really, really need that damned erase button.
CUAgain,
Daniel Meyer
Juror # 5.
Jan 19th
I expect to be out of touch a bit. I’m juror # 5.
Can’t talk about it whilst it’s going on…perhaps later.
Y’all have a good week!
CUAgain,
Daniel Meyer
Precipice…
Jan 12th
16,000 Gallons. Update!
Jan 5th
UPDATE on this post:
Called the city this morning.
The service guy said, “I’ll check it out.”
The billing lady said, “We can see the usage over the last three months spiked. We’ll adjust the bill.”
Got home from work and it’s fixed.
Gotta love it when it works like it should. Kudos to the city guys/gals!
CUAgain,
Daniel Meyer
16,000 Gallons.
Jan 4th
Ur…heh…I’m thirsty apparently.
The utility bill came today. In our city, electricity, water, sewer, and trash pickup are all on the same bill. I seldom give it a glance if the $$ amount is in a “reasonable” or normal range for the time of year.
A quick glance.
Wait. What?
This time, it was higher than normal. Just what I need.
Hmmm…a second look tells me somehow we managed to use 16,600 gallons of water! Sixteen. Thousand.
To put that in perspective, that’s about 256,000 glasses of water…or about 450 toilet flushes each day (which you’d probably need to help you get rid of the 256,000 glasses of water). Or perhaps I took a hot shower…with the tap on full blast…for 8 days straight.
Anyway, there’s no way we used that amount…that’s about 5 times as much as we usually use. I knew immediately either they misread the meter or we had a leak.
Oh, and I *knew* we didn’t have a leak…16,000 gallons would make a hell of a mess in the yard AND we’d have water running down the street.
Off to read the meter I go.
Ooops. Well crap.
The meter box (in the ground) is full of water. That’s not a good sign.
It’s near the curb and a storm drain…so the water is seeping down into the drain without ever getting in the yard or on the street. You can’t tell it’s leaking unless you open the meter box.
Gad.
Anyway, the meter is leaking at the connection…on my side of course.
I have to call the city to see if I need to reset (remove/replace) the meter or if they will. Normally you are responsible for any leak on your side of the meter…but this is actually AT the meter and they usually frown upon homeowners digging up the entire meter/meter box.
Too late to call today, and I really don’t want an emergency disconnect tonight, so we’ll have to see tomorrow.
Somebody gets to play in the mud. I kind of hope it’s not me.
16,000 gallons.
Sheesh.
CUAgain,
Daniel Meyer