Like An Upside Down Lawn Mower

"The first 90 years go by pretty fast... then one day.. you wake up and you realize that you're not 81 anymore... and then you begin to count the minutes instead of the days... and you realize that pretty soon you'll be gone... FOREVER... and that ALL YOU HAVE ARE THE EXPERIENCES. That's IT JOHNNY! Don't you see? THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO EVERYTHING!
THE EXPERIENCES!"

-Burgess Meredith in "Grumpy Old Men"

The other night, while driving back from a pancake house with Dustin and Mitch, I encountered a potentially dangerous situation. It was around 3 AM and we were in Dustin's brother's truck (a GIANT Dodge RAM, complete with a lift kit and 36" tires). We had just pulled into a residential neighborhood when a strange truck aggressively pulled up behind us and began honking. Thinking there might be something wrong with our truck, we stopped and cracked the window. Like lightning, a shady guy came shuffling towards us with his hands buried deep in his pockets. His voice was quiet and his eyes were cold. At first he seemed to approach us with intent, but upon discovering 3 of us in the truck, he soon backed off and began to rant on about how he "lives in Guthrie" and is "working construction on his dad's house" and needed "gas money to get home". Throughout the story his right hand stayed buried in his pocket.

Now... the good part.

Dustin couldn't really see the guy because our truck was so tall. Also, he couldn't move much because he was wearing a life-size BEAR SUIT from shooting a scene in our latest film at the pancake house. Mitch was also in costume, wearing REALLY BIG EYEBROWS and a weird FAKE MOUSTACHE.

Due to the time of night, the stranger's aggressive driving maneuvers, and the bizarre disposition of his character, had there only been one of us in the truck, we believe this guy's intention was to mug the driver. HOWEVER, when he finally got a look at the cargo... which looked a lot like THIS:

our little mystery man quickly changed his strategy to BEGGING for money
instead of TAKING IT.

I wish Mitch would've spoken in a serious, baritone voice and said:
"Hey there Buddy. Wanna join the party?"

I only wish I knew what that guy was thinking when he drove away.

i miss you.

i wish you were sitting on the porch next to me,
knitting,
reading,
singing,
drinking,
or even staring at nothing.

i wish you were in my passenger seat,
shoulder to shoulder,
telling me that
"i'm going the wrong way"
or to
"drive into the ravine".

i wish
you were throwing things at me
or
tugging at my sleeve.

and i wish that we were writing
together,
painting the wall to match the wood grain,
and making things

that

matter.

making things.

that are ridiculous.

together

i wish i had
access to your mind.
every now and then

and a window
to watch it work

no matter how reckless
and
destructive you deem it.

sigh

I suppose,
above all,
I just miss YOU.

i love you, friend.
jg

Sometimes there are days when I watch it fall a part.
And sometimes there are days when I find pieces
behind the door,
that I didn't even know were missing.

Working overtime.

Building something.
Building nothing.

I tell ya...
sometimes I find myself
not only wanting help,
but really NEEDING it.

But most times you reach for that red phone,
it ain't even plugged in.

And you have to accept that help might never come. 

And that there's nothing you can do about it.

And that the only options are to
curl up and die
or pick yourself up...

and keep hammering away at the void.

Well, keep hammering away my friend.
There's not a minute to spare.

Grab the nails, kids.
Storm's a brewin'.

Today, I rented both a grizzly bear costume and a
private wedding chapel.

I played a little music,
ate some grapes,
and did the dishes.

I also mailed some letters,
placed a black tarp over my future garden,
drank tea,
and played a little more music.

And thanks to that pleasant, bubblegum flavored circle,
I spent some time reminiscing Chewels,

Tidal Wave,

and Pillsbury Food Sticks. Ahhhh. Pillsbury Food Sticks. Such Memories.

Wait a second... I don't remember Pillsbury Foodsticks. FOOD STICKS?
I didn't eat Pillsbury Food Sticks. I don't even know what they are.

Food Sticks? What's a food stick? And what are the ingredients?
Let's check...

Hmmm. Sounds pretty good.