Time After Time

What happened to this week?

The days of this life stream past much too fast. What happened to my youth when I waited and waited for something to happen?

Hell, for that matter what happened to my middle age?

Now everything happens at once and it is suddenly Friday and I am old and feeling like it.

What did I do with the week? Well, I met with my landlord and talked about the terms of my tenancy.

I walked to the corner store Wed. night around ten and almost got robbed on the way home. A couple of punk Mexican kids came after me. I think one of them had either a knife or a gun in his pocket. The hand was definitely bracing something hidden. I warned them away. Warnings always create smirks on the faces of cowardly punks.

They kept coming. Fortunately I was near the porch of my building and scampered up the steps. I grabbed the lobby phone as they walked past the doors, watching me.

They hustled around the corner. I didn't call the police. They were looking for somebody to mug. I think I'll get a pistol for protection. The area of town I live in is getting sketchier by the day.

I was robbed at gun point about 10 years ago. Mexican punks that time, too.

On the work front, I met with Charles Lucas regarding his art book, which will make a nice addition to RBP's lineup. I think I talked Lucas into reading some of the poems from Cold Eye at the Blackbird Wine Shop reading Oct. 5.

He also promised to shoot the event, stills and video.

Things are happening. They're just happening too damn quickly.

I'm ready for the Blackbird reading though, starting with a short chapter from my memoir A Marvelous Paranoia titled "My First Beer." I think it's funny. We'll see what the crowd thinks, I guess. With a fifteen minute reading slot, I'll also read a pair of my best poems from Cello Music & Other Poems if time allows.

Looking forward to a big weekend of football. Oregon State at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. They are playing a very good Wisconsin team on ESPN, so it might get ugly fast.

My Ducks have Nevada a little later in the day. I see this one, after witnessing last week's Oregon debacle, as a toss up. Nevada was 13 and 1 last season. They have an outstanding coach and good talent.

We'll see.


TS