| I tried to sleep in this morning, but didn’t make it past 8:00, which is actually pretty early for me when I’m not working.
After breakfast, I devised yesterday’s blog entry and posted it. I’m going to use parts of a two-hour-or-so discussion I had with Jeanie, back in January, in devising her eulogy. To that end, I got out the tape recorder with which I taped the discussion, and when I played it, my heart sank for two reasons: 1) There was something else on the tape, so that I feared that I’d taped over it, and 2) There was a bunch of static when it played, so much so that I couldn’t make out much of what was being said. |
I went upstairs where I thought I might have stored another tape, and when I put that one in, it was the right tape. Whew. However, when that one played, it too, had static so loud that I couldn’t make out what was being said.
I got out some rubbing alcohol and a Q-Tip, with which to clean the heads on the machine. I figured it was the machine, since it was happening with both tapes. I was paranoid that I’d put the tape in after cleaning the heads with the alcohol, and the tape would disintegrate. So I decided I’d put that other tape in (which turned out to be a recording of an IBM meeting I took minutes for), so if it did disintegrate, it would be no big deal. Can you say worry-wort, perseverator?
Right before using the alcohol, I removed the power jack from the machine, and plugged it back in, and tried one more time. The static was gone. Must have been a loose connection or something. Thank goodness.
I spent a couple of hours going through the questions and answers, and gleaned some real gems to use in the eulogy.
I went to the gym at about 3:00. I checked in with Phyllis on the way to make sure she’d gotten my obituary draft last night. She had and thanked me. She also let me know that Jeanie was thinking about me up until the end, which just warms my heart.
It looks like the visitation is going to be just before the service, so everything will take place on Tuesday. The service is at 2:00; so the visitation will probably start at about noon. I also had a few questions for Phyllis that I wanted to know for the eulogy: 1) Had Jeanie ever gone to college, even for just a little while? 2) Rhoda was dead, right? and 3) Is there going to be a reception after the service?
While we were finishing up the conversation, I turned into the gym, where a school bus was stopped, which I totally didn’t see, and as I passed it, the driver leaned on his horn and stayed on it. I had no idea what was going on, and as I turned again (it’s a short driveway kind of area) a woman in an SUV stopped at the stop sign there was yelling like crazy at me. Of course, I had no idea what her problem was.
After it finally dawned on me what her lips were mouthing, I remembered that it was a big yellow vehicle that I passed; I seriously thought it was a truck. It’s too much to go into here describing the area where this took place, but I was entering in a turn lane, and the bus was far enough up the road on the side it was on, that I couldn’t see the front of it, only the side of it. That is to say, I wouldn’t have seen the red lights flashing in the front. Also, I don’t remember seeing that arm swung out, if it was yet.
All in all, after I realized what had happened, it sort of freaked me out, and all of these thoughts went through my mind:
- My god, that could have been an absolute disaster. I could have killed a child.
- Realistically, though, kids were more than likely not going to cross the road there, as the houses that are there are on the same side of the road on which the bus was. If they would have crossed, they would have been going into the shopping center, which is possible of course.
- This is the second “driving incident” in three days. Am I getting too old to drive?
- I have a lot on my mind. I’m talking about one of my best friend’s death, trying to get details to write a good eulogy.
- It’s really not a good idea to be on the phone when you’re driving and have a lot on your mind.
- Why was that woman who was yelling at me so vested in what I had done? She was really screaming like a maniac, and I wondered what lesson that was teaching the kids with her in her car.
- I need to really pay attention while I’m driving, especially over the next few months.
It took me a good 15 or 20 minutes to let go of this, and get into my cardio, which is often a trance-like experience for me.
|
Strength (Crunches) |
10 |
15 |
This was a milestone for sets of crunches; the most I’d done to-date was 8 sets.
|
Cardio (Elliptical Machine) |
60 |
1237 |
Once home, I showered, and headed over to Helios, where I worked on this blog entry, and hung out until meeting Joe at Flex at 9:30.
We played four or so games of free pool, and at close to midnight went over to The Borough, where Joe had quesadillas and I had filet mignon. Just a little something light to eat before bed.