His Eyes

There was fear in them

Which, when you thought about it, made sense

You see, he drank.

He drank hard enough so that the joke

that goes something like this:

Judge Throws Up On His New Suit

One night a district judge went out on a binge and threw up all over his new suit. He came home that night, disrobed then passed out next to his wife. 

The next morning his wife woke him up and asked him what happened to his suit.
"Well," the judge replied, "last night I decided to ride around with the city police while they made a few arrests on some drunk drivers. They loaded a drunk up in the car and he threw up all over me. But don't worry dear, this morning when he comes before me in court, I'll make sure he pays enough to clean my suit."

That morning in court his wife called him up on the telephone. She asked, "John have you run that drunk through court, that threw up on your suit?"
The judge answered, "No."

She replied, "Well you'd better charge him a lot more cause he shit your pants, too."

He drank hard enough, so that it was funny – the joke. 

There Is More...

More than ever needed

And all that anyone could handle

Knowing what's

Enough

Get Happy is still a joy to watch from time to time. However, lately the idea seems to have burnt itself out. As the clip fades, there's a lingering feeling of loss that has somehow been mentally tethered to success... almost as if to equate gain with unhappiness. The forlorn scene resonates a feeling of loss. While what we do or put ourselves through to be successful is no guarantee for feeling happy, doing something is far more satisfying than simply going with the flow. 

I now realize why I like that short. Youth are given an opportunity to experience feelings of happiness and bliss without having to buy into anything. People who forget or do not understand and go on to educate their children in a way that puts a damper on their creativity are all too many. At least, that's what I'm afraid of seeing when I really take the time to look.

Bliss... now that's another familiar story that just happened to fit at the time. Why is anyone's guess.

Dealt

Five cards in his hand.

A voice with that kind of drawl, like the ones from Nowhereville, you know, not so far away from where everything began... yeah, THAT voice.

"Roy! You been dealt your hand." 

Will just looks at the backs of the cards. And says nothing.

Again, that voice..."It's time. You turn 'em over." 


 

 
"One cycle, you understand?"

Will just nods and closes his eyes.

On the left cheek, Will feels the popping sting of the last hand, opens his eyes and looks again. And realizes just how much help they have all been. And smiles.

Part V

Love

Her favorite gift of all was a pair of rabid lovebirds from her father.

 Thanks guys!

Prelude

Well... this is it.

Really. This is the last 'official' post in the series. There were only ever meant to be five.

Why five? 

Five is a peculiar number. Five is found in nature, on a five dollar bill, is the number of digits on most people's hands... fives are all over the place.

Pentamerism

 Five Dollar Greenback

 Five Finger Bird

Part IV

Part IV: 

Life’s Rewards 

What we spend so much time working so hard to acquire can disappear in a way that is summed up quite nicely: a receipt.

Aftermath

Somehow they managed to get to where they were going despite their Dear Navigator 'quitting'.

They unpacked, got the kids and family fed with what had been scored from the deli at C0stco, and then relaxed in the hot spring (part of the hotel package).  When they got back to their rooms, the futons had been laid out.  

At one point, Will tried to apologize for the blowout they'd had on the way in a little earlier that evening. Grandma responded with something that could be translated as “No. Thank you…” – then she kindly suggested that Grandpa and Will go find a little 'extra dinner' somewhere. 

So they, the men, took off.

 

Part III

Part III of the original V

(This blog was only intended to live for a duration of five posts, four of which were written within days of each other. Post III and Post IV were lost.  Twice.  So, here goes, third try at III.)

We, the family, my family, were headed into the big city.

We, the family, were all packed into a vehicle.

Two kids, two in-laws, Wife, and ‘Will’ (me).

Crammed into a vehicle and getting tired. 

Worn a little thin.

Wifey was the designated navigator. She had the map, access to the iPhone, and is native to this land. She can read the signs. At least I thought she fucking could.

We, the family, were packed into a vehicle. Kind of tight. And the vehicle was sandwiched in the middle-lane of the five that were on our side of the concrete divide.

Only half an hour before, it had gone like this:

Wifey: Turn here.

Will: Right or left?

Wifey: Here!

Will: Right or left?!

Wifey: Here!! Right here!!

Another Chapter 4

Chapter 4 gives Embracing Defeat a 'deeper' meaning.


Butt first:

Away on Business…

Starting a family has a tendency to seriously alter a person’s outlook. Fatherhood? 

(Don't get him started...)

Well, it can definitely change the way you see a lot of things. 

(Oh, no. Here we go...)

Take this postcard for example:

I was away. Had gone back to the US for a few weeks in order to take care of obligations. It was my first time away from the kids for more than a day or two. So when I saw the postcard, it reminded me of the little ones left behind. Heck, I thought it was cute.

Well, it was and it wasn’t. Or it is and it isn't.

It was cute until I turned the card over. Took a look at the backside to see that they, those adorable and clueless little faces, are a kind of unwanted fallout, considered one of the biohazards for those who are engaged in that ancient and revered profession. Yes, those are Eurasian orphans, from The occupation, 1950.

 

Eight Days of Darkness

Was it eight days?

Eight days of continuous sleep?

But when people are in that state, they’re not supposed to feel anything, are they? I mean, how could he have been grinding his teeth?

When he opened his eyes, the sheets smelled clean. And an angel stood there.

“Hello. We have to do this. To make it better. It’s okay… might hurt just a little.” 

China is Japan

At least, that's what it looks like. No shit.

They

say

this

is China?

Yet, someone else

 said this

 is Japan.

And gave credit where it was due.

 

Regardless, there's a lot of shit out there.

And some of us are more full of it than others. 

Wutevr...