6 snippets from a weekend

1. Trucknutz. Three times now. Again on I-40 I picked up this clown at Sallisaw and lost him at the Ft. Smith turnoff. Same black truck, same B&D taillights, same big ol' swinging nuts under the bumper hitch.

2. A man pulled up next to me on I-40 just as I turned east. Lingered long enough at 80 mph to cause me to look over at him. What is that thing men do where they flick their tongues between the upside down V of their fingers? I mean, I know what they're doing, but crimifuckinitly, is it an invitation? I wish I could look stern or hateful in response, but it always just makes me laugh because it's so stupid. Did he really think that upon seeing his tongue performance, I'd be overcome with lust, roar off at the next exit, fling myself from the car in a heat and sprawl in the grass to await his ministrations?

3. Hit two auctions, and didn't buy everything in the building. Bought what I need and only at good prices. If you noticed a little dizziness and an unsettled feeling late last night and again this evening, that was the earth stopping its spin momentarily as I checked out and did not overspend. Miracles happen, it's true.

4.Second auction, a guy grabbed me by the arm and said "have you been coming here long?" I said yes, for years. He said "wow, did you, um . . . have you lost a lot of weight?" I said yes. He said "man, you look amazing! Candy and I were trying to figure out if you were the same person. You just look great." To which I could only say "well thank you, honey, I sure feel better." Compliments are fast and furious with active weight loss but when it levels out, they slow or vanish. Sigh. It was nice to be reminded.

5. Went to Ft. Smith alone as Mike was still kind of puny from the cold he caught after the awful thing he had last week. I had a CD called "Last Party" and was playing disco at top volume, drinking coffee, speeding along in my little car unmolested until I saw Mr. Big Testicles. But it was a blast and it reminded me of the person I used to be, the one who'd get out of the Houston bars at 3 a.m. and head to New Orleans on a whim, the one who'd drive to Chicago for no reason, would head to Galveston in the middle of the night. I love my sweetie with all my heart, but it was a little bittersweet to think of the way my life used to be.

Of course most of that was when I was drinking, so there were also times when I'd go to the bars and end up in places I'd not planned with individuals I'd not met (in lucidity, anyway), so I'm not complaining. There's just something wonderful about being alone and free and on the road.

6. Thanks to all of you for the kind words about my papa and for sharing your own experiences with dementia/alzheimers. I know it is an increasingly common problem and it helps so much to hear the experiences of others. Thank you.