I told him it was for two reasons.....
First I wanted to know what he thought of the Cardinals hot 17-7 start.
"Oh it's good, but I just don't think they have the horses. The Cubs are gonna catch 'em."
And the second reason I parked my car and walked over to Mikey's corner of the world, ...was to take this picture.
(click on the pic to enlarge Mikey, he'd appreciate that)
Staring at this photo made me feel so good. There's something so reassuring about a shade tree, like you can smell the greeness.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine those two men standing or sitting there on hotter days...shootin' the breeze.
Mikey and that old timer are always either shooting the breeze with each other, or shooting the breeze with idiots like me.
ReplyDeleteThat tree....it's a sign cat, a sign. Spring is finally springing!
He kinda reminds me of a bookseller I used to know when I lived in St. Louis, Pat Dunaway. He was an encyclopedia on baseball. Thought the home-run kings were ruining the game, Lou Gehrig was his favourite player, and 'twas he first told me the local novelist at my school, Stanley Elkin, was dying of Gehrig's disease. Mikey could be Pat.
ReplyDeleteCheers.
Hi buddy. What a gorgeous day here. What the hell am I doing at my office at 4:30 on a Sunday? I gotta be soft in the head.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Mikey's a baseball savant. I've written so much about the guy I figured I should take his picture. Truth be told, I find him to be an inspiration. That's a tough racket these days, ...the newspaper business. But he keeps coming to work, day in and day out, rain or shine. Sort of like Gehrig, now that you mention it. Another Iron Man.
Imagine what those Yankee fans thought when they heard the news. "What the hell is ALS? It won't keep him out of the lineup will it?"
Sad story that. There are plenty of people, like your man Dunaway, who think Lou was the greatest of all time.
Mikey sounds like one of Nature's Gentlemen.
ReplyDeleteMy brother drove the Da in for his transfusion on Wednesday. We know when he's really out of sorts -- he starts going on about Dev. [Eamon DeValera]. He hated the man ... passionately. Anyway, Dev was supposed to have said, "when I desire to know what the Irish people need I just have to look into my heart." The Da said, 'it would've been more in his line to look up his own arse; he'd have got more valuable information.'
Oh you won't hear me take issue with the Da. He says Dev was a tool, then I'm going with that. I don't know enough about the history outside the conventional wisdom...treaty, civil war, FF, neutrality in WWII etc.
ReplyDeleteSounds like my grandfather, James Rogers,my mom's dad from Dromore West (greenlegsandjam tells me it's spelled...An Droim Mór Thiar)
would have gotten on well with your dad. As long as the Da didn't mind cigar smoke, and Hamms beer.
Transfusion went OK I trust? Regards to himself for me please...
Yes, regards passed on.
ReplyDeleteHe's losing a lot of blood. The count was down to 6.5 last week. I found him on his knees beside the bed at 4.00am, gasping for air. We were lucky we got him in when we did. It's a round-the-clock vigil now. He thinks it was a stomach blow during boxing days that's now recurring! Says he was ever only hurt once in the gut, a low blow. That's not it, as we know.
He's on so many drugs now even the drugs he's taking are on drugs.
That ge&h conversation is surreal.
It's a damn good think you happened to awaken at 4 my friend. A very scary thought, kneeling at the bedside gasping....that's gotta suck.
ReplyDeleteI'm heading for home. Early morning tomorrow. Finally business is picking up.
I never sleep.
ReplyDeleteGlad business is good.
okay here's the deal, the guy's face is wide open, an invitation to friends and strangers alike. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to pause and shoot the breeze with him and be the better for it. ya gotta pay attention but every city and town's got guys like this, good guys with a little passion and a lot of common sense. when you're lucky enough to have one in your life, on a regular basis, it's like having an anchor, a mooring, someplace you can go and touch base. my guy's a counterman I see most days, can't get past that counter in under six, eight minutes. he's got a voice like an opera singer, basso profundo, but likes the horses and the women. it feels good to trade jabs with him, keeps me on my toes.
ReplyDeleteHe is a rock Michael. As we were shooting the bull, he asked me why I had my little camera. Told him I was planning on taking his pic, and actually explained that I had blogged about him.
ReplyDeleteHe couldn't figure out why I would have 2 words to say about little old him, never mind why I'd want to take his picture.
Mikey doesn't understand that he's a fixture for us. He's just living his life & minding his business. Gotta love guys like that. Like you said, everyone needs people like this in their life. I love Mikey, but don't tell him I said so.
You have to try out this sleeping business bud. It's very refreshing.
ReplyDeleteBusiness isn't great, but I'm surviving...so far.
Eventually I do konk out, usually propped up with pen in hand, scribbling the devil's script on the bedcovers ... Haven't had a decent night's sleep since that fateful day.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I got a good night's sleep for at least a year after my world changed. Can't force yourself to sleep that's for sure. But (wagging finger at you) I want to at least try bud. The body will break down if we don't rest the ponies from time to time.
ReplyDeleteWell, I got nuthin' whatever worthwhile to add, but count me as glad there are Mikeys in the world, and spring is indeed welcome too. New "boundary waters" coming out soon? I remember reading somewhere you're not supposed to get close enough to the wolverines to take pictures...
ReplyDeleteJG: The transfusions and drugs remind me of my grandfather's long illness, but he was always just an obstinate prick, not a fighter. Good luck.
As soon as I took that pic of Mikey the Cardinals have...well, I won't even say it. I will point out that Ankeil did almost break his friggin neck on the left field wall last night. Did you see it? Carted him away in an ambulence.
ReplyDeleteThe photographer who took that wolverine pic escaped with practically all of his limbs.
I'm working on Pt 4 now. The rainstorm day....
K,
ReplyDeleteHe's a fighter alright. He's been hanging on valiantly, but now we fear the worst.
As I said before, my dad's my muse and my hero.
Spring! Our maple trees are pushing out little bitty leaves...all pale and shiny...and the lilac bushes are making leaves, too. I don't think they're going to bloom till June, though. The flower bud clusters are only about an inch wide, and maybe maybe two inches long.
ReplyDeleteOur cherry trees are blossoming. It's very pretty here. I love the blossoms against the mist from the rain and drizzle.
Also our tulips are blooming. The daffodils are still out, but fading...they came a couple of weeks late this year.
If I could have a wish, it would be that the temperature never exceeds 80 the entire summer.