12 Steps.

Hi. 

I'm writing to tell you something

... From the bathtub!

Or, A bathtub. 

I should be running and jumping and throwing, all things like that. 

Physical things. 

But instead I'm just soaking

Soaking in the bathtub. 

Because that's all I can handle right now.

So what had happened was that this morning 

we are getting ready as per the norm and

 I am asking Burger to do all of these things to help get ready

 and, as per usual Burger is doing none of the things I'm asking. 

So mainly I am just talking to myself. 

Talking myself through the actions as I ask Burger to do them. 

Whatever.

Okay then we are ready. 

He asks to wear my sunglasses to pretend to be Cyclops. 

Okay says I. 

Sure.

Then we are locking the door. 

Then Burger is not paying attention to the steps in front of him. 

Then Burger is falling down the steps. 

By my count it was at least 12. 

But in that moment I only saw his 

little eyes connect with mine as he tumbled. 

I was completely helpless. 

I just watched him tumble. 

Just like a young Chevy Chase. 

Surprise in our eyes

Turned to fear, panic and pain

In under 5 seconds. 

Now it is the sound of wailing. 

But it's tinged w fear more than pain. 

My ears tell me this. 

Are you okay!?

ARE YOU OKAY!!!?

Shhhhh, it's okay... Are you hurt?!

Can you move your arms and legs?!

Of course he could. 

He was standing there, smearing his tears all around his cheeks. 

"My Butts on fire" he says.

I'm trying not to puke. 

I'm actually holding it in. 

The last thing this boy needs is to have his dad barf on his boots. 

So now I'm soaking. 

And I'm trying to get rid of the edge I've carried around all day. 

I'm hoping for an edgeless evening.

It's still too early to tell if I'm going to  barf though.

Four Studies. And A Sergio.

Cone Surgery.

Prayer Rag.

A Classic.

An Accident.

A Surge.

Power Bands.

Things happen in a flash.

That is something I have always said.

One minute you are minding your own business.

The next minute you almost chop your arm off.

What happened was that I was closing my truck door, the door to the box.

And I got my arm caught right as the door was slamming down.

Right onto my wrist!!

I thought for sure that I broke my wrist, and this was a "best case scenario".

I really thought I probably had just chopped my hand off at the wrist

and any second the pain would register and I would faint at the sight of a bloody stump.

Squirting blood and bone goo.

Fortunately for me, Burger had long ago slipped some power bracelets onto my arm.

It's true! I watched him do it... kinda.

I was pretty much asleep, but I have a hazy memory....

He really had to work pretty hard at it, 

his tongue was sticking out and everything.

 Because of his hard work I still have my hand.

I truly believe this.

That tiny band of jelly plastic saved me.

It sacrificed itself for the greater good.

(My hand being the greater good in this story.)

So that evening, I was about to put a piece of steak into my mouth

and as I was raising the fork to my mouth I noticed that the yellow power bracelet was broken.

The sight of this broken bracelet almost ruined my appetite for steak.

Almost.

It wasn't until the following morning that I put two and two together

and realized what must have happened.

It's a weird thing how we assign importance to certain items and how we think that 

they might be with us forever. I actually thought I might be buried 

with these bracelets on my wrist.

Who knows? I still have the red one...

 

 

There's A Ball In My Shoe.

This painting was recently destroyed by rain.
I sent it to California and now it will never come back.
ON account of the rain, like I said.
It makes me sad not only because it is awesome, but because I made this while Mama T was cooking the Burger.
And I don't know, it just meant a lot to me.
And now it is gone.

Turn, turn.
Nothing to be done about it now huh?
Accidents happen ad so on, right?

Just some paint and chalk and wood.

That is the thing about art in general.
It is all just materials and ideas when you break it all down.
You need to break it all down.

Or the rain will do it for you.