It’s Saturday morning. Early Saturday morning. Marcia and I have already been up for a while – drinking coffee, talking, and watching the ‘night-life’ from the sunroom window.

I’ll get a walk in and then pack for travels to Austin, TX. As many already know I’ll be with Vince, Kirstin, and our grandkids as Vince fights his final battle.

A few minutes ago, on Marcia’s police scanner, an EMT ambulance call came through for a person down – 38 year old female with heroin overdose. We commented just how warped this was. Here is Vince, in love with his family and in love with life, who has fought a battle harder than most of us will ever understand just to gain a few precious months, a few precious days, a few precious moments. And this morning a 38 year old slips away voluntarily.

”Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” ~ Rabindranath Tagore

Vince, you’ve added much color to my ‘sky’ even well before my own sunset years. And that color I’ll continue to see through the lives of Derek and Kellen – thank you. And I thank God for your being in my life and making it richer.

Arriving

It’s still less than two weeks since leaving the tranquility, the silence, and the peace of the north woods, I felt it appropriate that before more time flies by to make a status report on life in the city.

Since arriving back at the corner of chaos and mayhem, here’s what our logbook lists:

• *  Coming home Sunday evening October 1st in the first 15-minutes; two EMTs and 1 fire run screamed past our condo.
•  *  Via her emergency scanner radio in less than two weeks, Marcia has counted almost a dozen flipped-car-with-entrapment runs.
• *  A block down the street a neighbor’s (just serviced for a vacation trip) Maserati Levante’s newly installed battery blew up while it was parked in their attached garage. Over $100,000 damage to the house (they’re spending their vacation in a nearby hotel).
• *  Tuesday midafternoon a car was pulled over for a drug bust; 3-marked cruisers and 2-unmarked. This took place immediately next to our property so Marcia could sit on our balcony and watch. Marcia was very impressed with all the plainclothes cops in shorts with their very large strapped-on-their-thigh weapons (at least that is all she talked about).
• *  I have submitted two service requests to the city to rectify problematic conditions. The photo is of a nearby utility box with a snare-like cable protruding. The city is beginning to know me by name.
• *  A neighbor has decided to keep some chickens — in the middle of the city.

I was so ready for some city life, but I’m beginning to re-evaluate my thinking.

Make it a great week everyone, every precious minute of it.

Cheers.

Dirk