Did anyone see Jeopardy? "The Pointed Desert!" Bzzzt. "The Printed Desert!" Bzzzt.

[cherokeeprogressive]

Next person: "The Pointed Desert!" Bzzzt. "Pointed Desert!" Pat: "No that's wrong no matter how many times you say it."

Third player is jumping out of her shoes the whole time.

[pinboy3niner]

1. LOL!

I'd probably be nervous and flub the answers, too. Probably even worse!

[cherokeeprogressive]

2. How stupid am I? It wasn't Jeopardy... it was Wheel of Fortune! LOLOL

Back in the 80s I was in Naval Hospital Bremerton after having MCL repair on my left knee. My roommate and I watched Jeopardy and Wheel every night for about four nights. He wasn't TOO schmart so he didn't have much to offer during Jeopardy. During Wheel he got pissed every night because I kill at that game.

TWO YEARS LATER...

I'm back at Naval Hospital Bremerton having ACL reconstruction. Same floor, same room, and guess what? SAME ROOMMATE. First thing out of his mouth when he recognized me?

"We ain't watching Wheel of Fortune." We laughed so hard we both had coughing fits.

[pinboy3niner]

3. Ha!

That's funny that you two wound up rooming together again and he quickly set the boundary.

I had an Army hospital roommate who'd been hit by lightning. He was an Infantry company commander, and the bolt struck just after his radio man put up the long antenna. The radio man was killed, and my roommate suffered neurological damage and was knocked down the side of a mountain, breaking his jaw.

The neurological damage was temporary, occasionally affecting his balance and speech. but it took some time to subside. We'd be walking down a corridor and he'd suddenly lurch into the wall. When he was talking, sometimes his words would suddenly start coming out as unintelligible babble--giving him no end of frustration, especially when we were competing to blurt out the correct answer during TV game shows.

We nicknamed him 'Wild Bill.'

[cherokeeprogressive]

4. Funny; and sad. I've had too many Bloody Marys to write about it intelligently tonight but

I had a childhood friend who was struck in the head by a drip-oiler while standing at the bottom of a 20 story elevator shaft. It took off a good chunk of his head over his ear and he was almost perfect afterward except for the occasional memory lapse and "induced" epilepsy.

He's a person I miss almost as much as family members I've lost. In fact, I'm pretty sure the Bloody Mary my Wife made me must have some kind of onion in it cuz I'm getting misty thinking about Dennis.

More tomorrow. XO

[pinboy3niner]

5. R.I.P. Dennis

And all of those we've lost.

[cherokeeprogressive]

6. Promise me you'll someday write a book.

My life and loss pale in your shadow. My three greatest Heroes went there... and now all are gone. I asked my Mom's Brother to please please write down the things he told me and now he's gone too.

We won't have "history" unless someone writes it down.

[malthaussen]

7. Absent friends

and

-- Mal

[pinboy3niner]

8. As we grow older the list grows longer

There was a time when I was convinced I wouldn't live to see 30. Yet here we are.

I'm not religious, but I did have occasion to wonder if I was spared for some higher purpose. I should have gotten over that sooner than I did, after having witnessed the arbitrariness of death.

If I should go tomorrow, I'll die content. I had my fling, and while I'd rather stick around to continue following news and politics--and DU!--I know it has to end sometime.
I just hope that when my time comes, you and all my friends here will know how much I loved you.

[malthaussen]

9. I know what you mean.

Next February, should I be spared, I will hit the big 6-0, which I was sure I'd never see. (Careful, though, I ain't there yet!) One of the first women I ever loved died in '12 at the ripe age of 62, but at least she did know I loved her. And you know, those Dirty Fucking Hippies really were right, love is all that matters.

Love you too, man.

-- Mal