Oughta’ Be Easy

-

I was alone at the hot tub on Friday morning. 

Unfortunately, I had to hobble to get there, my knee still howling, but I looked up and around. 

A bird moving across a bright blue sky. A palm tree. Beach chairs. My phone…

…way over there.

Nothing much to think about. 

And my favorite part about this particular spot is that the hot tub is amazing and the pool is better.

A young girl jumped into the pool and did a lap. An older woman, who appeared to be her coach, had a stopwatch. When the kid got to the other side, the coach yelled out:

“13 seconds.”

I watched for a long while. Each lap was between 12 seconds and 15 seconds. The young girl wasn’t even breathing hard.

A little while later, I asked Kathy to time me as I made a lap. I took off, but 5 seconds later, while under water, I started laughing.

It was hard to swim with a messed up knee. I kept going though.

“26 seconds,” Kathy announced as I popped up on the other side.

“Damn, I’m old.”

I’ve read for hours. On the chair. Tub to pool. Made steak on the grill.

And I thought about that flash of time in the tub.

“Life can be easy.”

I considered what I’d normally be doing on a work day.

The tub is easier.

(Side note: I wrapped up the knee and took a couple of Aleve - don’t wanna’ jinx it - but I might be all right).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Buddy, Dave

-
Way back in 1997, I started working with a steel erection company out of Syracuse. I was coming straight from a long stint with a steel erector here in Buffalo so I knew my stuff when it came to steel erection safety rules. On day one, I met with the safety director and he was just getting started as a safety guy, but man, he certainly cared about the guys he worked with. Dave was a good man from the start. He’d say things like: “You’re so full of beans.” Just a down to earth, hardworking guy who became a fast friend. We drove all around New York State setting up jobs. I always let Dave drive so that I could rest. One fine day, way up North of Syracuse, we passed a state trooper.  I glanced at the speedometer. “You’re screwed,” I said, and seconds later, the lights came on. Dave was beside himself.  The cop stopped by the window, grabbed the license and registration and headed back to his vehicle. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “You’re pissed, but you’re such a good guy that I be...
Read more

Mom & Ollie

-
Image
 Ollie Stadium is a mess. The heavy rains rendered the backyard a mud pit and even though we threw in the side yard, the Big O was looking for more, and we were both covered in mud. I had to take some steam out of him somehow so I suggested we go visit Grandma. Ollie hates the car, but he laid quietly as we made the trip. We even brought the football because there is plenty of room to play at Grandma’s. Mom opened the door and started laughing. I thought about the love she had for every single dog we ever had. Oliver was quick to give my Mom a kiss, and then he stood beside her. The love between Mom and Dogs is a mutual bond. Through the years, Mom would make breakfast for the dogs.  Fried eggs, toast, bacon… She would wrap Christmas gifts for them. “To Jeter, Love Santa,” she would write on the cards. They played with the big chicken that made a lot of noise. Mom tossed the football and Ollie brought it back to her. As the visit drew to a close I headed for the door.  “C...
Read more

Eyes on the Horizon

-
Image
My sister’s book is out there! Go get it!! It makes me so proud to see the book on Amazon, knowing that it’s very, very great! It’s been a long, long time since we were out in California, brainstorming my stories long before they were published. Carrie Lynn was writing, writing and writing some more through the years and I kept telling her… …”Go for it!” Well, she did!  To amazing results. Of course I was able to read the book as it was being put together, but I ordered a copy from Amazon yesterday and can’t wait to read it again. The shoe is on the other foot now as I have been sitting on a lot of my writing lately. I plan on getting it out there before the end of 2024, but for now: Carrie takes center stage! And it’s so great… …go get a copy!
Read more