Monthly Archives: September 2020

We met Mom & Jim in Fort Scott on Saturday, The day was gorgeous and so were they! We bought homemade goodies at a farmer’s market, drank coffee on the back patio of Common Grounds, toured the original fort (pictured above), and ate dinner at Luther’s BBQ. Visits like this are bittersweet for me during the pandemic. I don’t know when I’ll feel normal outside of my own zip code again, but we’ll keep working towards it, and my family will keep the home fires burning.

Today I said “see ya” to my Homer’s Coffeehouse co-workers for the last time as a barista. It’s weird to think that I’m really done pulling shots, steaming milk, playing rainy songs on rainy days, listening to everyone’s stories like a bartender, saying “are you getting your usual?” to a regular, kicking out the trouble makers, consoling the wounded ones, and basically keeping the peace. Jim Mathis hired me in 2004 to work the afternoon shift, and everything that happened during those sixteen years has been a source of comfort and torture… but I guess that’s just the human experience for those of us lucky enough to go through it with eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts that wear holes in our sleeves. Homer’s will open without me next Monday, and that’s ok.

We went for a walk last Saturday near 103rd and Metcalf and saw this little painted rock by the trail. I threw caution to the wind and picked it up with my bare hands– the clean wipes and hand sanitizer were back in the glove box where we parked Jenny’s car. I turned it over and saw this…When I looked up the Facebook group I saw even MORE little rocks!This is way cooler than the pet rock fad that I remember from the 1970′s. No one is selling these things, they’re just placing them strategically around the metro for people to find. Megan Murphy started The Kindness Rocks Project in 2015.  There’s something earthy and spiritual happening here… especially when you can find a rock like this–

Wow! A whole lot has happened in to the last 10 days! A new job, transitioning out of my old jobs, dogs and cats living together… MASS HYSTERIA! Ok, ok, that last part is from Ghostbusters, but it could also apply to our neighbor Barb who has an old dog (Daphne) getting used to the new cat (Slash). Anyway all of these changes feel like 92 sardines trying to fit into a can that only hold 58! I just have to be patient I guess. I’ve talked to a handful of Covid-19 victims on my new job, and gotten their information for the local health department. That picture above is not a Covid-19 patient though, that’s Tony. He’s an old friend from Homer’s who video called me after I bought a headset.

Hmmm… hickory vs. pizza? I think the 9-year-old me would have grabbed the one on the right, but if that choice were still around today I’d go for the hickory. I found this on retroist.com. Apparently Hunt’s pizza flavored catsup was only around for a few years in the 1960′s. Oh well… that’s amoré.

Jenny’s family visited KC this weekend and brought down some stuff they didn’t want anymore like this dynamite, excuse me– DynOmite beach towel! Jenny thinks Andi got it from their parents, and Dean and Thelma probably got it at a church district assembly. I might call Andi later and find out, but right now I just like the idea of my in-laws talking to a sales clerk and saying “This towel is ok, but don’t you have any more Jimmie Walker towels? Those are the ones that really say ‘DYNO-MIIIIITE!’”

Holy cow this little guitar feels like a Tiger By The Tail and all it has to do is Act Naturally, that’s right I’m talking about another one of Joe’s little guitars that I nicknamed Buck after Buck Owens. I’ve watched enough episodes of Hee Haw to recognize that red white and blue beauty anywhere!