six things: what counts and what doesn't count

Dear Diary,

or Journal. Or self. Or whoever you are. 1:51 AM is way too early to be out here on 7H porch drinking hot, black coffee in the light breeze and watching a shrimp boat glide back and forth in the far channel of the Bay, under the light of what in a night or two will be a full moon.

Why up so early? Linda warned me when I got in bed at 7:38 PM last evening, but the day's weariness had settled in and there was little alternative. Tuesday we violated our one-thing-a-day rule. We had a great visit to Kristen's classroom, which was our event for the day.

But then we drove out to Office Depot to leave a computer return at FedEx and drop off a box of cellphones going to a charity to provide phones to people in crisis and/or phone cards to soldiers overseas. The computer was a refurbished one I order from Mac-of-all-trades that, from the moment I opened and set it up, would not run five minutes until it cut itself off and rebooted; I gathered, they didn't actually test it before selling it to me, so it cost them my confidence. The cellphones were long years out of service, that I came across while cleaning out a closet of boxes that'd been there the seven and a half years we've lived here at 7H. Turned out the FedEx office at Office Depot can't accept packages with batteries.

So, after shopping at Office Depot, we had to take the computer and phones, all with batteries, out to the FedEx facility on Mosley Drive in Lynn Haven. Fifteen dollars to ship three worthless cellphones to a charity, IDK, but I did it. That's three things now.

Then, ACH!! as long as you're driving on 77 north of Kohl's you'd be foolish not to stop and shop at Tanya's Market. Tomatoes, okra, tiny peas. Tiny lima beans, which I'm going to have either for breakfast or noon dinner today, maybe on a slice of bread and butter. Couple of peaches, and I'm always on the lookout for fig preserves properly put up. Mama used to make fig preserves, and they were good better best of all, far superior to anything anyone else's mother ever made, just the right syrupy and sweet, and the stems pulled off. Sometimes they were picked from the fig trees in our yard, a July event. Anyway, that's four things now.

We hadn't checked the mail at the Main Post Office Downtown, so we drove south on 77 to 4th Street, right onto 4th, across Massalina Bayou, which was old home grounds when I was growing up, to the same Post Office where we stopped for mail all my growing up years, then where I sent letters to Linda most days my freshman year at U Florida.

As long as I'm logging, I might as well recall that when my father and I stopped by the post office back during the late forties and early fifties, while he was in the post office, I always darted across the street to look at the Pontiacs and Cadillacs on the showroom floor at Lloyd Motors,

and pick up any car folders in the rack, that I didn't have. Most of those old folders, brochures, are in my old Model T Ford car trunk here in 7H.

Anyway, when you're a month from your eighty-seventh birthday, going to the post office counts as a Thing, so that's five things. Then on the way home we swung by the end of Harrison Avenue to see if the new Harrison's Restaurant is open yet, nope, but it's looking close, I guess there'll be an announcement. We didn't get out of the car, so that doesn't count.

But. We drove home, took the little purchases from Tanya's up to the refrigerator, noticed that it was 4:03 PM, so lit out for Captain's Table. Why, because they are no longer crowded at opening, at least on Tuesdays, and because we deserved it. And I hadn't had oysters since Sunday. Oysters on the half shell and a whole, stuffed flounder. The flounders are small ones, but it's all good.

Aside of the Heart. Sunday at HNEC was superlative. Lots of children with backpacks; lots of good food, the highlight of which for me was the oyster guy opening cold salty ones AND Fr Steve's oysters roasted on the grill, which were the best cooked oysters I've had in the past eighty-seven years. Come and go with me To my Father's house. It's a big, big house, with lots and lots of room. A big, big table, with lots and lots of food. A big, big yard, where we can play football TOUCHDOWN, Come and go with me, to my Father's house.

Anyway, counting Captain's Table, that was six things yesterday, and by the Time we got home to 7H to stay, exhausted, it was a bit after 5:30.

Back on line to check email, came across one from James Tabor citing a Jacob Berman interview with Professor James David Audlin, neither of whom I'd known of.

The program was over an hour, but it was about Morton Smith and Secret Mark, that I do know, in fact, a favorite personal and classroom subject, so watched that. Good discussion, good questions. Though I have to mind my sources lest I buy into a kook, and though some of it bounced off the wall compared to other scholars and authors, I thoroughly enjoyed the interview and was intrigued by everything Prof Audlin said.

Found him on Amazon and on Academia.edu, and some photos, but couldn't find him on Wikipedia, which rang a bell, but never mind, here's a brief bio

James David Audlin is an American author living in Panama, after previously living in France.

A retired pastor, college professor, and newspaper opinion page editor, he is best known as the author of THE CIRCLE OF LIFE and translator of THE GOSPEL OF JOHN.

He has written about a dozen novels, several full-length plays, several books of stories, a book of essays, a book of poetry, and a book about his adventures in Panama.

Fluent in several languages, he has translated his novel RATS LIVE ON NO EVIL STAR into French (PALINDROME) and Spanish (PALÍNDROMO).

He also is a professional musician who composes, sings, and plays several instruments, though not usually at the same time.

He is married to a Panamanian lady who doesn't read English and so is blissfully ignorant about his weirdly strange books. However his adult daughter and son, who live in Vermont, USA, are aware, and are wary, when a new book comes out.

FOR A FUN, IRREVERENT INTERVIEW with Audlin conducted by fellow author Holly Jahangiri -- http://jahangiri.us/2013/author-inter...

FOR THE SCHOLARS -- https://independent.academia.edu/Jame... (less)

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Got off my dear diary log of what counts that so exhausted me as to have me in bed asleep at 7:38 PM last evening, so up this morning slightly after midnight.

Second mug of hot, black has grown cold; but Life is Good, and it's most pleasant out here in the moonlight.

RSF&PTL