Friday, March 14, 2003

Shine

My CDs from amazon.con didn't arrive today, either. But the check from the insurance company's appraisal did, and the sun was out on a clear and mild blue sky day, so after stopping at a d'angelos for steak and cheese and double mushrooms with ketchup, mayo and pickles on half a pita (in many ways the perfect sandwich, best eaten in huge waxy swallows off the top of the pita mouth) while the car got lubed next door, we drove north to Putney, Vermont, and Ray's Auto Body, into the bright snow lining the highways like fluorescent lights around the bathroom mirror.

The grandparent mobile lurked brightly in the afternoon sun at the lot where Darcie dropped me off. The glint was uneven, of course, new parts on the right showing off in the sun while their older brothers on the left hid their scratches under 38 thousand miles of dirt and bugs, winters and summers. But somehow the car, for so long my grandfather's, felt right in a way it hadn't before. Maybe it just seems more mine now that we've been in a major accident together -- if there's one thing I've learned several times over, it's that stress brings out strong emotional attachments.

I signed the insurance check over to Ray himself and drove downstate towards Brattleboro and, soon after, Massachusetts and home. Stopped off for a crossword puzzle and free latte from Ginny at Mocha Joes. Bought two old Spenser books at the used bookstore a bit father down the street, and finally found Darcie a Sea Otter puppet from the Folkmanis collection at Beadniks, a funky bead-and-things store with a huge yellow paper mache sun in the window. Browsed the racks of the new Turn It Up directly above MJ's head, picking up Trey's solo album and Dolly Parton's hardly country Little Sparrow for eight bucks apiece. The latter has a bluegrass cover of Collective Soul's Shine not to be believed.

Drove home. Parked the second car behind the first in the driveway for the first time in three weeks. Played peekaboo across the crib with Willow and Darcie until they went down for their nap. Took a picture of the sun going down. Here it is.




Winter sunset over NMH dorms Rikert and Wallace

posted by boyhowdy | 5:11 PM |

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