Yesterday morning he tossed our newspaper in the only 4-inch-deep puddle in our front yard. One foot in any direction and he would have missed the deep water completely. This rain puddle was part of the 12 inches dumped on North Texas by Tropical Storm Bill as he pushed across the state. The paper was in a plastic sleeve, but the end was open, so the water rushed in creating a dripping, soggy mass of recycled paper and printer's ink.
Refusing to be denied our daily dose of up-to-the-minute news, King and I spread the sheets all along the cabinet tops, washer and dryer in the laundry room. After plugging in my hair dryer, we took turns every time we passed by at the boring job of blow-drying the pages -- a job only slightly more stimulating that watching paint dry.
Yes, I know today's hepcats have electronic information available 24/7 on various devices. King and I could read our morning paper on the computer, I-pad or Smart Phone. But we're old-fashioned. We like to sit at the breakfast table and divide the paper into sections. He begins with Sports, and I choose Life and Arts. We trade back and forth until every word is read. King even reads the classifieds. Not me. There I draw the line. I'm not seeking a job, a boat, a cutting horse or a supply of Mary Kay.
King cannot start his day until he knows how the Astros' game ended. Also vital to him are the current levels of all the area lakes and which species of fish are biting. I search for any item about the Cowboys or the Rangers, as well as what's happening at Bass Hall. I'm compelled to complete all three crossword puzzles, the Jumble and the Scram-lets before I undertake chores and errands.
By late evening, when the paper was dry enough to read, we discovered the ink had bled into a blurry mess. The only thing legible was the headlines. These included:
- Governor Abbott approves $800 million for border security
- TCU falls to Vanderbilt
- Cowboys face summer without Dez
- Trump boasts wealth as he launches a presidential run
- Former minister goes to trial for sexual assault of a child
Quote for today:
Love, not time, heals all wounds. ~ Andy Rooney
No comments:
Post a Comment