Not on a portion of the windshield which the wipers could reach...exactly an inch and a half outside the wiper's sweep. This means the bird, with some serious gastric problems, had to climb to the very edge of the longest frailest limb overhanging our driveway - the limb I've been meaning to cut down - and let fly.
There was only one shot at hitting the bull’s-eye.
I wouldn't be so fixated on bird droppings except the exact same thing happened yesterday, only in larger proportions. Yesterday at least I had time to wash it away before church...today I was in a hurry. The bird poop came along for the ride all day...which was fitting I suppose.
I walked into the office to hear police scrambling to find four little thugs at least one of whom shot a 9 month old baby twice...while the baby was in his mother's arms.
Of course "Mom" was out at 2:30 in the morning...in one of the worst parts of town.
Sometimes even in pools of innocent red blood you can still see a lot of gray.
Police know the name of several of the suspects...one is "Chuy Loco"...he's 14 years old.
Welcome to Monday.
The other big news story was the type which I live for when I'm tired...a story which can be shared between markets. It was an easy story too - the first day of school. I changed a few words and the same newscast - or at least the lead story - could be used on nine stations.
I left work with a 9 month old boy on my mind and a 14 year old punk gnawing at my gut.
I was tired. There was no time for a nap, even if I could have cleared my mind.
Amy had a doctor's appointment across town in less than 2 hours.
I suddenly remembered I needed to call Chase and ask them if they had tracked down the information they swore they'd provide me with about the 7.99% interest rate they promised me five months ago.
Now their story had changed again. Chase denied being able to track down that information, denied ever promising to provide the information, and informed me I would have to "fax them proof" of their promise. At that moment, part of me wished I were Chuy Loco and put no value on human life.
I let the latest apologist at Chase get to me...I took down names, dropped names, mentioned lawsuits and made a passing reference to basic decency...all of which the woman at Chase deftly ignored.
Amy drove us to the doctor's appointment as I continued to interrogate the woman over the phone...taking names which two weeks ago Chase said were impossible to track down, getting addresses, dates and phone numbers.
Yeah...I let her further ruin my mood.
This particular doctor Amy had an appointment with is something of a wandering shaman...I'm really not sure where his office is, but today it was at "the hospital where it's impossible to park." Amy hurriedly hopped out of the car because she had to be "admitted" to the hospital in order to visit the doctor. I shook my head at that absurdity and circled the lot looking for a parking spot...for 30 minutes with no luck. Apparently this hospital is like a roach motel...you check in but you never check out.
I gave up the search and left the hospital grounds. I found a random place to park a half mile away before I realized it was more like a mile and a half away. I turned around to head back to the car and immediately stepped in a hole...full of mud... I was wearing sandals.
I wasn't surprised. There are 14 year old boys with guns named Chuy Loco in the world.
I got back to the hospital where there was still no parking but eventually I did manage to locate a spot in a nearby parking garage. 40 minutes had passed since Amy exited the car.
I walked into the hospital...one foot squishing with mud and found Amy still waiting in admitting.
We were both frustrated...but moments before we would have blown a gasket some guy who didn't speak came in and led us to the 8th floor where the gypsy doctor was headquartered for the day. My foot was still muddy and squishy.
The visit with the doc was good...he was great...very understanding...in absolutely no rush and we left with a game plan which Amy and I were both excited about. We decided to go get Amy's prescriptions filled, forget our frustrations and maybe rent a movie on the way home.
Our regular pharmacy - at Sam's - was "out" of one of the primary medications Amy needed so I took that prescription to Walgreen's intending to let Amy shop for food while I got the meds and rented a movie. Walgreen's was out of the medication too. Two other nearby Walgreen's also did not have any.
I went to the huge grocery store across the street which boasts it has everything anyone could ever need. The pharmacist there told me they never carry that particular drug.
I wasn't surprised...remember Chuy?
I headed to yet another pharmacy, across from a nearby hospital which is a first stop for throngs of people who have barely stepped off the operating table...this pharmacy didn't carry the medication either.
It was 98 degrees but it felt like 112 in the shade. I was sweaty and frustrated and still pretty ticked at Chase.
I gave up and went to fetch Amy who I found waiting outside Sam's - that was a bad sign - Amy has never left a store knowing I was on my way. I always have to at least enter the store and start to whine before we begin to make moves toward an exit. Today she had assumed I would return much sooner so she stood out in the heat, worried and waited.
I broke the news that the one medication she needed was seemingly impossible to get, but I vowed we would find a pharmacy that carried it. We drove in search of a "new" pharmacy we both believed had recently opened down the road....we both were wrong....it wasn't there. Finally after driving by far too many gas stations advertising their "cheapest" gas at $2.45 a gallon we opted to go home and continue the hunt via the phone.
15 minutes later, Amy located one pharmacy not too far away from us that promised it had the medicine. I went to fetch it, plus some dinner.
I succeeded at both.
Still I was dog tired and a 14 year old name Chuy Loco was still on the loose.
There are only two solutions to this day:
1 - Spend what little time is left cuddled up with Amy watching mindless TV - we never did find time to rent a movie.
2- Point you toward this completely mindless flash game...
You see I worry about you too...you may have woken up with bird crap on your windshield.
So escape for a bit...it's fun and addictive.
The day wasn't as bad as it seemed...I promise.
The baby pulled through...he's going to be fine.
