Pillar of Strength

Pillar of Strength
The weekend started off horribly with a two hour commute home in the pouring rain. The last mile of the commute was spent with an SUV driving ass clown riding on my bumper with his high beams and floods on. I arrived home to my loving family - my personal pillar of strength - to hugs, kisses, meows and purrs. Jenne sorts through the days mail and contemplates handing me the rolled and crinkled envelope from Ofoto.

It contains 8x10s for a client that they want to give as Christmas presents. I open the envelope - which is marked "DO NOT BEND, PHOTOS INSIDE" - and the family portraits are in as bad a shape as the envelope. The bad day at work, the awful commute, the ass clown SUV driver and now this. I curse and damn the postal carrier and the postal dis-service to hell. I use every iteration of the F word known in the English language and I think I invent one or two more. The F word really is the most versatile of words. My hands fly into the wall in frustration and aggravation. A small piece of art falls to the floor. Fortunately it does not break and neither do my hands. After a hot shower I calm down and dress. The rest of the weekend goes much better. Jenne and I go to dinner at the Forest Diner and then go home to watch a movie. Saturday I go to the post office to take care of business. I remind myself that the people behind the counter are not responsible and they are there to help me (that's called optimism). The lady behind the counter turns out to be very helpful and understanding. She gives me a claim form, shows me what I need to fill out and says that I will receive a money order to cover the damages. She also assures me that the carrier will be spoken to about the proper care of packages, especially since mine was clearly marked (although in text that is a little small) that photos were inside. I return home and Jenne and I clean house and then I play video games the rest of the afternoon. That evening we go to the Grace Company Christmas Party – Jenne’s employer – held at the ESPN Zone in Baltimore. Free food, free beer, free wine and free video games from seven thirty through midnight! I’m not driving so I get blitzed and play all kinds of games. We get home and in bed around 1:00 AM. Sunday I get up for breakfast with God at 8:00 AM (too early) and upon returning home I return to bed for another three hours. Jenne and I Christmas shop, listen to the Raven’s game on the radio as we drive from store to store. We make out the Christmas cards and watch the end of the game and at eight I watch a new Simpsons’ episode. We’re exhausted from the weekend’s activities and head to bed. Five thirty AM any morning comes too early, Monday’s especially, but as I am gathering up my wallet and keys I notice a piece of mail that I haven’t opened. I don’t recognize the return address of Mr. Tom Akins. Inside I find a check from the Margaret Smith Gallery for my gallery show sales. It’s a much larger check than I expect for the four pieces that sold. On the check is a list of my FIVE sales! Five sales? I know of four sales. When did a fifth happen? I sold the 16x20” piece Pillar of Strength (pictured above) and the gallery never told me, nor do I know who bought it! Wasn't anyone I know. I wish I could wake up every Monday to this kind of good news.