The Daily {W}Rite December 2o15 WK o3

"I'm gonna write a three page blog about you!" I told David this as he was giving me shit about something. He look a bit scared but it didn't stop him from stirring the controversy.

David: Where would you like to go for coffee?
Woodie: Oh, I don't care.
David: We could go to the Gray Owl . . . oh! You don't like them because they are too expensive.
Woodie: They are.
David: Let's see . . . how about Second Wind?
Woodie: How about the Old School Bagels?
David: Okay. (David starts driving)
Woodie: Where you going? This isn't the way to Old School.
David: I thought you said Second Wind.
Woodie: No, I said Old School Bagel. (Pause) But we can go to Second Wind.
David: Okay. (David starts to turn the car around)
Woodie Where the hell are you going now?
David: You said Old School Bagel.
Woodie: Yes, but after that I said . . . never mind. Lets go to Old School Bagel.
David: Okay.

Earlier today. Woodie walks out of his apartment and gets in David's car. He is wearing his shorts that resemble the American flag.

David: Those are some very loud, patriotic short you got on!
Woodie: They're the same shorts I've worn to the gym all month.
David: Hmmmm. They sure are bright!
Woodie: Well, I'm wearing a brand new blue sweat-shirt.
David: Maybe the sweat shirt draws attention to the shorts being so loud.
Woodie: Yeah, Maybe.
David: Hmmmm. Alright.

It was a good day. The sun shinning but not to bright . . . I got through my workout and didn't die. The landlord surprised me with a message on my phone: Exterminators tomorrow. I called and told him that my house was a big mess. Could the guys do it Monday? No, the exterminator company picks the date and that's the date we have to do it. He did say not to worry about it. He'd give me at least a week's notice next month. Thanks, Kirk!

Thursday, December 17, 2o15
My need for nicotine gum outweighed our desire for a trip to OU's art museum. So, off we went on an adventure we didn't plan. A quick stop at the post office to mail off some retirement fund papers, a few minutes to flirt with the very clean looking blond student working at Starbucks: "What's your major?" "French," she said. "Ugh, French!  I hate the word, 'croissant.' Why can't they just say 'crescent'?" She doesn't get it and I feel my face burning red. I gotta stop flirting with young woman, or I need to work on my material. I don't feel to bad because David's not making smooth with the two ladys at the post office. "Yeah, they put whipped cream on my drink! I didn't want whipped cream. Then they tried to take it off, and guess what happened?"

I tracked my sister down as soon as we got inside Walmart. She's excited about going to see Star Wars on Monday. I almost forgot that I was taking her. My birthday treat for her. But I pretended that I didn't forget and that I was all psyched up about us going. She ran off to take care of some malfunction at a cash register, and what was suppose to be a short trip to Walmart to get nicotine gum turned into a full fledge shopping run. "Oh, yeah, I need muffens, and coffee and . . ."

On the way home David and I make plans about tomorrow. Star Wars, man! 10:30 a.m. showing! We'll be up by 8:30 and on the road by 9:45. May the force be with us.


Friday, December 18, 2015
Up by 8:30 and call the "Old Man." Conversation went something like: OM: (answers phone. Silence.) Woodie: You up? OM: (silence) Woodie: (louder) Hey! You awake?! OM: (mumbles something) Woodie: Are you okay? Are you up? OM: Mumble, mumble, mumble . . . Woodie: Wake-up! OM: I tried to put out the fire . . . but the flames . . . Woodie: WHAT?! OM: I'll pick you up at 9:45. (hangs up phone)

I'm always nervous when we go to movies. What if we are late and don't get to see the previews? What if the show we want to see is sold our or, even worse, what if it's so crowed the only seat I can get is in the first fucking row?! Yeah, that's the normal thoughts that goes through my mind anytime we go to a movie. But Star Wars?! frigging' Star Wars?! Hell! I was freakin'! But my freak out was premature because there were plenty of seats, not much in the way of a crowd at all. How was
Star Wars, You ask? IT WAS AWESOME!!!

Sunday, December 20, 2o15

Today was David Slemmon's birthday. I tried to do something particularly special for him today, But as is par for my life my plans didn't work out. I called him last night and said that tomorrow being that its his birthday we would do what ever he wanted to do. Anything. Well, we first he thought it'd be nice to go bowling . . . but . . . we got there and we were both hesitant to give it a shot because the last time we bowled . . . it laid both of us up for about three days. Then he suggested just going to the gym. I think I frowned, and that made him change his mind. So, we decided to go have coffee and decide . . . and by the time we got done with that (we actually had smoothies not coffee) we both were tuckered out! I got to laugh at us. But we did have to go out to dinner with his kids at six so it was best that we called it a day.

Here's the thing. David is my best friend. Well, I hope we are best friends to each other. I know he's good to me. He looks out for me, he makes sure I get out of the house once in a while. When I need to go to the grocery store or to the doctors, the dentist or to a movie David always drives me. I'm not sure what I do for him. All I know is that he has been there for me all the time. So, though I couldn't do anything special for him to day, I hope he understands that he's my friend and I wish him a happy day today.

Monday, December 21, 2o15

My sister. She's a grandmother. But mention going to see Star Wars and she blossoms like a moon size grin on the face of a six year old. But before we can go, I have to get the three overflowing  bags of Christmas presents she bought me and climb them up the stairs to my little apartment. Oh, and there was also A BIG Spider-Man cutout too. My sister is "a giver." She loves Christmas, and she really loves giving presents! But enough of that! We gotta movie to see. Yes, I already saw it, and YES I really didn't think much of it. But my sister got stiffed on a birthday movie date with one of her grandchildren, and although she didn't make a fuss about it, I knew when we talked on the phone that it hurt her a bit. So, hey, even a coldhearted bastard like myself likes to do something NICE for someone as decent as my sister . . . well, once in awhile. {smiles}

There's a part in the movie where one of the "good guys" gets killed. Sorry, I'm not going tell you anymore than that. But when it happened, I looked over to see my sister's response. She had her right hand over her mouth and it looked like she might cry! I remember as a kid back in the 50's when we got our first family TV. It was maybe 10 or 15 inches. Not sure. When you turned it on, there was this white dim light that would come on around the screen. At the time this was really cool. We were the only family on the block with a "halo" around the TV screen. My dad was real proud of it. He invited all the neighbors over to see it. THEY were impressed!

Anyway, one movie we kids loved to watch was King Kong (1933). And Channel 9 in L.A. would show it all the time. And every time King Kong climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and the airplanes shot him and he fell to the ground . . . dead . . .  my sister would bawl! EVERY SINGLE TIME. And of course, my brother and I would laugh at her, and my mom would chew us out for making fun of her. "Leave your sister alone. She's the Woods with a heart," mom would say to us. And that's true. My sister has a big heart. And though I don't always show it openly because that's my "man thing," I guess, I do appreciate how caring she is to everybody.