It’s been a strange couple of weeks. As many know, I hit a deer in my wife’s Subaru at 45 mph last week and I want to thank everyone who inquired as to my health. I must admit to a new respect for the vehicle given the impact in proportion to the damage. The insurance company and the body shop have done a wonderful job cleaning up this mishap. We’re now driving a loaner Jeep Grand which eats gas like our dog K eats biscuits. All it needs is a missle launcher to complete its massive appearence.

I also want to thank Kent Robbins for coming to my aide after I toilet-rolled a newly installed redoak floor with a 200 or so pound belt sander. It takes a special skill to sand a hardwood floor and K dropped everything and drove in next day and sanded the whole kitchen in a matter of hours with the belt, super edger, and buff sander. It only took me a few hours more to rag on a nice Provincial stain. In addition, my daughter’s friend A had to be rushed to the clinic by my wife for a long wait over horrible stomach pains. Lots of good deeds as the world crumbles on larger scales.

In addition, someone stole our Ned Lamont sign from the front of the house, the first political sign I’ve been proud to display. My wife heard a a car door slam at midnight and a car peel away. Next morning the sign was gone. Another knock against Joe Lieberman in my book. Just silly.

The company one keeps does matter. How we magnetize can change the earth’s rotation. (Yet another reason why poetry matters.) I know this intimately.