Friday, October 23, 2026

     When I am 18 before going to college, my father hires me to be his assistant in leading a large group of pilgrims to visit Majorca, Spain and various European cities. I am mostly responsible for not losing people or luggage during the 6 week trip. We have two buses and use several different hotels each night. I tie ribbons on luggage so they got to the right hotels and I kept track of stragglers. I find bathrooms for the travelers and keep them boarding the right buses. Maybe he realizes my special skill is getting things done. We actually lose one person who slips away on a drinking binge. We don’t lose any luggage.

     After several hours of attempts to sleep I turn on the lights and sit up in my blue recliner. I can’t force myself to fall asleep. So I check my computer apps, plat computer solitaire, and then read a current New Yorker until my body decides sleep might be an option.

     Most of the Thursday is cloudy and cool until the rain starts. I never go outside, always a mistake. Walking outside is therapeutic for me. Cloudy cold morning today.  Seagulls squawking in the distance.

     In the evening, I am home alone. I watch an episode of YOUTH, looks promising and then another episode of the older series, MAJOR CRIMES. I continue to read EXIT PARTY, a very complicated novel. I get confused with the various names of the characters. My roommate focuses on the upcoming local election. I watch the national predictions on TV. At this point all news is just filler material as we hold our breath for the real results of the election. The incompetent president keeps up with his lies.