Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

to you and yours

Ashes & Snow-Feather to Fire, C to Sleep

C-Money is an unfettered electrical wire of lean muscle mass, all-teasing frenetic energy, sparkling laughter between air karate chops, basketball dunks, spot-on mimicry and whatever other lightening speed feats of body or mind that erupt forth. C-Money holds comic court. And he is funny, light years beyond a quick wit and consequently somedays very, very tiring. I tell him, "Boy, you must have exhausted your mother."

Today C-Money queried me on my musical preference. "You like all kinds of music, right? Right?" as he blasted a selection of rap from his cell phone. "How 'bout this, LeLe? How 'bout this?" C-Money was bouncing-off-the-ceiling hyper and after ten minutes of dj C, I'd had enough.

"C, watch this." I gave him my cell phone. A few frames into Gregory Colbert's profoundly beautiful Ashes & Snow-Feather to Fire on You Tube he whispered, "Wow, LeLe..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSX444hQ5Vo

Six minutes later he was asleep.

from The Lot
LAFF

One Noisy Bus Ride

This morning the bus was full of loud, laughing, screaming, testifying women, just'a conversatin'. No quiet, reflective time on the metro this morning. My cell phone even rang a couple of times adding to the ruckus. Floating above the fray were these words...

Eskimos student loans heavy winter coats

bad cars create bad credit

bus routes Jesus bills

trucks & babies & grand babies Christmas!

respect get your money

baby showers weddings baby mamas

They bounced off the bus, their laughter tumbling down the steps before them.

Rolla is looking for a place to stay for a couple of weeks until his rental is ready. He asked if I had an available room. Without missing a beat I explained that I just moved all my stuff out of storage and my house was completely filled until I get things sorted and given away or sold. Otherwise, I'd be happy to help.

And he thinks he's the only one who can tell a smooth untruth. That little white lie rolled off of my tongue like a pad of soft butter down the side of a pile of hot pancakes. Living with a rattle snake would be less hassle than sharing a small space with Rolla!

Cheers

LAFF

Rolla'firmations

By the time I got to work at 9, High Rolla was already there, pumped and well on the way to selling a car by 11:00. These were his Rolla'firmations throughout the day, all delivered with gleeful abandon:

The master is back!

I'm back with a vengeance.

I'm gonna bust some chops today.

Tell him, he doesn't want to get in a fight with me.

Man, I'm f***ing good - I can lie with a straight face!

Rolla, Rolla, Rolla...slow your Rolla!

...from The Lot

LAFF

Rumor Confirmed: The Rolla's Back

Well, it's true. The Rolla's back with tall Texas tales of Car Salesman of the Month victories and such. "But," he says, "the little lady didn't care for it," and shrugs drawing deep on his cigarette. He sizes up the Green Peas, the new salesmen. No competition there, I could sense him concluding. I watched him pacing in front of his old desk until he finally figured he'd take the Senator's vacant desk rather than boot a new guy out of his old one. Gee, that's mighty kind of you, Rolla.

Yep, the Rolla's back in town and ready to bust some chops.

Cheers!

LAFF

A Rumor

Rumor has it that High Rolla is headed back to The Lot. Four months ago he said he was packing it in and heading to Texas. He’d had enough of this place. But he never really left because The Guys spend countless hours mimicking his unique accent, which is some odd blend of New York Bronx, Old World Mafia ala The Godfather, and New England Yankee. A thin, wiry fellow, he's as scrappy a car salesman as you'll ever meet. Would elbow you out of the way to get to a customer. A real character who swore - if given enough time and attention on my part - he could cure me of my liberal leanings with the help of the Drudge Report.

So, looks like I may I have his conservative proclamations to look forward to….just as Palin is beginning her book tour. Oh, jeez, say it ain’t so!

LAFF

Veteran's Day

Today I visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial, a short walk from the Metro Transit Terminal...a day of remembering loved ones lost.

www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/index.php

God Bless the Grandmothers

Today I sold a car to a young military man who is deploying tomorrow morning. He wanted something safe for his mom to drive until his return in six months. She will be staying with his daughters, 7 and 11 years old. He’s been home only eight weeks.

God bless the grandmothers.

My friends wonder how I am able to do this job. The reasons change from day to day, hour to hour. But this particular morning it is men like this that compel me to show up: his earnestness, efficiency, and his unflinching commitment to family and country. It’s the very least I can do to help him find a safe vehicle his babies and mother as quickly and painlessly as possible. As we chatted, my heart was heavy for his mother I made her laugh while sensing the unspoken terror of watching her baby, a part of her body, her very heart, leave for dangerous regions unknown to her. And he does so without complaint. Politics pale in the face of the human pain of war.

God bless the mothers and the grandmothers.

LAFF

Good Luck, You'll Need it

Conversation overheard on the bus:

He said: Just tell him to come and get it.

pause

pause

He said: Tell him it's not running and he has to fix it.

pause

pause

pause

He said: Yeah, I know, I know. But tell him you haven't had it but a week.

pause

He said: Yeah but you ain't even made your first payment.

pause

pause

He said: Yeah, okay, call me back...

pause

I said to myself: Good luck on that one, buddy. Your gonna need it.

Cheers

LAFF

Another Missed Bus

Well, I missed my bus this morning! Nothing is more irritating than to see it just roll by with no appreciation for the struggle it takes to get out of the house and to the bus stop in time.

But lucky me: it's Soul Music morning at Will's Lobby Bar. Brother Al Green, Marvin and Tammy, The Four Tops and Earth, Wind and Fire. Sooth my soul then.

So what if I missed my bus...there will be another one soon.

Cheers!

LAFF