Eleven and three-quarter time zones away.
I am here and Amy is there. She lays, wounded on the field of battle, on her mother’s couch. Happy that she didn’t break any bones. Yes, this particular outdoor adventure went from the mundane to the spectacular in a split second. Amy (a.k.a. “Whoopie Pie”) is actually one of the safest and most sensible outdoorspersons I know, which is why I love hiking and camping with her. Get well soon!
Happy Birthday Hambone
I was thinking of a post titled “Top Ten Amy Moments” but then it grew to about a hundred, many of them involving hysterical laughter or perhaps quiet reflection at some vista. (The exception being The Incident at Cooper Brook Falls, which was more about me). So it would take all day to write. No matter, I can just *think* them, one at a time, and they reappear in memory as if I had YouTube in my head (which I do).
Amy, thank you for digging dirt with me that time. If I ever need to dig another hole, or perhaps a shallow grave, I know who to call.
Amy, thank you for Western Union. Now we know how.
Amy, thank you for the bon-bon.
Amy, thank you for braiding Julie’s hair all those times.
Stitches and staples
Yes, she is there and I am here. Maybe I am being too coy, too oblique. Make it plain!Amy got her ass whupped on a bike ride, and she is licking her wounds. That’s why the couch figures so prominently in today. Since her mom is a nurse and loves that sort of thing, I picture the day consisting of the smell of baked goods that will nurture her back to health. Presented on a tray with tea (and lemon of course) by a woman with a dusting of flour on her face. For Amy that would be a primal memory. I picture them reading a book together.
How to avoid future pain and suffering
Maybe I should buy her some body armor for her birthday. Just what every girl wants. When they invent body armor that protects your heart from being broken, I will get her some. And maybe for myself as well……
The amy playlist
I can’t send a birthday gift from here in Kathmandu, not now. But in Amy’s honor I will be the DJ of the hour. Here, in no particular order, are tunes I associate with Amy.
Whenever God Shines His Light on Me by Van the Man.
Glycerine. By Bush
Anything by Ani DiFranco, or so it seems
Prettiest Tree on the Mountain, Ben Sollee.
Wagon Wheel, by O.C.M.S.
So Long Ago, by Nanci Griffith
Today While The Blossoms Still Cling to the Vine. https://youtu.be/mNskh83Cptk Maybe not Amy’s fave, but it’s one I associate with Amy.
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