joie de vivre

august rainstorms in the desert are dreamy. the rain is warm, yet cool enough to create steam on the sun soaked concrete. they are wild storms that come in an instant, are punctuated with moments of sunshine blindingly bright, they leave, they return.

as a child my street would easily flood during these rains.  we would lay in the gutter letting the rain water full of street matter wash over us.  i was wearing my mother's high school class ring one time i made the brilliant pre-teen decision to lay down in the gutter full of rushing water.  i felt it slip off the finger on my right hand. i feverishly ran down the street ahead of the water and laid perpendicular in the gutter attempting to create a body barricade as which to trap the ring. no such luck. i imagined it went down some storm drain and out out to lake meade.

full of remorse i went home where my mom was. where she always was. i told her what happened. she was not even remotely upset. i felt puzzled at her reaction. now that i have kids of my own, and class ring that gathers dust, the payoff of seeing your kids run, lay and dance in the rain usurps a high school trinket.  mamacita knew this.

Deven 14, Everett 2

excited rain

speaking of high school rings...charly's state ring came in this week. she took state in three events (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and 400 relay), so she could have gotten three state rings.  she was modest and just combined it all into one ring. i do not think she will be so kind if one of her children lose this ring. let me put that on the record for any of my future grandchildren.