The thing that they never talk about when they talk about the homeless from what I can remember, is the boredom. When you’re not begging in one spot you’re looking for another and time slows to a crawl. If you get lucky and somebody throws a ten bill at you, you can wallow for a while behind the booze store, sleep for another while, wake up and go back at it again. Things gotta change.

It was never gonna be this way. I had Tanya and little Summer and I couldn’t be happier. Sure, Summer wasn’t mine and she didn’t know that but that made no difference to me. She loved me and I loved her. I met her mom on the bus-she was headed to the motel where she worked cleaning rooms and I was at a construction site nearby. Weird how some folks just click sometimes…

We moved in after a few of what people would call ‘dates’. An ice cream here, a trip to the zoo there-I think we both did the math in our heads and realized one rent was way better than two. Those six months before I wrecked my back were the best of my life.

No money coming in from me meant that I was on my way out. That’s how it happens sometimes. I got a bit better, sleeping in bushes in parks and working light labor jobs for $5 an hour. Things finally started turning around when I met Mr. Turner. He spotted me outside that Lowe’s place and asked if I was good with sod. “Sure”, I said. I figured my back was strong enough to handle whatever he had in mind.

The fancy place we ended up at was outside of town at a huge estate. He has me doing work right at the edge of the property that is next to a forest. A good man Mr. Turner is. It’s been four days now and I’ve got a bit of money in these old jeans and am giving serious thought to giving Tanya a call. I shared this with the boss and he even offered to drive me over! Things are finally turning around. There he is now. I’ll just lay these last few pieces of sod to show him how hard I’m working. He’s the kind of guy that doesn’t take offense if you turn your back to him while on task…

TO THE GAME!

Chiefs/Seahawks:

Should be good. You should indulge your eyebulbs.

Let’s fling verbal poop at each other.