People

Things are rather slow around here. Josh rehabs in the morning. McKenzie and I go running- scratch that- I go running and McK rides in her stroller. After lunch, we try to take naps and then fill the rest of the day without going insane. There is a reason for the phrase "bored to tears."

Since our life isn't providing much story fodder at the moment, I decided to take a few posts and tell you about some of the people I've met here in Florida. One day I'll use them as characters in a novel. Until then, enjoy meeting some new folks.

The most amusing pair I came in contact with were Jim and Bob- the ushers in the handy-cap section at Ed Smith Stadium. It was the only place I could take McKenzie in her stroller. Jim was a Democrat and Bob a Republican. One was tall and rather skinny with a hawk-like nose. The other resembled Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. His nose was round and bulbous like the rest of him.

They passed the time by betting how many runs and how many hits there would be during the game. Nothing pleased Jim more than beating Bob, as he thought it was high comedy to take money from a Republican. Jim was a deporable flirt. The first time I met him, he came up to me and said, "Are you a player's wife?"

"Yes I am. Is it that obvious?"

"I knew a girl as pretty as you had to be a player's wife."

(Uh-huh...and you are old enough to be my grandfather.)

"Well thank you. And what is your name?"

He turned around and saw his wife standing a few feet away. Stumbling and bumbling he says, "Oh...I am HER husband. I just met you five minutes ago and you are already trying to hit on me," and off he ran.

I just smiled and laughed. What is it with old men?

Bob was not as outwardly flirtatious, but he loved to lean over the rail and yack. He told me all about how he traveled around the world with the State Department. The only reason he and his wife had been married so long, he said, was that for the first 20 years of their marriage they never had to see each other very often. Interesting recipe for marital bliss. He hated long games and whenever they'd go over 2.5 hours he'd start talking about his bubble bath and his glass of wine that was waiting for him at home.

"I just sit there and relax," he said. "My cat comes and sits on the edge of the tub and just stares at me like I'm nuts."

Not quite the mental image I wanted, but laughter is the universal cover-up.

Whenever Jim thought Bob was spending too much time talking to me, he'd come up and say to Bob..."What are you doing?? Are you trying to steal my girlfriend? This is my section."

Bob would just fire off some quip and keep on talking.

I liked Jim and Bob. They were funny old men who laughed a lot and loved to annoy each other. I'm glad I met them. They made me smile.

Tune in next time to hear about our strange neighbor with a white Mercedes and a white Corvette who never goes anywhere and was convinced McKenzie was a little boy.