" 9 9 D A R V O N ! "

The Spring came early in Southern Illinois , but that was to be expected in 1961. Actually in that part of our world it seemed like there were only two seasons,Summer and Winter.Kind of like the people around me,they were young or they were old.

First let me tell you about a young one.

Ken Galloway splashed onto my life at the top of the stairs by the pool room.
I was headed over to the hospital to catch some early lunch on my day off,as it was
close to pay day and my money was close to nothing.The Sun shining through the
windows of the pool room illuminated a young man who I was sure was new to the
barracks... Immediately I was impressed by his sparkling black eyes below wavy raven hair,above a bright, confident smile. Unlike my usual associates, Ken seemed to be racing toward the future instead of evading his past.
As we started to stuff ourselves in the hospital Dining room, an old one plodded over to our table. It was Wayne Sayer. Wayne always reminded me of a character in " The Maltese Falcon ". You know one of those Humphrey Bogart films. The Character was a portly man of about 50 , in a dirty white tropical suit, always mopping his brow with a dirty white handkerchief... Well of course Wayne was only just maybe 24, but he was portly, with thinning blond hair, and light blue eyes set in a pasty white face.

Inklings I had gleaned of Wayne's pre-Air Forcelife included a hint at how he had been thrown out of a very liberal Ohio college for something like moral turpitude... However,as he had developed great typing skills the Air Force made him a clerk in my Hospital.If I had known what the term "SNOB" meant in those days, I would have known he was one.He claimed to have a photo graphic memory and that was why he was always spouting erudite quotes.I must admit though, he did encourage some of my initial interests in English Literature and Social Science. And of course drinking cheap wine at the laundromat, but that's another story...

When Sunny Miller told me he was 25,it came to me that was why he had already lived! He had been a Golden Gloves Champ in Kentucky before he was an oil well roustabout in Louisiana.And now days really old women, in their forties and fifties,took him out on dates.And they bought him really expensive English leather shoes and Things like big 100% wool overcoats...Sunny was a bit over six feet tall, with dark brown hair in a waxed,one inch high crew cut. His nose evidenced having been broken more than once, but strangely it still had a sharp tip? Of course he had a jaw that was square, like two bricks side by side.

Sunny and Wayne made up Two fifths of the Gang of Five that I had worked hard to become an integral part of.Ken was an occasional satellite of the gang who had achieved a non-harassment status.

I never saw Astrid before I came to the Dining Room one evening to swallow quickly and digest later.Evenings on the Surgical unit were like a hundred yard race,that taking more than twelve minutes to eat could cause me to loose...

I can only try to describe her. She was doe like in affect,only her brown eyes seemed to beam intelligent understanding of each individual.When she spoke to me, it was like no one else existed.Her figure was spare , but there was no doubt as to her feminine gender. She and Ken had just about finished as I sat , so there was
not much more time than would be polite after an introduction.As she and Ken returned their trays and sauntered out,the physical poise of a ballet dancer came to mind.

In time I learned that she had studied dance prior to her service entry and that she was a little older than Ken...

As May turned into July, and then the end of August, Ken seemed happy
with the '56 Ford someone had willed him,Astrid and his life.When the Gang of Five
went adventuring in search of that wonderful adrenalin rush that smashed boredom,
Ken was not among us.

Labor Day was on Friday, it rained steadily.Saturday it was dully overcast
with intermittent drizzle...Sunday was golden yellow bright! Having slept late, as I was able to do in my disturbed youth, I wandered down to the day room to check under the couch cushions for loose change. Often times lifting a dozen cushions
could reward the searcher with more than a Dollar! More than enough to get some breakfast out of the snack machines on the ground floor.Like any other addiction the adrenalin habit often left the addict unashamedly broke.

Before I could lift a cushion, I heard the phone ring in the hallway.
I wasted no time in answering it because who could say what opportunity for gain it
could lead to? There was to be no gain... Instead it was to be a burden. Sunny Miller was on the phone. He asked me if Ken was around? I advised I had not seen him yet today , but that I would slide down to his room and see if he was in.

Lucky Sunny was calling from the Emergency Room where he had what I thought was a cushy job.He often would regale the Gang with tales of his work that were either interestingly gory or that of sexual innuendo in content. Often,I was jealous of the technical skills the Docs were teaching him , like sewing up wounds or putting on plaster casts and the like.

Returning to the phone I told Sunny Ken was no where to be seen.Sunny's voice seemed to crack,as he intoned the serious message I had to deliver to the youth
we both wished we were.

Around One Thirty, I knocked on Ken's door and got no answer again. As I
turned to leave, Ken came through the back door a few steps from his room. The usual
big smile was all over his face,as I felt only pain, he said " Hey!You looking
for me Wolf?!!"I fumbled for a way to start.And I said"Have you talked to Astrid
lately ?" Ken said he had not seen her for a few days because they had " sort of broke up." Even though it was quiet in the hallway , I thought it would go better in his room. And it would bye me time to put the words together.Ken had his key out already so in a moment I was sitting in his chair and he had agreed to sit on his bed.Ken volunteered that when last he spoke to Astrid,She had playfully asked him
that if she were pregnant would he marry her? He asked her if she was? And she said no! It's just a hypothetical ! Ha!Ha!! Just kidding,you know...

Feeling very old, I said " Ken I have to tell you what happened..."
It seems that yesterday evening Astrid made her bed,took a bath,put on a clean uniform,laid down on her bed and swallowed 99 DARVON .....
Then as two old men , we cried...

2 0 0 8 New Years Resolutions

Well here we go again ! A new year and another Birthday...

This year I'm going to do the seldom. I'm going to resolve a few things.

I had a list of maybe five , but all I can remember now are the first two .

They are important to me though, and so I'll list them.

Number one is to overcome , and be done with my latest addiction; Computer Solitaire.

Soon I'll be 67 , and I have precious little time left on this sphere. So anyway up

until December thirty first , for about six months, I have been actually getting high on it !

At first, I told my self that I was just trying to repeat my one time only perfect score

of 12000... Albeit, recently I stopped lying to myself and had the conscious realization

that I was being derelict to my duty to family, self and home because I wanted to play

more than anything much else.....

So , so far so good I hope I played my last game ever on the thirty first, and here it is the third

and I haven't fallen off the wagon yet . It's whispering to me , but I know that resistance is

not futile. I've beaten addictions before.

I did try to obtain the easy way out ( As I always do ) but Marge refused to delete the game .


Okay, Number Two on the list is equally difficult for me. I want to start some exercises with

weights and some calisthenics too. My birthday is in the wings so I'm going to wait

until I recover from that . Not to worry, I'll get to it soon enough...



Numbers three, four and five are unclear at the moment, but if I see ' 09 , I'm sure you will find

that I have addressed them !


Happy ! New Year !! From R a y The Nurse