The Writer's Life 7/19 - Procedures

I opened the floating book shop an hour later than usual. As expected, my friend passed her cardiograms with flying colors. Needless to say, she is pissed at her regular doctor's associate, who threw a scare into her without even taking her blood pressure or having enough imagination to discern that a person with a rare neurological disorder is vulnerable to unusual swelling. She underwent the tests so she wouldn't obsess about it, which she tends to do about anything important. It's just another example of how tax-payer money is squandered on unnecessary procedures.

I had a visit from Morty, a retired salesman who recently completed a month of radiation treatment on a growth beneath his jaw. His appetite is returning. He is now able to consume more than Ensure. In fact, he went to the lobby of the apartment building nearby to pick up a flier that had a coupon for a tuna sandwich at Dunkin' Donuts. Finding discounts, saving money, is his passion. I sense he has loads of it stashed away. As he approached he waved a newspaper clipping at me and said: "You thought you'd be able to slip this past me?" It was the article about me from the Bay News.

I had a nice laugh while killing time between customers and well-wishers. An attractive, full-figured blonde passes me every day. She works in a Russian deli nearby. I sense she doesn't speak much English. I'd guess she's in her mid-thirties. She has a pre-teen son but doesn't wear a wedding band. Anyway, she was standing directly across the street on the little traffic island that separates Avenue Z and the short service road that leads onto East 13th, talking on her cell phone. A silver Mercedes pulled up and summoned her. "Lucky dog, he gets to see her naked," I thought. She opened the passenger door, addressed the driver, then quickly closed the door and walked away, toward me. The guy rolled down his window and beseeched her, but she wasn't haven't any of his come-on. She curled her fingers and waved several times without looking back, continuing to speak into her phone. Can't blame a guy for trying. I'm pretty sure I failed totally to repress my smile.

My thanks to the three people who bought books, and to my literary angel January (Victoria) Valentine, who sent me a royalty check for an Amazon sale of Killing. I will also be receiving copies of her romance novel, Love Dreams, as UPS employee Roland shouted that he would be seeing me later. Everyone in the area knows him. He recently took his family to Disney World.

Visit Vic’s sites:
Vic’s Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic’s Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic’s Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic’s 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic’s 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic’s Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f