Cunning, Slithery Things

What he wants is not the issue. He's greedy and he's spoiled. He could be made to want almost anything.
-Philippa Gregory
"The Other Boleyn Girl"
While at the Inn of the Anasazi in Santa Fe, New Mexico last month (August 2010) there were short stories provided by my bedside pillow each night. Here is one of the stories:
The Spotted Deer
There is a telling about Coyote's meddlesome ways. One day, Deer Woman and her fawns were out gathering wood. Coyote sat beside the train and watched while they tied the wood in bundles. Then he said, "Friend Deer Woman, how is it that your children are so prettily spotted?"
"Oh, that is from sitting around the fire," said Deer Woman. "When it burns, this cedar shoots out little sparks that light on their backs and make those spots."
So Coyote gathered a bundle of cedar and took it home on his back. That night, he build a big fire and told his children to sit close in a circle. The sparks began to hump from the fire and fall on the young coyote's backs.
"The fire burns us," they whispered.
"Sit still," scolded Coyote, "if you want to have pretty spots like the fawns."
But the longer they sat, the more the sparks burned, until their crying was too much even for Coyote to listen to.
And that is how it happened that the coyote's coat looks singed to this very day.
Twenty five years ago today:
September 30, 1985
Monday

This morning I chose to take Helen’s advice and decided NOT to go to work. I stayed in bed until about 11AM. Leonard left at 7:30AM. He’s on the go a lot. I am not sure about him at times. I want to be his friend ‘and stuff’ but he’s so busy. I can’t complain because he does make time to see me. He’s cool. He does make the time to call me, too.

I stayed at mom’s house for most of the day. Ashley learned how to say “Mike” today, too! It’s a neat feeling inside me to hear her little voice say my name “Mike”.

I went to the gym at 5:30PM. I was signing the register and saw Perillo’s name just above my name! Leonard was there. Rachelle was going to be there, too.

Earlier today, Dale called me and then called Rachelle. Dale had me listen in on their private call. Yes, Dale’s up to his old tricks again. He is trying to get on my good side (or so he thinks) by doing these cunning, slithery things like eavesdropping. Anyway, I heard Rachelle tell Dale that I had called her about a week ago for no apparent reason.
Rachelle said, “He just wanted to talk.”
I was remembering when I had called. The reality of the call was with regard to my two missing chess pieces. I know she has them. She’s such a snob. I hate her little games. Her way to keep our tie unbroken is to hold on to items that belong to me. I rarely relate to her anymore.

I was surprised when Rachelle said to Dale, “Kurt and I haven’t made love but he’s at the point where he wants to.”
Kurt is the long-hair guy she’s been seeing. Yuck.

After working out at the gym I saw Leonard. We talked and he does seem to know a lot of people at the gym. I noticed him speaking to a number of gym members. Hmm…anyway.

Rachelle spoke with me while I was at the gym, too. She left rather early.

Leonard and I ended up going to The Velvet Creamery for a bite. The service was lousy. I made a few sarcastic remarks that I probably shouldn’t have. I will miss Leonard when he is away in Europe for the next twenty days.
Leonard insisted, “I will call you before I leave.”
We shall see.
Each of us has our personal legend to fulfill, and that is all. It doesn't matter if other people support us or criticize us, or ignore us, or put up with us--we are doing it because that is our destiny on this earth, and the found of all joy.
-Paulo Coelho
"Genghis Khan and His Falcon"