Marty's Recent Observatiions

As a lot of you are already well aware, I do stuff. If you aren't already aware, let me be the first to tell you. I do stuff. But it's not the doing stuff that is important. (At least not for purposes of this. Actually for whatever purposes the stuff probably is irrelevant and not important.) It's the things that I observe while doing this stuff that matters. Whether it be dull and mundane or hilarious, I observe a lot of things throughout my day. We all do. I just happen to be better at it than you. So that's why I'm here, to tell you about my recent observations. Most of which are boring and mundane.

Observation 1: 

Truck drivers are nice. I was traveling out to Mendon the other day. I saw the niceness of truck drivers first hand. It was in a rural area, so I was the only other car around, except for two trucks. Here is the 411. 

There is this intersection. The east to west traffic, no stop sign. The north to south traffic has a stop sign. There was this semi with two trailers sitting at the stop sign. He was traveling north and waiting to go straight through the stop sign. What he was waiting for was another semi with two trailers. He was traveling east. Here is where the problem comes in. The semi traveling east wanted to turn right at the intersection. He'd have to made a wide right turn. The sign on the back of his trailer reading "Wide Right Turns" was forcing him to. He doesn't want to get busted for false advertisement. The semi going straight was in his way though. So what happened? I'll tell you next week. 

Actually I'll just tell you now. If I make you wait you'll just go to the Marty's Weblog Spoiler site and read about what happened before I get to tell you. 

That semi going straight backed up about 200 feet and let the the other semi turn. Then I got to thinking. Why didn't the semi going straight just go across the intersection instead of backing up? There were no cars in the way. Now I don't know whether truck drives are nice or jerks. On on hand, maybe the driver going straight said, 'here buddy, let me back up and get out of your way'. On the other hand, maybe the driver turning right said, 'yeah, you are going to need to back up and get the hell out of my way so I can turn'. I just don't know. This is one of those in-answerable questions where it doesn't really matter what the answer is. Yet the answer couldn't matter more. 

Observation 2:

Have any of you noticed the change in uniforms at Wal*Mart? The change actually occurred quite awhile ago. I remember when it did. I knew someone that worked their during the change and they were ecstatic when the change took place. Really, that's the kind of crap you get excited about? That's how I remember the Wal*Mart uniform change. A time that I remembered that I know a lot of idiots. 

I never really noticed the change until yesterday. Now I have a problem with the change. If you didn't know, everyone now wears these dark navy blue polo shirts. There isn't even a big logo or anything to distinguish them. It's just a small embroidered Wal*Mart emblem over the breast. They blend in with everyone. It's confusing. 

People now think that everyone wearing a polo shirt works there. I know because I saw it first hand a while ago. I watch as some lady asked two people within in 15 seconds if they knew where something was. Both replied that they didn't work here. That lady seemed surprised and puzzled both times. What were these two wearing? Polo shirts. One was dark red and the other was a pale yellow. Not even close to Wal*Mart colors, but how was this lady supposed to know they didn't work there? You can't tell anymore.

The greatest part is when this other lady came over and told her that she thinks that guy down there works here. She went and asked him if he knew where her item was. She got the same answer that she got from the other two men. At least she got the color right this time. Or she would have had they not changed the uniform color. This guy was wearing a light blue polo. The color of the old Wal*Mart uniforms. Of course they are dark navy blue now.

I can't get used to the color change. Yesterday I saw some guy organizing toothpaste on the shelve. It was the weirdest thing I ever saw. Turns out the toothpaste organizer worked there. 

Observation 3:

Opening the doors for girls, an act that should be encouraged. It can go too far though. I witnessed door opening gone too far the other day while at Jamba Juice. 

This kid was walking in. There was a girl behind him. He opened the door, only he didn't walk in. He stepped out of the way and held the door open as the girl behind him walked in. What is that? This guy is an idiot. 

Actually that didn't happen. No it did happen, but it should have happened. What should have happened is that I shouldn't... Nevermind, just act like this paragraph and the one before it don't exist. 

Opening car doors for girls, I'm a fan of it. I don't do it, but I'm a fan. I'm such a big fan of it I'll clap occasionally when I see. I saw something at Jamba Juice the other day that didn't make me want to clap. In fact I wanted to boo and tell this guy he sucked. I could have punched him in the face and not thought twice about it. He deserved it, he's an idiot. 

Let me just say this to all the fellas out there. If she is driving, do not under any circumstances, ever open her door. In fact, don't even walk on the drivers side of the car just to stay safe. 

Sadly I was never able to give this kid that advice. He instead made himself look like a complete idiot. First he stood behind the girl as she unlocked the driver's door. Then she had to step to the side as he opened the door. She got in and then he had to walk around to the passenger side 

It was the most pathetic thing I've ever seen. The most pathetic part is that this kid is going to keep doing it. So please, if you see this kid, shoot him. In fact shoot any guy you see opening the driver's door for a lady. Actually not just a lady, shoot him no matter who he is opening the door for.* You don't have to kill him, just injure him. If you want you can just shoot them with a tranquilizer dart. 

And for all the ladies out there. If you are driving and some guy opens your door. Just drive away while he is walking to the passenger side. It's for the best. He wasn't worth it anyway. 

*Disclaimer: There is one, and only one, instance where it is all right for a guy to open the driver's door for someone. That is if the person is sloppy drunk and has trouble getting into the car by themselves. In fact, you should probably go help them get the drunk person in the car.


There you have it. All my observations of the last month.

My Pants Depression

Great. I see Awkland is throwing another party. Talk about Suck Fest '08. Do they not remember how bad Suck Fest '07 was? Talk about losers. 

Pants. We've all worn them at one time or another. Some of us wear better pants than others. I'm talking to you Chet, you're pants are just terrible. But sometimes pants do more than just cover your legs. They cover your life in a shroud. It's like that black smoke from Lost, except without the cool noise. 


That's what my life was like as far back as October. It was one great depression. I couldn't figure it out. Nothing had changed. Why was I now suffering this great depression? Then about a month ago I heard a bird singing when I woke up, I didn't know it at the time, but that bird was the answer to all my questions. 

I have this tradition. I just started it this year. The first time I hear a bird singing in the morning, it's my sign to break out the shorts for the year. Exactly one week after I hear the bird, the shorts come out. That's my tradition. I broke that tradition this year, so I guess technically that's not a tradition as I have yet to do it even once. 

I couldn't wait the one week as tradition dictates. Two days after hearing that bird sing, the shorts came out of the closet. (They aren't gay or anything, they just literally came out of the closet.)

My whole changed that day. It was the old me again. I felt alive, free and happy. People could stand my company, a step up from the usual detestation feeling people get when I'm around. 

It was the shorts, it had to be. Nothing else was different. In a way, shorts saved my life. It was only a matter of time until those pants enveloped every fiber of my being and slowly began to suffocate me. My pants were out to kill me.

I know it's still kind of cold outside. People look at me funny as I walk around campus. I assume it's because I'm wearing shorts, but that probably isn't it. Stop looking at me though. Look at my shorts. They saved my life. They should be give a medal of some sort. People should be congratulating them. So go ahead, feel free to shake my shorts hand when you see me. They deserve it. 

As for me, semi-enjoy my company while you can, because in 6 or 7 more months the detestable me comes back. Hopefully the birds come early next year. Before the pants kill me

I missed a lot of crap, so I had to go back and find it.

Got 120 grand just laying around? Like little kids? This is for you. Aren't they scared that some rich pedophile may come along and buy this place? That would just be a concern of mine. 

I hesitated to show this. I seriously thought about buying it and I didn't want to attract any other buyers. Then I thought about it. I don't believe that this thing has never been used. If it's never been used why is the price marked down $2,000? You say the person it was purchased for died 2 days after it was delivered. Couldn't you just send it back and tell them the person died, we don't need it anymore? I think they'd take it back. I believe that this thing was used. I believe that whoever this thing was purchased for died sitting in this thing. Why else would you knock the price down $2,000?

I see you bought a hole punch, gold pen and had some extra guitar picks lying around. This is a joke right?

Rest assured that if I had one of these, I certainly would be playing it and not lending it out to some little kid to put his dirty little hands on.

You can just buy one of these?

Exersaucer? How is the kid getting exercise while using this?

Very good shape and only used for one season? This translates into, my kid sucked at soccer. My favorite part is how she acts like taking a picture would be a nuisance. But she guesses she could get around to it if you wanted one. Just from this one comment alone, I can safely say this lady is 220 plus and her kid is overweight as well.

Nothing wrong with this. Except the fact that you can't put it anywhere because it would scare the crap out of whoever looked at it. Plus it's just ugly.

Let your kid live in style with the Eddie Bauer baby collection. Piece one.(comes with seat cushion) and here is piece number two.

What the hell is a Doula? If you have to explain what exactly it is that you are selling, you shouldn't be selling it. Couldn't you just read a book and get the same thing out it that this lady would tell you? It sounds like all this lady did was read a book.

Would anyone really pay $600 for this? I could buy an HDTiVo for $600. If I had the choice between an HDTiVo and this piece of junk, I'm going with the TiVo every time.

Now this is more like it. Only $500 for this piece of junk. I'll pay that, screw the TiVo.

Someone's grandma died.

I thought this guy was an idiot. Apparently there is some truth behind the fact that using the DVD player shortens the life span of your XBox. Who knew?

As opposed to those fake push mowers.

Wouldn't going from a four person table to a six be an upgrade? You are trying to screw someone over with this trade. Why don't you just sell the table and buy a new one? 

Does your child love imaginary play? I guess this lady's kids were idiots and didn't like imaginary play, so they never used this. 

Uphill bike not included.

No one just gives away a hot tub. You will always be able to get at least $50 for a hot tub. There has to something wrong with this. Maybe that old person died in this instead of on the Jazzy.

This guy needs a chain saw. Nothing wrong with that. He also has a really nice laundry detergent. That's cool. I don't see how the two are connected, but that's cool. The weird thing is that he seems to have a three year supply of this detergent just sitting around. 

I love that someone bought this. Then they kept it in the box thinking that it would skyrocket in value. Well congratulations, you netted yourself $20 for your 20 year investment. (I'm assuming this thing couldn't have been more than $5.) Couldn't you have made more by putting $20 in the bank? You probably should have just put it in the bank since no one is going to buy this. This is what we call a bad investment. 

He's trying to raise money so he can put an add in the paper that says "I'm a huge nerd." Over 200? That's a worse investment that they guy with the Sid doll.

I wouldn't really call that a minor problem. My time is worth money. The time it would take me to go push the button again is worth around $800. I'll just go buy a new washer.

What Is This 'S'? / More youtube stuff

People are still trying to sell their 'S' and I'm still here to let know what that 'S' is.  

Do you need to have your next family event video taped, but you only know how to build bathrooms? This used to be America's number one problem, ahead of bears even. Not any more. This Guy is here to solve, what used to be, one of America's biggest problems.  

This poster doesn't get how making money works. 

Apparently there is a lot of plus size girls graduating this year. This is the second one in two weeks. Or this is the same one. Either way, someone help a girl out.  

I don't get this. How do people get themselves in a financial situation where selling there car for $375 is a necessity? I'm sure the car is worth more than that. No hurry on buying the car though. As long as you buy it before November 21st at 5 pm, you'll get $25 off the listed price. What a deal. What's happening on November 21st anyways? Is that when your bookie is coming?  

Forget the TV I want that little dog to the right of it.  

What. The. Hell. Are these? You gotta be freaking kidding me. There are more of them.  

This guy doesn't understand how the weather works. The weather is starting to warm up. No one wants your salt. But don't worry dude, it's going to get cold again in 8 months, you can use it then. Do you really need the $8 that bad? And is Pax ice/snow melt really that hard to come by? Really, you heard that?  

If you are going to sell something clean it off. Don't just tell us how easily it can be cleaned. Clean the thing, especially if it's so easy. You gotta hurry and buy this thing too. According to the post he's taking it off the market today. Really, you're going to just take it down and not sell if no one buys today? What are you going to do with it then?  

You'd think it would take a little more to get into bee keeping than this.  

What happens for someone to all of a sudden need two hospital beds? But hey, congratulations on getting one.  

I love it. Harley in central Logan, you're an idiot. You're selling your Xbox 360 so you can get some other things for your truck and family. You're an idiot. What other things are you going to get for your truck and family for $200? Why didn't you just not buy the Xbox in the first place and not lose the couple hundred dollars? Then you could have got your truck and family some nice things.  

___________youtube_________  

This is why you don't mess with the garbage man. There is some explicit language, but you can turn the speakers all the way down and it's still just as funny.  

This is why you don't dress up as pink panther and go prancing around. Turn the speakers back up so you can hear him sing the pink panther theme. And so you can hear him inform you that he isn't all right.

This guy can't pull off the easiest prank in the world. If you are going to test your prank, clean up the mess before you go walking around. There is some explicit, but warranted language (just look at his mouth) towards the end, but you'll need the volume up at the beginning so you can hear him talk about the prank. You can turn it down once he falls, but then you can't hear him whimper.  

Stop trying to scare people.  

I have a hard time admitting it, but I know this kid. That's my older brother underneath the blanket. His friend and my friends brother is the one violating the sneetch. Apparently he thought it was a good idea to do it again.  

There is a lot of videos like this by Improv Everywhere. This one is one of my favorites, but if you have the time I suggest looking at the others. The Abercrombie & Fitch one is pretty good.  

Congratulations kid! You will never even touch a girl. But hey, at least you can stack a mean cup.

Everyone should do this to at least one of their buddies once in their lives.  

An homage to the greatest joke of all time.

Loosening The Belt That Binds

              Sarah had torn her closet apart.  Most of her clothes were now on her bed or on the floor.  Except for the shoes on the floor, the closet looked bare. Only three items remained on their hangers.  One of them was what she had been searching for.  It was a sweater, a navy blue sweater.  She put it on.  It was big on her.  The only thing that distinguished it from any other sweater was the Silver Bay Logging emblem stitched over her heart.  Other than that it was a plain sweater.

It was her dad’s old sweater.   Jerry used to wear the sweater all the time.  When Sarah pictured her dad, she always saw him wearing the sweater she now had on. It was the last thing she had of the dad she knew, the dad she wanted to remember, not the man he had become. 

 The last time Sarah saw her father he gave her the sweater.  It had been a year since that day.  Jerry wanted it that way.  He’d said so while standing on Sarah’s porch, holding the navy blue sweater. “Merry Christmas darling,” Jerry said.  “I know you don’t like seeing me like this.  And I don’t like you seeing me like this.  Please.  Just let me be.  I can’t stay with you any longer.  I need to go.  Remember me how I was, not this.” He handed her the navy blue sweater.  He didn’t leave time for Sarah to reply.  He turned and walked away.  Sarah wanted to call out to him as he walked.  She couldn’t.  She just watched him walk away. Jerry pulled a fresh bottle of vodka from his jacket, sipping it as he walked the two blocks to the bus stop.  Sarah watched from her porch as he boarded the bus.  Tears made black from mascara, ran down her face as she watched the bus pull off.

 

Officer Mullin’s alarm went of at 7 Christmas morning.  He reached over to turn it off.  He didn’t want to wake his pregnant wife.  He crept out of bed and down the hall to the bathroom to get ready for the long day ahead.

Mullin hated being the rookie.  He had joined the Seattle police department eight months ago.  He was always taking crap from the veteran officers, so he wasn’t surprised to learn that he’d been given the Christmas day shift.

Having to work Christmas made him question why he left his job at the electronic store.  It was his father in-law’s store.  Mullin was poised to take over the store when he left.  He’d always wanted to be a cop, so he left the store to become one.  It didn’t take long for Mullin to figure out he wasn’t cut out to be a cop.  He’d always regretted his decision.

Mullin stopped at the front door his apartment before leaving.  A small plastic tree sat on the coffee table.  Two presents lied underneath the tree, one for him and one for his wife.  This was supposed to be their first Christmas together. Work had taken that from them.  He was glad they didn’t have kids, not yet at least.  He wanted to go back to the bedroom, wake his wife, kiss her and tell her he loved he.  He didn’t.  He didn’t want to wake her.  She needed her rest.  Tears formed in his eyes as he looked at the tree.  He opened the front door.  Being careful not to make a sound as he closed it behind him. 

The sun began to rise as Mullin pulled out of his driveway and headed for the police station. 

 

Sarah walked out the bedroom, down the hall and into the kitchen.  Brad was already in the kitchen, placing a turkey in the oven.  Sarah stood and watched him before she spoke.  

“Morning honey,” Sarah said. “Merry Christmas.”

            “Hey babe.”  Brad looked up, noticing the sweater.  It wasn’t the usual form-fitting tops Brad had grown accustomed to her wearing.  “Silver Bay Logging.  Isn’t that the company your dad worked for?”

            “Yeah, it is.  It’s the last thing he gave me before he left.  Which reminds me, my dad called.  He’s coming over.”

Brad set two plates on the table.  He put his hands on the edge of the table and hunched over, hung his head and let out a sigh.   “Your dad?  He’s coming over?  I thought he didn’t want to see you anymore.”

“He sounded sober on the phone, he said he’s trying to change.  He’s coming back, my dad, the dad I knew.  He’s coming back.  I knew he’d come back.”

 “Don’t get too excited.  You know your dad.”

Sarah did know her dad.  She remembered the kind caring man, the man who loved his daughter Sarah more than anything.  They were all each other had.  Jerry was an only child, so was Sarah.  Jerry’s parents were deceased, so was Sarah’s mom. 

            Sarah was only five, but she sill remembered the day her mom died.  It was Jerry’s 30^th birthday.  A surprise party had been planned.  Maria, Sarah’s mom, had driven to Spokane to pick up Jerry’s parents.  On their way back one of their front tires blew.  The car flipped three times before coming to rest.  They never picked Sarah up after school.  Jerry had to pick her up and tell her the news.

Since then it had been Jerry and Sarah.  Jerry was able to give Sarah a good life.  His job paid well.  Money was never a problem for the father and daughter. He worked at a logging company, Silver Bay Logging.  It wasn’t the safest job. He saw countless men injured on the job, some killed.  Still, the thought of quitting never crossed his mind.  The job allowed him to provide his daughter with the life he thought she deserved.  He stayed for Sarah.  Everything Jerry did was for Sarah.

 

Mullin sat outside the police station inside the squad car.  He couldn’t go anywhere.  Not until his partner Felix arrived.  Finally, Felix pulled in, thirty minutes late.  He joined Mullin in the car.

“Sorry,” Felix said.  “It’s Christmas, had to watch the kids open a few presents.”

“How do you do it?” Mullin asked.  “Work on Christmas, leave the wife and kids.  I don’t know if I can do this.” 

“Duty, kid.  Someone has to do it. I’ve been working Christmas for 11 years now.  You can’t look at it as leaving your family.  You gotta look at if from the city’s point of view.  We don’t work Christmas and the city goes to hell.  Block that other stuff out.  Now lets get going.”

“I wish I could block it.  Maybe I’m just not cut out for this like you are.”

The day Felix had to draw his gun and shoot a man, Mullin knew he wasn’t cut out to be a policeman.  Mullin hadn’t pulled the trigger, but standing next to Felix as the man fell to the ground, Mullin felt as if he had shot the gun.  The man had pulled a gun on Mullin and his partner.  Still, Mullin couldn’t stomach it as he watched the man collapse on the ground.

Mullin couldn’t just leave the force though.  He had paid so much for the police academy.  His father in-law was unhappy when Mullin left the store.  He wanted to go back, but Mullin didn’t know if his father in-law would take him back.  He couldn’t bring himself to ask.  He felt stuck.

 

Sarah’s favorite memory of her dad was the time he dressed up as Santa Claus.  Jerry waited too long to buy his costume.  His beard was brown.  That was the only color the costume shop had left.  He hadn’t bothered to put padding in his suit.  He was the skinniest Santa Sarah had ever seen.  He barely resembled Santa at all. Sarah had woken up early Christmas morning, sat by the Christmas tree and waited for her dad to wake.  Jerry came in with a Santa costume draped over his body, Santa hat, brown beard, and sack of toys slung over his back. 

            That’s the way Sarah remembered her dad, the jovial man who loved her more than anything.  That Jerry went to work three years ago and never came back. 

Silver Bay Logging never told Sarah what happened.  They just said Jerry had been involved in an accident.  Sarah only knew what the doctors told her.  Jerry was lucky to be alive, they said.  Jerry had suffered severe brain damage.  He lay in a coma for months.  When Jerry came out of the coma, he still had to be hospitalized for another two months. 

            Jerry’s accident had left him and Sarah in financial ruins.  Jerry’s hospital bills were outrageous and insurance only went so far.  Jerry’s savings were drained, so was Sara’s college fund.  Silver Bay Logging sent money, but not nearly enough.  They only saw Jerry as another reason to set their ‘number of days without an accident board’ back to zero.  The house had to be sold.  Jerry had gone from a semi-luxurious life to being homeless.  They would have been forced to roam the streets if Brad, who Sarah met while Jerry was in the hospital, hadn’t taken them in. 

 

Things were slow for Mullin and Felix.  It was Christmas; things would probably remain slow, Mullin thought.  Felix was ready for the lull.  He brought some playing cards.  He knew where the gas station was that never closed.  This obviously wasn’t his first Christmas shift.  The two men were playing poker, sipping their coffee and eating their snacks, when a call finally came in.

“We need a unit to mile marker 318 on the I-5 headed south.  Man on the freeway, running through traffic.  Traffic has come to a stop and he’s vandalizing several cars”

Without a word said Mullin turned the siren on, pulled out of the gas station parking lot and headed to the freeway entrance.  It only took them five minutes to arrive at the scene.  They were the first patrol car there.  Traffic had come to a stand still, both ways.  One direction stopped because of the man running in the road, the other direction moving very slowly, trying to get a look. 

Mullin wove through traffic until he was 100 feet away from the man.  He stopped the car, the lights still flashed.  Mullin and Felix exited the car.  The man didn’t take notice of their arrival.

 

Brad set another plate at the table.  There were three of them now.  He checked the turkey before grabbing some silverware. Not much longer, he thought.  He went to the drawer and grabbed the silverware.  He wanted so much to believe that Jerry was coming.  He knew how much it would mean to Sarah.  He couldn’t believe it though.  The Jerry he knew wouldn’t come.

Brad never knew Jerry before the accident.  The Jerry Brad knew was a statue with glazed eyes.  He rarely spoke anymore.  He might as well have remained in the coma.  Except when he was drunk.  When he was drunk he was a completely different person.   

The booze would bring Jerry out of his comatose state.   When he was drunk he became crazed.  He’d run around, curse and throw things.  He’d often times leave the house.  The police would bring him back a few hours later.  Jerry would sober up; apologize for his actions and leave again to find more booze.  Jerry left for good one day.  He gave Sarah a sweater before he left.

Sarah was able to find out Jerry slept under an over-pass.  She’d go occasionally, hoping to see her dad.  She never found him.  She’d leave money with one of the homeless men who said they knew Jerry.  She knew he’d probably never see the money, but she felt better leaving it there. 

 

“Looks like he is hitting the cars with a belt,” Mullin said.

“It’s an old man,” Felix said.  “You should be able to handle this one newbie”

Felix stopped, letting Mullin continue towards the man by himself.   

“Sir, I’m going to need you to put the belt down,” Mullin yelled.  The man paid no attention to Mullin’s warning.  He didn’t even glance in Mullin’s direction.  Mullin’s words only seemed to incite the man more.  He started striking a car repeatedly.  Bright blue paint chips flew through the air each time he struck the car with the metal buckle of his belt.  He struck the windshield.  Glass crackled with each hit.  Muffled screams came from the lady inside the car.  She moved from the drivers seat to the back, her crying baby now in her arms.

“Sir, put the belt down!”  Said Mullin.  He began running towards the old man, trying to get the old man’s attention off the car and on him.  It worked.  The old man turned to face Mullin.  Having gotten the man’s attention Mullin stopped.  Ten feet separated the two.  They both stood there, staring each other down.  Mullin took a step towards the man.  Mullin heard the whoosh of the old man’s belt as it cut through the air between the two men. 

“Pull your gun Mullin!”  Said Felix.

“I don’t need my gun, Felix.  I got it!  All right sir, put the belt down.”  The old man didn’t respond.  His eyes were glazed over, almost as if he was looking right through Mullin.  “Or just stand there and don’t move.”

Mullin began to approach the man, hesitation in each step.  The old man didn’t move.  With each step Mullin became less and less hesitant.  Mullin reached for his cuffs as he continued his way towards the man.

WHOOSH!

 

            “Maybe he isn’t coming,” Brad said.  “You know your dad.”

            “No,” Sarah said.  “He said he’d be here.  He meant it.  I could tell.  My dads coming, he’s coming back.  He has to.”

“I believe that he meant it.  But you know your dad.  He probably got drunk and forgot.  Probably passed out somewhere.  You need to let go honey.  The dad you knew isn’t coming back.  His still looks the same, but the dad you knew isn’t coming back.  You need to let go of the idea that one day the dad you knew is coming back.  You know, sometimes I can’t help but think, you’d be better off if he, if he had died that day.” 

Sarah wanted to scream.  She wanted to hit Brad.  She couldn’t.  She was angry. Not at Brad, but at herself.  Brad was right.  She knew it.  She’d always known it.  She wouldn’t admit it, but she knew that her life would be better if her dad was dead.  The dad she knew was dead, but as long as the man she once knew as dad still walked the earth she couldn’t let go.  She wanted to let go, but she couldn’t.

The smell of burnt turkey drifted into the living room.  Brad left to go check the oven.  Sarah sat in the living room and waited.  Waiting for her dad to arrive. 

 

Mullin couldn’t avoid it; the buckle of the old man’s belt struck him in the chest.   Mullin staggered away.  He doubled up, trying to catch his breath. The blow to his chest made breathing difficult.  Mullin glanced back towards the old man.  He stood there as if he had done nothing, the same glazed look in his eyes. 

“Damn it Mullin, pull your gun!”  Said Felix.  Mullin turned his head and looked up at Felix, who was running towards him with his gun drawn.  

“I got it,” said Mullin.  Mullin put his hand up to stop Felix.

Mullin stood back up straight, his breathing still labored from the blow.  He placed his hand on his holstered gun.  “Put the belt down,” he said.  The only movement Mullin saw from the old man was the tears that ran down his cheeks.  Mullin pulled his gun out.  “Damn it sir.  Put the belt down.”  Mullin pointed his gun straight at the man’s chest.  “You want me to use this?” More tears poured down the old man’s face.  Mullin kept his gun locked on the man as he approached him.

WHOOSH!

Mullin was able to jump back this time, narrowly missing another blow from the belt. The belt had missed Mullin.  The blood didn’t miss

The blood hit Mullin’s face like warm rain.  Blood speckled his face and uniform. Mullin dropped his gun as he watched the old man collapse.  Mullin stared at the old man lying on the ground, a bullet wound in his chest.

“Nice work, Mullin,” said Felix.  Felix placed his gun back in his holster.  He bent down and picked up Mullin’s gun.  “Dropped this.”

 

“How long are you going to sit here and wait honey?”  Brad asked.  “The turkey burned.  I put some pieces of chicken in.  They’re almost done, if you want to come have some.”  Brad exited the living room, leaving Sarah there by herself.

Sarah got up and looked out the window, thanks dad.  She turned and started heading towards the kitchen to join Brad.  Just as she left the living room, she heard a car pulling into the driveway.  Sarah ran back to the window and looked out.  It was a police car.

“Stay in the car Felix,” Mullin said.  “I need to do this.”  Mullin got out of his car.  He didn’t look like a policeman.  He still had the shoes, pants, and belt on, but his shirt was plain white.  Mullin didn’t have to go to the front door, he was happy he didn’t.  A woman came out to meet him.

“Is my dad in there!” Said Sarah.

The policeman stared at Sarah.  Sarah recognized the glazed look.  The policeman reached into his pocket and pulled out a bus ticket and a Silver Bay Logging ID.  He handed them to Sarah.

“He’s not coming,” said the policeman. 

Mullin reached his hand up and ran it through his hair.  His hand pulled the hair back from his forehead.  Two specks of blood were revealed.  The woman’s eyes darted to his forehead.  He didn’t know what else to say to the woman. 

“You don’t need to say it,” said Sarah.

Tears began to form in the policeman’s eyes, Sarah’s as well. 

The woman’s words echoed in Mullin’s head. You don’t need to say it.  He wanted to say more.  He couldn’t find the right words.  He just stared at the woman.  Tears streaked both of their faces.  Mullin dropped his head, shaking it as it dropped.  Without a word, he returned to his car.

Sarah watched as the police car backed out of her driveway.  She glanced down at the bus ticket in her hands.  She looked back up.  The police car now out of sight.  She could see the bus stop, the stop where the holder of the ticket was supposed to get off.  Sarah nodded as she looked down the street at the bus stop.

Sarah walked back to her front door, closing it behind her as she walked back in her house.