No text needed!

                   Nine months.  Still seems like yesterday...those memories of the final night seared into my brain and my heart.  The hope in Kimmy's eyes...the last kiss, our eyes locked, our hands entwined, pulling back until our fingertips touched...and then released for the last time...
                  I remember.  Believe me, I do not need a text to remind me!  And, with the NFL back in full swing, it brings back the memory of that game where the Eagles beat up on the Cowboys on 12/12, Kim cheering all the way!  This weekend, the Eagles beat up on the Rams.  Lesean McCoy the hero of that game.  Kim's favorite. I saw an ambulance in the wee hours of the morning and it brought it all flooding back...

                   Here is the view that greeted me this morning around 6:30 a.m., after I exited the 10 (how west coast I've become!  no one calls it 'the 95' back east, it is I-95.  Out here, instead of I-10, as the signs indicate, the LA folk have us all saying 'the 10') and was blessed with this view of the sunrise at Orange Grove and Thornydale.  Thank you Lord for the sunrise, for beating back the darkness and bringing us into the light.  Waiting for the sun.  Tonio sees Kim in almost all the beautiful things that he sees each day.  It is amazing his total recall, as he tells me 'Mama said hello to me today' and recounts exactly what he saw and why he felt it was Mama speaking to him.  And why not?  This shot of the clouds, with the sun peeking through?  Classic Kimmy.  But really, I don't need reminders about the anniversary of her passing, and I'm sure that is no surprise, given our relationship ( and I only received one text about it, but it got me thinking, satirically, about what response to such a text would be appropriate..."WTF?  Did you think I'd forgotten?  Or wanted to celebrate?", of course, I refrained...The fact is, I have ways to remember Kimmy, and the way things went down...in a positive light.  I've gotten my arms around it.

                I found this man, when I went upstairs today at Barnes & Noble.  I thought "if I were to fall asleep, in public, I would want someone to photograph me to commemorate the occasion.".  So I did.  I asked my team; "What would you say about this?"  "Sleep America?  No, Barnes & Noble!", answered Eric, who works in receiving.  "Can I draw on him?" asked Lisa.  "Sure."  I told her.  My neighbor, Amy, said she would take those mini marshmallows, soften them up in her mouth and adhere them to his exposed back.  This way, it would give maximum visual effect, but not wake him up.  I liked this plan.

The sunset, and evening have been incredible.  Beautiful, as the sun kissed the clouds, creating all sorts of pinks and peaches - as Father Harry promised us, would be Kimmy in our midst.  And then the rain hit.  Like it has over the last few days, fast and furious, with wicked lightning strikes and high winds. 

The aftermath is almost as good as the fury of the storm, too.  The night so cool.  The moon so bright.  The remaining clouds, wafting slowly across the jet black sky, illuminated by the moon.  The smells, so incredibly acute and wonderful...And the bambini, raising their sweet, little faces nightward, and wishing their Mama good night.  And sweet dreams.  And telling her how much they miss her...

Love,

Dave

PS Emilio sent me a picture of his girl, Brinley, decked out in Bengals garb...his good luck charm!!  Mary, she is beautiful!

                                 Sweet, little blessing!!  And, hey, if she helps the Bengals win, too?? BONUS!!