Due to some undefined disaster, Rock and everyone he knew were limited to a paleo diet, which for him and other Type I diabetics was an extremely tricky proposition.
Rock was limited by hypoglycemia as he examined fecal matter, but he was nevertheless surprised to see that much of it was shaped like things his associates had consumed. Some of it, for instance, looked very similar to rainbow trout or sardines, except it was translucent and light gray.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Samantha's return
It was the first time Rock had ever put his cats Pam and Jo on leashes, but they seemed to like it as he walked them through the parking lot of a grocery store on the eastern edge of North Little Rock. And they seemed particularly happy when an elderly woman introduced them to two large, fuzzy black dogs.
As the dogs and cats meshed in a big ball of fur, another cat made a sudden appearance from under a car. It was Samantha. Rock recognized her immediately.
Samantha lived with Rock and the other cats for ten years, but he thought she had been killed by the city's animal control more than six months earlier. Nevertheless, here she was, and he was elated.
As the dogs and cats meshed in a big ball of fur, another cat made a sudden appearance from under a car. It was Samantha. Rock recognized her immediately.
Samantha lived with Rock and the other cats for ten years, but he thought she had been killed by the city's animal control more than six months earlier. Nevertheless, here she was, and he was elated.
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
NASCAR, one-on-one
He was no more than a moderate NASCAR fan, but Rock won tickets to a race in Little Rock and was excited to go.
It was scheduled for a strip mall's former anchor store, roughly the size of a typical Walmart Super Center, and was apparently set up for a series of one-on-one races in which racers faced several complicated maneuvers. This became evident to Rock as he watched a car get wedged between a banister and a wall. The driver stepped out, cursed his mistake, and lifted the car by its trunk so he could reposition it to clear the opening.
It was scheduled for a strip mall's former anchor store, roughly the size of a typical Walmart Super Center, and was apparently set up for a series of one-on-one races in which racers faced several complicated maneuvers. This became evident to Rock as he watched a car get wedged between a banister and a wall. The driver stepped out, cursed his mistake, and lifted the car by its trunk so he could reposition it to clear the opening.
Monday, September 19, 2016
The new course
Most seemed delighted by the new Little Rock Marathon course Rock had designed and set, but after no more than a few days, he could no longer remember its details. There were things about it that made no sense to him.
There apparently was a divide shortly after the start that separated elite racers from the bulk of the field. No one could explain where it was to Rock, and he had forgotten. He and a man he had known for years but whose name he'd never learned jogged across a bridge near downtown. They looked for the spot where the field would split, but it was late at night, and Rock knew they would never find it.
There apparently was a divide shortly after the start that separated elite racers from the bulk of the field. No one could explain where it was to Rock, and he had forgotten. He and a man he had known for years but whose name he'd never learned jogged across a bridge near downtown. They looked for the spot where the field would split, but it was late at night, and Rock knew they would never find it.
Saturday, September 17, 2016
A baseball game
A group of Major League baseball players were in an old snack bar in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, a town of about a thousand people in rural southwest Arkansas, and one of them introduced Rock to a baseball game in the bar's game room.
It appeared to Rock as a hybrid between baseball and a video game. A real batter would face a real pitcher, separated by about five feet, and attempt to hit the ball against a wall a foot or so behind.
Rock assumed hits were judged by their velocity and where they hit the wall, but after several games he noticed that all of the other batters were running to bases designated by red lights on the wall. There were defensive players spread about the small space, fielding hits and rushing toward the lights.
"I'm not sure why it took me so long to figure that out," Rock told his old friend Walt in an attempt to explain his terrible batting average.
Rock said he thought the game would work similar to an old one he had played in the same bar as a sixth-grader back in 1971. He remembered the machine as the first electronic game he had played. It was built like a pinball machine, with a small brown bat in place of paddles and a shiny, silver pinball that would roll down a ramp from a pitchers mound.
It appeared to Rock as a hybrid between baseball and a video game. A real batter would face a real pitcher, separated by about five feet, and attempt to hit the ball against a wall a foot or so behind.
Rock assumed hits were judged by their velocity and where they hit the wall, but after several games he noticed that all of the other batters were running to bases designated by red lights on the wall. There were defensive players spread about the small space, fielding hits and rushing toward the lights.
"I'm not sure why it took me so long to figure that out," Rock told his old friend Walt in an attempt to explain his terrible batting average.
Rock said he thought the game would work similar to an old one he had played in the same bar as a sixth-grader back in 1971. He remembered the machine as the first electronic game he had played. It was built like a pinball machine, with a small brown bat in place of paddles and a shiny, silver pinball that would roll down a ramp from a pitchers mound.
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
An eternity for Rock
Here's the way Rock's new world was rigged, and it seemed as if there was nothing he could do about it. As he searched throughout his house for his glasses, he wondered if this was a new eternity for him.
Someone had started a loop in which Ricky and Lucy Ricardo would repeat their dialogue from I Love Lucy without change. For instance, Ricky would say, "What time is it?," and Lucy would respond, "It's 5:30 a.m.," and that is where time would stop.
Rock thought he might have to accept this, but just before he climbed back into his back bedroom bed, he recognized the symptoms of hypoglycemia. He ate a tube of Gu and a small disc of peppermint candy from his bathroom and said to himself, out loud, "C'mon, man. Let logic take over."
Within five minutes, he knew it was a little before six a.m., Tuesday. His glasses were under the maroon chair in his living room, and he was not obliged to do anything for anyone until Wednesday. He turned off his television and called up Rock dreams from the Internet.
Someone had started a loop in which Ricky and Lucy Ricardo would repeat their dialogue from I Love Lucy without change. For instance, Ricky would say, "What time is it?," and Lucy would respond, "It's 5:30 a.m.," and that is where time would stop.
Rock thought he might have to accept this, but just before he climbed back into his back bedroom bed, he recognized the symptoms of hypoglycemia. He ate a tube of Gu and a small disc of peppermint candy from his bathroom and said to himself, out loud, "C'mon, man. Let logic take over."
Within five minutes, he knew it was a little before six a.m., Tuesday. His glasses were under the maroon chair in his living room, and he was not obliged to do anything for anyone until Wednesday. He turned off his television and called up Rock dreams from the Internet.
Thursday, September 8, 2016
A panicked whisper
This was only the second coral snake Rock had seen and the first time one had threatened him. It was near the back screen door to Rock's brother's house and was clearly aggressive. Rock climbed the screen to get away.
His concern returned when his cat Jo approached. She wanted in and was oblivious to the snake, among the deadliest of its species in the New World. As Rock clung to the door, he tried to yell for his brother Jim and Jim's wife Karen, both of whom he could see in their kitchen no more than ten feet away. The problem was that he had lost his voice. He tried to scream but could manage no more than a panicked whisper. "Jim, Karen, help."
At last Jim looked his way and immediately rushed to help.
His concern returned when his cat Jo approached. She wanted in and was oblivious to the snake, among the deadliest of its species in the New World. As Rock clung to the door, he tried to yell for his brother Jim and Jim's wife Karen, both of whom he could see in their kitchen no more than ten feet away. The problem was that he had lost his voice. He tried to scream but could manage no more than a panicked whisper. "Jim, Karen, help."
At last Jim looked his way and immediately rushed to help.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
The fate of humanity
Rock hadn't played jacks in years, yet some parental-like figure assigned him a game upon which the fate of humanity relied. It was a ridiculous circumstance, acknowledged not only by Rock but by several other adults in the room.
The entire universe was represented by a blonde woman on his television. Rock was baffled and couldn't find his pants. All he knew for certain was that his cats Jo and Pam wanted out.
The entire universe was represented by a blonde woman on his television. Rock was baffled and couldn't find his pants. All he knew for certain was that his cats Jo and Pam wanted out.
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