It is with great delight that I bring today’s Memorial Day story from my good friend Dr. Paul Bennett. Mind you, I only wish I was as good as he is in any category. I have to hope I do a better job with audio books, because he is a better writer. 
Blast over to his blog for the story. He’s the best. A Fall of Sparrows
Jamie Greening has presented us with our first contribution from the Fondue Writers club. It is more of a poem than a short story, but it is wonderful. To fully enjoy it, click this link and read away. More entries next week!
I’ve spent a good share of the last week geeking on technology issues. Moving internet connections in a smart house is a bit – daunting. You always think you’ve got it finished only to find out that the smart bed isn’t connected.
I mean, a bed? But it was not the last. The smart doorbell camera, which is part of the smart alarm, which is part of the smart home system was the final holdout.
Five times I followed the instructions on moving it to the new network. Five times total failure.
Then, like all other experts in the field, I decided to watch a Youtube video on how to do it the right way.
Let’s just say the Canadian version was the best. To paraphrase, “Yeah, put your phone in airplane mode, hoser, click on this even though it says it doesn’t work. Then turn on your wifi, log into your new router and she’s nothin but back bacon on the griddle. Don’t whine. It works.”
It did.
Then, because I had obviously offended God in some serious way, I spent a day setting up all my mom’s devices on her new network. She moved to a new place this week, and to say I’m extraordinarily proud of her for making the move ahead of it having to be done, would be an understatement. Took guts. She’s a tough bird, like her mother, and I sure love her.
But, that’s not the point of my whining. I spent six hours moving everything over once the broadband guy showed up to hook up her router. I have to say, based on my experience in the field over the last 22 years, that this was a slick, well thought out, multiple dwelling unit solution that takes fiber right into the apartment. We won’t be able to test dial tone until next week, but I’m impressed so far. Nice system.
Now, if I can just keep up with the updates on all her tablets/computers we’re going to win this round. Not that I needed a reason to visit her often, but there it is: we need each other.
Back to heat stroke: it was 94 today. Holy moly. I like driving around with the windows down and the arm out the window. That makes my tattoos too hot. So, I have a couple of sets of sunblock sleeves that look like tattoos. Rolled one of those bad boys down over the left arm, stuck it into the slipstream and viola: nice.
The trees are finally watered at 1937, and it’s time for Bosch on the old video machine.
Talk to you all next week!
I’m sure this will cause some blowback shortly, but in my less-than-humble opinion, we are doing a disservice when we cover up the cause of death in a suicide.
I’m not asking for the grisly details. But instead of dancing around the topic, or putting out nonsense like “He died unexpectedly” we should face that fact that one of our fellow humans had lost all hope and ended his/her life by their own hand.
Why? Because when we see that squared away sailors, respected cops, vibrant second grade teachers, ice cream truck delivery drivers, and the clergy all have issues that drag them into the grave early, then we can start to address the mental health issues that led to the death.
For some reason we think that talking around the cause of death is more kind, more gentle, and more polite. Nonsense. Depression and mental health issues are a deadly disease just like heart attacks and cancer. If you realized how common they are, perhaps we would do more to treat them appropriately.
I’d really rather not read that you died unexpectedly.
End of rant.
Russ assures me that very soon he will have his website up. Then you can turn to him each week/potentially day for inspiration. In the meantime, I’m still making him come down to Florida and weed my garden for the webpostings. Hey, fair’s fair!
/// *** ///***///***///***///***///****////****////
The Ask: to the readers, please see the tip jar links information after the devotion. Thank you kindly. 
