1 Sorry about yesterday's DN.
2 I dealt with a computer that had decided to slow down and lock up and all sorts of nasty things.
3 I'm not even certain that there weren't strange spellings and upside-down letters going off in every direction.
4 It reminded me of this slot machine called Haywire. You put money in, and then right when you think you won or lost something, it starts spinning out of control. You ususally win something, like an adjustable plastic ring or even Chinese handcuffs.
5 You know how every now and again your computer just decides to have a life of its own?
6 I'd start to write the DN and then the page would shift down, revealing a picture of Brahms or Whitaker Chambers.
  7 Whoever they were. 8 Sometimes I just feel I'm a character in a computer game. I actually AM a character in a computer game of wrestling, only I can't remember my name. 9 I just know that my pin hold is called the Flying Francis, which if memory serves is just me jumping off a top rope on to some guy's stomach. 10 It's great because it was made by Jose, Ray, and Peter so needless to say it's adoringly flattering. 11 I wear a leather coat and have huge legs. 12 What are the odds? 13 In some ways, it IS pretty fun seeing characters wrestling each other only they are guys you know. I imagine I get my butt kicked regularly by all the younger cartoons I fight. But it's nice to know I have a little fight left, for an old codger. 14 Moving on: Yesterday I was running around doing stuff and opening things for people when I was asked to help get the small gym ready for the teachers to practice for a basketball game coming up in April. We're playing the students in a faculty/staff/student game. 15 It somehow got on the calendar, but nobody knows WHO thought of the idea. Well, I just thought it was cool and left it. I had no intention REALLY of actually playing in the game, since I do know my place, and my place is to remain an old codger with ankles that are still working. 16 Well...since not that many teachers showed up, it was pretty hard not to pick up a basketball and shoot. It's been ages. To my surprise, the first ball was true, and swished.
17 Suddenly I grew twelve feet. I started pumping and jumping and soon found myself moving around pretty well.
18 I know, I know, the image, the image...
19 Anyway at first we were all just shooting around, but after around an hour it started to become addicting, and before we knew it, we were engaged in a three-on-three game. These guys were pretty good, and it was amazingly fun.
20 I shot bricks and airballs and couldn't drive myself to jump in and be aggressive on defense because I was thinking more about having a bowl of pho, but before I knew it, I had begun to hit.
21 Trust me, I was a lot more bad than good, but in a two-hour game, I scored 14 points. That was a lot for me, and it was a ton of fun. Somehow a couple of shots just went, and it felt wonderful. And yes, I counted the amount of points. Everybody claims they don't, but when you start scoring, you count the points. Don't even lie.
22 Yeah I couldn't block shots, stop drives, and my defense was the worst I'd ever played, but somehow I did well offensively. Usually I'm better at defense. But sometimes the ball becomes your friend.
 23 Afterwards we all just sat on the rolled-up wrestling mats, each of us drenched in sweat. My ankles never felt better, but I did address the group. 24 "If I turn up missing tomorrow, come down here, okay guys? I think I'm stuck in this position..." 
25 Eventually the called AAA for a tow. The tops of my feet feel like the guy dropped a heavy chain on them, and I have pain where I never knew I had body parts.
26 But I played.
27 Most of the other players were young, full of spring, and pretty rough on the court.
28 But I played, and to be honest, I've been looking forward to the game a whole bunch. As sore as I am, I'm ready to go back out on that court for a little more punishment.
29 I just need to figure out how to put all my fingers back into the right positions and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to re-learn how to walk sometime in the three weeks.
30 While that miracle stretches to take place, please smile and have a great day.
31 Thanks for listening. I feel pretty good this morning.
32 It's Wednesday, just keep going and winning.
33 If I can do it, you can do it.
34 Peace.
~H~
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