My friend and I spoke this morning. On the phone way too long for grown men with other things to do.

So I took even more time and wrote to him: 

Hey Charlie,

I was actually bothered by the Grammy show too. Worked yesterday. It was a wheel spinner only. That's how biz is. I ignored the question on the phone because I'm tired of the answer. That was impolite of me.... sorry.

Last night I stayed up too late and got melancholy. Woke up early and ruminated.

Mrs. took the day off and drove down to spend the day with her niece. They are doing craft things together. She spent hours yesterday making handmade Valentine cards for all the kids at school tomorrow. Pink hearts, red monkeys and happy words for 7 year olds. Everybody gets the same card. She works very hard all the time. The kids she specializes in are so lost in the world, but they love her.

I’m taking her step dad to lunch tomorrow. I told him he can be my Valentine. I might wear my pink dress shirt.  He’s pre-senile. He was always a difficult person to know closely or like and it’s only becoming a bit easier because his affliction has softened him a bit. When he says nasty crap I just pretend in the moment that I don’t hear him because it’s quite the same as he always behaved. Then I ruminate about it endlessly afterwards which is my own form of pre-senility.  But now for Mrs.' sake I try to overlook it as it happens. 

He wants to go to Subway. My wife and he go there usually once per week. We’ll have to sit in a particular booth because that’s where they sit. He will tell the minimum wage sandwich guy that he doesn’t know what he wants, then he’ll bark his order at him, and be irritated that they ask which ingredients he wants. Then he‘ll say, “Just salami and cheese.” They will comply, cutting it in half for him as he asked. He’ll complain that it is dry and tell me I can have the other half so we can save money. He loves Subway. 

That was a funny question you asked, coming from a guy who has been divorced twice. "What are you getting for your wife for Valentine’s Day?"

Do you know something I don't?

I guess I'm getting her a break from being the one who has to eat the dry half of a salami and cheese sandwich on Valentine's Day.

I better go get a funny card too. We need a laugh.