July 19, 2016

Woke wondrous early, went to the Racquet Club where I worked out memorably. Happened to think of the first time I ever played baseball. It was on the great diamond in GHMP, and when I came up to bat, some kid (I was not playing with familiar people; I don’t remember the situation) hollered, “move in!” and everyone came in toward home base, sure that I was going to hit the ball feebly or not at all. One kid hollered to another, “Easy out! Easy out!”  This insured that was exactly what happened, and my relationship with baseball never recovered. What I wondered then was how I had provoked this reaction, for I had never been at bat before and I remember distinctly not knowing a single person in the park, except my father, who must have brought me there for one reason or another. How could they possibly assume I would be an “easy out”? Must still be wondering about that, for it came to mind as I deliberately refrained from adjusting the weights (which should have been too heavy for me) because I wanted to do just as well as the youthful bruiser who had just vacated the seat. Maybe the gods sent this memory to me to explain a whole lot of what has gone on since. Continued to Starbucks, where I watched the firemen come in amidst their shift for coffee, and longed for them. Whatever gods there may be should take this bit of human wisdom: To deny is to necessitate.

Will, thinking he was doing me a favor, was whacking weeds on my west lawn. I stopped him just before he annihilated the green dragons, which are our only hope of covering that infertile dirt. I swear to God the sound of a weed-whacker sets my teeth on edge. What innocent greenery will be next?

Booked flights and hotel to Budapest. Succeeded in by-passing Charles DeGaulle (Amsterdam instead) and will be staying at the K + K, not a block from the opera house. I go blithely along as though I could afford all this--