Two Leaves in the Fucking Wind

Well lets try this again.

I lost this post when I closed the top of my laptop and shut down my system. I'm stuck now, thinking, how can I reconstruct the damn post...but I learned something a long time ago about losing data. Don't try to reconstruct anything, you'll never be able to. It's better to take an entirely new slant and build something new, so that's what I'm going to do here.

I got up this morning feeling pretty good. I killed time to get to Ten O'clock when I was going to leave for the testing lab. I got dressed in stages, got ready in parts. Picking this up for my pockets, taking my MP3 player, my cap, hoody and jacket. Then I packed my gear and split. I hit the elevator, left the building, got two blocks down Broadway and stopped. I had left my cash home. Fuck. I didn't have the money to deal with today.

I went back and upon passing the office Sugar Plum popped out. "Hobobob, how are you doing?" She asks me this with enormous concern. I'm fine, Sugar. "I mean...is everything ALRIGHT?" She cocks an eyebrow. I get the message. Yeah, everything is fine. "Alright now." She pats my arm and is gone.

I head to the elevator after passing and greeting Slick O in the hallway and hit the elevator, riding up. Coming in from another floor is Jhon who lights up the minute that he sees me. "Ho, how are you doing?" Fine Jhon, how are you? "I'm doing good," he says in measured, flat tones. He is tall, his face lined with glasses and flaky as if he was dealing with sun burned skinned. He is long haired and stands with a slouch, when close he appears to be standing over you. "Is that an IPOD, Ho?" No, it's just an MP3 player. I show it to him. "Oh, it's small, Ho." Sony makes 'em small. The elevator stops at my floor. Take care, Jhon. "Yeah, Ho, take care," I stop in the threshold of the elevator, Oh, and Jhon, please call me Hobo. Jhon nods, "Alright, you like Hobo. Hobo then. Take care, Hobo!" The elevator door closes.

I get home, snatch up some cash and scoot. I head to the Lab, on 36th street and Lexington, Quest Laboratories. I get to a crowded waiting room, walk up to the front desk and sign in. Then I cop a squat and get ready for a long wait. I should have known better not to come here at lunchtime. Everyone in New York tries to get their blood tested on their lunch hour. I pull out the paperwork for the test and look at it for the first time, and stamped on the bottom is BIO REFERENCE. ANOTHER lab that Doc A wanted me to go to this week. SHIT!! I went to the wrong lab. I stash my paperwork and blast out of there. They'll get around to calling my name sooner or later, but I sure won't be there.

I head to Madison Starbucks, my old haunt, and cop a squat at the best seat in the house. The table in the back, near the power outlets and away from the crowds. It's no Eye of God, but it's good. I set up my laptop and go online to look for my brother. I don't see him on Instant Messenger, neither do I see him sending out emails. He is nowhere to be found. I thought maybe the library, but he would be online if he were. Time ticks and I look at my watch. It's getting closer to Two O'clock where we have the appointment with the kids at the Borough of Manhattan Community College.

I make myself busy doing shit online, but still keeping an eye out for my brother to contact me with location information. Either that or show up at the Starbucks where we could take off for the College together. Two O'clock rolls around, no OBSIDIAN. Now I'm growing worried. We always stay in touch with each other every day through the Internet so that one would know that the other is okay. Without any communication, that served as a warning sign.

Maybe his back went out and he spent the day in the VA Hospital on pain killers and muscle relaxers. That would be good news as compared to what my brain can cook up. Anything from being arrested to being killed. My imagination allows me to catastrophize quite easily. But there is nothing that I can do about it, because without communication, I have no where to start to look.

I'm only hoping now that he'll pop into Starbucks to get online, and I'll catch up to him here. If everything is somewhat alright I should acquire the target.

That's the plan.

Wait this shit out, and don't Catastrophize.

Hobobob