9:57 p.m. | 2003-08-05 Apparently, I�ve Been Missed. A couple of entries back, I mentioned that my 72-year-old friend Alex told me that her son had written a article in a newspaper and I told her I�d print it for her. I did print it but then I couldn�t find her as she�s out and about a lot. However, tonight, when I went to take my walk, I saw my whole posse of rebel senior citizens (Alex, Carl and Chuck), outside huddled together. No doubt they were talking trash about those �damn old people� at the Senior Center. So, I dashed back upstairs, grabbed the article and headed towards my Posse. My Posse, being rebels and all, was standing in the middle of the street, which is not something I�d recommend. I approached them and handed Alex the article she mentioned plus another one her son had written that he probably never mentioned to her. Then, I was subjected to a sudden explosion of verbosity particular to seniors. Here�s that. (Alex:) Oh, Cruel-Irony! Come over here. Look! It�s Cruel-Irony! (CI:) Hi guys. Alex, here�s the article your son wrote, plus another one. (Alex:) Did you read it?! What�d you think of it? (Chuck:) Hi Cruel-Irony. (Carl:) Isn�t that awful?! (Referring to the subject of the article.) And, where have you been? I�ve been looking for you EVERY day and I NEVER see you anymore. (Alex:) Yeah, isn�t it awful?! Did you like my son�s writing? Can you believe what happened there? (Carl:) I even look in the alley everyday and I never see you. NEVER. Why haven�t you been visiting us? (CI:) I, um� (Alex:) Oh, you�ll never believe it but Carl saw �Seabiscuit� and he LOVED it! Didn�t you Carl? Tell her how much you liked it. (Chuck:) I gotta go. See you guys later. (CI:) See ya, Chuck. (Carl:) I really did like the movie. Cruel-Irony, have you ever had a lump in your throat and have a tear well up in your eye? (CI:) Yes, I have. (Carl:) That movie does that to you! (Alex:) Cruel-Irony, you should go see that movie with Carl on Saturday. He�d love to see it again and you said you wanted to see it. (CI:) (Whoa, Nelly.) Yes, I do want to see it but, unfortunately, I�ll be out of town on Saturday. (Carl:) Where have you been? Why haven�t you visited us? (CI:) Sorry, Carl. I�ve been busy working, unpacking and getting settled. (Apparently, they think I have as much free time as they do.) (Carl:) Well, I have to go now. (Alex:) What�d you mean you havta go? Like to the bathroom? (Carl:) No, to the store. I�ll be back. Are you guys gonna be here later? (Alex:) No, I�m going to bed now. (CI:) I have some things to do Carl, but I�ll come back down later. Are you gonna be out here? (Carl:) Yeah. (CI:) I�ll meet up with you later. (Carl:) Don�t forget because I have something for you. (Carl leaves.) (Alex:) What? He has something for you? (CI:) He knows I like old pictures of MyTown. He promised to show me some that he has. (Alex:) Oh, okay. Alex and I talked for about 20 more minutes before we both went in. Here�s some of that. (Alex:) Did you really like my son�s writing? (CI:) Yeah, I did. He�s a good writer and he did a thorough investigation. It�s a really good article. But, I have to admit that one line really made me laugh. (Note: It was a serious and somber article, not a funny one.) (Alex:) Really? Which line was that? (CI:) Lets see� this one right here. X stepped out to take a leak. (Alex:) (Laughing.) Does it really say that? (CI:) Yeah. (Alex:) See, I told you he was a beatnik. He reminds me of Y at the CoffeeHouse by TheLibrary. Have you been there lately? (CI:) Uh, the CoffeeHouse or TheLibrary? (Alex:) TheLibrary. (CI:) No. I haven�t been to TheLibrary for years. (Alex:) Really?! I go there everyday. I mean, what else am I gonna do? Hang out here with all these old cranky people? I have my own table up on the 4th floor. You should go there with me. (CI:) I�d love to but I have to work during the day. (Alex:) Oh, right. Well, you should go there anyway. I�m headed back out now to see if Carl�s hanging on the streets. Wish me luck. your thoughts? seed flower