10:41 p.m. | 2003-09-11 What To Say? What To Say? I suppose I could say that the only constant is change, as it�s one of my familiar battle cries, if you will. And, things have certainly changed. I�d like to pay my September 11 respects, but I�m not ready to be all somber. Sorry. You might recall that I�ve spent quite a bit of time with Mr. (Grim) Reaper over the last nine months. And, you�ve only heard about family members; I�ve left out the others. And, even that is excepting Boss� multiple losses. Lets just say that I�m quite familiar with grief and leave well enough alone. This afternoon, Boss suggested that we should go down to the river and hang out. I was all for that. However, now�s not the time for such frolicking. Later, this happened. (Boss:) Hey Cruel-Irony, you wanna take a walk? (CI:) (Thinking of the river.) YES!! (Boss:) Great. I need you to take this package to MyOtherWorkPlace. (CI:) Oh. I thought you wanted to go to the river, but whatever. I�ll just be happy to go outside at this point. It was when I was walking across the street that I realized how much things have changed. I can no longer choose the door in which I want to enter. No. Now, I have to go through the MAIN door. Sometimes, that means I have to wait in line. Well, and there�s all that security I have to go through. There�s one person who takes what I�m holding while offering up a container in which to dump the accessories I don�t carry. Like a cellphone, keys or whatnot. It�s usually the same person so he doesn�t even offer that up anymore. Then there�s the person who x-rays my package, so to speak. And, the person on the other side of the beeping machine I have to walk through. As a rule, I don�t beep, so that guy doesn�t have to do the magic wand body scan thing. Outside of all that, there�s always at least three wacky security studs standing guard with their guns and such. I always smile at them, but you know, they take their job very seriously so they don�t smile back. As a rule, anyway. Every once in a while, they do smile back. And, I�m okay with all that. I think MyOtherWorkPlace should take some security measures. I�m especially loving all that since I now live across the street. People tell me not to ever walk in ThePark at night. I scoff. They have no idea how safe it is now. I don�t hang out in the thickets because I�m not stupid. Outside of that, trust me, ThePark is safe. Something different happened today so I shared that with Boss. Here�s some of that. (CI:) Hi Boss, I�m back. (Boss:) Okay. (CI:) They asked me a really weird question today. One they haven�t asked me before. (Boss:) What�d they ask you? (CI:) If the package was personal. (Boss:) What? That doesn�t even make sense. Was it a new person? Did they read what I wrote on it? (CI:) No, it wasn�t a new person. It was the same guy we see every day. (Boss:) What�d you say? (CI:) Well, nothing at first. I mean, I didn�t really understand why he asked that question. He sees me regularly, I always carry the same type package, I don�t have my purse, keys, change, cell phone or any other accessories. Obviously, I�m delivering something. (Boss:) So� what�d you say? (CI:) Oh yeah. Well, the package did contain some work that I personally did, but I know he didn�t mean that so I was all set to say no, when he said: �or, is this a delivery?� I picked �delivery� and they didn�t even scan it. (Boss:) Why would they ask you if it�s �personal�? I just don�t get that. We do this all the time. (CI:) I know. However, I must admit that, every once in a while, they throw me a curve ball. They flat out ask me the strangest things. It seems odd to me since they see me on a regular basis, but maybe they�re just trying to keep things interesting. Or maybe, just maybe, I look suspicious. (Boss:) Oh, please. You look like a flippin� Girl Scout. I think I look like an FBI agent. Well, not really, but maybe, just maybe, I look a little dangerous. Or maybe I just look, well, little. Why split hairs? your thoughts? seed flower