Can Angels Cast-On?

He had toothpick legs that contrasted with his more than ample girth, and when he pushed himself up from his wheelchair he defied gravity. He wheezed as he walked the few steps to the bathroom. Yet if someone has asked me whether he was in ill health I would have replied "No" without thinking.

We taught him to cast-off but for some reason he never learned to cast-on. He didn't even seem interested. Instead he would come in and buy yarn and more needles, and have us start a half-a-dozen scarves for him all at once.

He was the kind of customer that stays with you, not because he is the nicest or spends the most, but because he was a character. I only met him two or three times but he sticks in my mind more than some I've met a dozen times.

He was unfailingly polite and would send sweet thank-you notes that we didn't want to throw away but didn't know what to do with. He always wished us love and peace at the end.

Now that he's passed away I'm glad of whatever urge led me to save the last thank-you he sent me. In the card there was a goofy photo of him holding up one of our store bags, with his name and the date neatly penned on the back.

I'll keep my memento tucked in with my yarn.

Love and Peace Bill.

Sometimes I Want To Hug Customers

A woman came into the store the other day and when I asked for her last name so I could ring her up under her account she said, with some sweet indecision, that she kind of wanted to change the last name. She really liked her new name. I encouraged her to do so, and discovered that she'd gotten married almost a year ago.

I then changed this very Caucasian lady's last name to a very Japanese last name. Of course that piqued my interest and we chatted just a little about Japan and Japanese-Americans (her new husband is a nisei, second generation).

"I did everything right the first time," said this older woman. "I married a Jewish doctor and had kids right away. Then after I was divorced I thought, I really am attracted to Asian men."

Random Desires To Shave My Head

For some reason The Cranberries have been on my mind lately. Finally remembering all that technology has to offer I head over to YouTube and rediscover one of my favorite music videos when I was younger:



Now I want to shave my head.

And be Irish.

And have a nice voice.

But she can keep root-man. That's a little weird.