My Back Yard

It's Saturday night and I've already posted once today, as well as having written the front end of a huge feature story that was due yesterday and will be delivered tomorrow as I leave on Monday. I'm full of life and living and have been all week. Almost a little too much: I was doing math calculations on an invisible chalk board in my head during one dream last night--related to how I can possibly offer the 8 1/4 day tour I'm doing starting Thursday for the price I'm doing it--I can't--when I woke just because the numbers were confusing me and I heard myself saying, as I was waking: Can't you just wait till I wake up to do this? I'm supposed to be having dreams now, not doing trip math!!!
Remember I told you I thought the little heart attack had at least a little to do with reliving conversations, and rewriting conversations, with my guests at 4 AM? Well, now you know I also do the math....AM I NUTS OR WHAT??????? I mean , I know it has to do with my being a freaking potato for a year, and with smoking 2 packs of smokes and being 20 pounds overweight and drinking too much whiskey, but then none of that would hurt a body if that body was working out, drinking a gallon of good water a day, sweating twice a day and eating wonderful fresh food--with lots of fresh garlic, onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, broccoli and asparagus, as well as fruit--daily, which I do.
At least that's what I think. I mean, I think you're supposed to strain your lungs to make them strong. But that only works if you're playing handball, riding a bike 10 miles fast every day, walking 5 fast miles a day....and those are things I have not done in 6 years since we moved to Texas where none of that is freaking available because there are no sidewalks, bike paths, parks or anything else anywhere within half an hour drive of my house. My excuse, forgive me.
But this week, I did take the doctor's order and I worked out every morning and evening and I am sitting here drenched for the third time today in sweat. Wonderful, cleansing sweat. Full of salt and impurities and junk my body was holding onto for no good reason sweat.
That's cause I was in the yard. Now it's only an acre and a half. So it's a big yard but about 1,000 acres short of a ranch here in Texas. And about 100 square miles short of a ranch in Nevada or Wyoming. Still, it's broken into several distinct areas, has maybe 25 trees at least 100 years old, two little bridges across a run-off creek that is dry at the moment, a chicken coop, a huge fire pit, a wild corner or two, two fantastic lawns that are a perfect and wonderful Ireland green....man, I was sitting on the tree swing after I'd moved most of the tree and the branches that me and Italo cut the other day from the yard to the fire pit and cleaned an area of the creek--maybe 5 by 30 foot, of reeds by hand and then re-nailed the boards on the larger bridge and I was thinking: Thanks, God. Thanks spirits. Thanks, trees. Not just for being alive but for having this to look at from a tree swing set with 1-inch cotton rope. I miss New York. I miss my family, my friends there, my routine, my stores, my restaurants and especially sidewalks, riding a bike, handball courts everywhere, my handball partner Earl, and Central Park and the free concerts, the huge trees, the secret places me and Chepa, and before her me and my girlfriends used to use to make a little love, do a little dance and so forth (Whoa! Nellie! That's way to much information!!!!!! That should be on a need to know ONLY!!!!!)
And then I'm sitting in the tree swing, the hammer hanging out of my back pocket, my stomach hanging over my belt (I hate you and am getting liposuction if you don't reconsider and get back inside the belt soon you stupid little show off!!!) and I'm thinking, Thanks, everybody. Thanks for giving us our own little central park. It ain't the ritz, but I don't know if I'd trade this yard for any yard I've ever seen. It's just that fantastic.
Okay, give me one of those 1,100 square mile ranches in Nevada and I'm changing my tune, but you get my point: This place is so beautiful and I'm so freaking lucky to have wound up here for this time.
And the sun was dropping in the sky and I remembered a fire we had in the pit just last month before I went to Peru, and some friends had come in from far away places and we just sat by the fire all night in wonderment of it all. Life is so rich, so fantastic. Not easy. And especially if you make problems for yourself like I have, but still, so wonderfully rich. I must have seen 100 kinds of bugs and been bitten by 35 kinds of ants while pulling out the reeds. So what? The stings didn't matter, the variety of life forms did! They were wonderful to watch! Some bit me with tail stings, some with little head clamps; spiders glommed me and I don't know how they bit. But that they were all so vibrant and alive that they were protecting their little Central park, the park I was eliminating, was fantastic. I mean, it's like talking with the power of the universe to be outside and be me in my yard tonight.
And I still havn't lost an ounce and am still a fat pig. But this week, me and that yard have made love like new lovers and she has been enthralling and I have been amazed.