The first day on the job, I taught Chris the fastest way to pass anything is through the air. Ask for a hammer and you better look up because itíll be sailing in your direction. Need a hand saw? Are your hands free? They better be. Monday we needed to clear one of those upper decks of piles of household junk in order to stain it. I stood above and to the back of the deck, while Chris was below on the ground. Perched on the railing between us were flower pots full of blooming impatiens, which made it impossible to know exactly what was coming before it had sailed over the railing.

ìAre you ready?î I donít always give a warning.

ìYes.î

Into the air I launched a stream of stuff : a rake, a broom, a shovel, a plastic plant container, garden hand tools, towels, two coolers, everything but the chairs and the gas grill. I couldnít see what was happening down below, but other than one shout of, ìDonít throw the pointy end at me,î I think he caught most of it.

That was not my retribution, oh no.

With the deck clear, and needing to stain the outside railing, we set our long plank on the tops of two ladders – that place with the warning sign, THIS IS NOT A STEP. We climbed up on opposite sides and I spied a long, brown, fat, juicy slug slinking along my end. I picked it up, looked at Chris who had not seen it, and winged it at him. Like a pitcher protecting himself from a line drive he snagged it, hard, at chest height.

Then he opened his hand.

Egdelina
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Iíve received many emails from fans of the blog (fobís) asking why I continue to tell stories about Chris, now that Matthew is home. ìSure, we like Chris,î they write, ìbut letís hear more about Mattís trip. ëMatt on horseback, Mattís house in Esteli, Mattís classroom, Mattís teacher,í boring, boring, boring. WE NEED MORE DETAILS!í î Iíd be happy to comply, but here is the deal. I saw Matt on Friday night when he deplaned, I saw him once on Saturday, not at all on Sunday, and briefly on Monday. And that is how it is. Today, he and Daryl are going to Joeís house in NH, and I wonít see him again until this coming Saturday….maybe. If you want more Matt stories, you have to write and tell him to stay home.