MONEY

Today was a good day. I got up early; not as early as I intended, but that's something I'm working on. I can shave an hour off of when I get up and that hour is crucial to getting off to a dedicated start. What I didn't do today was hike, and that hurts. I was outside a bit, looked at the sky, marveled at the dawn, licked the feathery top layer of the snow glitter-balled by the first rays of the sun as it wobbled over the pueblo. For a few minutes, under the immensity of that cranberry aquamarine, standing in the snowmush driveway, I was visited first by three rabbits, inquisitive sniffers who, one by one, nosed the same sage plant tips sticking out of the snow like the tentative tentacles of an amphibian, and drunkenly lunge-hopped through the drifts, and then three dogs, the amigos, the ones that now know me (and know I have no pork chops - yet), who, one-at-a-time brushed their coats against my legs, and smiled up at me, waited 3 or 4 minutes, tails wagging, and then buttswung themselves back out to the road and trotted north toward the large quonset houses. That was my moment: cold but still, the sky drum much softer than in the dusk, a lower hue, watery, sounds traveling from miles away, tinks and tonks and sageward yelps, swooping hawks stirring the air, the curious rabbits and incredulous doggies, all moving on their way, greetings, departings, living and let living going on in all directions.

And I won the lottery...he almost hits the exclamation but stops. Yes, I won, $15, got the powerball number and the power play was 5x. Hey, I come from a gambler and have fought that dragon, trained and caressed her to be my friend cum companion, but I've been feeling lucky (the "cky" in the back of the throat, breathy at the end), and I've been seeing numbers, baby. This is my second "win" in two weeks, so I'm up $14. I'm rubbing my hands together and they feel like moneh...that's right M-O-N-E-H, Moneh. Seriously, though, I have that feeling. The moon is getting bigger, venus is winking at me, red ole mars, ruler my ruler, is sliding back over the mountains, and big bopper jupiter, too - say it ain't so red sisters! There's your exclamation. Big, big, big, that's what's happening. No biggie smalls, no smally balls, this is play time.

Speaking of dragons, all kinds of good things were going on today. My timing was slamming. Work situations, flirtations, Moneh, unasked for favors, good books to read on the can, a fridge full-to-burstin with goodness at home, what, what, what more can you want? Well, I'll tellya, first, 5pm hit and I was still talking to this lawyer woman who owns a building of offices (one of which I'm renting tomorrow). When I left, dusk already sprouting without me at my perch on the mountain, I knew that deal was done. So, with a crease in time, my mind, well, more my solar plexus, the dragon's lair, sent up a thought, well, more an urge, that had the clacking of phenolic resin balls in it, and the slide of smooth wood across the slot of skin between my left thumb and index finger. Pool, at the Alley, was in my solar plexus. I had some time, it was happy hour, I didn't need to drink but could hang around with the peeps in the back room and shoot some stick, you know? I got in the car with that intention, my trained dragon straining against its yoke, but a funny thing happened. I slid around the parking lot skating rink and rolled up to the muddy lip leading out to Paseo and instead of banging a louie, I leaned right and by the time I straightened her out passing the Taos Diner, I knew I was on my way home....but was I? Not quite. At the blinking light intersection - straight takes you to Questa and then the kingdoms of Colorado, right takes you up to Arroyo Seco and then up up and away to the Ski Valley, and left takes you toward the gorge where I live (and, if you go further, to the remote mad max outpost of Tres Piedras) - I compromised. Since I was wrestling my suddenly tongue-wagging dragon, Dixie, I decided to take her out for some pizza. So, we went right, toward the ski valley, but pulled off a couple hundred yards down the road at Pizanos, owned by some good friends. Me and Dixie got ourselves a personal pizza with mushrooms, green chile, onions, and black olives - upstate NY style - made some good time with the girls behind the counter while we waited, a lot of smiling and "where you been, honeys," and then busted out to gorgeville. And that we did. I gave Dixie a slice on the way to chill her the freak out, and when I got home, I plowed that thing down to one slice. Man, it was like I hadn't eaten in days. They use good ingredients and all, but still, this is pizza, heavy wheat, meat, tongue tickling spices, thick cheese, and garlicky tomato sauce (see fingers to the mouth in a kiss). So I ate Dixie and the pizza, too, and that was that. I've been a bobblehead Gman since. But, BUT, I'm good, you know? I ate 3 tangerines after the pizza and I am sated like a mofo. It's 9:27 and I'm ready for Mirabal in my bed (the book, ok).

That's all I have. I wish I had more because one of the servers at Pizanos said to me, "I grew up down the street from 'Make Believe World.'" One of Walt Disney's buds built a house on 300 acres and then turned the place into a phantasmagorical town. And she lived a few houses down. There's something there. Right? No matter, buenos noches al mundo.