Today was the first fully sunny day I think we’ve had all week, since last Sunday actually. We had plenty of sun yesterday, but rain later in the day. I think today, for a change, we maybe didn’t have any rain at all. Inconceivable!
I spent the day as I do most Sundays, struggling through the New York Times crossword puzzle and free-writing with friends. I don’t usually like rebus crosswords — they often feel like a cheat that hurts my brain — and I can’t say I loved this one, but it at least was genuinely sort of clever. I still haven’t actually finished, despite doing a little cheating.
I hesitate to share the free-writing I did, since I don’t think it adds up to much of anything. We were distracted by the air show going on across the parking lot — we meet right near one of Long Island’s airports, and this was going on over the weekend — and I struggled with the prompts. Here’s the non-narrative I cobbled together:
“The real issue, if you want to know the truth,” says Furlough, “is the promiscuity of electrons. Test materials in the lab were exhibiting sporadic and unintentional electron conductivity, which we finally traced back to an unexpected surplus of hydrogen atoms in the surrounding atmosphere. The atoms were the discharge of an earlier experiment, which for reasons not yet determined, had failed to be removed during standard decom procedures, were missed during numerous sensor sweeps prior to the event, and which unfortunately bonded strongly with the zinc oxides Dr. Kendrick and his team were experimenting on. Despite the conductivity and potential dangers it represented, Dr. Kendrick continued on, citing in his log book, which we have since been able to recover, numerous deadlines and previous failures. This is not to suggest that Dr. Kendrick was himself at fault, or that any legal action is recommended; however, there is every indication that his actions, or rather his failure to cease the zinc oxide experimentation, led directly to the aforementioned event, namely the explosive destruction of Lab 17 and all its contents, Dr. Kendrick and his three technical assistants included.”
“Yes,” says Bellman, “that or the WWII airplane we all saw crash into the side of the friggin’ building!”
“Our data on that is still inconclusive. Given that no aircraft was recovered at the site, nor any wreckage beyond the equipment expected and signed out to Lab 17, it is our combined and considered belief that this ‘crash’ was in point of fact a mass hallucination brought about by elements as yet unknown.”
I told you, distracted by aircraft. How often do you see the Blue Angels flying in formation above Wal-Mart?
Anyway, that was my Sunday.