As Crazy As the Wheels of Ezekiel

Listening to Dan's new album and the song called "Pennsylvania" sent me back to its inspiration in the Book of Ezekiel, which is a kind of byword in our house: "as crazy as the wheels of Ezekiel" we say about things especially nutty. At one point God tells Ezekiel he has to eat bread baked on human dung. And then--this is my favorite part--there is negotiation. Ezekiel says he's never eaten any carrion or unclean thing. And God relents and says, "okay, you can use cow dung. But you have to shave off your hair and beard." God may be willing to talk, but he always negotiates from a position of strength.

Our Own Eldon

In Candace Bergen's TV sitcom Murphy Brown, there was a running joke about a house painter named Eldon. When Murphy Brown came home after a long day, Eldon would still be there. When she walked into the living room with her morning cup of coffee, Eldon would be there on his ladder. This went on for many weeks.
     We've acquired our own Eldon at the desert house. His name is Ron. At first Ron replaced and maintained the evaporative coolers on the roof. Then we hired him for a larger project: installing air conditioning in the half of the house that has a duct system. Lately he's been doing a variety of jobs such as installing an outdoor shower and replacing electrical wiring, outlets, switches, and breaker boxes. This last job looks like stretching out into the indeterminable future, since Ron works alone and very deliberately. He also talks to himself as he works. "Boy, this guy dint have no clue what he was doing," he'll mutter. Or "Wow! This switch is really old. I ain't never seen one this old before."
     Ron is careful, smart, and thorough. I'm looking forward to seeing him with my morning coffee for a while to come.