The Widow's Morning

Tim was just here. From Orkin. You know, to spray around the perimeter of the house and keep me bug and spider free, mostly. Too bad they don't have a snake spray.

Anyway, when I answered the door I had a handful of blueberries. Tim said, "Oh, blueberries. They're good for you. My wife eats them all the time. She's a health nut. She makes my life miserable. She won't let me eat chicken with the skin on."

I said, "Good for her."

He said, "Blueberries are . . ." and here he struggled to find the word, couldn't find it, and finally came up with something like anti-toxic. "They kill the toxins," he concluded.

I said, "Yes." Because I couldn't think of the word either.

Tim went about his business of spraying, and I believe he was thorough. While he was spraying I thought of the word, anti-oxidant. When he rang the doorbell again to give me the bill, I said, "It's anti-oxidant." He looked puzzled. "The blueberries," I said. "They're anti-oxidants."

He still looked puzzled, then said, "They kill the toxins."  

We chatted about the "big slab of concrete" and the marks on the wall near my front door, marks of finch poop. I said, "I've tried to wash it off, but I'm having my house painted." He said, "I used to do that, too." I offered him some blueberries. "No, thanks. I'm good," he said. And "have a nice day."

I had learned something about Tim last night when he called. Twice he called. First to tell me he was coming and to ask if I lived on South Greenwood Circle or East Greenwood Circle, because the address card they gave him showed both. I told him to ignore the south and east and just turn off Boise Avenue onto Greenwood Circle. And did he know what time he would be here?

He said he'd figure out his schedule and call me back in 30 minutes.

An hour and a half later he called back. He'd be here at 9 and he had lost my address.

So what I learned is that he is methodical, dependable, and not as quick as some people.

What I learned today is that he is methodical and dependable and that I like him.

Now, back to the anti-oxidant blueberries. When I told Tim blueberries are anti-oxidant, I saw the word spelled in my mind--that's weird, isn't it?--but what I saw was anti-occident, which surprised me and confused me a little, because I knew that was not right. It also made me think of Occidental College and Occidental Life Insurance Company.

Weird. I wonder how often we see the words we say spelled in our minds.

Well, anyway, my house is sprayed and my bread is baking. So there.