Another long work day, one more microwaved dinner of baby bok choy and udon. The day was beautiful, clear, sunny, and cold in the morning, but warmer in the afternoon. Spending most of the day indoors inspecting, I get mere glimpses of the outside world. I am getting used to the 1700 Taps bugle thing. When everyone freezes in place-hazard lights on, stopping in midstep to salute or place a hand on the heart-facing a particular direction-a flag somewhere? Washington DC? Yesterday we were outside when it played. Down the street a ways was a family out for a jog-the parents facing wherever they face when it plays. Their daughter was on her training wheel bike behind them, inching away as children will do when parents are not watching. She had no interest in saluting. It seemed like the parents said a few words to stop her, but would immediately turn back around. Well, once the bugle stopped, the daughter was about 20 feet away. The parents immediately resumed jogging, and the girl gleefully sped her bike up, laughing, as it seems like the dad was racing her. But just as they passed us, the dad caught up with her, grabbed the front of her bike, reached in her basket, pulled out what looked like her snack of apple slices and threw it into the road where a car promptly ran it over. The girl was shocked, she stopped, then started crying. The dad never even stopped jogging. The mother, said something to the daughter, but kept running as well. We saw them down the road about 10 minutes later. The parents were jogging a good 50 yards in front of the girl on her bike. She rode slowly and her face was so sad. It was such a fascinating glimpse into someone else’s family. I have to admit, I have never seen a father act so ridiculously childish. I wonder if it happens all the time with them, or is he slowly snapping, poised to ruin his child’s life if she is not strong enough. His antics only now reaching a level of intolerable inanity.

This is what I am reduced to. If I have found anything out being here in this situation, is that I do need people I can really talk to. Or even just one. My coworkers are nice, but it is never going to go beneath the surface. We tried one day, but we hit the topic of de-clawing cats, and I said it was a disgustingly cruel and unnecessary procedure, then she proceeded to tell me she has always done that to her cats. But she also said her husband is on my side. Either way, it stopped the digging beneath the surface conversations for a while. Ah well, I will have to survive off of the few comments left here. This is definitely a one-way mode of communication.