Is Pack Up And Run

Johnny, Poor Impulse Control's Southwest Bureau Chief, reports from New Mexico:

You'll enjoy this. My knees are killing me. I go to the rheumatologist. She orders xrays. She says it's osteonecrosis, where blood flow has somehow been cut off and some sections of bone have died and are presumably rotting. She says I'm too young for knee replacement and cortisone shots won't help. She says the only thing she can offer is - you guessed it - painkillers. I can't win.

Dude! Did you tell her you were an addict? Wait, you've mentioned osteonecrosis before. Do you have other necrotic joints or did I dream this?

Oh, all my doctors know. I'll be in trouble if I ever get in a car wreck. They'll offer me an aspirin.

Actually, about ten years ago, my knees hurt and the MRI showed osteonecrosis. How do you remember these things? I can't remember what movie we watched last night.

Actually, last night I was playing Embudo Station, up past Espanola, which is a lot like a movie set of a cafe' by a river in the south of France, especially when we play the CanCan, which I spell the CannesCannes. We're there every Friday now, except when we're at the Lucky Bean in Rancho Viejo. I'm making about a hundred bucks a week playing music. I've always played just for the honor of playing. I can hardly believe I get given money and dinner now. The burst of pride I feel when I bring home my pay and give it to my wife to buy dog food and paper towels with is monumental, like the Great Wall of China, or at least a Very Good Wall of China. I'll never be able to repay everything I've cost this family in medical bills, but you gotta start somewhere.

Tonight we go see some friends skate in the roller derby. I love our life here. I think we know more gay people than straight, and, like the song, where she makes love to him in his Chevy van, that's all right with me.

Did I tell you that a month or so ago we were playing the Farmer's Market on a Saturday morning and about ten guys in full Star Wars stormtrooper costumes walked past us, like it was the most natural thing on the planet, going God knows where? We looked at each other, shrugged, and kept on playing. I think we were in the middle of Czardas, the Israeli national anthem. You think I'm kidding.

Actually, I think Ha Tikva is the Israeli national anthem and Czardas is Hungary's. Why do I know that when I can't remember the name of the woman who sits next to me at work? And who knew I'd feel underdressed without a roller derby?