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20. My Dinner with Micah

Since Ruth was my meal ticket for dinner folowing her graduation ceremony I asked her to select the where to. We are in downtown Dayton heading back to Fairborn normally a 15 minute drive and the hunger pangs were making their secret desires known whispering words like Arbys or KFC oh so seductively in the ear drums.

Ruth selects Frisches which means that the food will be above normal bordering a bit closer to the south end of a healthy diet but much better then my junk food fantasies.

In 10 minutes we arrive and are seated close to the check out register in a booth in the center of the aisle with dividers so there is a bit more privacy then if seated in the tables in the rear of the resturant.

Then the final delight of the evening before the somber end awaiting us at the house. Our waitress is a young lady named Micah who excludes enthusiasm and a desire to please and even better makes eye contact.

Now Frisches has a great hamburger and fries but they tend to double up on the fries and I am never able to finish them off even with Ruth's help. I try to make this very clear to Micah that getting me a half portion would be just fine but she sticks to her guns that we get the diner's best or nothing. Thankfully she fully understands that I want my burger plain--catsup only--no mayo, tomatos or any of that.

The meal proceeds nicely and of course I can't finish the fries. This does not stop me from wanting chocalate cream pie however as I have carefully trained the taste buds and stomach to be selectively filled. Micah scoffs at this inability to finsih fries and yet have room for pie for the hypocrisy it is to which we both laugh. While this was occuring my buddy Steve from Baltimore had called to play catch up and was congratulating Ruth on the ceremony and was wondering what the talk in the background with the waitress was all about. I tell him just another lady smitten with love for me which earns me a slap on the shoulder and a laugh and her a $2 tip. Delightful young lady--made the meal enjoyable. Ruth just shakes her head. We get a doggie bag for Onyx to finish off the fries and homeward bound.

21. The Final Shadow

We unload everything from the car upon arrival and I check Litnet for forum comments-especially that of a well regarded moderator. I carefully regard the comments noting that Scher had not posted th entire interview. Not sure quite what to make of that. But the comments were nice to see. I then turn the computer over to Ruth.

I go to the garage and as I enter it I immediately know what I am looking at. Our cat Shadow had lost the use of her hind legs about three days ago and had been lying in a corner of the garage these past days barely eating or drinking. We had been cleaning her off periodically and wondering when the end would come. She was approximately 12 years old and was always a quiet cat. Just last week when I was rearranging bookshelves she plunked herself next to the Spurgeons looking very wise and spiritual.

And now she was gone. And the heart dies just a little if not unexpectedly. I tell Ruth the news and ask if she wishes to say goodby but Ruth wants to remember her in life. To think at the beginning of the day I thought I was to lose TWO cats (Marbles the runaway and Shadow at an unknown time) and now one fear has come to pass. I take her away and later sit and think the day over.

The highs and lows of life and death and celebration and family and friends. God is still good.