"Livin' the life, Eric. Livin' the life."
I was walking the dogs around dusk last night and passed Jim and his prison buddies hanging out in the front yard, having some beers. I asked him how he was doing and that was his response.
My God, I wish I was that delusional. It would make living here so much easier.
I've learned quite a bit more about Jim in recent months. He spent some time locked up, for what and for how long I don't know and I don't want to know. He's a recovering drug addict and a not-so-recovering alcoholic. Obviously. This morning he was watering the lawn, screwdriver tinkling in hand and it wasn't even 7am. He makes some money scavenging junk with his friends and then trying to sell it, usually by displaying it out on the front lawn. This week it's a half dozen doors and a ceiling fan.
Jim has these impromptu get togethers almost every evening. Actually, they kind of go on all day long.
There was a time when living across the streets from an ex-con would have made me uneasy, but that's just unavoidable here. Seems like half the town has done time at some point. And besides, we consider Jim a friend and his buddies seem fairly genial. With them hanging out all day it's like a full-time Neighborhood Watch and saves us the cost of putting in an alarm system.
The parties used to stretch into the night, but Jim lives with his gay dad Erich and they recently changed Erich's schedule down at Walmart and he has to get up at 3am. So if Jim doesn't wrap things up by around 8, Erich comes out and shoos everyone away so he can get some sleep.
One other thing I learned about Jim is he has a girlfriend. We haven't had the pleasure of meeting her, but Jim says that we will.
In October.
When she gets out of prison.
