The Eyes Of God

If you sit reclined in one of the two recliners in my living room, facing my flat screen TV, your eyes are naturally drawn to the art piece and then to the two windows that sit at the twenty foot high pinnacle of where the slanted roof meets the TV wall.

As I sit each morning in the darkness, I get to see snippets of the sky, including stars and passing satellites. I once spotted the string of Elon Musk’s satellites pass these windows and raced out to the front of the house thinking for sure there was a mass ET arrival occurring. I lost count at 30. It was watching this particular stream of satellites that gave me the idea to use them in KMAG.

I tried to snap a photo of the windows in those early morning hours because they look so cool, but my iPhone camera is not up for the task.

Wait, the full moon gave me a better shot.

I call those windows The Eyes of God, because I can feel her/he/it staring down at me every time I glance up there. I sometimes whisper an extemporized prayer if I feel the need when our eyes meet. Old habits die hard.

I said a prayer yesterday morning asking God to make sure that I don’t accidentally burn down Casa Claire.

You see, I had made a wonderful couple of grilled cheese sandwiches for the Missus and me Sunday evening, and was absolutely sure I had turned off the electric burners when I finished. I even cleaned the two pans and cutlery I used in the process before we sat down to eat.

However, a little later in the evening, when Lisa was using the microwave for something, she removed one of the microwave covers and placed it on the stove, thinking it was long cooled. It wasn’t.

The coiled burner looked like bad modern art.

Well, far better that we lost some plastic and this one burner than Lisa burn herself. That would be unforgiveable.

Luckily, I saved the pan underneath, and the replacement part should be here early next week.

Now, my electric stove was not an environmental choice. It came with the house. I miss gas stoves because I know for sure when I turn them off. No flame.

I can’t say that electric stoves make any difference in my cooking, because my cooking is very basic. I do not need the gastronomical nuance that a gas flame brings to a culinary achievement. But I do know that I have never left a gas stove on when I finish my rudimentary meal prep. As I said, I’m very visual. Flames register.

Oh well, mustn’t grumble. I do most of my cooking in the microwave anyway.

And I have no 67 corvette in my garage to worry about.

All kidding aside, I would hate to be the cause of a fire in NoCo. As we are constantly reminded, wild fires are a serious matter. My prayers go out to the people in Maui. Tragedy. God bless them all.

We had one summer, a few years back, where I could see the raging wildfires that were burning about 30 miles north flickering over the tops of the foothills for many nights. The neighbors were prepping to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Scary shit. We were lucky. Many were not.

So, when God was peering down at me during the early hours of yesterday morning, I asked that the requested divine intercession make me more vigilant. More responsible to my wife, my fur family and my neighbors. To the rest of the world. Humanity.

And as God is my witness, and I know she/he/it is my witness because I can see it in her/his/its eyes, I will not fail in this endeavor.

Or Lisa will surely kill me.

Well, here we are, as promised. Tuesday. The dreaded Monday is behind us.

I have a kitty to cuddle and rounds to make.

You can all now start thinking about the final unofficial weekend of summer a few days away, and how you are going to wring the last of summertime magic out of it. Hopefully a barbeque or two. But, whatever you do during this magical time, stay vigilant. For yourselves, for your families, for each other.

No sane person sets out to destroy the world. But sometimes shit happens.

Enough preaching.

You fine, five readers go out there and take care of your business.

But most of all, make today a great one.