Got some air today. I went out to Calvary so as not to waste the Spring-like weather. I spotted a couple of markers I had never noticed before, near the site of an infant’s grave that became the focus of my energies for a couple of days last year.

There is a stone marker at Calvary that summarizes the Calvary Ash Tree Project. 12 Ash Trees were planted at the cemetery 6 months after 9/11 as a symbol of growth and renewal. The trees were planted near the spot where cemetery workers gathered to watch the Twin Towers burn and then collapse. There were plenty of other places on the grounds that might have afforded a clearer view of the Towers but this happened to be the spot where the groundskeepers and others were when it happened, and that was why the Ash Trees were planted there.

Today I noticed that right across the street from the Ash Trees were burial sites of two New York Firefighters who died that day. Compared to other 9/11 graves I’ve seen these were extravagent. One had an original poem engraved on it, another had a likeness of the deceased engraved on the stone. The markers seemed to be in a place of honor, situated as they were directly across the roadway from the Ash Trees marker and in the same line of view to the World Trade Center that the cemetery workers had that day.

I have probably seen 40 or 50 graves and monuments for those who died on 9/11. Most of them were at Maple Grove Cemetery, others at St. Michael’s. I know one at New Calvary but had never seen nor did I expect to see any at Old Calvary — especially single-occupancy graves like these. Old Calvary had been sold out for generations until newer graves were built only in the last year or so.

The 9/11 graves I’d seen so far were all pretty modest, though the one at New Calvary was fairly hefty in size. Many of the markers were just markers, meaning there was no burial because the bodies were never recovered. I remember spotting a columbarium niche for a young person who died that day. It was interesting because I had never seen a columbarium until then and I was very much enjoying looking at the urns and other mementos. When I got to this particular niche I saw a decoration that indicated he had evidently died at the Trade Center. I looked for his cremation urn and saw none. His burial, I realized, was in one of those giant clouds of smoke.

I know I have told that story a hundred times but I thought of it today when comparing these relatively opulent markers to those of others who died that day. There must be a story there.

….

I think I might go for the laproscopic surgery to fix my GERD. The procedure does not make me nervous, but the potential financial expense does. I have insurance but it seems to be threaded so that I would pay as much as possible for overnight hospital stays. Were I to get the treatment for macular degeneration, on the other hand, the $6000 dosages would only cost me $50 co-pay for the specialist’s office visit.

I considered the surgery late last year but figured it was not so pressing, but yesterday might have changed my mind. I forgot to take an Omeprazole (generic name for Prilosec) in the morning and I had a tune melt with swiss cheese for lunch. I spent the rest of the day feeling like I was on fire — cheese in particular seems to rip my innards a new sphincter if I fail to pop an Omeprazole ahead of time.

….

I was in Tampa last week to see my mother, sister, brother-in-law, and nephew, as well as an old high school friend. I was not especially looking forward to the visit but it went well enough.

I am expecting delivery this week of a box full of stuff I found in my childhood bedroom. There is, in faact, a mountain of boxes in that room, but I found a few of the exact things I was looking for and sent them here. Specifically I found some high school literary magazines in which some of my stories and awful poetry were published, and some other hand-written detritus from my yawling youth. I left 3 full boxes of similar crap and over a dozen other boxes full of books and even crappier crap. Some day I’ll get a road trip partner to help me drive it all here.