Never Comes the Day, Part 1: End of the Line

Not a bad afternoon’s work waiting for me.  One last order manager to repair and configure, then slack the rest of the day away on one of my pet projects.

Read over notes from the return.  Seems the client didn’t actually use the server as, given the problem detail, their switch was on the blink and that was why orders weren’t going through.  This will be cake!  Tested RAM, hard drives and RAID integrity.  All passed of course, but the tests have to be done.  Then a quick re-image (as this is faster than manually ripping the location information out of the system).

This is routine.  It usually entails thirty seconds of work followed by...  Well, for me, usually, I just put on my headphones and look like I’m working.  Today; `80’s Rock!

When the process was done, I was on the Traveling Wilburys’ “End Of The Line”.  It doesn’t matter how many times I see the video for this song, every time they get to the part where they have “Lefty’s” guitar in the rocking chair I get choked up.  Remembering this while listening to the song has the same effect.  

I sat and looked at the order processing screen blankly.  The background for the orders is supposed to be white but it looked more a cream colored.  I adjusted the angle of the display.  That was it.

Where do we keep memories?  What triggers them?  What causes one to start looking for connections?  Does the subconscious sometimes slip in, causing us to take actions that will force a memory, or does it just seem that way.  Why do they nag at the back of the mind...

“End Of The Line” finishes, leaving me feeling a little sad, and the cream color is still bothering me.  The playlist went on to The Who’s “Long Live Rock”.  I begin installing drivers (why they can’t be on the base OS image is still a baffles me) and spaz out playing air drums.

Unit is done.  I finish my report and give the unit my stamp of approval.  I begin shutting it down as "Another Tricky Day", another song by The Who, starts.

From the album Face Dances.

Another Tricky Day.

Don’t Let Go the Coat.

Cream colored coat.

I was almost seventeen.  

She was sixteen.