Kickass kicks at the wall

Kickass, the doorstop dog, is watching the keeper as he—the keeper tries to devise a means of dealing with misfortune and bad news.  So far, he has sorted through responding with bad language, fist pounding and kicking at the wall.

In addition to their injuries from a recent car collision, Phyllis and the keeper have been receiving a spate of bad news concerning family members and friends.  The cliché of “it could have been worse” has worn thin, even though it is a true utterance–meaningless but true, and, of course, ridiculous in the face of hearing of someone’s demise.

A strange winter meanness seems to have settled over the land, poking sharp sticks at the vulnerable and causing the citizens to snarl and shout at each other.

The keeper, though he likes to think of himself as super smart and with a ready solution for all problems, has hit the wall with this one.  He thinks he might help Phyllis make a big pot of her special winter soup and then take a nap.  If that doesn’t improve things he may go back to kicking at the wall.