He needed to get a turkey. He needed to clean the house. He needed to buy oil for the furnace. He needed a new job. He needed to drop some weight - probably more than just some. He needed to quit drinking. He understood her leaving him and taking the opportunity to earn a decent wage. Who could blame her? No one wanted to be in a relationship with a drunk and a loser. If he failed at Thanksgiving, she would take her cat and be gone forever.
Eric Green lives on the Maine Coast with his wife. He was born in northern New Hampshire, rode freights across the country as a teenager, made his living as a visual artist for thirty years, and writes the syndicated award-winning column "The Penobscot Falcon."