Content-type: text/html Ray Manning

Monday, April 21, 2003 8:05 AM

Not a Happy Easter


On Friday I get home and lift weights and do the laundry. I knock on the neighbor's door and am immediately "volunteered" to install the new battery in her old car - she has already purchased one and just needs help. So we take the 20 minutes to install the battery and make sure the car starts and chit-chat about things as we work. One of the cable ends is split, so I inform her that it will be okay for a short while but she should get a new one soon. I'm tired from a long week so I'm in bed by 10pm.

Saturday starts with the bicycle ride around the aquarium. Some of the LA river trail gates are closed so I take surface streets parallel to the river until I find an open gate. But on this ride I see a guy who I see riding everytime that I'm riding leaving a house on his bicycle. I now know that he lives on San Francisco street between Spring and Willow. (Regardless of what day or time I ride, I almost always run into this guy on a bicycle, or stopped alongside his bicycle chatting with friends, or sitting alongside his bicycle smoking a cigarette.)

The day continues with the Formula One qualifying on tape, pruning and feeding the roses, a haircut, and an hour of rollerblading. It's a windy, chilly skate, but it's fun. I come home to relax, I'm in a good mood because of the bright sunny and energetic day. But my mood goes sour very quickly when I check out the Internet for the news (which follows in part).

of one of its brightest stars, as Daijiro Kato finally lost his brave battle for life in the Yokkaichi Central Hospital, Japan. Kato has been in a coma since an horrific crash two weeks ago at the Suzuka Circuit, venue of the first round of the 2003 MotoGP World Championship.

neck and chest injuries in the accident and has been fighting for his life in the intensive care unit of the hospital, where he passed away on Sunday morning at 00:42 local time. Kato, 26, leaves behind a widow and two children.

I laydown in bed and try to figure out what I'm feeling, why this loss has hit me more than others, and what should be the outcome. There are phone calls from Brandon before the nap starts, Person M_C just as I'm dozing off, and Person T* just as I'm waking up.

I finally regain coherence, take a shower, and head for a club. I pick up Person J_VKPI on the way and we talk about Easter and stuff. There's a reasonable crowd and I pick and choose which offers to receive and which ones to make. I'm finally home in bed at...um...let's just forget about the rest of the night. But I admit that I have seen the future and I like the way that it looks!

On Easter morning I read the paper as the San Marino Grand Prix is on. The mother of two of the racers has died the previous night and one of them wins. But he doesn't celebrate as he normally does and when he's on the victor's podium he looks very old - even though he isn't much past 30 he looks like he's aged 10 years in the last two weeks. This isn't a happy Easter weekend.

I get out for a bicycle ride around the aquarium and then I trim two of the bushes in the front yard. The neighbor kids are having their Easter egg hunt as I'm trimming the bushes but the fun and energy of the kids running around doesn't cheer me up.

I visit Mom and Dad and the kids and take them Easter chocolate. We have a nice visit. The attendance at Mass with Person Roy, his roommate Raplph, and the friend of a friend doesn't quite work out, so I return home for a quiet evening. I ignore all of the telephone calls that come in. I need peace and quiet and no stress at this time.