For the record...

What follows are two emails that I sent to friends. The first was written last night at 9:20 and the second was written just a few minutes ago.


I don't know what's going on with Dan today, but he came home a little bit before 8pm slammed around upstairs, then went downstairs. I had the TV on so I didn't hear anything from him, until I got a phone call and muted the sound. I could hear that he was playing something LOUD.

I thought it was one of his video games but after I finished my call and opened my door a couple of minutes ago, I could hear it was some of his Hard Rock Head Banging Brain Scrambling music. I went downstairs to get some ice for my water, and it was unbearably loud, I glanced toward the living room and could see that he was sitting on the couch on the patio.
(I know, sofa on the patio doesn't it get any white trashier?)

While I was in the kitchen he turned off the music. You know how the silence after an elongated loud sound seems as loud as the sound itself? It was like that; the quiet closed in on me as I refilled the ice cube tray.

After 5 seconds or so, the music starts up again, just as loud only now he's banging on something. Not like a pan and wooden spoon like you'd expect a child to do, but a softer sound, muffled, like he punching a pillow. When I came upstairs again, I could hear it through the open window over the patio, which is luckily on the other side of the house
from my room.

I almost went over to look down to see what it was he was doing, but I was worried that he would see me, and I *really* didn't want to be drawn into whatever it is he's doing.

Just now it sounded like he was banging on the wall! Jesus, I hope he didn't lose his job.

I'm really thankful that I have a lock on my door.

Rynn, who just felt like sharing her discomfort.

More of the story:

This morning after I leave my room, I can tell that he's gone because I can smell his icky after shave, I go across to the empty room and look down at the patio. I can see that the the old Tupperware bowl that I us as a water bowl for Manny is gone - no surprise there, Dan is always dumping it out and putting it away. I thought since I had said that I was going to take Manny with me when I go, all that would stop.

The other thing I don't see is Manny, so I run downstairs and go out on the patio and call to him. Then I realize that as I was looking out the window I saw something small in the weeds behind the sofa.

It's two shattered pieces of the bowl. That's what he was banging.

As I start to bring the pieces inside Manny shows up looking scared but after a few seconds he realizes that Dan isn't around and jumps up into my arms. I'm carrying him around the patio almost in tears because I'm so happy to see that he's okay that's when I see what he was banging it against. One of the fence posts has deep gouges in it and a couple of the fence boards have been knocked out of place.


I put Manny down, came upstairs and got my camera. I'll be posting all this on my blog, with the pictures, in a few minutes. I'm not going to take this sitting down. Question: should I call him at work and ask him what the hell he was thinking? Or take the pictures I took to the office? Let me know what you think, I need to know before 5pm when the office closes.

Thanks for your help.