Look To The Octopii!

Black Bile:  One of the four humors of ancient and medieval physiology, that was believed to be secreted by the kidneys and spleen and believed to cause melancholy and sadness when present in excess.

(Ed. Note: Black Bile would be an excellent name for the heavy metal band I'm going to front someday as soon as I . . . you know . . . learn how to play an instrument.)

I should add that another of the four humors is Yellow Bile which is thought to cause irascibility, anger, and bad temper.  I clearly am pumping out a lot of this Yellow Bile which isn't quite as good a name for a band.  Phlegm (see below) might be the best choice.  Alas, it has already been claimed by a Death Metal band from Finland.

I made that last thing up.

It would complete the Circle of Life if I added that blood and phlegm are the final two humors. 

OK, Bile - which is the word I looked up before I got sidetracked by the Four Humors - means: Bitterness of temper; ill humor; irascibility.

So all of this inventory work regarding mom and dad - with the surprising addition of the cat - was at the suggestion of the therapist I saw for a while.  She also suggested that I write about dear Kenner, my dead sponsor.  Let's recap: I started out with the cat, finding the whole process to be a blast.  I wrote a lot and it was all good, fun stuff, tinged with some mild ongoing regret that she was still dead.  I clearly loved that animal with no reservations whatsoever.  Animals seem to do that to people.

Then I started in on mom and dad and was surprised at the amount of bile - both black and green, with a touch of phlegm and a schtickle of blood - that came pouring out.  Surprised me at the time and is surprising still.

I was talking with Willie about our relationships with The Dead and whether or not they can see us or hear what we're saying from wherever they are.  If they are indeed anywhere at all.  He knows I've been on an extended screed (screed: A long discourse or harangue.  Harangue: A tirade, harsh scolding, or rant.  Loss of Focus: What is occurring right now in my head.) about my parents with my mom taking the brunt of the tirade.  Dad I'm not worried about.  Dad doesn't give a shit what I think about him.

Willie roared: "I think your mom is up in heaven laughing her ass off right now."

Good point.  If souls in heaven are getting bent out of shape about something going on down on earth then heaven isn't so much.

Today I think I'd like to be an octopus.