Lost Shoe

(This is the Chairman’s 1979 cartoon about sleep aids on the approaches to the Red Sea. He said it was easier than a simple trip to the strip-mall where the nearest ABC store is located. The Trillium will not discuss anti-drone air defenses, but time will tell on that score. It may accommodate the vibrant senior living the building uses to attract new sources of impaired revenue).
We could not get Vic to come up from the street entrance in front of the 14 story Trillium. He claimed his shoe was in the cab, must be, since it was impossible for it to have come adrift at the liquor store. Embarrassing if it was loose in ordinary replenishment shopping. The building does not run the community bus to places of actual interest. The cabdriver made a thorough exam of the passenger area of the Toyota Camry and under the passengers seat in front of paying guests.
He held his hands upright in surrender, perhaps thinking the beginning of his afternoon was turning to ill winds. Vic managed to get out of the cab. Christian is the guy who operates the Valet area in front of the building. He produced the light wheelchair Vic uses to get around the building and up and down to the Conference Room and prepared to wheel himself away.
He told the group upstairs why he had not completed his segment on AI-assisted publishing. It is a big deal for the Chairman, since if this experience pans out he may be able to move the Creative Staff to some sort of Reduced Service Level Luxury the group might no notice.
Vic was upset. The soft shoes he is learning to take unsteady steps cover dramatically swathes wounds where his left toes used to be. Apparently a rapid swivel of his wheelchair at the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority at 8413 Old Courthouse drive caused the left shoe to be pried off in a rapid turn to find the right plastic half gallon he uses to fill up the nice glass ones in the Chairman’s office and the conference room.
The Boss can watch the area with a remote camera, so we know not to touch his stuff without specific authorization. It makes him feel good, and we normally have materials in the golf cart out back in case we run out of invitational hospitality.
The was perhaps the turning point on his road to recovery from the vascular complications that went along with the reaction to the Moderna Vaccine back in the Covid hysteria. But he had a good report at the cardiology appointment, and that may mean reducing some of the clutter by rolling out the new Rollator and retiring the wheelchair to someplace real disabled people could use it.
With only one shoe, he rolled into the Conference room and made a brief announcement. “I’m going upright this afternoon. I am going to get behind the Rollator and walk. I am not going to squash myself into a wheeled contraption just to roll back to the galley.
“I am prepared to make the announcement now,” he said. “The confinement to wheeled vehicles is done. Today we start walking.”
“Unless you lose the other shoe,” said Rocket. Vic grimaced. The crew at the conference table giggled and waved their hands.to encourage Vic to do something useful. The manuscript of the new book is nearing Phase One, and is almost ready to talk about. Just finding our why the Chairman put is aside 23 years ago is another story.
In the meantime, there is stuff in the galley we would find useful to see if Vic can find new shoes and navigate in that new and smaller wheeled contraption. We may invite him to go with us to the Happy Hour the Sallts are going to throw this Thursday as a prelude to the luncheon at ANCC on Halloween. We will try to stay steady. Writing the new book based on memories put aside more than a decade ago is a relief.
And the ChatGPT Artificial Intelligence algorithm housed in the glowing box at the end of the able seemed to agree. But of course, it is programmed to keep us engaged, so off we go if we can locate the right foot ware for the trip!.
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