A duck entered my life recently. I do not know it’s name, but it was apparently a female. She entered my life through my chimney early last week, unfortunately while I was away. During my vacation week in late April I left for New Orleans to do some work. That Monday just after I left, a duck entered my home. I think the duck was probably looking for me. I do not know why it would have been, but it probably was. I’ve kind of been expecting a visitor lately, due to some recent major advances at one of the research centers, but a duck itself? That seemed near impossible. Hopefully I will be able to meet this duck one day. Maybe she will return to deliver the message, which she obviously could not because I was out, another day.

This shows just how sophisticated ducks are. I was sought out by a duck; located and targeted by a mallard. Through the flu she flew, into an unexpecting household. If only I had been there. I would not have been surprised.

This duck to whom I owe so much must be traumatized by the experience. Being chased around a house would not be my idea of fun, especially when you have wings to deal with. Fortunately she made it, unscathed I might add, out the family room window after the screen had been removed. My house on the other hand, was not unscathed. A sole scuff mark lies on the ceiling as though to remind me that she was there. Maybe simply her presence was the only message that need be said. I could delve deeper into the meaning of it later on my own time, maybe that was her logic. Maybe just seeing her or hearing the story was meant to give me hope, to not give up. Even though one can feel trapped, especially in a place a small as a chimney, there will always be someone there to clean it out and happen upon you just by chance.

And now to move on for a bit.

For the average person, four days before their 16th birthday just at midnight, they hit the big 500,000,000. 500,000,000 seconds that is. This is true as long as they were not born on February 29th…I think. Also if there happens to be a skipped leap year over the millennia change that screws it up too, but anyways, 16 years is roughly half a billion seconds. Pretty cool huh? And You used to think that 16 was a completely random age to build so many laws around didn’t you? Well no, it really is a major landmark on the path of life. Perhaps that explains The Beatles logic behind making it 64 instead of 63 or 65. 64 seems to be a completely random number at first right? Well no, it is roughly 2 billion seconds. That’s big. My goal is to live for 3 billion seconds, or roughly 96 years. Three has always been my favorite number. I remember that used to change every time I got a year older, but this time it has stuck. 13 is really my really favorite number, but 13 billion seconds is too long. In fact I’m pretty sure that that would be impossible…cool but impossible.

Anyway its not like this matters much. It’s not even an exact science; the whole thing varies due to when your birthday is in comparison to daylight savings, leap years, and leap leap years. I will count though, and celebrate greatly the day and time that I turn 1 billion, 2 billion, and 3 billion seconds old. They will be momentous occasions beyond belief. There will be a party. You are invited.

Bring some Kool-aid.