Carl phoned me yet again. Carl calls quite a bit. Somebody should rip off that guy's phone. He says "Aloha." He says that followed by total silence. Carl does this a lot.

We-Carl, I, others-live in a close-knit row of houses. All the neighbors know each other so Carl posits this intimacy, this happenstance proximity is consent to take control of communication like Carl is the friendliest Stalin ever.

Filling in the dead space I inquire the reason for the call. He tells me to stop by so he could show me something. Subterfuge bounces off Carl like rubber. I walked to his house

His accommodations are about as obnoxious as Carl. Marking winter ending he's set-up a fifteen foot tall, inflatable rabbit. Swaying, it greets me as I approach his porch. The best neighbor ever pops out the front door before I am able to ring the doorbell. Grasping my arm he leads me past his porch awning. He stares upward. I do too. My brain is the saddest blank canvas and Carl is the happy painter. Things aren't looking up.

I discover Carl asked me over so he could tell me about his gutter covers, which he says keeps debris out of his gutters. Shockingly, Carl's ramblings were actually helpful.