The Phantom by Mike Hill

The 92 " H by 148" W x 37" D  two ton steel and granite sculpture by Mike Hill was scheduled to be installed tomorrow. It has been in storage for years as we wandered from home to home.

Before it could be installed, plants were moved, the ground was dug out, leveled and compressed with DG (decomposed granite) and 2 x 4s sunk to ground level to mark off the space.

None of this could be done while I was immunocompromised as the turned up soil would have exposed my then hapless immune system to normally innocuous spores and and bacteria. My warm nutrient rich blood stream would have been a fabulous home for these microbes, entering through my lungs and onto the capillaries. Without the white cells guarding the gates, they would be welcomed into a feeding frenzy at my expense.

But now the time is opportune. My counts are good, but not the weather. Unfortunately, normally sunny SoCal isn't, so we need to wait until the ground is dry, before I get to see this art rising out of my front yard.

This strong piece is a monument to my future.  It boldly thrusts out the message that I plan to be around long term to enjoy its sweep and grace every time I walk in and out my front door.

Its real thrust is that while I must prepare for any twist of fate, I am living big. I am writing. I am teaching. I am planning my return to work. 

Unless my docs tell me otherwise.

Should I need a redo transplant or not, I can't let that stop me. I am not good with pressing the pause button. 

Like Woody Allen's shark, I keep moving forward. Look closely and you'll see a similar hunger in my eyes as in those of that prehistoric predator, but it's truth, not a meal that I am chasing.