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Carl phoned me once more. Carl calls me quite a bit. I hope someone takes Carl's phone away. He says "Hail." He says that then silence. With Carl a pattern has formed.

I purchased a home in Carl's neighborhood a year ago. All the neighbors know each other so Carl regards this intimacy, this fate proximity is reason to reign over telephone lines like he's the friendliest Mussolini ever.

Filling in the dead space I inquire the reason for the call. He asks me to come by so he could show me something. Ok, Carl, after I'd recounted a a lot of reasons not to. He quickly showed them to be just excuses. He was good at doing that. If Carl is good at anything, it is exactly unfurling

Carl's accommodations are as boisterous as the man himself. As I approach I recall that his yard usually displays seasonal decorations. It's spring now and so what does he have in his yard? A large, decorative flower. Swaying, it welcomes me. The best neighbor ever pops out the door before I can knock. Cupping the crux of my elbow he back towards his front yard. He looks up. I do too. My mind is the saddest blank canvas and Carl is the motivated painter. I wait.

"Notice anything different?" Not really, I say. "I installed a gutter cover." Great. "No, it's more than fantastic. It's changed my life". He tells me the cover prevents garbage from clogging everything, which limits how often I must clear it." Surprisingly, Carl's idea was actually helpful.