Ort’s doing OK
I just got off the phone with Ort, beloved Flagpole scribe and fixture at Trappeze pub.
Ort is at ARMC — he has a leaking mitral valve in his heart, which has sucked all the stamina out of him. When he was admitted, he said his heart rate was something like 140 and the doc couldn’t believe he’d made it from his car into the office.
He’s had lots of well-wishers and visitors, and the FaceBook page is up and running, but even though he doesn’t have insurance, Ort said he’s not looking for charity. He applauds the community in coming together to support and raise funds for people and said he’s not always been able to pitch in as much as he’d like to in that department. But he said he’ll pay off the bill $50 a month ad infinitum if he has to — ”It’s simple, I’ll just drink less,” he said. “If I have to just taste a beer and take copious notes and write about it, and then go back to the cheap stuff, that’s what I’ll do — so what?”
Cracking puns and jokes left and right as we talked, Ort said he’s not worried about the heart surgery, but is more worried about the dental surgery he has to have first to take care of gum disease (the two apparently are linked). But he said he’s gotten good care (though little sleep) since he’s been there, and was noshing on some chicken when he answered the phone to my call.
He ended our conversation with a joke: “How many Dalai Lamas does it take to change a lightbulb?”
“I don’t know,” I said, “how many?”
“Well, of course, there’s only ONE Dalai Lama,” he laughed. “But the Dalai Lama told this joke to a friend of mine, and the answer is, the Dalai Lama will only change the lightbulb if the lightbulb wants to be changed.”
Love that Ort.
