After trying unsuccessfully for two hours to bust up the back steps with a sledge hammer, we finally resorted to a jack hammer. Most of my body parts are feeling it today though I don't know if it's more a result of the sledge hammer or the jack hammer. All I know is I'm sore.

I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated. Duncan's mom and sisters have come and gone and I'm glad to say his mom seems to be doing pretty good. She actually made it upstairs to get a look around though she slept downstairs. We went to NYC and it was pretty interesting to say the least. Three big asses, one back seat.

I also thought I had solved the issue with the tea dilemma. I've been off soda for almost a month and had found a tea that was actually OK. After two purchases, we have not been able to find it. We actually went on a hundred mile trek to find it the other day. Hey, it's what we do, and no luck by the way.

Above, Kaleb likes her first steak bone ever.

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While watching the news this morning, a reporter outside the Capitol was interviewing people waiting in line to see the closed coffin of Ronald Reagan. A scoutmaster had brought his troop down to see it and the reporter's question to one of the youngest members was, "Are you excited about what you're getting ready to see?"

And Dave Chappelle as Rick James. Yes, she is, a very kinky girl. I brought her home to mother.

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So long Ray Charles.  What a treasure is gone.

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Last night, I was at some sort of auditorium. I was trying to find a bathroom but they were all occupied. I went to the Krispy Kreme to use theirs. The toilet was about 6 feet long and a couple of feet wide and resembled a coffin. I opened it and peed. At the same time, I peed for real for several seconds before I woke up and stopped. It took a few minutes before I realized what happened and got up and put on some clean underwear. By the way, in this part of the country, it's light at 4:45 in the morning.

Today, in remembrance of Ronald Reagan, the New York State government is closed. It will cost $43 million dollars in a state that is trying to close a huge budget deficit. Reminds me of Reaganomics. He would have appreciated it.

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The stairs are done and my body has stopped aching, except for my right thumb that is.

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Triscuits don't last forever. Looking for something to eat, I came across a box a Triscuits that had not been opened. I don't remember buying any Triscuits, but sometimes, I put stuff away and forget about it. Um, a little stale. How old are these things? Expiration Date: Oct 1998. I was hungry though so I ate 10 or 15 and threw the rest away. We've moved twice since they expired. I wonder how old that oatmeal beside them is.

I don't understand how some people can walk so slow, mostly kids, but adults, too.  I walk Kaleb every morning and it just astounds me how some kids can actually walk so slow and not just topple over. I guess weebles wobble but they don't fall down.

***Note added later*** The oatmeal also expired in 1998 but it still seams quite tasty.

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A local police officer was suspended from the force last year for using a racial slur. He was later fired. A couple of days after he was suspended, he met a guy at a bar and became friends. He went to his house and snorted some coke with him and gave him a gun. In the mean time, he sued, and the police department was forced to give him back his job a couple of months ago. During all of this, his friend was being investigated by the DEA. The officer is again suspended and free on bail. His dad died last weekend. He must have been so proud as are the rest of the citizens of Schenectady.

My neighbor is putting in a deck and taking up his brick patio. He wanted to get rid of the bricks so he's asking everyone if they want any. Sure we'll take some. We brought many loads over in the wheel barrow and seriously overestimated the number it would take to line the flower gardens. Does anyone need any bricks?

And an e-saver came up to Charlotte so I'm heading off tomorrow morning for the weekend. It's Father's Day and I get to see my dad. Don't forget to call your dad Sunday.

Tonight is Festa, the real Festa. Not the corporate sponsored, let's make some money Festa, but the Festa where all the old nuns and Italian women cook up a storm. We're gonna go get some real Italian food. I want a Strombolli.

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Market cool, only fag price goes up.
The stub 'barely worth a fag-end'.
Fancy a chocolate flavored fag?
Kids take on fag-free message.

...when you type fag into google news.

At what age does it become OK for a woman to walk around outside in her night clothes? There's a lady a couple doors down that will walk outside and down the street in her nighty (or whatever it is that older women wear) and slippers. I woke up the other morning when I was at my folks and my mom was outside digging in her flowers in her night clothes. This is from the woman that will not leave the house fully made up.

I also borrowed a bunch of pictures while I was down there so I could scan them. Most of them were old pictures that I have never seen before. One was of my Aunt Jenny who died of cancer in the late 1990's. She was a lesbian who had the same partner for 30 to 40 years. Another was of her partner Vivian, who is still alive but is in a nursing home about 30 minutes from my mom's and my other aunt's houses. While my aunt was sick with cancer and Vivian was suffering from the strokes she had several years earlier, my other aunt took care of both of them for the most part, but after Jenny died, it became more than she could handle so they put her in the same home as my grandmother was in. Not a bad place as nursing homes go. I know she got visited every day when my grandma was alive, but since then, the visits have become much more irregular. The closest thing to family she has is my mom and my aunt. I feel kinda bad she's all alone even though she really doesn't recognize anyone anymore.

Duncan's in the city tonight for some meetings so I fear there may be pizza in my future.

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I didn't even know there was a new nickel as I started looking at my change today. Something to spend money on I guess. I'm still waiting for the one dollar coin to catch on. Travel through England and it's easy to see how much sense the one and two dollar coins make. They're easy to use and cheaper to make over the long run. Sacagawea on the one dollar coin and of course, Harvey Milk on the two dollar; but they'll have to stop producing the one dollar bill before it ever catches on.

I just finished reading The Da Vinci Code and it's one of the best books I've ever read. My brother just finished the book too, but the thing that perturbs me is that my mom is finishing it up right now. My mom is constantly trying to give me books but I just can't accept the fact we might like the same book. Read what you want into this.

E Pluribus Unum

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