COOLER THAN AVERAGE

Today's weather is slightly cooler than it's been lately but I still worked up quite a sweat on my walk this morning. At least it wasn't raining. Once again I walked practically all the way to the Midway. I need all the exercise I can get. Uncle Frankie never showed up yesterday but he called fairly late last night. Fran got them some tickets to see the Yankees. Mary Anne also called. All has been going well so far with them. I've been reading more of those Carmelite books lately. I've also been reading that book about Marxism. I just noticed that the drum that was used on the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" album cover picture was recently sold for $1.1 million. People never seem to outgrow the Fab Four & they never become an anachronism. Speaking of them, I've been regularly plowing my way through their songs on my guitar lately. Today it's time for yet another Friday dance. I haven't gotten any headaches lately & that's always a major advantage. For the past few days I've been eating coffee yogurt. It's weird but believe it or not there really is at least one company out there that's just plum weird enough to make yogurt that's flavored like coffee. It's bitter but oddly, it tastes somehow just like the real thing. Amazingly I've eaten very many even weirder things over the course of my lifetime by now.

BOOK ABOUT MARXISM

Because I've always been quite seriously interested in the intellectual movements that have influenced the world, I started reading, yesterday, Lezsek Kolakowski's "Main Currents of Marxism". It's three volumes compiled into one. Mary Anne, a few years ago, complained about my having presumed to complain about Marxism even though I've never been even the least bit knowledgeable about it. From now on I shall have something to say from an informed point of view. Last night I watched a special about St. Teresa of Jesus of the Andes, a Carmelite from Chile. Her feast day is on July 13 which is also her birthday. July 9 was the feast of Bl. Jane Scopelli, also a Carmelite. Uncle Frankie came over for a while yesterday. Later on he & my father went over to visit Gino, Michelle & Jamie. I got kicked out of the library early yesterday so I took advantage by going to Barnes & Noble for a while. It rained a little but it was just a slight spring shower. It rained a while one day in Hilldale last week too, just long enough to get my guitars all wet. This time no damage was done. This morning I took a nice long walk over to the monument on Wyoming Avenue, past Susquehanna Avenue, on the way to the levee. I worked up quite a sweat but I need the exercise.

BEATLE RINGO'S BIG DAY

At precisely high noon today, Beatle Ringo Starr, whose sixty eighth birthday is today, wants everyone to flash the peace sign (Churchill's victory sign) & say "Peace & love". The forty eighth annual family shindig over in Hilldale went quite well this year. Oddly, in spite of all our entirely irreconcilable personality conflicts, there were no major wars to show for this year's festivities. According to sources in the know, eighty six people showed up. It was good to see Anthony, KrissyKrissyKrissy, & the gang from Buffalo among other favorites. It was as interesting as it was confusing to try to keep track of all the new boy_/girlfriends & recently born young_uns. To my chagrin, I ate & drank entirely too much for my own good. I also stayed up entirely too late. Cousin Larry's softball game (Pampers V. Depends) was a smash hit. My nephew Sam was the MVP. We played "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" too. Michael, from Buffalo, & I went to Latin Mass on Sunday morning in Wilkes_Barre. His sense of direction could use a little work. My nephew Michael & I went to the music store, once with Eddie from New York. It was closed both times. Steve & Bridget stuck around today so he could help with some things around the house & she could play with some kids in Hilldale. I've been trying to get started on some of the Carmelite books from Mary Ann's husband. They're very complicated but very interesting.