BUSY WEEKEND

It's been rainy ever since yesterday. So far this morning it hasn't rained but it's still very cloudy cool & dreary. My father & Uncle Frankie went to their game yesterday so I guess it wasn't quite all that bad by their standards. My parents have been cooking & shopping constantly lately because of the big weekend up ahead of us. Mary Anne, Steve & the kids were supposed to show up last night but because of the rain & problems with their schedules they promised to leave at around 7:00 a.m. today. Assuming they did what they said they should have already arrived by now. Originally I was on the schedule to lector at 5:00 today but because we're supposed to eat at around 5:00 I ended up having to call Lucy Anne to get her to cover for me. I tried, at first, to track down Mary. She didn't answer the phone though. I'm still reading Chekhov & playing my guitar. Tomorrow's Lexi's birthday. She's Jamie & Amanda's daughter over in Michigan. She'll be thirteen.

COOL WEATHER

Coverage of Ted Kennedy's death continues to make the headlines lately. The news broadcasts, & shows in general, that cover it all are especially interestng for me. It's Jo Anne's big milestone birthday. Today's Friday dance could be in her honor. She turns fifty today. My turn is in a couple of weeks & Earl's is on Halloween. It's also my net friend Margret Simo's birthday. She's thirty. Mary Anne & family will be showing up over the weekend. I think they're supposed to come in sometime either late today or tonight. The big birthday party is this weekend. Tomorrow I have to lector at 5:00 Mass. The weather so far this morning has been unusually cool. Lately it's been exceptionally hot. Uncle Frankie came over for a while this morning. He & my father will perhaps end up being forced to miss out on their big game because of the rain. It's only a slight shower so far but it may end up getting worse over the course of the day. I got kicked out of Wyoming's library so now I'm in West Pittston's on Exeter Avenue. I've been practicing my guitar a lot & reading that book of plays every day.

BRIDGE TROUBLES

Yesterday & last night all the news was about the Kennedys. Since I've always been plum obsessed with the 1960's anyway, it's been interesting for me. I've read all sorts of biographies about LBJ, RFK & other people & events from that era. Last night at 9:00 VH1 showed the Beatles' "Anthology" but I already have that on VHS tapes so I didn't bother to watch any more than the first fifteen minutes of it. This morning at around 7:30 they closed down the Wyoming Bridge on Eighth Street. I finished "Don Quijote" yesterday & started reading a book of Chekhov's plays. Tomorrow's Jo Anne's birthday. She's one of my oldest friends from Queens. We all get to/have to turn fifty this year. It's an odd feeling. Tomorrow's also Margret's birthday. She & I have never met in person. She's yet another character I know only from the internet. The weather's a little cooler so far today than it's been most days lately. I played my guitar some more last night too. Cousin Gino & his wife Michelle just adopted their two sons so they're quite happy now.

RIP, TED KENNEDY

Uncle Frankie came over for a while yesterday. Tomorrow there will be yet more work done on the Wyoming Bridge on Eighth Street. Anyone who wants to enter or leave this area will have to go by way of Forty Fort or Pittston. They're a few miles away to the north & south of here. I'm still playing my guitar & reading "Don Quijote". I'm down to the last few dozen pages of that very long book. Unfortunately I heard on the news early this morning that Massachussetts Senator Ted Kennedy has died. He was one of the three famous Kennedy brothers. They played quite a large part in all that made the 1960's such a notoriously controversial time. EMK, the youngest of them, was among the last remaining links to that era. His sister Eunice recently died too. Today's Ed's birthday. He's KrissyKrissyKrissy's husband. Monday was the birthday of former Arizona Gov. Mike Huckabee. He & I are on each other's Facebook friend lists.

RIGHT TURN SIGNAL TROUBLES

My mother spent a while on the phone with Fran yesterday getting ready for next weekend's big birthday party. Lately every weekend around here seems to turn out to be entirely too fattening for me to be able to handle. Uncle Frankie came over for a while yesterday, last night & this morning. He & my parents spent their usual endless hours at a time rambling on about the past & gossip. I'm still reading "Don Quijote" & practicing my guitar. A few days ago I noticed that my right rear turn signal wasn't working. This morning I went to the AA store in Exeter & got a couple of bulbs to get it fixed. My father has all the necessary tools for the job. Around here it's not an especially bright idea to drive without turn signals. People in this area drive like raging lunatics. Everybody needs all the help he can get. I found out on the news yesterday that Michael Jackson was murdered. It's most certainly not exactly my idea of newsworthy because I've absolutely never been able to stand that family but they're really famous so people want to find out about it all.

MICHAEL'S BIRTHDAY

The annual Tomato Festival in Pittston went well. It rained a little yesterday but not too much. I spent at least an hour over there each day. Uncle Frankie came over for a while yesterday. He didn't know it but yesterday was the last day of the festival. Never having eaten at the Cafe Olivia, on Broad Street in Pittston, I was a little curious about what their food tasted like. They had a stand at the festival so I got something there. I made sure I got a chicken cacciatore sandwich with onion ragu & lots of tomatoes. It turns out that ragu, like the famous brand name, is just another name for a kind of sauce. It was entirely too sloppy & I should have eaten it with a fork but it was very good. My nephew Michael called yesterday. It was his twenty first birthday. He got a chance to talk to us all, including Uncle Frankie. It was also Goosiegirl's birthday. She's an internet friend. Another internet friend, Eberdeen, had a baby boy over in England. My mother spoke to both Aunt Lauren & Fran on the phone yesterday.