NATIONAL TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY

Today I was forced through an unusually long dragged out Carmelite meeting. A new woman, Elena, showed up. Yvonne & Judy were both there for their annual visit & it lingered until around 12:45. The average meeting lasts until only around 11:00 but we were forced to take care of a lot of extra things. My father & Uncle Frankie went to their generally weekly football game last night. They left at around 5:00. For once it didn't get rained out. Today we must wish a very happy birthday to Terri, cousin Mike's wife, over in New Jersey. It's also National Talk Like A Pirate Day. Shiver me timbers & blow me down, don'cha know? It's even the Feast of San Gennaro too. My relatives are all excited about the onslaught of new young'uns over the course of the coming year.

BIG CARMELITE MEETING TOMORROW

I still haven't gotten a haircut. It's getting a little out of control but I can handle it so far. In keeping with all the significant famous deaths this year, Mary Travers of Peter, Paul & Mary died. Henry Gibson, the poet laureate of "Rowan & Martin's Laugh_In" also died. I remember them both from when I was a kid. Peter, Paul & Mary spent a lot of time on public TV in recent decades. Today's my first Friday since I turned fifty. I should dance very carefully from now on. Once at O.L.P.H. Msgr. Hamilton wanted someone to do something. He deliberately went out of his way to pick me because he wanted to get someone under fifty. Now I don't have that distinction anymore. Tomorrow I have to go to the Carmelite meeting at the Little Flower Manor on Mead St. in Wilkes_Barre. It's at 9:00 a.m. every third Saturday of the month. I just heard from one of our regulars here that tomorrow will be the New Year for the Jews. For the rest of us, it will be the Feast of San Gennaro as well as National Talk Like a Pirate Day. The weather yesterday was mostly very nice & it's really nice today too.

SECOND HALF OF THE CENTURY BEGINS

My big birthday went quite well yesterday. My parents, Aunt Lauren & Uncle Frankie were all there. We ate quite a nice meal with dessert & coffee. I got cards. Besides the candy that Vinnie sent in the morning, Mary Anne & family sent me a nice plant. Mary Anne, Fran, Rose & Michael all called. Larry & Rose got the idea that my birthday was Tuesday. They originally tried to call me then but couldn't get through. He was at work last night so only she called. Today we have to wish a rousing happy birthday to my old pal Miz Kitti. She's exactly a year & a day younger than I. We worked together, for many years, at Citicorp Retail Services in Melville. Starting late yesterday it rained very violently. The weather was miserable until early this morning. It seems to be getting a bit nicer now though. The second half of my century appears to have gotten off to quite a droll start so far.

THE BIG DAY ARRIVES!!

Technically it's still summer but it often feels like autumn, especially this morning. Uncle Frankie showed up for a while yesterday. One of the topics of conversation was about how New Yorkers have to pay so much more for driver's licenses than we do. Ha!Ha! Tonight's meeting at O.L. Mt. Carmel, in Pittston, is cancelled because Lynn's not available. The Hoyt Library opened for business as of Monday so it shouldn't be so crowded around here anymore. Today's the day I turn fifty. Now I get to see what it's like to be one of those people I'd always gawked at as a kid. Everybody's been rubbing it in. This morning I got a bunch of really nice candies in the mail from my cousin Vinnie in North Carolina. Maybe we shall be going to N.Y. to see Mary Anne & family over the weekend but I'm not positive. I still haven't gotten my much needed haircut.

THREE PREGNANCIES

The weather's been awfully nice lately but autumn still encroaches upon us. That's a combination of good news & bad for me. Uncle Frankie showed up for a while yesterday. Unfortunately the phone rang off the hook all yesterday & last night. Aunt Lauren & Mary Anne, among others, both called. Tomorrow will be my fiftieth birthday. So far I still don't feel anywhere near that old. It's such an ominously large number. I really don't have any plans for the big day. Besides me & KrissyKrissyKrissy, birthday kudos this month for kin also go out to: Tyler, Shannon, George III, my father, Eddie & Jessica. Today's the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, the patronal feast day of my parish. Shannon's also pregnant, making three new babies. She's the Ronald's daughter in law. I suppose I shall have to get a haircut eventually. I watched that show about Shakespeare on EWTN yesterday. Joseph Pearce is the host.

TWO PREGNANCIES

The weather was extremely bad this weekend. Saturday was rainy & dreary all day. Yesterday I lectored at 10:30 Mass. It was the first weekend of the new schedule at O.L. Sorrows. Fr. Marchetti is back from his vacation. So is our librarian. Last night was our first meeting of the new year for the Holy Name Society. There was a lot of the usual arguing that goes into meetings like that. Fr. Marchetti showed up. Among other things they decided that this year's spaghetti dinner will be around the beginning of November. At the end we ate steak & cheese sandwiches. I also ate one pepper too many. I ate a dark green pepper that turned out to be extremely seriously hot. It took me quite a while to get rid of the hot kick it left in my mouth. I also drank a beer. This weekend, on "Entertainment Tonight" Mary Hart entertained Beatles Paul & Ringo as well as John Lennon's & George Harrison's widows. Everyone is talking about the Fab Four again because of all their new activity. My cousin Elaine recently sent out a very nice e mail. Her daughter Stacy & her daughter_in_law Wendy are both pregnant.