TWO DOLLARS

Uncle Frankie's home from Fran's house. Aunt Lauren is visiting Noreen. Advent yet again beckons. As of today we have only three weeks until Christmas. Besides the slight snowfall on Thanksgiving we got some more last night & this morning. The weather's been very bitter cold but not unbearable. Tomorrow I shall have to lector at 11:00 a.m. Mass at O.L. Sorrows/St. Monica's. I need a haircut. I should suppose I could track down Rose Chairge's new place over on Luzerne Avenue in West Pittston but so far I haven't bothered. There are several other places that are much closer. A few days ago when I went to a neighborhood stationery to get the Citizen's Voice, they guy in the store gave me two two dollar bills for change from a five. Two dollar bills have been around since I was a kid in the eleventh grade & I don't usually get to see them in circulation. Unfortunately four days from now will mark the thirtieth anniversary of the murder of Beatle John Lennon in Manhattan by Mark David Chapman. It still seems as if it were only last night. So far I have yet to see an entire episode of the show "House". I've seen half of each of a few episodes though. It's not so bad so maybe I shall continue watching it. Vinnie & Michael like "Burn Notice". I like it too but it's not on until 10:00 at night. Perhaps I shall watch the reruns. They're on much earlier at a time when civilized human beings can see them.

COLD WEATHER

Thanksgiving worked out quite well. Uncle Frankie, Fran & Lisa showed up. So did Mary Anne, Steve & all the kids. Sam's & Bridget's braces are finally gone. Michael & I got into our inevitable debates about theology & philosophy. It was a fattening time for one & all. To my chagrin there are still leftovers even now. Mary Anne & family only stayed from Wednesday until Saturday because Steve's band, Spectrum, had to play at a concert in Long Beach on Saturday night. I recently finished reading a biography of John Henry Cardinal (now Blessed) Newman, by Fr. Ian T. Ker, & have started re~reading Virgil's "Aeneid". Lately on TV I've been watching old shows like "Peter Gunn", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" & "Daniel Boone". I used to like "Daniel Boone" & "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" when I was in grammar school but can't remember "Peter Gunn" except by reputation, except for the really famous instrumental, by Duane Eddy, that's the theme song. Herschel Bernardi was in it. I remember him from "Arnie". I also watch a lot of old movies on channel 72. After a long spell of exceptionally inexplicably nice weather we've gotten lots of cold & rain lately. It even snowed a bit on Thanksgiving. My headaches really kick in when the weather changes. Uncle Frankie's been visiting Fran yet again for the past few days. That means I'm back to picking up his mail each day. Wayne, from my Knights of Columbus council in Luzerne, recently sent me a notice about my dues. I shall have to get them paid soon.