BIG TRIP

Yesterday I went to Washington, D.C. I got up at around 3:10 a.m. My father took me to the Assumpta Council at 5:30. Mass started after 6:00. The bus ride was nightmarishly uncomfortable but it worked out really well. We walked around all day outside when we got there. To my surprise I saw a priest who was a dead ringer for an usher at O.L.P.H. in Lindenhurst. There were people there from the Diocese of Rockiville Centre but I didn't recognize any of them. On the way home we stopped at a really nice restaurant in Maryland. There were a lot of donuts, coffee & water on the buses too. The trip took four and a half hours each way. We got back to my council at around 10:30. I borrowed a cell phone from a guy in the Plymouth council so I could call my father to get me. The trip was extremely painful physically but at least my nerves didn't bother me. Of course I woke up with a bad headache in the middle of the night but it went away when I took an Excedrin. There was a little rain & snow in Maryland & Virginia on the way but Washington's weather was nice. It was so crowded that we couldn't get into the building where the spokesmen were appearing. During the trip we watched pro_life videos & the movie "The Bells Of St. Mary's" with Bing Crosby & Ingrid Bergman. Today it's time to say happy birthday to Brianne's husband Matt. Tomorrow's Jim's birthday. He & I were in the same homeroom in high school. Now we're back together on Facebook so happy birthday to him.

ODOMETER

Yesterday's slight snow didn't amount to anything. Last night I made sure I got one of my big green bags out of the cellar so I could take it with me on the trip tomorrow. I ended up having to spend quite a lot of time going back & forth downstairs anyway. This will be my first trip to Washington since the 1990's & I've really been looking forward to it. Yesterday the UPS truck came with my odometer, thanks to Steve. I called the AA in Exeter to make an appointment to get it installed. The guy on the phone said I could have an appointment tomorrow but I'm not available. I got one for Monday. As always I shall be there at 8:00 a.m. Today is my cousin Alan's birthday. He lives in Michigan. We wish him a happy birthday. Saturday will be Matt's birthday. He's Brianne's husband in New York.

COFFEE

It started snowing this morning. My parents were saying that an ambulance paid a visit to one of the old couples in the neighborhood during the night. I should hope all goes well for them. Nothing much of any significance has been happening to me lately but that will all change on Friday morning. I shall have to be in Luzerne, at my Knights of Columbus council, bright & early to be on the bus to Washington, D.C. I shall start getting things ready, a little at a time, over the course of today & tomorrow. The bus ride may get me a little crazy since I've never been able to sleep on a moving vehicle. I shall have to take something with me to read. Ever since I got a bag of coffee over at Dunkin' Donuts last week, I have really been noticing how theirs is so much better than the other brands. I'd never even think of getting any from Starbucks. Theirs rivals Sanka for the worst of all possible fates worse than death.

KEYS

The weather has been cold & rainy all morning so far, ever since yesterday. My father got a little sick last night so Uncle Frankie came over to help. I called Ada last night to make sure I explained to her that I can't possibly get to the meeting on Thursday because I have to get up too early on Friday. She wasn't home so I gave her mother a message. I also called Chris Calore to make sure all the details have been taken care of. He has everything he needs. He must have gotten a lot of people to show up. There are two buses & they are both full. I'm still trying to get used to the slight confusion of my new set of car keys. Until recently I only needed one key for the entire car. Now I need one for the door & one for the ignition.

OLD MOVIES

On Friday my key got stuck in my ignition but it's all over now. Steve even found me an odometer so it's just a question of getting it from him. I should most certainly hope my car troubles are over. Originally I wasn't on the schedule to lector this weekend. Cheryl, of course, called though, at slightly after 9:00 on Saturday night. I ended up having to cover for her at 10:30 Mass yesterday. Over the weekend I watched a couple of more Hitchcock movies. I saw "Secret Agent" & "The Thirty Nine Steps" on Saturday. They're among his oldest. I've seen them both before. I also watched "A Man & A Woman" again. It's all in French so I needed subtitles. The them song was a big instrumental hit for Ferrante & Teicher in the 1960's. I recognized it as soon as I heard it. It rained last night & the weather was cold & damp this morning.

HITCHCOCK:

I saw "Sabotage" again last night , with Oscar Homolka & Sylvia Sydney. Go Hitchcock! quisque me ad cenam vocarit, valeat.    Please visit me at: http://eastelmhurst.blogspot.com http://www.xanga.com/itsmethelion

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SATURN

I got my car towed away last night. When I drove it home from the library yesterday all seemed to have been going well. When I parked next to the curb, though, & tried to get out, the key wouldn't come out of the ignition. I got somebody from West Pittston to fix it for me. I got it back this morning. Because of all the trouble I was forced to miss the Carmelite meeting. I ran into Anne at 8:00 Mass at the Oblates' Seminary on Rte. 315 so I told her I couldn't make it. Steve called this morning. He's found a guy who can help me get an odometer. Saturn's out of business so we Saturn people are going to have a very hard time from now on whenever any little thing happens. Today we wish a very happy birthday to Tim. We were in the same class at St. Gabriel's in East Elmhurst. Last night I watched the very old Alfred Hitchcock movie, "Sabotage". The weather today has been very nice so far. I was surprised to see that it's been forty degrees at least since 7:00 this morning.

CARMELITES

This morning I took advantage of my gift card for Dunkin' Donuts. I went to the one in West Pittston. I got a hot latte with caramel, whipped cream & sugar, & egg whites on an English muffin. When I was in my old Knights of Columbus council I used to get their donuts every week at bingo games. Tomorrow I shall have to go to the Carmelite meeting. It's on South Meade Street in Wilkes_Barre every third Saturday of the month at 9:00 a.m. Last month two new women showed up. Nothing else is going on, so far, for this weekend. Today it's time yet again for our weekly Friday dance. As of today the trip to Washington, D.C. is only exactly a week away. Today's weather has been reasonably nice. There's no precipitation. That's always the best thing about a nice day. Every day I keep playing "Two Of Us" on my guitar. Eventually I shall get it right.

ESSAYS

I went to AA in Exeter this morning to get my car inspected. It was an unusually easy time. My father took me over. Within three hours it was all finished & the price was reasonable. I need an odometer though. That's the only part that stinks. My mother's been a little ill lately so my father & Uncle Frankie went shopping for food yesterday. Lately I've been reading a book of essays about Bl. Titus Brandsma, & "Paradoxes of Faith" by Henri de Lubac. There's still nothing much on TV except the occasional game show, reruns of "Cheers" & few other things. My big trip to Washington is only eight days away. I'm sort of looking forward to it but it's a little new to me so it will get me a little crazy. The weather's still cold but supposedly it will get a bit warmer starting today.

BEATLE RINGO

It's still unbearably cold but at least that's as bad as it's been getting. It's time yet again to get my car inspected. Yesterday I called AA in Exeter to make an appointment. I got one for tomorrow. I have to make sure I get my car there by 8:00 a.m. Sometimes I go to Jack Williams in Kingston but this one's much closer. Unfortunately they kept me waiting on the phone for pert near ten minutes before I got the satisfaction of an answer. Those things have always been so nightmarishly boring & frustrating for me. Today we have to say happy birthday to Vic from my old Knights of Columbus council. He still lives in the same general area. I've just noticed that Beatle Ringo, who will turn seventy years old in July, has a new album out. It's called "Y Not".