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.

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.

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.