"It Hurts When I Do This, Doc.........Well,.....Don't Do That!........."

Good Afternoon;

Wow! I got to the doctors' office at 11:55 am. for a 12:00 Noon appointment and had just found a place to sit down when I was called into the 'secure' area of the building, (the waiting room is sealed off behind a combination of half walls and glass windows and all glass window walls...this being Lower Park Heights, most likely bullet-proof!!...no LOL about this one!), and was being processed and validated for insurance coverage etc. when the Vital signs tech. and the Bloodwork tech. almost came to blows as to who would see me first...lol! 10 minutes later I am in the ante-room waiting to see the doctor, and 10 minutes later I am being questioned and examined by the doc!

Now this may not seem like such a big deal to most of you, but the last 3 visits entailed over 11 hours of sitting in the lobby and waiting.

Today I had to wait an extra 30 minutes or so because I was able to see the Podiatrist who is on site, without an appointment and unexpectedly and serendipitously.

My doctor , Dr. Teri Richardson, is the only reason I kept coming back here and waiting to be able to schedule an appointment, she does what is rare, especially in a busy/clinic type environment, she listens! and takes all the time needed...as di Dr. Florence Marcus the foot doc. I am at least a half a shoe size smaller and my toes no longer hurt from the excess nail growth I was unable to cut or trim myself. She used some super sharp and fine edged and pointy cutters and an electric Dremel type grinder, it may have felt a little weird, but man what a relief.

I also had confirmed that there is a major case of osteo-arthritis behind my left big toe, (one of the reasons any extended standing, walking, or climbing tears me up with either pain or exhaustion or both), to go with the degenerative joint disease.

I have referrals to a dermatologist, an optometrist, and JAIs substance abuse counselor for a referral to a program where, HOPEFULLY!!!, I can get my buprenorphine legitimately...WITHOUT!! all the hoops and hassles, and an appointment with a gastro-enterologist on Tuesday the 20th of July at 9:00 am. to see what the Hepatitis C is doing to my liver, (if it is active, inactive, dormant, increasing...etc.).

A pretty damn productive day, if I do say so myself.

I'm out of here, it is closing time...damn Fridays!!

I guess I'll head over to the Starbucks for few hours and hope their A/C is working up to snuff, since none of you out there have called with any better offers....lol.

Later...................Dave

"Old Home Week.........And, Another Myth Dispelled, One Person At A Time..............."

Good Morning;

Well the 'Bubble Lady' was okay last night, but nothing to write home about, she used dry ice 'smoke' for some of the effects and it was cute enough for the 'knee high crowd' that was there,...but...ehhhh. I have seen a guy do some really cool effects with a cigarette and a straw to inject the smoke, square bubbles, bubble sculptures, and the bubbles do not immediately fall to the floor due to the 'heavier than air' molecular weight of the CO2 .

I am on my way over to Jenn's to shower, (I woke up doing the backstroke in a pool of my own sweat this morning...lol....more on that later.), and dump my bags and then head off to the doctor to get my prescriptions refilled, (in the same neighborhood where I used to conduct a lot of 'off prescription' pharmaceutical business..lol.), and give up some blood and other bodily fluids for their collection.

I stopped into Goldbergs bagels this morning to say HI to Neil and Phil of the Jewish Times, where they have a coffee meeting each Friday, every other time I meant to, I either woke up too late, forgot until after they had left, was at Jenn's or somewhere else, or showed up and that was the week they did not meet. I just stopped in for a few minutes and as I was leaving a man steps out of the door and calls, "Dave...Dave C*****r?..", and I turn and did not recognize him, but knew his voice. It turned out to be Jeff Stern, who my dad, then myself both worked for delivering the Sunpaper about 20 years ago, (that's what I was doing when I had the near fatal car crash that broke my neck and back and started the problems that have led up to the S.S.A. claim), he looked better now than back then and we chatted for a while. He told me his wife works with homeless veterans and at first almost did not take the job because of the standard stereotypical image she used to have of "Homeless" as being synonymous with a "dirtball with a paper cup shoved in your face", he said she was amazed and now is quite happy helping our service men AND women up and out and off the streets and back into society. He said he saw the articles in both magazines this past Feb. and Mar. and had been looking out for me since then but this was the first time we saw each other.

Okay....gotta run now, back this afternoon,

Later............................Dave

"Bubbles, Blades, and Babble....................."

Good Evening;

I made it to the library, where I am waiting for Rachel to arrive around 6:45 pm. so we can see the 'Bubble Lady' show..(no not the one from the club on the Block, you naughty person....lol).

I walked to the Reisterstown Plaza Metro station to catch a bus here from Jenn's house reeaaaallll slooowww, trying not to burst into flame or drown in my own perspiration. Jenn used the clippers and shaved my head, down to the lowest guard, 1/16 of an inch so that helps. I did not want to be sunburned on my scalp, and I also did not have a blade new enough so that I would not looked as if I was really, truly scalped....AKA...a bloody mess.

The A/C here is struggling mightily against the humidity, it is very cool but if you are damp when you come in, you're not going to dry off. It's a kind of 'morgue like' feeling here...cold, clammy skin on a lot of pale old people.... a necrophiliacs delight. (Oh no did he really SAY that....PCniks be warned!.....LOL!)

Anyway, I'm looking for somewhere to lay me head tonight, other than the 'hotbox', sweat lodge, sauna, 'cooler', hellhole, and oven formerly known as 'the shed'. Preferably inside with A/C, but since rain is not an issue tonight, anyplace clean, safe, and bug free will do. I'll even sleep under the stars if need be, rain is not an issue anytime soon. But if you have a spare room, bed, cot, couch, or floor, I'll happily keep you company for as long as you like, cooking and (reasonable) cleaning tossed in as a bonus!

I'll check back later, after Rachel leaves and sift through all the invitations and contact the lucky winner then...IT Could Be You!!!

In all seriousness, I don't know when I'll be sleeping inside again.

I'm grateful that I'm able to stop in at Jenn's and shower before the doctor's appt. tomorrow, and on other occasions as needed or as opportunity allows.

Other summer's I have suffered, (and those around me also at times...lol), from not having bathed for as long as a week. Even though I did wash up as thoroughly as possible in a sink each day at various restrooms, there was still a residual 'funk' at times.

I had been stopping at my friend Anna Marie's on a semi-regular basis to shower and for a meal and conversation, but the combination of snow and rain this winter, (to get to her place from the Light Rail I have to cross a stream on stepping stones that disappear as the water rises), put us into one of our periodical 'hiatuses', that have occurred at random over the past 35 years. I exchanged a half a dozen texts (each) with her the other night and we are going to get together again soon, the extreme heat and the effort of carrying my bag plus the extra baggage of all the laundry back and forth across the stream and through the woods and the waiting in the heat for the train and a couple buses and conflictinf schedules..(she has a day care during the day)..have also delayed my heading over there.

There is always the outreach center run by Prologue in Towson, (don't even bother mentioning the Baltimore City facilities, closed subject!), but again the time and effort of travel and distance, (there and back as I have no reason to be or stay in Towson at all), tend to weigh this idea to the negative except for urgent, emergency, or last chance scenarios. Prologue also has the facility in Pikesville which has 1 shower for urgent or emergency needs which I have used on one occasion, (the drawback of this place is a minor annoyance of having no 'changing area' other than the hot, wet, steamy bathroom/shower that leaves you soaked with sweat before you finish dressing).

My fetish for cleanliness is usually satisfied one way or another before I lose it totally, the biggest thing that gets to me now is not having a reasonably ventilated place to lay my head most of the time when it is very hot. I can survive without A/C, but when the inside temps are greater than the outside temps, (in summer),......

......'Godfadda...I got a problem!'

Okay, I'm done for now

Later.................Dave

"The Number Of The Beast Times 10..(+6)......Or....The Devil Is In The Details......"

Good Morning;

So we've had 6,666 visitors to our little blog here as of this morning, Good omen or Bad......it's too early to tell today.

Of course if my recent 'senior moment' is any example of what is to come, it's going to be a long hot day, (for a change....lol). I am getting ready to go to the doctor's appointment that I have known about and been planning for since March, and have had the card in my wallet with the time and date on it also. I was 100% sure of the date and was only pulling the card out halfway to check on the time when I dropped the wallet and everything fell out on the floor. As I was picking it all up, and (even found a whole dollar bill that was folded up small and stashed down at the bottom....WOW...I'm rich....lol.), I looked at the appointment card and saw that the time was 12:00 Noon.....on Friday the 9th of July.....Duuhhhhhh!!, I had the whole day planned around this doctor visit being today, with just enough clean clothes to wear and arrangements to wash later and to shower before I left and again when I got back here to Jenn's and watch the kids while she shopped then split from here back to the shed and the joys of outdoor living this evening.

SCCRREEEEEECCCHHHH..........that's my plans coming to an abrupt halt! I should be used to this though, my plans are best written in cream cheese, not in stone!....lol!

Anyway, now I have to see if I can stop by and shower tomorrow morning and leave my bags here at Jenn's when I head down to the 'hood with the second highest level of 'lead contamination' in Baltimore.....coming from both lead paint in old buildings and the lead in the air from flying bullets!......LOL!....(sadly, it's funny but true.....[FYI: East Balto. is #1].......).

I may be back later if I get to the library today,

see ya..............................Dave

"It's Always Something..............................."

Good Evening;

So Jenn and Tom and the kids are at her mom's house in Westminster, (Md.), and I'm all set for a cool and quiet evening and part of the night with the cats, the stinky dog, and the remote. I'm in the kitchen pouring a nice, big, tall glass of ice water and what do I see on the microwave table? The RedBox DVD Jenn and Tom rented last weekend and finally watched last night....after ignoring it for as long as I could, I texted Jenn asking "did you forget.....?". I received an all CAPS ..."DAMN!!!" in reply. I called and queried her as to the immediate need for return and she said by 9:00 pm tonight. Wellll......since I had a library book, (John Grisham's "Ford County Stories", [his only collection of short fiction...pretty good stuff too], and a DVD of "Two and A Half Men: Season II" due today anyway, (that I was going to just deal with tomorrow), I volunteered to drop it off at the Giant after I went to the library, which is why I am here with you now, Loyal Reader, wilted as a leaf of lettuce at a carnivore convention, instead of sitting around cool as cucumber in the 'new' recliner watching "Mythbusters" on the cable.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished!

That's twice today I let my conscience and sense of gratitude rule my actions, I guess I'll text Jenn and see if she wants me to save them the hassle of stopping at the food store with the kids in the car, in the heat, on the way home late at night, and pick up some Lactaid milk for the littlest princess's delicate digestive system. I figure 'third time's the charm', and all good intentions will have melted and drained out of my system on the walk back to the Giant and the walk home, like ice cream through the bottom of a cracked cone in the sweaty hands of a hyperactive 2 year old....lol!, and I'll be able to rationalize chugging down the two beers in cold storage before they get home...(outside on the bench at the apts., I don't drink at the house out of courtesy and respect, I do have some limits these days!).....yeah, re-hydration and sleep assistance....that's the ticket..lol!

I'm about to call and see if Rachel is home yet. The 'Bubble Lady' is here at the library at 7:00 pm. tomorrow evening, so I'm going to try to have her mom meet me here, there is no reason to take her out on the bus in this heat, even in the coolness of tomorrow's upper 90 degree temps......lol.

Okay time's up......

Later....................Dave

"One Hundred and F*ckin' Five Degrees.....And I'm Supposed To Believe Global Warming Is Only A Conspiracy Theory?....Yeah, And The Earth Is Flat Too!"

Good Morning;

Well...other than bitching about the insane heat wave I have nothing really exciting to report. I am spending at least one more day and night at Jenn's due to the outrageous and dangerous temperatures. I talked with Tom and again later with Jenn, telling them to let me know when it was getting to be too tense...meaning more than the normal ideations of any one of us smothering one or all of the others in their sleep..lol...and I would politely, if not happily, hit the road. I let them know, and they do realize this, that in my situation I am going to take as much advantage of the opportunity to escape and avoid the killing heat and humidity as I can. I walked over to the Giant this morning at 6:45 am., (and it was already 90 degrees), and used the Foodstamps I received today to buy some things for the house and the kids, as a way to pay my share. I have been pretty much taking over 3/4 of the load from Jenn as it is. Yesterday I did 3 loads of laundry and emptied and cleaned the cat's litter box, took out the trash, emptied the dishwasher and swept up about 3 bushels of hair and skin from the stupid dog.

(I swear, between Ed and the dog it is a tie who has the least common sense.)

I was in so much pain, it took me 4 hours to do 1 ours worth of work, I could not do one task or stay in one position, (even sitting or laying down to rest), for more than a few minutes at a time, one of the reasons I am glad to be seeing a doctor tomorrow, (not the State's doctor, that is next Tuesday).

I have been talking to Rachel each evening, and she is due home tonight. Depending on the shape she is in and how long my doctor's "appointment" at JAI takes, (it is the first actual "appointment" that I am eligible for there, but I am still figuring on waiting at least 2 to 3 hours before being seen), and the time of the show, we may go to the library to see the "Bubble Lady".

It is supposed to cool off to 96 degrees tomorrow (Thursday), so I am planning on showering and picking up my up my bag after returning from the doctors and rolling out of here. Like I say, I needed and appreciated the shelter from the intense heat, but I've gotta get outta here!!! Edward is driving me nuts.

Okay, the battery needs to be charged on the laptop and I'm not near an outlet, and too lazy to move....lol,

Later..................Dave

"Gunpowder And Gratitude....................................."

Good Morning;

I ended up crashing at Jenn's again last night. It's good to be rehabilitated enough in their eyes so that even though tempers and tensions may be raised in proportion to the temperature, humidity, dewpoint, and heat index, they are willing to welcome-accept-tolerate..(in proportion to the time already spent there....LOL!)..my presence/company to prevent me from having to suffer through Code Red levels of heat and pollution dangers. (I do tend to fall into the category of 'high risk' even though I don't exhibit or even realize it in daily activity, due to the heart, BP, lung, and liver issues that on their own are not critical but combined and exacerbated by poor air quality and possible dehydration and hyperthermia.).

I am truly grateful that I am indoors so much more than in previous years and try to express this by making myself available as much as possible for 'monstersitting' duties, and by picking up the slack, (and the more I pick up the more there seems to be...LOL!), in any household duties I can by cooking, cleaning, and feeding the inmates of this asylum.

The next 3 days, (Mon., Tue., & Wed.), are supposed to be brutal and with most likely record tying or breaking highs, and 'high lows', reaching 100 degrees or more, so I'm willing to eat as much crow, humble pie, and kiss as much familial ass as needed to stay cool and safe....lol,...but seriously....damn skippy!

But, of course if anyone else needs a house guest/domestic slave for a day or two.........I'm sure Tom, (and Edward...for sure...lol!), would be happy to lease my contract!

Last night the symphony of illegal fireworks harmonized with the rolling thunder of illegal firearms in the annual Baltimore Gansta' Serenade. The sky waass illuminated by the sparkle of bottle rockets and roman candles, with the occasional display quality mortar smuggled in from Tennessee or Kentucky, and the strobscopic blinking of muzzle flashes and flying brass.

Baltimore: The City That REloADS!!"

Later................Dave

"Bored On The 4th Of July......................."

Good Afternoon;

Well the expression "Hot As A Firecracker On The 4th Of July" is perfectly apt today and for the next 7 days! MORE record setting and possibly 100 degree + temperatures are on the way.

Fanf*ckingtastic!!!!!................................NOT!

Everyone is gone and I am spending Independence Day independently at Jenn's while they are all up in Monkton at Tom's mom's.

I just cooked a 2 inch thick 1 lb. New York strip steak (Giant-on sale and a $2.00 sticker plus bonus card discount!) and a baked potato and washed it down with a couple cold Boh Ice, now it's shower and maybe nap time. Between the partying outside, and the ignorant inconsiderate garbage neighbors upstairs I did not get much sleep last night. Celebrating is one thing and a certain excess noise level is expected, but when things start falling off the walls and the children complain about the noise.....enough is enough. To top it off...at 6:47 am this morning the thumpa-thumpa started up again, I got up and beat on the ceiling and put my shoes on and when I yanked the door open, (and it sticks, squeaks and bangs), and started stomping up the stairs ...the 'music', (and I use the term loosely), miraculously stopped and not a sound was heard. After falling asleep somewhere near 4:00 am., needless to say I was not a happy camper this morning.

As I was walking back from the Giant today, Rachel called me from Chicago to tel me there were pictures waiting on my e-mail of her in Lake Michigan and on the top of a ferris wheel by the Lake. She told me they watched fireworks on the beach last night and at the end, "they went boom-boom-ba-b00m-bam-bam-boom-boom......and on and on and on"...lol! (I heard a whole hell of a lot of boomboomboomboomboomboomboomboom and BaBoom...BaBoom...BaBoom to but that was automatic weapons fire and large caliber magnums!!!!)

I miss her and can't wait 'til she get back on Wednesday.

I don't know where I am staying tonight, I want to stay in the A/C but I don't want to push to much or wear out my welcome.

See you sometime tomorrow.............................Dave

Happy Birthday America!

"From Beyond The Grave.......Or......Reports Of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated!!!!........."

Good Morning;

Well it's getting warm again, the shed was getting stuffy by 7:30 am. and I was out of there and putzing around in the Giant by 8:30 am. After sitting outside the library at the picnic table in the shade eating my nutritious and healthy breakfast of assorted bakery cookies from the Giant, Pringles, Powerade Zero, and a can of Natty Boh (that is National Bohemian for all you non 'Baltimorons'.....lol!) 'ICE' beer at temperature a Brit would appreciate, (you do see the ironic juxtaposition of name/temp., do you not?), by choice/default/laziness not by poverty this time....lol.

Yesterday I had just left Jenn's and she texted me before I had reached the bus stop asking me if I wanted to accompany her as she went shopping. Since the Starbucks is steadily losing it's appeal other than a free place to sit out on the patio, and we usually have a good time in the food store...I said yes. We ended up at the Target getting a birthday present for Tom, the ALDIs between Owings Mills and Reisterstown, (my first visit to this store, it is a cleaner and bit more upscale version of Sav-A-Lot, a few name brands on clearance, and their own brand of EVERYTHING else...not to shabby a selection), back to her house where she had to put the frozen stuff away and put a pizza in the oven for Tom and the kids and I stood out on the parking lot and killed a couple beers. We then headed up to Pikesville and the Giant where we wandered for another hour. After she headed home I sat outside the First Watch and read for a few hours then stopped at the gas station and bought a Keno, lost and bought a scratch off and won $2.00, put a buck in my pocket and bought another of the same scratch off..(Lucky Stars)..and won $1.00, bought another of the same scratch off and....wellllll I lost track but I kept winning $1.00 and trying again for 40 minutes, until I lost at last. So I am only down $1.00 for the nights entertainment.

I ended up watching the DVD of 'Two And A Half Men- Season 2' for a while, falling asleep somewhere in the middle of an episode around 2:30 am., thank goodness for built-in rechargeable batteries, I woke up around 5:00 am. with the dead DVD player still open on my chest. I went back to sleep and like I said was out by 8:30 am., and, here I am.

I have no idea what I am going to do today, I'd like to find somebody to DO something with though. Believe it or not boredom is one of the worst things about being out on the streets, either one has no money and is limited to what is free, and can be accessed while carrying one's life in a bag or bags over the shoulder, or coordinating shower and clean clothes and other people's schedules with finding someplace to leave one's 'stuff' with transportation and the event or whatever is decided upon to do. Rachel's out of town so that screws my first and main choice and it is a holiday weekend so most folks have already made plans or are with family. It looks as if my big 4th of July celebration will be doing laundry and watching the cable at Jenn's while they are out. I offered to watch the kids tonight if Jenn wants to take Tom out for his birthday to night but they have not made a decision if they are going out or not yet.

I heard from Rachel yesterday evening, she was all excited about seeing Lake Michigan.."Daddy I took off my shoes and socks and dipped my feet into Lake Michigan and ran on the beach!!!!", I'm glad she is having a great time. I also so have to admit to being both jealous and depressed that it is not me with her showing and seeing these sights for the first time.

It hurts and I miss her.

I had a text message from my friend Allen around 11:30 pm. last night, "Just wanted to let you know I'm still alive". Now this is something we all have jokingly said to someone we have not seen in a while, but in this case it was statement that came as a blessed relief. You may remember that I mentioned he had hurt his foot and it would not heal and ended up having to be amputated. I had talked to him just after it happened and lost touch for a bit. I then ran into his sister a few months ago and she told me he had been rushed from his rehab hospital to St. Agnes with near total kidney shutdown and was on dialysis. She told me he was in the ICU and had no phone service and cell phones were not permitted. The hospital wold not give me any information and I did not know his sisters name and no one answered his cell when I tried to call. He has a last name that is comparable to 'Smith' in the Pikesville/Owings Mills area so I had no way of knowing who to call to find out about him. I am really glad he is still with us and that he called. I am calling him later this afternoon to get the whole story, now that I just put minutes on my phone.

I now have both numbers active so you can reach me on either one with that invitation to the picnic/party/BBQ on Sunday!

I guess the libraries are closed Sunday the 4th, so if i don't get to use the laptop at Jenn's, I"ll be back here Monday.

Happy Birthday Tom,(USMCR)!

Happy 4th Of July!

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Birthday America!

And don't forget those who have served and sacrificed to get us to this point and keep us free,

The men and women of our Armed Forces, and especially those who have been treated so shamefully and their honor abused so badly, the homeless veterans ignored and abandoned by the government and society, who have fallen though the gaping holes in the 'safety net' and pigeonholed by the V.A. and the military bureaucracy.

The link below is the for the

'National Coalition for Homeless Veterans',

check it out, see how you can help, give if and what you can.

http://www.nchv.org/

Later.................Dave

"Quick and Dirty"..........................

Good Afternoon;

Just a quick hello to check in. I'm at Jenn's on the laptop for a minute after taking a shower and cooking some burgers on her George Forman grill, ya gotta cook fairly well done, but they are nice and juicy.

I sat outside and enjoyed the air on the patio at the Starbucks yesterday evening and until almost 10:30 pm. last night. The phone rang about 6:30 pm. and it turned out to be Rachel calling from Skokie, Illinois; just outside of Chicago where they are staying with the "ex'es" boyfriends parents. She says to me in this amazed voice, "Daddy, I saw a BIIGGGG!!! city". She got a view closeup of the skyline of Chicago, and compared to 'Smalltimore' itmudt have been really impressive!....lol.

I went down to Monkee's this morning and had a real mess of a time, I got my 'bupes' but things were screwed up. We'll deal with it later.

Okay gotta run, Tom just walked in with the kids and Ed must have done something to start things rolling downhill....

I'll be back Saturday...............

Later.............Dave"

"Book 'em, Dano...........It's 'TIKI Time............AND.............Parrot Head Couture.............."

Good Afternoon;

Another beautiful day out there!

I had a bit of trouble waking up this morning, I am still screwed up from the sleep patterns resulting from the heat wave, either too hot to sleep or at Jenn's trying to deny the evil influence of late night cable TV and the remote...lol.

I feel the beginning of the cyclical depressive slide coming on, it seems to be much more gradual this time though, the weather helps. I also think the effects havwe been somewhat blunted due to a meeting with Shelly, my new case worker at Prologue, our first one on one. We had no real pressing matters to deal with, just confirming some dates, such as my up coming doctors appointments on the 8th and 13th, (JAI and the State doc), and getting to know one another. She was able to snag me a plate from the early 4th of July cookout being held for the "dee-de-dee daycare" clients....(Oh lighten up all you PC police....), sausage, corn on the cob, pata salad, chicken BBQ, watermelon, and pink lemonade...plus she had a banana, and spme chewy granola bars, and a packet of cheese crackers for later....AND!!!.... a cup of coffee for me when she came down to meet me, in her own mug, (one of those huge, 'soup cup with a handle' size cappuchino mugs), AND enough sugar!, (I hate it when you get a bucket of coffee and then the place gives you one sugar packet.....LOL!). I really needed both food, (I'm out of stamps, money and meds), and the friendship. I also got 2 bus tokens to carry me until I get my little bit of cash tomorrow..(hopefully he said with fingers crossed!). And to top it all off, she brought me a personal gift from her visit home to Michigan last week, a really cool Hawaiian shirt that her Dad, who is also a connoisseur of fine beach casual wear, had and was not enamoured of the color. It is a basic black background with ivory flowers and muted yellow, brown, and gray accents and detailing. So I've got 4th of July formal wear with this and my khaki shorts to wear to the party/picnic/BBQ you, loyal reader, are about to invite to attend. Now it's just a matter of choosing....Rum......Beer.......or Tanq & Tonic! ;-)

So I am in a much better mood than when I walked in there.

I am going to play here on the computer for a while then head over to the Starbucks and sit outside on the back patio and enjoy the weather.

Okay, this is funny.

A few posts back I used the words, Meth heads, raid, (small 'r'), and bug spray within the body of the post, NOT in the same sentence or context. This morning I look at my Sitemeter and see that I have a visitor from Idaho, home of survivalists, the KKK, tax protesters, outlaws and assholes, not to mention bathtub Meth labs, who came to our little blog here by way of a Google search, to wit: "meth from Raid bugspray"

......Duhhhh, ever hear of the DEA or FCC moron!!....LMFAO!

all right time is up on the computer for now, I'll see you later,

..........................Dave

"Cool, Calm, And Collected...................... At Last!!............"

Good Afternoon;

Well I'm back here at the library after a couple days and nights at Jenn's. I am actually looking forward to sleeping outside tonight, the weather is so beautiful. After a dozen days of +90 degree temperatures in a row, at least twice 'officially' hitting 100 degrees, and at least 4 more days of 100 degree temps. that were 'local' and confirmed but not at the 'official' measurement site, it is hard to believe that what we are experiencing now is actually NORMAL for June!

Everyone I have met outside so far, and here in the library, (excepting the 'evil old white haired witch' who is always here bitching and moaning about all and sundry, and telling how "this used to be a very exclusive neighborhood until--insert any or all ethnic or religious groups here--moved in" {actual quotes} who was in rare form today....lol!), has been in a wonderful mood and polite and outgoing to extremes. What a difference a day makes!

I was so overjoyed to be able to spend 5 hours or so with Rachel yesterday, and grateful because she will be gone for the next 7 or 8 days, out to Chicago. Edward was even reasonably sane and behaved pretty good and they played with a minimum of disagreement. I am going to try to stash some money after expenses get taken care of on Friday, (meds, phone, loan, food until the 7th), so we can see 'Toy Story 3 in 3D' when she gets back.

I think I am at loose ends for the 4th of July now that Rachel is away, Jenn and Tom and the kids are going up to his mom's for a picnic and party, (Tom's B-Day is Sat. July 3rd.....I actually was able to give him an unsuspected present, I found a nice new totebag, [which I gave Rachel], and in it a black polo shirt, new, size large, both with "Hard Rock Cafe" logos on them, on the train last Sunday. It sat on a seat as I rode the train from Mt. Washington to BWI Airport, back out to Hunt Valley, and then back down to State Center without being claimed or touched so I checked it out and took it with me when I got off. The Fare Inspector wanted nothing to do with it, and nobody acknowledged owning or seeing who left it and there was no way to identify the purchaser, so I took it. I figure that if anyone can afford to leave it and not come back for it, they coud afford to spare it, since it had to be someone getting off between Lutherville and Hunt Valley.), and I am going to hang out and shower, and maybe wash clothes if needed I think.

Of course I am open to almost any and all invitations and suggestions if any of you feel so inclined, I can even contribute some kitchen and/or grill services and make a donation to the 'malted adult barley pop' fund. If I could find, finagle, scheme, or scam a way to do so, I'd be heading out to spend the day on the beach, Bay, or a boat!

I got ANOTHER spam addressed as a 'Comment' of the blog that I wrote last nigt commenting on the Comment spam I got on the previous blog!

I think that if any public site mentions anything about...."human exhalations of a strength that could knock a buzzard off a sh*t wagon at 50 paces" commonly spoken of in the vernacular represented by the letters "BB", and with a medical/technical nomenclature beginning with the letter "H".... this spam site must ahve a web spider that searches for these references and fires off an e-mail purporting to be from an individual that directs you to sites purveying their product that gave him "blessed relief", and, "Finally Freedom From 'BB'!"

Just what I need, more spam. I get enough on my e-mail address, so much in fact that I sometimes miss messages from people who write me for the first time, afterseeing the invitation to correspond in the header, but with whom I have not previously had contact, so my filters automatically direct them to the junk folder. If you have written me and I have not replied, it is not rudeness, (except for the assholes....YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE>>>LOL!!...but error on my part, if you write again, put "Homelesscide" in the subject box please.

Okay, I'm done for now, I think I'll jump on the bus to the coffeeshop and kill a couple hours. Speaking of buses....did you see the news today....about the bus on the Alameda that hit, moved, rolled, and/or trashed 8 cars...while traveling at speed? So far the "official" explanation is that the driver fell asleep or passed out. They gloss over the fact that the bus was speeding in any case and must have been so before the driver was 'incapacitated'. I was on 2 buses the other night, the 58 out of Mt. Washington, and the 59 out of Reisterstown Plaza Station that were traveling 50 mph in a 30 mph zone, and this is a regular occurrence, as are the unnecessary panic stops and jackrabbit starts when people are not yet seated, and lets not talk about the surly, obstructionist, and ignorant attitudes emanating from the drivers at times!

M-T-A = Make Them Accountable!!!!!

Later............................Dave

"Top Of The World..Ma!!!...................."

Good Afternoon;

I'm at Jenn's watching Ed and Devin, and Rachel is here too! She is driving out to Chicago with her mother and her mother's boyfriend and her sister tomorrow for a week so her mom dropped her off here this morning for a while so I could get to see her. I had planned to do something with her over the holiday weekend because as I said before, it is the one holiday when I have money. Such is the story of my life....'I plan, God laughs!'....lol! I ended up leaving here with Jenn when she left to go to her homegroup. I was going to hang out at Starbucks for a while and then catch a ride back to Pikesville when she was finished. On the way there she suggested I spend the night, instead of tonight, since the weather was another record breaker and the heat and humidity is SUPPOSED to break today, as my payback for monstersitting this afternoon while she has more coloring done on her tattoo. I had not been considering spending the night in either case, (usually I only do if it a nighttime session), so I jumped at the chance.

I am here on their laptop, and to tell the truth, I have found that I really prefer a desktop setup.......not that I would have any complaints if someone felt the urge to donate a laptop or lapbook to me of course!!!!, it is just that there is a dearth of clean, uncluttered flat surfaces at Jenn's and I am uncomfortable sitting crosslegged on thr bed or trying to balance it on my knees....I have a little bit too much 'padding' to flex and bend as I used to be able to do....lol.

Well, it's official I finally made the bigtime! I got 'spam' addressed as a comment to the previous post!

The keyword was 'bad breath'! (Okay, it's two words...picky, picky....lol.)

It was a nice homey letter telling of one man's multi-year battle against the horrors of mouth odor, and his trials and tribulations and ultimate victory when he went to a site,..which I am not going to list, as so to avoid being bombarded by other crap,.. that finally freed him from the shackles of halitosis......Uh Huh, sure it was......!

I did not open it because of virus fears for the laptop. If I have not deleted it totally I may look at it in the library tomorrow..(they have heavy duty 'blocker-killer' and warning programs and firewalls as protection.....'industrial grade Listerine' you might call it......LMAO!!!!)

Next thing you know, I might even have been chosen as winner in the Irish Sweepstakes, or even be selected to help some honest but persecuted by his government African transfer his secret fortune to an American bank, and be rewarded with half of the money in gratitude, if I only tell him all my ID numbers, and passwords, and bank codes.....gee, sounds on the up and up to me.............................ya think?...........ROTFLMAO!

Okay, I'm out of here for now, I have to wait for Time

Magazine to call, I just might be in the running for the annual;

[homeless] MAN OF THE YEAR issue!

either that or the Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show's, "Cover Of The Rolling Stone Award".................It's amazing how I retain my humility and modesty as I go out and walk among all the 'little people'.....no,no, don't applaud...just throw money!

Ow, Ow, Ow,....okay,okay,just quit beating me around the head with that sack full of pennies.................................LOL!

Later.................Dave

"Sire, The Peasants Are Revolting" ..................... "They Certainly Are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"...................

Good Morning;

It's 90 degrees, with a heat index of 94 degrees, with about a 60% humidity and a dewpoint of 69 degrees.....at 9:00 am. in the morning!!!!, it cooled all the way down to 85 degrees last night. I sat out and read and finished a book at 2:00 am. before I went into the shed, which had cooled to a comfortable temperature somewhere close to the daytime temps. on the surface of the planet Mercury. I woke up at 7:30 am. drowning in sweat and choking on my own funk. By the time I got some clothes on, (I'm stripping down to skivvies at this point), I felt like I was in a training class of firefighters,.... you know the one where they put them in a sealed room and pump in heat and smoke and keep raising the temperature until they either pass out or cry uncle,.... but with out the instructor decked out in safety gear and oxygen to help out if anyone shows signs of distress! When stepping out into 90 degrees feels nice and cool, you know it's hot inside!

I just have not found a clean, safe, discreet, centrally located place outside where I feel comfortable sleeping. All the places I had in reserve are either now locked, construction sites, or occupied..(legally and illegally).

After yesterday, last night, and this morning my skin feels as if now had a life of it's own, and no matter how much deodorant and air freshener I douse myself in, a mob of crazed villagers are still starting to follow me around with pitchforks, hoes, axes, and torches.

I am awaiting an e-mail from Jenn, letting me know if I can stop in for a shower, sometime soon, and a meal. It looks as if she is either not up or already out at the hospital, (visiting and as moral support), and may have the phone turned off.

I have one last clean change of clothes, but I do not want to put it on until I either shower, or am sure I am not going to be able to and take a 'whore's bath' in a sink.

I just have to state that, even homeless I still smell better than some of the people who live in some of the 'hoods in Baltimore City.

Yesterday as I was on my way to and from Monkee's and Barry's houses I passed many open doors and people sitting on their stoops....OMFG!! the odors emanating from some of these places make being stuck behind a garbage truck as you run over a skunk while boxed in by a truck from the rendering company on a extreme heat, red alert, temperature inversion, pollution warning day seem like a breath of springtime!!!! The BO of massed bodies, rancid grease, rotting Pampers, halitosis, swamp ass, and monkey butt.....all mixed with the nauseating miasma of flavored blunts and weed.

"Baltimore--The City That REEKS!!!"

I have not had much of an appetite due to the heat, I have been drinking loads of Powerade Zero though to stay hydrated, last week at Jenn's I realized I was on the edge of heat exhaustion/dehydration because I was not drinking enough. It is not a fun feeling. Yesterday I did not eat until I hit the Starbucks and someone gave me two sandwiches, which I performed open heart surgery on, grafting the turkey, lettuce and cheese from one onto the ham and Swiss on panini bread of the other, (the operation was a success, even though the patient died....but that is the good thing about being a 'food doctor', you can eat and cover up your successes and failures....LOL), and a couple pastries and a bagel.

I grabbed an OJ from the Giant around 9:00 pm. and filled my water bottles at the gas station. Now I am hydrated, but since I am taking a diuretic mixed with my BP meds....I can't stop peeing.....lol!

Alright, that's it for now, plans are still in limbo for today, but I have to bathe somehow, somewhere......

Back later......................Dave

"Boiled In THe Shell.......Poached.......And ...........Scrambled!!......"

Good Afternoon;

Well I'm here at the Towson Library just past 1:30 pm., the first person of the second wave of computer users. There must have been people waiting in line for the library to open today. I know it is usually crowded on Sundays but this is like Friday afternoons at the Pikesville branch.

Anyway, I got to Jenn's around 11:10 am. yesterday morning and spent the day and part of the night there, a lot more time than I had expected. Jenn had thought she would be home around 4:00 or 5:00 pm., with some cash for me, and I was going to head over to the east side of the city, (yes, THAT east side, where all the shootings occur), to see Monkee or Barry and try to find some buprenorphine, since I was totally out, having taken the last quarter of a pill around Midnight (Thursday/Friday). I was going to cook the pork chops I had in the oven and shower, shave, and maybe do a load of laundry while I relaxed in the A/C. That idea went as all plans seem to go when my back is up against the wall and I am both 'putting all my eggs in one basket' AND 'counting my chickens before they hatch', namely...right down the dumper!....lol! I marinated the chops in Sazon Goya Con Culantro y Tomato, water, garlic, and the last few drops of the Newman's Own Sesame and Ginger marinade and put them in the 'fridge. I then sat down for a minute and turned on the TV and watched and dozed in the recliner for the next 3 and 1/2 hours, drifting in and out as the humidity, temperature and dewpoint rose from mildly uncomfortable to miserable. I got up and cooked the pork chops and made a sandwich and ate, and by then it was after 4:00 pm. so I just shaved and washed off and cleaned up a bit in the sink, thinking Jenn would be home any minute and I would then jump on the train downtown and shower when I returned. 5:00 pm.came and went, as did 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00....still no Jenn or Tom. I have no minutes left and Tom had the computer so I could not e-mail her phone. I was started to get concerned when she and the kids, and Tom walked in at the same time. Well I used her phone to call Monkee, who was still tearing the house apart searching for her prescription refill, (which she STILL had not found as of 11:00 am. today), and tried to call Barry, who was out at his brother's for a cookout until much later that night. Now I am pretty confident about traveling most neighborhoods and 'hoods' at night, and have had decades of experience 'copping' what I needed on the streets....but... I was not "ill", and although beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable as the drug left my system, the symptoms were not extreme and a good bit was likely psychological.....'withdrawal memory', I decided to wait until this morning to go looking for more 'bupe', (also partly in fear that I might decide to say "F*ck It!!" and get some dope and coke, part from frustration, and part because the disease of addiction is sly and can twist and squeeze at your willpower until you rationalize away common sense, reality, and sobriety!).

Needless to say, last night the shed was an oven. I really have to find another place to sleep.....soon! I don't remember the shed last summer being THIS miserable, although I guess I was getting in there a good bit later most nights, due to sitting outside at the tables at the St. Thomas shopping center Starbucks until the next to last bus.

While the little battery fan I have does help some to keep me, (or at least parts of me at a time...lol!), cool, it does nothing to air out the shed itself. There is about at least a 20 degree difference between laying down and standing up, and after a night of body heat, breathing and other gaseous emanations, what fiberglass insulation that is left does it's designated job of retaining heat.....of course it does, WHEN THE TEMPERATURE REACHES 90!!!!..........LOL!

Also, as you can imagine, I did not sleep well at all. Between the heat and humidity and the chemical changes going on in my body, (You have to remember, the buprenorphine is a 'dependent' drug that the body gets used to, and requires a period of time known as a "taper" to disengage itself from the tissues gradually. Even though I am doing relatively tiny quantities, the symptoms still manifest themselves.), sleep was elusive at best and absent at worst. I was up at 5:57 am. due to the heat and my back, and some strange and uncomfortable feelings and twinges I have not felt for avery long time, and have no wish or desire to experience again.

I killed time ( for the A/C) at the Giant and riding the train for 3 hours until I could check with Monkee....Nothing!, Damn!....and I was sure Barry would be up. He sometimes has a few 'bupes' and when I would stop and see him after visiting Monkee, he would offer them to me, of course I had already gotten what I could afford, or had no money and was not pressed for them, so I declined every time but one. This morning he did not have any. giving the last one away minutes before I arrived. He went down the street to a place where people gather, the community garden, and asked around but no one there had any. He left word that if anyone showed up with some to please stop by his house. I was getiing ready to leave and was showing my new picture of Rachel, who he had not seen for about a year or so, and was considering his offer of some Methadone, which will also quell the symptoms I was beginning to experience. I really did not want to do this, but my mind was exploiting me fears and most likely exaggerating them too. Right as I was about to take a spoonful, (which is probably one twentieth [1/20th] or less of a 120 milliogram daily dose), some called him from outside and he told me to hold on, he'd pour it when he came back in. Well by the grace of God and somebody wanting a quick $10.00, he walked back in and said 'give me your money', and came back with 2 tablets! I gave him my last $5.00 out of gratitude for taking the time to go to the extra effort of putting the word out and having them come by the house. We used to get high together and I've known him for about 20 years through good times and bad, using and clean. He knows how hard I have been working at this and all about the medical and pain issues I deal with that preclude the use of normal opiate/opiod painkillers, he has some of the same problems, from being shot, and from being visciously beaten (Wrongly!!! too), by the cops to the point of kidney damage..[but that is a story for another time]. In any case I am very grateful that I did not have to resort to doing something that could have led back to active addiction, and the behavior that follows. I could go that route and be living at a much more comfortable level physically and financially, but the mental and moral deterioration are not worth it, nor is the loss of love and respect from those who have believed in and supported me. And most important is the possibility of being separated from Rachel, and Jenn and her family. There is no denying the temptation, but to use the phrase another way....that is exactly what must be done!

So it is 4:15 pm. and I am on my third session her at the computer, I guess I'll close the library at 5:00 pm. and head back out into the record breaking heat & humidity and take the bus to the train to the Mt. Washington Starbucks for a couple hours. I know I'll be sitting around outside for many hours tonight because the shed is going to be only slightly cooler than the ante-room to Hell! If anybody wants to come visit so we can sit in their air conditioned car and talk, or to take pity on poor l'il ole me...sweltering in the muggy misery of another night of breathing air with the temperature and texture of molten lava........and invite me for a shower and or a night inside on a bed/couch/floor...come on over to the First Watch by the Pikesville Giant sometime after 10:00 pm....that's where I'll probably be. I've got a dollar in change I'm going to drop on the Keno, I may have Ice Cold Beer and Powerade to share....lol!

I'll be back early tomorrow, as soon as I can get in to the A/Ced library!

Later...........................Dave

"Red Hot, White Knuckled, And Blue........"

Good Morning;

The weather, heat and humidity, is on the way to hell again I see. By 8:30 am. the shed was a sweatbox. I got up went to the Giant for my morning ablutions and to make a couple calls from the Courtesy Phone. One to Jenn to see if it was still okay if I dropped by and showered while She and the kids went out to Getttysburg with her mom and Tom was at his DJ gig this afternoon, and to ask if I could borrow a few dollars; and one to Monkee to see if she had located any buprenorphine. Jenn said yes and she was not yet sure, Monkee said no. We are both out of meds and having to look to the street now for 'bupe'.

Along with the miserable conditions of the steambath that is Baltimore, I now have the added stressor of searching for my meds. I took the last 1/4 pill last night around Midnight and I will not feel any true physical symptoms of discomfort until around Sunday morning, but the psychological meshugas has already begun. The not knowing, the not having a phone to hunt for them and having to hit the street in a really bad neighborhood, and the fear of relapse all combine to put me in near panic mode. Add to that the fact that I have only $2.00 in my possession and I am going to have to pay street prices and the fee for a runner, and have no idea if or where I am going to come up with any cash,.......and I'm a friggin' mess. (A note of irony here, the doctor I am scheduled to see on the 13th of July, who happens to be right in the neighborhood, is one who is authorized to prescribe 'bupe', but who told me he did not want to deal with the state PAC healthcare plan when I went to him to inquire about 3 years ago....).

This next week should be a real fun time, scrounging for meds, food, and money. (oh and another ironic thing...the meds I DO have a prescription for and a healthplan to pay for will run out with no refills BEFORE I jhave my next scheduled appointment with the doctor at JAI who prescribed them, at the same time she wrote the script....greatttttt!

The only bright light shining through this cloud of doom and despair that is descending upon me is that the up coming 4th of July is the only holiday that occurs in the beginning of the month, right after I get my little monthly stipend. Not that I have any plans, or that I will have much money left after meds...phone...and repaying of any loans I can get.....lol.

Okay I am out of here for Jenn's now,

later............................Dave

(Jenn just e-mailed me, she will have some cash this evening when she gets home, well half the battle is won, now the other half...the search remains. At least my stress level has been reduced by about 40%!)

"Back To The Wilderness............................."

Good Morning;

Well I slept deeply and restfully last night, (in the 'new' LazyBoy at Jenn's), for the first time in a while. I slept in it the night before also but with the ridiculous humidity and leather upholstery, even though I slept quite a while, I awoke soaking wet and sticking to the chair......it must be hell being a cow in this weather, wearing a leather and suede outfit you cannot take off....LOL!

I am about to shower and head out soon, (which could end up being hours from now....it's not like I have anywhere to be today, anything to do, or any money to do it with!), probably to the library until it closes at 5:30 pm., and unless I get an invite anywhere else, then to the coffee shop in Mt. Washington.

Tomorrow I'll be up and out of the shed when the heat forces me to leave, and then most likely back to the same 'low budget/no budget' routine, library-Starbucks-First Watch-shed, and again Sunday substituting a stop at Jenn's to pick up some clothes that are currently in the wash for the library, (unless I am inspired or get a bug up my ass about something and go to the Towson library when they open at 1:00 pm.).

If I can find some money, (over and above that which I HAVE!!! to find to get some more 'bupes' by tomorrow....damn...damn....damn...), I am going to make arrangements to see Rachel as soon as I can. I really miss not being able to wake up with her and just hang out. I am going to see when Jenn is going to be away again and when we can spend a day or so over there together. After the 2nd when I get my little bit of cash we are going to the movies and lunch.

Okay, I've got to get off the lap top now, I may be back later from the library, when I check my e-mail, ( the only way to keep in contact with people since I have no minutes on either phone).

Later................................Dave

"Help Me.....I'm Melting..............................."

Good Evening;

Even with the A/C running full blast it cannot handle 100+ degree heat and humidity. The kids are insane and Jenn and I are exhausted. Tom has been working all day in an A/C home thank goodness, doing a re-wire, not out on a construction site. They just left for Pier Six and the concert, I would have given the tickets away, there is no group I want to see that bad anymore......yeah, I'm old...lol.

I stepped outside at noon and turned right around and came back inside Jenn's, called Prologue and cancelled my appt. The dumb receptionist was not competent to properly relay the info. to Shelly and I got a worried e-mail asking if I was okay., no way I was standing and waiting in the sun on a bus stop!

I am back out on the street tomorrow in the "cooler"...HA!...90 degree temps with lower humidity...yeah right.............!

Out of minutes, out of money, out of meds....yeah it's funtime again.

Devin's screaming, and Edward's acting like a doofus...again, gotta run,

Later.........................................Dave

"If You Can't Stand The Heat....Head Into The Kitchen!..........................................."

Good Evening;

Damn I am sure glad that Jenn and I have reconnected this year! Although I am unable to truly 'live' here at there place, the hospitality offered me in light of the totally insane weather we have had this year; (the back to back to back blizzards and snow storms, and the effin' ridiculous heat and humidity all spring and so far this summer), has been a life and sanity saver...well the sanity is offset by the grandmonsters, but at least I'm not losing too much ground...LOL!!

I have tried my best to be helpful and earn my keep, by babysitting and by feeding the kids to give Jenn a break as much as I can. I have also been both helping and benefitting by having a kitchen available to me for the first time in 3 years or more. "Kitchen therapy" is a relaxation technique that I embrace and enjoy, and having folks who like and appreciate my creativity and creations, on many different levels is gratifying. Of course Jenn is more likely to ask what such and such subtle herb or seasoning, or technique was used...while Tom is more direct and visceral in his compliments......"Hmmm, is that ginger, garlic and cilantro...?".....as opposed to "Good....me want more!!"................LMAO!!!!!

Yesterday I oven braised Halibut steaks in a marinade of lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, ginger, paprika, sesame oil, salt, pepper and a touch of onion; then reduced the pan juices to a moderately thick sauce. Very nice, even cold the citrus ginger tang was evident, but balanced by the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients. And it works well over steamed asparagus too. But don't ask me for amounts..I 'cook by ear'!!!

Last night, late, Jenn was going to the Giant and mentioned she craved cheesecake but could not see paying their prices for it, so I told her to get me some pre-made graham cracker pie crusts...(I know, I know but she had no spring-form pan)...and three pounds of cream cheese and I created 2 cheese cakes, (starting to cook at 11:00 pm. at night and finishing up around quarter after 1:00 pm....LOL), with 4 different flavors. One was 1/2 'turtle' with a layer of honey toasted pecans, quartered Kraft caramels and semi-sweet chocolate chips embedded and then also as a topping; the other 1/2 was studded with Mini-Oreos, the other cheesecake was 1/2 good old fashioned plain jane and 1/2 pureed frozen blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry mixture layered between the filling, and then each slice was topped with the refrigerated berry puree upon serving, (which was also delicious on the other three 1/2s also!), I had some canned mango slices which I topped the berry cheesecake with too, talk about ambrosial!....lol!

Of course the other chores I do are not as glamorous, nor as tasty, such as emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the pots and pans and loading the dishwasher, feeding the animals, (the four legged ones), sweeping up the stupid dog's hair and skin flakes that she spreads all over the place from scratching, (the dog is part Wheaten Terrier, and they are susceptible to itching and skin problems, which also stink!...and she is dumb as a box of rocks besides), and I also did laundry for Jenn today, (after waiting all last nigh and most of today for the ghetto attitude neighbors to take their clothes out of the washer.....which they never did so I had to remove their already beginning to mold and mildew from the heat crap because they were left in a public washing machine shared by 11 apartments for at least 40 hours, so I ended up covered in the funk too!), and the "Mother Of All NASTY Chores"............emptying and refilling the cat's litter box, then carrying 50 pounds of litter and poop and ammonia to the dumpster in 97 degree record setting heat! Another shower today...................DAMN SKIPPY, and maybe a third one on general principles.

Tom is working late and Jenn is at a meeting as I write this, (8:31 pm.), so I am pretty damn sure I am spending the night again, and most of tomorrow until I leave to head to my meeting at Prologue with my new caseworker Shelly at 1:00 pm. I am heading back here to Jenn's, (I'm on their laptop now), afterwards because we had a previous arrangement for me to watch the kids on Thursday night while they go to a concert at Pier Six at the Harbor, (YES and Peter Frampton, which I find hilarious and ironic because these are Big Name groups from MY youth and concert going days, I saw YES a dozen times between 1969 and 1975 with the original line up, and owned all the early albums, and had my bedroom in Ocean City one year I lived 'downy oshun' painted professionally with the YESSONGS mural.....LOL). Tomorrow is supposed to be 98-99 degrees with heat indices near 105 degrees, and maximum humidity with possible serious and dangerous thunderstorms in the late afternoon and early evening..(just when Jenn and Tom will be at or taking the train to and from an outdoor concert.......yeah, that's a real nice thing to look forward to!).

Anyway, Devin just climbed up in her highchair and looked over at me and said, "eeaattt, eeaattt..." and put her hands together in the ASL sign for 'more'......

Later.....................................................Dave

"Waiting For A Cold Front..........Or For HELL To Freeze Over!......."

Good Morning;

I'm on my way to Jenn's to watch the kids and get out of the damn, stupid heat and humidity...yesterday was the first day of summer and we have had mid-July range heat for a week with another 7 days MINIMUM!!! forecast!

Sh*t...Sh*t...Sh*t...

If I was near an ocean I could deal with this this, but 'heat on the street' in Baltimore sucks!

Back later..........Dave