July 25, 1999

Now it's Sunday evening. I'm just back from the weekend down at Mom's. It was everything I expected. We cried, we laughed, we ate killer chocolate cake, we sang "Baby Beluga". Some swam and got sunburned a bit. We went to church in a newly painted St. Peter's this morning. I think the paint fumes almost knocked me out. The homily was fine.

Have I mentioned that my car's a/c is out? I'd had it "fixed" back in Joliet. The cool lasted just long enough to get me to Mundelein.

So on the very hot way back up this afternoon, my lovely niece Sara asked a few questions. Before I knew it, I was launched on a huge rant about God and truth and uncertainty and people and their religion and The One True Church and good and evil and the nature of the universe. So now, before the entire world, I must apologize. I'm sorry, Sara. I'm mad; we're all mad; and yr a part of us. Welcome to the madness. It doesn't get much better than this.

The Cat was mildly happy to see me again and I rewarded her attentions by grabbing her and brushing away for five or ten minutes. Great big handfuls of catfur came out on the brush and comb, a sign to me that I have not been brushing her often enough. I should be doing this every day, not once a week; otherwise we start to get those lovely hairballs again. The Cat was also very impressed by the bouquet of catnip from Delaney's garden. She hasn't had any fresh stuff since we moved, and she's making the most of it.

I made it a point to give my errant nieces and nephew my e-mail address and URL. So I expect to be flooded with chat from Josh, Robin, Korie, and Taylor any day now. If I don't hear from them, I'll just have to cry myself to sleep every night.