Chris’s new puppy, Dash.
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“Thus far this trip has been one of the most amazing experiences…there is nothing like being your own boss in a foreign country. “

No, we haven’t heard a word from Matthew or Cel.

Last night at Scupper Jacks.

Diane: “ I can’t believe we forgot.”

Me: “I remembered when I was in Evansville. I debated waiting to give you those earrings until today.”

Diane: “I’m full up. There’s no room left.”

Me: “The last two days have been Matthew and not much else. And, I guess, Linda too. If someone at work hadn’t asked you what day it was, we’d a missed it entirely.”

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Yesterday, Joe and Robby were here to see Matt off, and Joe said something like, “Have fun in Europe.” That’s when it sunk-in for me, and, I believe, for Matt because on the drive to airport he kept saying, “I’m going to wake up in a foreign country?” (The blessings of an exam tired youth meant sleep on the plane). How had we taken this trip so casually? Because it’s not Nicaragua? Because he has already flown (take a guess at the number *) since he was born?

We arrived at the airport early and after a steak and cheese sandwich and an IBC root beer Matt said, “I’m going.”

“But you don’t have to go through security for forty minutes. Your plane doesn’t leave for an hour and a half.” I tried to hold him back.

“I’m going.”

“No you’re not. You’re staying with us for another forty minutes.”

Two hugs later and he was a mere ghost passing through security.

Godspeed, my son, and don’t forget to visit Dash.

(*35. I boarded my first plane at twenty-one)

Matt holds the door at the Quarterdeck restaurant for Flo et al while pondering how heíll have time to hang with us, study for his final final, take the test, pack and be ready by 2 PM for his trip to Logan and Barcelona.

Sunday’s barbecue at the Finlays.

It was a cloudy, dreary, rainy day – killer conditions for my little Nikon – but here’s Charlie’s graduation in pictures and a slideshow. Though I did receive help, I take responsibility for all the captions.

Linda, Diane’s cousin, comes to town and right away springs Flo from the confines of Concord Park. First, she takes Flo to Village Video to say hi to a startled Matt, and then stops by our house and after a short visit, drives off to bingo in Maynard. Flo hasn’t looked so healthy in months.

My road trip to Indiana and back provided me with another forty hours of Old Time Radio listening pleasure. Add the forty for my previous trip and all those working hours spent with my portable CD player plugged into my head, and I’d say I’ve become a quasi-authority on the subject.

Here (6 MB, playing time about thirty minutes) is my first radio show post. “Dixie Gilian” from the Pat Novak for Hire series starring Jack Webb. Some shows have good dialogue, others superior sound effects, most have implausible story lines. For me, this one has the best dialogue. I’ve listened to it six times and I’m still not bored. I might cut my own CD: a song from Devils and Dust, Dixie Gilian, another song, Dixie again, you can see where I’m going.

A few snippets from the show.

“…down here a lot of people figure it’s better to be a fat guy in a graveyard than a thin guy in a stew, that way you can be sure of a tight fit.”

“She sauntered in moving slowly like a hundred and eighteen pounds of warm smoke.”

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“Good evening”

“Yeah, thanks for knocking.”

“I don’t think you mind me coming in without warning.”

“No, I get the cabbage smell from next door the same way.”

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“When you are finished you’ve been in a lot of tight spots, like a piece of bubble gum in a set of dentures. ”

“Like trying to find a grain of rice in a Shanghai suburb.”

“When I walked in, I knew someone was on the floor. Either that, or they varnished the floor with bourbon.”

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“He couldn’t be moving around with a (bullet) hole in his back.”

“Oh, I don’t know Hellman, you’ve been doing it with one in your head. Don’t sell the guy short.”

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“They fished Hellman out of an oil slick a little while later. It was the first time his hair looked good.”

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“The door was open, wasn’t it?”

“So are a lot of graves, but I’ve never been tempted.”

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Lawerence Joseph