Here We Go!

First of all, Charlie just called and said he is on the way with medications and my "big ass" Coke. That is going to be so very comforting and nice. I will relish this afternoon. It is a little early, but I am not much one to complain even though I may regret it tomorrow. I was beginning to grow worried my father changed his mind and may be bringing my medications and it would be very, very late tonight until he got all the football out of his system. 

"I am bringing you the biggest Coke McDonald's sells," Charlie said laughing. 

I told Charlie how appreciative I am of him and all he does. He truly means so much to me. 

"Well, I just love you and I will never forget all you've done for Horsefly over the years," Charlie replied. "He would have never talked or played like a normal child without your help."

Safe Instead of Sorry...


I've just got back from Kroger. I debited lots of bottled water and nonperishable food. Dad's probably going to bitch at me about it, but he will get over it. I don't want to get stuck in this house with nothing to eat or drink for a few days. I also filled up my tub to the brim with fresh water which will be an emergency source of water. Maggie had a fit, panicked, and ran outside thinking she was getting a bath.

I just looked at the local radar and the first rain bands from the storm are moving through Auburn and Alabama right now. I bet my father and brother will be glad to have those ponchos.

Tropical Storm Nate...

We are now under a tropical storm watch meaning conditions are conducive to us getting a tropical storm in the next few days. We are going to be on the east side of the storm where the winds will be their greatest which worries me most if the forecast pans out as expected.

It is not stopping my brother and father from going to a football game, though. They will be sitting in the stadium stands at noon when the game starts tomorrow as Auburn hosts Ole Miss. Hopefully, they won't get wet just yet with it being so early. Dad said he was taking some ponchos just in case.

Charlie Beckons...

Charlie called me tonight just as I was eating supper. The meal du jour tonight was a Marie's chicken pot pie and a hot bowl of peppery creamed corn. I've probably said this before, but Marie is #1 as far as store bought pot pies are concerned.

"What do you want for a late lunch tomorrow?" Charlie asked. "I am bringing your medications around four."

"I've got plenty of food this week," I told Charlie. "You have your hands full with Horsefly. Don't worry about me."

"Call me in the morning if you change your mind," Charlie told me. "I will be glad to bring you something. I will just bring you a big ass Coke instead."

I laughed and told Charlie thank you. I certainly won't turn down a "big ass" Coke by any means.

First Harley Ride...

I got to commandeer a very loud Harley Davidson motorcycle today. I've always heard jokes of Harley's having trouble climbing steep hills. Now, I know why. The one I rode was woefully underpowered. My Suzuki Bandit I had years ago could run rings around this motorcycle speed wise and technology wise. I just don't get the allure of these motorcycles except for it being a cult following type thing.

Is There a Tropical System on the Way or What?

I think this storm will be called Hurricane Nick if it develops as forecast. I also see Charlie will have a long weekend with Monday off no doubt spending it working on his houses. Yay! It is also after 7 pm so Papa is on his way home!

My Revised Newegg Christmas Wish List...

I have been so pleased with my new Seagate drive that I am getting another for Christmas and made room for it in my budget.  The ram will give me 32 gigs of memory in my main gaming and power use computer. I've been trying to get a set of those 200 watt Logitech speakers for years so maybe this year is the year. 

Power Nap...

My neighbor's yard was being loudly cut next door as I took off my clothes down to my skivvies and got in the bed to the mechanical drone of a lawnmower. I thought I wouldn't sleep, but I woke up at 5 pm this afternoon when the phone rang. Yes, the calls from that nasty monster have about stopped.

Now, I call that a power nap. My injection always does make me feel drowsy on day one. It used to would knock me out for a week. Thank goodness I don't lose a week of my life like that anymore. It was a high price to pay for my sanity.

As I was falling asleep, Mrs. Priss, otherwise known affectionately as the Magster, came sauntering into the computer room. She's gotten too old to jump up on the bed herself so I have to pick her up and put her in the bed with me. My, she is heavy! She didn't awaken until the phone rang as well. We were power nap partners.

"Andrew, You Can Come On Back..."

I arrived at the pharmacy just as my father was pulling into his parking spot.

"Stick this in your pocket," he said of a pack of Marlboros.

He had his Senior coffee and a sausage biscuit. We all waited as he fiddled with opening the door and turning off the alarm.

No sweeter words are spoken than that in the title of my post. Rebecca greeted me with a bright white smile at the door and hurried me into an examining room. We exchanged pleasantries and soon the deed was done. My injection was moderately painful today. I was a little apprehensive since we had yet another new receptionist.

"Are you here for your B12 shot?" she asked me when I signed in. "You may have to wait a few minutes."

"No, Rebecca gives me my Risperdal Consta injection every other Thursday," I replied very nervously, praying against all odds I wasn't going to have a lengthy tour of duty in the lobby.

I can be so impetuous at times. Especially about this injection. It is that old bane of mine, anxiety.

"War Eagle!" Dee Dee said exuberantly as she handed me my next appointment card.

I replied in kind noting that my Auburn-themed attire was quite fitting.

Well, I feel a nap coming on. Let me drink my pharmacy supplied sodas, eat my fish fillet breakfast, and then go lay down and see if the sandman shall greet me.

Cigarette Smuggling With a Book...

Ah Papa!

I drove over to my parent's house a moment ago to get my diet Cokes and my cigarettes. Yes, I've gone back to smoking the highly addictive little cancer sticks. I blame it on my neighbor George and our carport communication and smoking sessions. George makes his own cigarettes with a cigarette machine and loose tobacco.

Dad also read a peer-reviewed journal entry that most mentally ill people smoke and that it is cathartic for them so he is very sympathetic about the whole affair.

I knocked on the door and no one answered so I let myself in with my key. Dad was deeply asleep in his recliner with his "pussy" between his legs. Samantha awoke first and greeted me with a meow which awoke my father.

"What are you doing, bud?" he asked rubbing his eyes.

"I was trying not to wake you, but I am getting my sodas and cigarettes," I told him.

"That reminds me," he said. "I need to get you some more cigarettes tonight."

"I just took the last pack," I said as I stood up after pilfering the coat closet. "Go back to sleep."

"No, let's take your medications while you are here," he said. "Go get the medications out of my Honda."

Dad sleepily doled out my pills as I took them with a swig of a sparkling grapefruit juice drink that was in the fridge. The grapefruit drink was odd, but equally delicious as well.

What's Going On Around Here Today...

Have I Met My Match?

"Well, I'll be damned," dad said over the phone. "And they are still calling?"

"10 or 15 times a day. It is making my nerves bad," I told my father. "I would unplug the phone, but I am worried you might need to get ahold of me. I am charging my iPhone right now and then I am going to unplug the landline phone."

Dad knows to ring twice on my landline and I will call him back ala Martha my mother. He can never remember my cell phone number so I had him write it down.

"Let me call Larry (dad's lawyer) and we can see what we can do," he said. "We might have to file harassment charges."

"It is Tuleana and not Rich," I added if it helped some. "Richard is too timid to do something like this. Tuleana is the one that is bat shiat crazy."

"What is her phone number?" dad then asked. "I am going to call her and threaten harassment charges and tell her not to ever call you again or she will be in for a world of pain."

I rummaged around atop my entertainment center and finally found the number and gave it to dad.

"I'll let you know what happens," my father told me. "Let's shake up her world a little bit."

I Feel Gypped...

I just looked at Glittermom's comment on my last post and I was right. I was supposed to get a chocolate chip cookie Sunday night with my fill-up. I am addicted to those things. I don't know if they just didn't put it with our order or it went home with my father and Charlie.

To KFC's credit, I ordered a pot pie years ago and it wasn't very good. Well, they've changed their recipe and the pot pie I ate Sunday night was delicious. It was really savory with lots of shredded chicken.

Poor Dearest Maggie...

First and Second in Command

Guatemala's finest, Lopez Landscaping, paid me a visit late this afternoon. I told Lopez to always knock on the door before they began to cut the yard to let me know they are here so I can get Maggie inside and lock the dog door. I checked and Maggie was on the couch looking out the window so I went and closed the dog door. I then got back in my recliner and continued the book I was reading.

Well, very late this evening, Maggie was being very noisy and attentive so I thought she was hungry so I gave her some Kentucky's Finest honey baked ham and thought nothing else of it. She ate the ham and looked content until the noise started again. I was beginning to get worried about her in that something may be wrong with her medically.

Dad and I were feeding and watering Maggie tonight when dad noted that Maggie's dog door was shut. I felt like the dregs of society. Poor Maggie had held her bladder all afternoon without a mess or a leak. I opened the dog door and Maggie went flying out to use the bathroom. She was also barking up a storm obviously venting her frustrations. To my credit, that has only happened a handful of times over the years.

I Smell A Rat! Ah, the Rigors of a Dog Door...

I awoke fully rested about 1 pm after a busy night of grocery shopping. I was extremely thirsty and headed into the kitchen to get one of my icy cold water bottles out of the fridge. Something very large and very black went scurrying across the kitchen floor at breakneck speed and under the cabinets by the dishwasher. It about scared the shit out of me. We have rats again. Interestingly, Maggie just ignores them.

I immediately got on the phone with dad's preferred exterminator and he said he would be by this afternoon to throw some "bait bags" under the basement.

"Can you just charge this to my father's account?" I worriedly asked the exterminator.

"I will get in touch with Mr. John about payment," he told me.

"Now, I've got a dog," I told him. "I don't want her to get poisoned."

"Just keep the basement door shut or locked," the exterminator told me. "Your dog will be fine."

Whew! I feel better now. Dad will be absolutely amazed tonight that I handled that over the phone without him having to get involved. He knows my apprehension about using the phone.

Addendum:

"That's why you have rats," the exterminator, Jerry, said. "You've got food and water three feet from a dog door and the dog door has a tear in it and rats can smell that food and water from a mile off."

"I guess I will have to start locking it and only opening it when Maggie needs to be let out," I replied.

That will be incredibly inconvenient, though, I thought to myself.

"That would be the wise thing to do if you don't want anymore pests," he said.

Unabashedly Overkill...

I bought one of these tonight. One thing Marie Callender's does very well is pot pies. They just take forever to cook in the microwave (about 12 minutes).

Mrs. Marie Would Be Proud...

Kroger was hopping busy tonight with a lot of employees on duty. Usually, they have a skeleton crew. Dad and I were pretty early in our arrival for shopping, though. I bet it clears out about nine.

I was getting some bananas in produce when I heard a very familiar voice.

"Hey, fella! Are you any good with computers?" Jermaine asked.

Jermaine was getting some grapes which he will eat as he goes about his shopping.

"I know my way around a computer or two," I replied.

"Someone gave me a computer and I got internet installed today," Jermaine said. "It is as slow as Christmas."

"You need to get a better computer most likely or you need to reinstall windows," I told him. "I am sure the internet connection is plenty fast."

Jermaine looked kind of perplexed as I told him to look for a system restore disc and that I still had my shopping to do. I left him as he was popping a white grape into his mouth.

Tonight was the night of Marrie Callendar's meals. I got maybe twenty Marie Callender meals which made my father very happy. I showed him the batter fried fish dinner.

"This lowly and unlikely meal is surprisingly good," I told my father. "They even put cheese on the broccoli."

Dad then had to do some shopping of his own -- things he forgot from his previous shopping in the day.

"Are you going to be able to load up your car okay?" he asked me and I told him to go do his thing.

"I will be fine," I replied.

I spent over $90 dollars and acted coyly dumbstruck. I knew all those meals were going to be expensive. Dad didn't say a word and I didn't offer my two cents as well. We let the matter rest.

Arrival Perfecto...

I arrived at my parent's house late this afternoon to find my father still unloading his groceries. I immediately went about helping him.

"That goes in the pantry and that bag goes upstairs in the kitchen," he told me.

"I told you to give me ten minutes," my father then said to me as I grabbed two more bags of food and sundries.

"It has been 20 minutes since I talked to you on the phone," I replied and we both nervously laughed.

"This is taking longer than I thought it would," my father replied with an air of consternation in his voice.

We were going to take my medications just a little early so grocery shopping would be easier for me. I was having second thoughts about buying groceries tonight. I haven't been the same since that damned ordeal with my country road 388 "friends". I've been really struggling lately from the strife it caused me.

"You can't take all that shit going on," my father keeps telling me. "You're too goodhearted and can't take confrontation."

"I finally got your mother's tombstone in place," my father then said as he turned on National Public Radio and plopped down into his recliner. "We will have to get some flowers and take them out there."

My mother's ashes are buried in Waverly, Alabama (a suitable land called god's country) which is about a 45-minute drive away across the county.

Thank You Blogging Public...

Thank all of you who have left some really supportive or interesting comments lately. I do appreciate you very much. It is nice to know I am not writing to myself. 

Zero 7 - Destiny ft. Sia and Sophie Barker (2002)

The Dynamic Duo...

The dynamic duo have just left the house. Maggie was pining in the window as she watched Charlie leave the curb to take my father home. I bet Charlie will be glad to take him home as he was been obnoxious, boisterous, and loud tonight.

"The Auburn game is being replayed on the SEC network," dad told Charlie excitedly. "We need to hurry!"

Dad had my TV turned up so loud it sounded like the speakers were going to blow. It also got on my and Charlie's last nerves and we were a surly and bitchy bunch by the time Charlie was ready to leave.

"Are you okay?" my father asked as he was leaving. "You haven't said three words since we've been here."

"Mental illness shit," I told him. "I will get over it."

I made a big gargantuan mistake in my order tonight. I got the chicken pot pie $5 dollar fillup and it doesn't come with the chocolate chip cookie or the large mashed potatoes and gravy. Boy, was I sorely disappointed!

Let Thou Motives Be Known...

"Your brother and family is here," dad told me over the phone after I called. "I'll call you right back once they've headed home."

Well, about ten minutes later the phone rang and I answered it.

"Where have you been?" Tuleana exclaimed to me. "I've been trying to reach you for two weeks!"

"I haven't been feeling well," I told her.

"Are you available to give us a ride today?" she then asked.

"Listen, I just need to get off the phone," and I said goodbye.

And that's all she wrote, folks!

When a Fan is a Fan...

I got a severe case of the nods as I was sitting in front of this computer around 10 pm. I went and pulled on my favorite sleeping clothes -- a super soft white cotton t-shirt and some even softer grey sweatpants and socks.  I turned the air down to 76° degrees as is my fashion. I had drifted off to sleep until the phone rang at midnight. It immediately conjured up thoughts of my brother or father broken down on the interstate coming home from the game.

"WAR EAGLE!!!!" my crazed football fanatic father obnoxiously loudly exclaimed. "Did you see that game!? We're looking better and better!"

Fortunately, I had planned ahead and looked at the scores and highlights of this game just for this sort of occasion. I could walk the walk and talk the talk. I just wish my father got this excited about computer parts!

"Did you see that WD Blue 4TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 5400 RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD40EZRZ for sale on NewEgg?! I've got to have one of those!"

"Did Charlie bring your medications?" my father then asked after a lengthy diatribe about Auburn's quarterback "who just keeps getting better and better" in my father's words.

"Yeah, and he brought some treats for Maggie and I as well," I replied. "Charlie showed up just at four like he said he would."

By this point, I was slumped over in my lazy boy looking pretty pitiful ready to go back to bed. Dad told me War Eagle one more time and got off the phone. I woke up again at 4 am and I had never moved out of my recliner. I moseyed on back to the bed in the computer room where Maggie greeted me. I was asleep again in a matter of minutes.

Can't Keep a Good Biscuit Man Down...

"Now eat them while they are good and hot," Charlie told me of this morning's sausage biscuits.

Charlie handed me a bag of biscuits and an orange juice and soon bid me farewell.

"Do you want your usual tonight?" Charlie then asked me as he stopped mid-yard.

"$5 dollar fillup with the chicken strips," I replied graciously.

"Your father and I will see you about 9 pm," Charlie told me.

I immediately went about tearing Maggie's biscuit in little bite size pieces so she wouldn't make a mess on the floor. This also deters Maggie from burying the biscuits in the backyard.

Well, This Hybrid Drive is Certainly Interesting...

$99 Seagate FireCuda Gaming SSHD 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive ST2000DX002

• Faster load times for non-stop performance and play 
• Performs up to 5X faster than 7200 rpm desktop hard drives 
• Up to 2TB of capacity to store 80x 25GB games 
• Boots Windows 8 in less than 10 seconds 
• Improves overall system responsiveness by 30% or more 
• Backed by a 5-Year Limited Warranty 
• SSHD (Solid State Hybrid Drive)

The Cavalry Arrived at 4:00 PM...

Charlie called me this morning and told me he would be here at 4:00 pm and he was true to his word. He arrived exactly at 4:00 pm. I like the way Charlie does things as they take out all the guesswork. Charlie, my dear mother, and I are all just alike. We take such things very seriously. I could be waiting for hours for my lackadaisical father to arrive in a similar situation. Lord help us if he gets on his cell phone with his cousin Johnny.

Charlie immediately began cleaning my house with Horsefly sitting in the car and the car was running out at the street. This worried me something terrible.

"You don't have to do that!" I exclaimed to Charlie entirely embarrassed. "When I don't feel well the cleanliness of my house can tell on me. It suffers."

"Now dammit," Charlie replied to me brusquely. "I can have you back to shipshape in just ten minutes."

Charlie was a whirlwind of cleaning fury and activity. He left my house carrying three bags of trash.

"I love you!" Charlie said as he walked across the yard to the trashcan.

"I love you, too, fella!" I told him back. "And thank you!"

Game Day...

"What are we doing about my medications and the Auburn game tomorrow?" I asked my father as he sat on my couch.

We had just completed tonight's medication ritual.

"Alright Martha!" he said loudly and started laughing in earnest.

"I swear I got the worst of the both of ya!" I exclaimed.

"It will be 12 pm if I bring them," dad said. "Your brother likes to get to the game early."

" Charlie will bring them about 4 pm when he takes Horsefly to the movies," my father then said.

"We better go with Charlie, shouldn't we?"

"That would be best," he said. "I don't want to get you too off schedule."

"You are just like your mother sometimes," dad told me laughing some more.

"The devil was always in the details for us," I replied with a harrumph.

Paramore No More?

Did they jump the shark?

I just download the newest Paramore album excited to hear their signature hard rock/punk sound. Hayley can really belt out the tunes.

Guess what? They completely changed their sound. They sound like an eighties band now. I had to make sure I downloaded the right album several times.

Pulling a Martha...

I was just looking at this photo of Maggie and realized how much gray hair she has on her face now. She's getting to be an old gal these days.

****************

Dad called me a moment ago to see how I was doing. He was very jovial and we were both in good spirits joking and laughing with much banter back and forth.

"I am going to do you a favor tonight," he said. "I will be over there no later than 7:30 pm with your medications."

"I am up to taking them now if you want to," I told my father jokingly full of wishful thinking.

"No, we need to get back on schedule," he replied with a tone of seriousness in his voice.

Well, this thrilled me absolutely to death. I usually would have to wait until 9 pm or 9:30 pm on a day he doesn't work. He'll get on that cell phone and talk for hours.

"You pulled a Martha on me last night," dad said joking and laughing. "No sooner than I had stepped out of my car, you told me about Maggie's ingrown dew claw and how much pain she was in. Your mother would meet me at the garage door with similar issues."

I laughed and laughed as dad laughed as well.

"I know I did," I said with a chuckle. "I couldn't help it! Maggie is just miserable and I am so worried about her. That's got to be terribly painful."

"We'll take her out to the vet in the morning," my father told me. "You can hold her and I can drive."

Respite Comes in a Black Honda, Too...

I was so glad to see Papa tonight. He pulled up and I quickly ran some trash out into the trashcan. We walked inside and I gave him a big old hug -- the likes he probably hasn't had in awhile.

"You're feeling your oats," he said to me chuckling.

"You should have seen me at seven," I replied excitedly. "My computer clock showed seven and Mags and I knew the cavalry was on its way!"

"You're just ready for some medications," dad said jokingly.

I told him all about my busy day. The trains. Getting a snack at the convenience store. Almost taking Maggie to the vet. My adventures in computer hardware. Charlie stepping in dogshit.

"How much has the phone rang today?" dad then asked.

"It rang about four times when I was at home," I told him.

"Well, that's an improvement over twenty times a day," he said. "That lady was crazy!"

"Oh, you got another package from UPS," dad said. "It is some audio cables for your stereo. I set them on the piano."

My father was ready to go so we walked into the laundry room and fed and watered Maggie. She looked on with much approval before getting a bug up her butt and flying out the dog door barking up a storm. We must protect our family, the humans.

The Man with the Plan...

"I took a different route home this evening down hwy. 280 and up the interstate. I thought I would stop and get your favorite chicken sandwiches," Charlie told me walking across my yard. "You get Chick-fil-A tonight."

I thanked Charlie profusely and welcomed him inside for a moment. Maggie was putting up a fuss to see him.

Charlie then started looking for a stick and something to scrape his shoe with.

"What are you doing?" I asked Charlie as he sat down on my front steps.

"I just stepped in some goddamned dogshit in your yard!" Charlie exclaimed huffily. "Well, I'll be damned!"

It took all I could muster not to burst out laughing. It was the way Charlie said it. Charlie and my father have been known to have potty mouths.

"Well, it couldn't be Maggie as she only shits in the backyard," I replied not helping much.

Charlie took off his shoe and got to rubbing it in the grass until he was satisfied his loafer was clean.

"Bless your dear heart, Charlie," I said with a chuckle as he came inside to see Maggie.

Charlie's duties never end. Janice will have given Horsefly a bath this evening and they will soon be on their way to the bowling alley. They also have a stop at KFC for Horsefly's nightly chicken strips.

Lots to See Down At the Tracks Today...

I parked at the bank and walked over to the tracks as a train roared through downtown. Perfect timing. It had the traffic backed up quite a ways and I am sure a few people were cursing under their breath to be caught by this train. I always love it when that happens. Front row seat to a freight.

I was interested in the loading operation down by where the old cotton mill stood. They were loading gondolas with debris from the demolition. The build date on the gondolas was in the 1970's and they were quite beaten up looking like relics from another time with years of graffiti adorning their sides.

I noticed way down the tracks that the block signal had slowly turned from green, to yellow, and to red. Another train was on the way. I gave the tracks a wide berth as the engineer waved at me from the cab of the lead locomotive. I waved back vigorously. The second train was full of empty automotive carriers no doubt headed to the massive Kia automotive plant on the outskirts of town.

I was getting hungry so I walked across the highway to the new and nice independently owned convenience store downtown. I walked out with milk and several packages of cheese on wheat crackers. The Papas will ask me about this debit charge in the next day or so when he surveys his financial empire on his computer.

And There Was Storage On Andrew's Computer...

Like a kid at Christmas, I woke up early this morning before dawn and immediately rushed to my computer to gloat over my new hard drive and solid-state drive. I haven't had this much fun in a long time. Yeah, I need a life, but computers and computer parts are the most fun my life offers at the moment and always have. I have been just thrilled to death. 

The installation went without a hitch. I carefully installed the drives with my anti-static wrist strap attached, connected the data and power cables, and then turned on the computer with apprehension and crossed fingers. Everything booted up fine with a hearty sigh from me. Yes, I had to initialize and format the drives in disk management for them to be available for use. That was the first step I took when I didn't see them in the drive panel shown below. I then screwed the case cover back on and deemed this computer to be fit for use. 

Folks, We've Got Your Crazy All Here...

My great aunt still had one of these rotary phones.

Well, Tuleana called the pharmacy three times yesterday finally getting my father on the third call.

"Knock that shit off!" he told her bluntly. "You are harassing Andrew and I, and I want it to stop now!"

"She said she was only worried about you," dad told me. "She's only worried about having a free ride on the 1st when the government checks get deposited."

Dad's not one to mince words. The calls have dropped off to almost nothing, though. A call an hour at most. All that got my nerves bad and dad could tell it last night when he arrived with my medications. My hands were shaking and I couldn't make eye contact. There was a shakiness in my voice.

"Remember when I told you I had one of my best days mentally in a long time last Wednesday?" I asked him. "Well, today was one of the worse days in a long time."

"You can't take all the crazy shit going on," my father told me. "I think you've had enough crazy to last a lifetime."

I was so glad and appreciative to get my medications last night. Within an hour, I was feeling much, much better. I also had my diet Cokes last night and I could smoke with wanton abandon. I was in the bed by midnight and slept until noon today.

Christmas at Andrew's...

Dad gives me $250 dollars every year and I am throwing in my own $100 as well. I know it seems like a bit much, but I am ordering two of the mouse and keyboard. I don't want any more wireless keyboards and mice -- tired of charging batteries all the time. 

Bless My Lucky Charms!

My package of computer parts is in transit for delivery! I am so excited I about can't stand it! I just quickly called my father at work and told him to check the side door and front door to his house when he gets home tonight. He laughed at my exuberance. It will be a surprisingly small but very heavy package. The hard drive weighs about 3 pounds.

It should be a simple, pain-free install. The Samsung solid state drive is 2.5 inches in size. I have to install it with a 3.5-inch bracket I already have on hand. The 3.5 inch Seagate hard drive will fit right in the hard drive cage in my case. I have to screw them in and then attach the power cables and then the SATA III data cables and I am ready to go. I might have to format them in disk management, but hopefully not.

My Western Digital Velociraptor 600 Gigabyte drive is slam full of games, movies, and music and they will be moved over to my new overly spacious 4 Terabyte drive.

Jermaine Reemerges From Hiding...

"Don't look now," my father said with an air of caution. "But here comes Jermaine through the front door."

Jermaine shook my father's hand and then shook my hand telling us how much he had missed us. Jermaine is lumberingly tall and towered over my father and I. We were on our way out of Kroger.

"I started coming at midnight to avoid the crowds," Jermaine told my father as he took his seat on his Hov-a-round.

It was time for shopping Jermaine style.

Dad and I quickly bid Jermaine well and hurriedly headed to our cars. Our reunion was short and sweet.

"I can't believe you got that much groceries for $77 dollars," my father told me astonished as he helped me load up my groceries into the back of my Honda. "You must've gotten 10 Marie Callendar's meals."

"I didn't have to buy my $10 dollars worth of cereal this week," I replied to my father. "I still have last week's cereal to eat."

Dad also noted that I got the biggest bunch of green bananas that has probably ever graced Kroger's produce department.

"I got the value pack," I laughingly told my father. "I am helplessly addicted to bananas at the moment."

Can We Have a Little Decorum Around Here?

Come One Come All

Early this morning, I was sitting at my kitchen table eating bacon and yeast biscuits going about my peaceful and calm life when the phone rang. I walked into the computer room to answer it. It was Tuleana. I noted to myself that it was pretty early to be calling someone.

"Richard wants to know if you will take him to the pawn shop this morning. We are out of money," she told me. "We need to go to Walmart to get something to eat."

He bought Grand Theft Auto V for his PlayStation 3 the other day for $50 bucks and would probably get $10 bucks at the pawn shop for it. I don't know about you, but pawn shops conjure up images of theft and drug addicts to me. They prey on cash-strapped desperate people.

"Richard needs to quit buying expensive video games and Blu-Ray movies with your disability money," I told her very bluntly.

Everybody, meaning all my friends and family, had warned me of them, but I wouldn't listen. I learn my lessons the hard way in the school of hard knocks. I was just so desperate to have some interesting and neat friends.

Well, I told Tuleana I couldn't do that and hung up the phone. I then unplugged the phone from the wall when she kept calling back trying to reach me countless times. I was not putting up with all that crazy shit today. I had enough.

It gets crazier. Tuleana then called the pharmacy wanting my father's phone number saying she couldn't reach me. That was the coup d'etat of this friendship.

The Papas is Home...

On a whim, I drove over to my parent's house and rung the back doorbell late this afternoon. I didn't have any real hopes of my father really being home yet. Imagine my surprise when dad opened the back door and beckoned for me to come inside. We gave each other a big hug and were both so glad to see each other.

"I wish you could have gone," my father told me.

"My medication rituals would have been a logistical nightmare, though, on such a trip," I replied.

Dad regaled me in the ins and outs of their trip. Auburn won big (51 to 14) and that was a very appreciated bonus. Jovial spirits abounded as they all went to a local bar to celebrate. Dad said he didn't get in the bed until after two and their flight left at six in the morning.

"I closed my eyes and then it was time to get up again," he said.

Dad said he was fixing to touch base with Charlie and Sunday night fried chicken is going as planned. I saw Charlie parked at his house by dad's house with the garage door up. He must've been surveying his "loot" and other housely treasures lying within.