Son of a Gun We'll Have Big Fun in the Air Conditioning (HOL 41)

House of Laughter 41

I am tired. We have had something going on almost every night for the last two weeks. When I haven’t been busy, I’ve had a lot on my mind. Today was Andrew Russoli’s 22^nd birthday. It was the night before his 21^st birthday that we went out to dinner with a group of friends, and sat around afterwards laughing and telling stories. It doesn’t seem that long ago.

I got a call yesterday from my father. My grandmother was admitted to the hospital along with almost a dozen other residents of her retirement home. The health department is investigating. (Post Script: my father now has the virus as well. It is suspected to be the Norwalk virus, you know the one that caused the outbreak on a cruise ship a year or two ago.)

I need some good rest.

On Saturday, Isaac, Nancy, and I had a grand night out. We went to an outdoor festival called Bayou Bash in the Bog. I generally like outdoor festivals, but when it is 98 degrees outside, you don’t want to be in a bog. They are really hot and moist. We watched a zydeco band for a couple of songs, and they were great, but it was stifling. We found a “Children’s Singalong” in a relatively shadier part of the garden. We found seats and were treated to the worst rendition of Day-O ever performed by a woman wearing cat ears and whiskers drawn on her face. The best part is, she only “sort of” knew the song to begin with. At one point she sang “Seven foot, Eight foot, Nine Hand bunch. Daytime come and me want go home.” When she was done butchering Day-O, she moved on to an original ditty about an eagle soaring over freedom’s plains or some such nonsense. Mercifully, she forgot the words mid verse, and just trailed off, while the guitarist behind her noodled around for another few minutes.

That was enough for me. As we left her stage, I noticed a small box she had set up to get more information about animal spirits and Totemism. It made me think of that creepy C.S.I. with the plushies. I had had enough entertainment. We were with another family and at that point the moms and babies went and saw a Native American storyteller. The two dads went and drank fruit slushees, and talked about how good a couple of shots of rum would mix with them.

Later that night, we went to a Grasshoppers game with some folks from work. Isaac was a good sport through all of it.

Isaac is now walking if you hold him up. He has two other new tricks as well. With his two new top teeth now showing, he has taken to grinding his teeth. This drives his mother crazy, which is ironic because for several years, she would grind her teeth at night. His other new trick has only been seen by me. When I have him sitting on my lap in the recliner, and give him a bottle, he takes a long swig of it, and then puts the bottle in my mouth. I can try to resist, but until I act like I am drinking, he keeps trying to give me a sip.

Isaac’s birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. Gammy and G-Daddy sent him a pirate ship themed playhouse, which is roughly the size of a small condo. He loves his ship “The H.M.S. Cranky”. He also got a rocking horse, which he enjoys playing with, but still needs to find another dismount other than “Face first”.

Well, I’m going to go watch “The Office” and call it an early night. Peace.

Strength and Honor.

Matt