Falling into the latter category is this story I read in Coffee News, the nice freebie newsheet distributed in some restaurants (I was in a coffee store this afternoon, where I picked it up):

Can you imagine?  Being so well off you own four cars, but trying to horn in on your maid's lottery win?  Talk about greedy! 

You don't think Rowling would actually kill off Harry Potter, do you?

That'd be really tacky.  For Pete's sake, heaps of children read the series, and the first, inviolate rule is the Hero always, always, always survives.  Yes, I know in real life Bad Things Happen and Good Guys Croak, but that's what is supposed to be one of the positive elements of fiction....the Good Guys don't croak.

Wouldn't it be frightful if she did that, and other authors picked up on it? 

Will Kinsey Milhone escape this time, too, or will her luck have run out?  Nancy Drew might become Nancy Who.  The Bobbsey Twins bite the dust.

Look, Rowling wants to kill off Snape, be my guest.  Draco?  I'd cheer wildly.  Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Neville should be hale and hearty when the last page is finished, though.

Had a lovely, long phone conversation with Charles this afternoon.    Upwards of an hour, it was! 

He sounds good.  Took another marksman test and this time scored
"Expert", coming in one point behind the top ranked shooter, and six
points off "perfect."  Not bad for a kid who'd never fired
anything other than pellet guns until he joined the Navy, huh? 
Oh, and the top ranked guy?

From Dallas.  Argh!  Charles said he led most of the time
until he began to really concentrate and aim.  Apparently he's
more of an instinctive shooter, for when he tries hard he messes up.

When asked about his classes, he said he's doing well (got a 90 on his
first test) and is getting into the classified stuff.  Once on his
boat he (and presumably at least a few others) will be in charge not
only of the "weapon systems" on the sub, but all the
guns.  In fact, when the sub surfaces and sails into port, Charles
will be on the top with an M-16, alert for anyone posing a threat.

A tall, thin, redheaded, freckled, Steely-eyed Killer From the Deep, that's him. 

Still hasn't been able to drive his nifty new Corvette, as he's not
been able to get it registered yet.  One of his superiors has told
him he may have off Wednesday afternoon to get that done, on one
condition....

The superior officer wants a chance to drive it. 

Apparently that shiny red Corvette is driving all those sailors
demented, as so far it just SITS there.  Against nature, that's
what it is.  Something tells me as soon as he gets it registered
so he can legally drive it, he's going to enjoy an upsurge in
popularity.  "Hey, Ivy!  How ya doin'?"

BTW, Charles says he should be home August 18th or 19th, so he'll be able to see Alex before the latter leaves for Japan!    
Maybe we'll even have them all here at the same time, with Alex, Beth
and Hannah in Dmitry's room, and Charles and Dmitry in the middle
bedroom.  The new sanctuary at Christ Chapel opens that Sunday,
the 20th, and won't it be delightful to have them present?  Alex
is planning upon playing in the orchestra, which will be great. 
If one tuba's good, believe me, two tubas are better. 

Oh, and here's a neat thing about being in the military!  While
he's at sea, Charles will be able to pay only for comprehensive on his
car, since it'll be parked and not being driven.  I questioned
this, but was assured it's done for the military, along with his cell
phone.  When he's at sea he needn't pay for it but his number's
kept, and when he lands again he just calls up and has it restarted.

He should be getting his orders shortly, and is confident he'll receive
his request, which is to stay right there in Groton.  Between
ready access to New York City, Boston, etc. and visiting Canada,
Iceland, Europe and north African ports when at sea, he chose to stand
pat.  No one else did, though, so he's sure he'll get his wish.

Just a couple of Monday morning nothings....

First, one would suppose somebody at the local Girl Scouts council would think "Y'know, an address for the Morrison Lodge (site of the day camp) is likely a good idea, and maybe a really good map."

Regrettably, one would suppose wrong.  Kirstin called me this morning, frustrated in her attempt to follow the inadequate map provided, and wondering if I could get on the net to find better directions.

Um, that would be no.  Oh, I got on the internet, but was unable to even locate an address, much less a map.  Scoured the Circle T council website and found lots of info with the glaring exception of WHERE the place IS.  Finally called the council office and had the nice young lady there call Kirstin's cell to tell her how to get to the day camp from wherever she was.

Second, the city blacktopped the street that runs along the house last Friday and it caused me to realize something I'd overlooked.....wow, but they've improved the method of doing so!  Thinking about it, I can't recall the last time I suffered the pain of driving on a newly-blacktopped street while listening to the constant "ping! ping! ping!" of bits of asphalt and tar hitting the car.  In just a couple of hours the street was dry, smooth and driveable.  Much better than the old days. 

Why call it the "History" channel, then?  Doesn't "history" imply a scrutinizing of verifiable facts in an effort to determine what happened in the past?

Yet the History Channel is advertising a program based on a "pyschic" historian, for crying out loud! 

What an unsuitable show for them to air.  

You know what love is?  Love is sitting in front of the computer watching a slideshow of literally hundreds of vacation bible school slides in hopes of catching a glimpse of one's granddaughter.

The granddaughter who just spent a few days here, that is. 

Okay, maybe it's not logical, but it's what I just did.  Mercy Maud, but the photographer took heaps of photos, but precious few included Brianna.  Alright, about 600 kids were there, along with who-knows-how-many volunteers, still.... 

Did manage to snag a couple of sightings; here she's in the back, partially obscured by the boy in the teal shirt:

This was taken yesterday, and all one can see is the back of her head, specifically her braid:

That's her teacher, BTW.  In this photo below, I'm pretty sure she's one the far, far right, up front:

This one is just for those on-line friends of mine who might be curious to see another photo of Christ Chapel (mind, in two months this sanctuary goes away and the brand-new one opens):

Brianna had a terrific time, and is already talking about next year.  

[sadly]  Well, our Brianna's gone for three weeks, until she comes back along with Bethie, as they attend the Christ Chapel MusiCamp.  While she was here we surely had fun, though! 

This morning was the last morning of VBS, which she loved, and in the early afternoon we went to play with Meredith.  Bless their hearts, they had such a super time together!  Darling Meredith gives a marvelous farewell, running along the car as it leaves and waving frantically. 

Later this afternoon I handed her over to her other grandmother at Brianna's basketball class.  Naturally I took a few photos:

With her long legs, energy, and ability to make baskets, Brianna's a natural basketball player. 

By jingo, one has to admire bone-deep conviction like this:  Saddam ends hunger strike after missing one meal

The former Iraqi leader had refused lunch on Thursday in
protest at the killing of one of his lawyers by gunmen, but the
spokesman said he ate his evening meal.

He's a real inspiration, isn't he? 

Jessica stopped by for a few minutes this afternoon (driving all the way over here, before having to head right back up to Fossil Creek to the Chili's at which she works) to see Brianna.  

Turns out a couple of days ago she was given a card from a man who gets birds out of chimneys!  Is going to call me with the info.

And she was very pleased to be able to give me one of her brand, spanking new business cards!  You know you've arrived when you've got company-issued business cards. 

Brianna's a child of high energy ( ) so I took her to the rollerskating rink where, with my inimitable timing, we arrived 20 minutes before it closed.  On the plus side, the owner kindly let Brianna skate for free.  While there I snagged a few photos:

This one might need a little 'splaining.  You are doubtless familiar with the games played at these rinks?  Well, there was one called...no kidding....Dead Bug:

When "Dead bug!" is called, the skaters drop to the floor onto their backs, wave their arms and legs in the air and shriek.

Brianna adored it.  A little after 5 p.m. Don surprised us by arriving home!  Normally he wouldn't arrive for another couple of hours.

The reason?  He thought he'd take Brianna to the park.  What a super husband and granddaddy, huh? 

How does one get a bird (or birds....hard to tell) out of the
chimney?  All of a sudden, about 6:30 a.m., loud bird noises began
to be heard from there.  Most startling it was.

And it's also aggravating as all git out.