I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
Edgar Allen Poe

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
- H. L. Mencken

Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
-Bertrand Russell

What I have been telling you, from alpha to omega, what is the one great thing the sigil taught me — that everything in life is miraculous. For the sigil taught me that it rests within the power of each of us to awaken at will from a dragging nightmare of life made up of unimportant tasks and tedious useless little habits, to see life as it really is, and to rejoice in its exquisite wonderfulness. If the sigil were proved to be the top of a tomato-can, it would not alter that big fact, nor my fixed faith. No Harrowby, the common names we call things by do not matter — except to show how very dull we are ...
-James Branch Cabell

December 03, 2006 - 11:23 a.m.

Three Score and Zero Years Ago

I've wasted enough time this morning it is time for me to update.

Yesterday was my sister Alison's sixtieth birthday. Isn't that amazing considering that I'm only five? The party was her friends Sylvia and Louis's house. I go to their house almost every Passover for the seder. Louis was her High School boyfriend and Sylvia her college roommate. They are also two of my favorite people. I always enjoy visiting them.

The party wasn't a surprise but who was going to be there was. Alison was expecting something small with local people. The two big surprises were her son, my nephew, Max, and our cousin Ayn from Colorodo. When they were growing up Ayn's yard connected directly with ours so they pretty much grew up together, almost like sisters.

Before I left i had to get my car started. The battery has been dead the last few days. The dome light was on all day on Tuesday. The ride home was not long enough to fully charge it so I needed another boost. I pulled my mother's car around next to it. To make the jumper cables meet it meant having my mother's car face the wrong way on the street; a maneuver I'm never really comfortable with. Actually starting it was no problem and I drove right up to the party. It was in Norwalk Connecticut, more than far enough to ensure the battery would charge.

I got there a bit later than I intended but Alison is always late so I still beat her there.

Alison almost had a heart attach when she saw who was there. She was so incredibly happy. The party was great. After the hors d'oeuvres we went out for a walk in the neighborhood because, as Louis said, "Alison loves nature." We ended up by the stream where everybody gathered for a champagne toast. Then we went back into the nice warm house for dinner.

After diner Ayn gave a powerpoint show about my sister. Much of it was lifted directly from the powerpoint show my sister gave for Ayn's sixtieth birthday. The old pictures were really fun and I loved the narration.

Louis's speech was more in the nature of a roast. The part I could relate to was when he said he calculated he spent 341 hours 10 minutes 3 seconds waiting for Alison over the last 45 years.

I actually remembered to bring my camera. I made a slideshow of party highlights.

There are four candles on the cake because Alison is three score years old and one for good luck.

It was great to be able to see Max again and under better circumstances this time. I found out that he loves Irish Rock Music. We planned on going to the Irish Rock and Roll Revue together some time. He doesn't know Black 47, I have to take him to see them too.

I just had so much fun. I loved seeing my relatives and Alison's friends. They really fit in well with mine. There were lots of people who love folk music and lots of college professors. Her friend Sharon is even a math/computer prof and a huge Richard Thompson fan. I got to talk shop and music, what more can I ask for?

The culinary highlight for me was the pigs in the blanket. How come nonstandard sized hot dogs taste better? I love the foot longs and the cocktail franks. Sylvia gave me the leftover, that's my dinner tonight.

OK, I better get moving. I am seeing Anais Mitchell and Antje Duvekot today at 2 PM out in Stony Brook.


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please hold me accountable.





Memories: Not that Horrid Song - May 29, 2018
Wise Madness is Now In Session - May 28, 2018
The NFL and the First Amendment - May 27, 2018
On The Road Again - May 26, 2018
Oliver the Three-Eyed Crow - May 25, 2018



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Horvendile December 03, 2006
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