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When I lived in Arizona, the skies always had little fluffy clouds in them.
Ok, to tell the truth and save a lie, I've never lived in Arizona, nor have I ever channelled the voice of Rikki Lee Jones.
But I have lived in Birmingham.
Isn't that a weird thing to say? It is for me. It hit me as I was driving back into town Tuesday that this city has become one of my homes, an official Place Trey Has Lived. It's also the only place I've ever lived that my parents have not.
This whole mess is drawing towards an end. Can you give me a hallelujah, people? I knew you could!
I'm doing very well, in good health with a few extra pounds tacked on for extra stability in high winds. Instead of my body piercings, I have a long plastic tube hanging from my jugular. I get shaky if I don't eat enough, but the days when I'm so exhausted I can't think are becoming fewer and farther between. I don't eat anywhere near as many sleeping pills, anti-nauseal drugs or doses of Marinol.
The News:
Unfortunately, we start today's news with an obituary. Athena tangled with a couple of neighborhood dogs and the sons-of-bitches killed her. Our neighbor, Mrs. Fields, found Athena and brought her in to the animal hospital down on Dauphin Island Parkway. Athena was unresponsive when they started working on her, and although the vets tried all sorts of drugs and even CPR, she didn't make it. I found out about this in the early afternoon while everyone else was at work, and I went over to the hospital to find out if it was Athena or Ella that had been hurt - the note Mrs. Fields left only said "female Siamese cat/kitten." I saw Athena and petted her goodbye, and went to Savage Photo to tell Amy. On the way over, I went hunting for two brown dogs near South and Dauphin Street, listening to Limp Bizkit and not sure just what I would do if I found them. Bastards. I still don't know what I will do if and when I see them. But there is a Walther PPK full of hollow-point shells in my drawer, and that's at least one answer. Maybe not the best, but certainly the most satisfying. I know it's just dogs and cats doing what they do, but it was two on one... and if the powers that be let some bigger creature kill one of our family... well, I'm just a bigger creature to the dogs, aren't I? Here boy... c'mere puppy... got a nice high-grain bone for ya - I ought to put a cap in your ass, you stinking, miserable, worthless, asshole-sniffing, slobbering mongrel excuse for a mammal. I hope you step in a rusty bear trap and it snaps your leg like a twig. Eat shit and die.
Sigh. Not that getting angry is really gonna help anything. Dammit, Athena may have been a loud-mouth whiny kitty, but she was family. I was just getting to like her! I'm going to miss her, whiny or not.
I'm sorry, Athena. Goodbye. I hope you're having fun playing somewhere, with some pet humans all to yourself. Take care, little one.
Other than that, my trip to Mobile was pretty cool. Played some poker at Amy's house, got to hang around with Valerie and Shelley (props out to the blondes! Val and Shelley in da house... give it up, ya'll) saw Kevin and Tre from Orko. They're playing Bayfest again this year, can you gimme an Amen!? I went to a great cookout at Rob's grandaddy's house over in Fairhope. That was great fun, lots of aunts and cousins to sing silly songs with, and a little Anne-Marie to talk to. She is something else, y'all, twelve years old, cute as anything and SMART. Rob's kid sister, in case you're wondering, and yes, he's old enough to be her pappy. Somehow she got his brains and passed by on his looks. Lucky her. It was a good night, lots of laughs and hugs and good people.
I had my first beer in three months!! Wa-hoo! And yes indeedy, it did taste fine!
I'm feeling pretty excited, y'all. I picked up my old Nikon F and shot a couple of rolls of REAL HONEST TO GOD FILM. Don't get me wrong, I love digital... but no digital camera really compares to silver halide, ya know? It feels GOOD when that shutter goes click! So I've gotta get me some darkroom time when I get back in town, or (gasp!) set up my darkroom stuff at the house. Meanwhile, I at least got a contact sheet printed up. Not anywhere near the quality of what I'll see when I print 'em myself, but it's a taste at least:
Miles! You cool devil, you.
A romantic morning shot of His Robness, The Lock Robster.
Roy got new teeth! You go boy.
Guess that's pretty much it for today. As I sign off, the sounds of Rush kickin through the speakers (although The Orb was playing while I wrote most of this) I can't help but think of... uh... um...
hehehehe