Back in DA HOOD...

It's good to be back to the old neighborhood, albeit weird to be in a different house on our same lot. At first the house felt like a hotel: all new stuff and none of it familiar. But now, it is truly feeling like home, and my agoraphobia is coming back. I don't wanna leave my house, you gotta take me kicking and screaming away from it now that I finally have it.

I've observed some wonderful small town characters from my front porch since I've been here, also. There are colorful folks in this town: from Judy, the town drunk who drives around on her John Deere Gator, to The Walking Man, who had a breakdown on Wall Street, or so the rumour goes. He walks around town all day every day. He used to never wave much, but now he follows local custom and waves at us. Maybe it's cuz we are now famous because of our fire.

I can't forget Crazy Alberta, the woman who terrorizes the kids from her car -- and who drives like a bat out of hell around town -- she drives past our house at least 5 times a day, if not more. I see her during every other cigarette.

And finally, there's the Man with No Sleeves: the stocky biker dood who rents the crappy house across the street and moves his 3 trucks around his yard to follow the shade...well, one truck doesn't move as it has a nice bed of weeds growing underneath the rusted frame.

Damn it's good to be back. Maybe soon, we can add one eccentric, PUBLISHED author to the local character list. We almost have the money saved to get my innermost thoughts published, and see if the world gives a shit.