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Good news first. Called my beloved Brandy and we reconciled. Her phone hasn't been working right. Relationship restored though I never doubted it just had my usual panic attack for a minute or two. I do have two or three relationships that have stood the test of annoying presumption but it's not wise to press the issue. Now if only Kathycf and the Countess would return and my litnet life would be restored. Come to think of it Kiz Paws dropped a hint of less computer time in the near future. Sigh. At least Meg is still hanging in. Guys--B-Mental and GrayFox come and go and Virgil is always welcome and there is a fondness for Pendragon and the forbidden love of Logos so it goes.

Other then family the Mtpspur family has never played host to a visitor for an extended stay. Donnie C. doesn't count. When Jim stomped off New Year's Eve 1998 I took in HIS buddy for a couple months who needed shelter but after awhile he took off because he couldn't stand the two or three rules he had going for him. No alcohol and girl friend Mandy couldn't spend the night. Just as well he fathered a child on some other poor sorry soul and poor Mandy was rescued from what would have been a horrendous marriage. (Plus Jim had a crush on her which I partially encouraged until Gina came along.) I do recall that for awhile Jim was furious that I was letting Donnie stay (and for a short time the young man appreciated the help--it is different when it's not your kid--standards are 'slightly' lowered. On the other hand I still can't find my Catwoman figurine that matched up to a Batman figurine to form an interlocking collage that Ruth had got me for Christmas one year and was on the book case (her grey costume--steel alloy) and both Donnie and Jim accused the other of making off with it. Sigh. The petty theft could be worse I guess.

A-n-y-h-o-o Ruth met Patty on a Paula White prayer website and have been e-mailing and phone calling for about two years now. There is a slight bit of jealousy here because my three attempts at Litnet phone calls have crashed and burned each time with zero results that I have taken that as a sign that that sort of geting to know you is best left for the MySpace crowd and I don't need friends THAT bad--or so I tell myself.

Patty is from San Antonio Texas which will forever dredge up Air Force Basic Training memories from 1969 and a dislike for that interesting city home to the Alamo. We were only let loose in uniform and all the shopkeepers were doing a pretty good imitation of a carnival sideshow barker wanting to relieve us of our sorely earned money.

Patty is 33 years old, and has never left the city. She is even more insecure and sensitive about her appearance then the long suffering spouse. This trip to visit her 'sister' Ruthie was a major undertaking for her. I salute her courage in taking the step. She has a great affection for the Mrs. and it showed the entire hour and a half that I was in her presence this past eight days. Most of the hour and half was the first night when I fed my ladies at Hardees and said goodby to my candybar stash for the week. As readers of the previous blog may guess son Dan helped me thru this difficult period of privation. The ladies had snacks all week but I was determined not to touch them because I wasn't sure who bought what.

Patty has been married about five years but her husband has 'problems' with fidelity and pharmacy products. Patty isn't rolling in money though so I spent the week pondering why he hangs out security not being a strong point from what I gathered. She spent the week on the cell phone calling every day to see if he was home or not. Their rent money paid for the trip. I had cautioned Ruth prior to the visit about not being a party for making financial hardships for them but Patty explained that her taking the trip will force husband James to pay the rent himself for a change. I decided that night I knew all I wanted to about the marriage and kept my own counsel for a change.

Let's do this chronologically as my favored tale telling method when I'm not drama queening or foreshadowing.

Patty hits the Greyhound Wednesday Oct 3rd around 3:30 pm Texas time.

Thursday Oct 4th is AAA payday and I start working the bills and giving Ruth some play money. Some overtime/holiday pay enabled me to raid the Bookery for about $200 worth and not suffer any delinquent payments. Patty's bus is due 7:30 pm our time and I'm already wondering at the great love this woman has for my true blue to subject herself to this first time ever voyage. Always knew the wife was a treasure but never thought others knew it too all that much. I'm actually secretly proud she inspires such activity.

Now my place of employment offers personal days when needed and it was quite a haul from the Bookery. My seven days in a row shift started on Thursday and it was a shame all these mags could not be given the attention they deserved. Plus I began thinking about all the bus stations I'm hung around in my younger years and it occured to me that Ruth and the Dayton Greyhound Bus Station might not be the greatest match-up in the world. (NOTE: For sheer depravity the location of the Greyhound Bus Station in the Haymarket Square portion of San Francisco is the worst in the U.S.A.--within 50 feet of leaving the dubious safety of said station there is an incredible pornography area that I imagine has only gotten worse these 30 years later--mind you never saw New York City bus station but Sodom and Gormorrah were teetotalers in comparison. Tourist beware.)

So I ask and receive the night off, go home and read my mags until about 6:45 pm when Ruth and I playing the bodyguard venture forth to meet the devoted sister in the faith. I rarely drive in the 'real'downtown Dayton but finding the station is a snap but parking was a bear so I ended up in a parking garage and we wait.

My friend Steve (from Baltimore) calls while we wait and we chat a bit. I'm whining about the current World War Hulk storyline going one month too long and my enthusiasm was waning. I'm getting real good at spoting padded stories waiting for the trade paperback reprint page quota to be met.

Lo and behold the bus is on time. We cut the call short and my life will be on hold for the next eight days.

In memoriam for B-Mental: To be continued--soon.