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Taking a vacation this week.

The kind I usually take.

I stay up way late in the wee hours flirting with 4 am, sleep until early afternoon.

Read comics, watch movies, read the daily sermon from Spurgeon, annoy the wife and dream about Logos. Blow dust off the Bible--really could do better at that. Spurgeon, Matthew Henry and whatall should NEVER be a substitute for the real deal.

Glare at the dishes. Think about leaf bags. Threaten the lawnmower of doom with raising its blades. Makes it tougher to get me that way.

I have 25 days a year vacation from AAA but never the money to go anywhere. I declared war on my credit cards by cutting them up. The plan is to have enough credit available for a rental car when a new one shows up in a year or so. The long suffering one has finally maxed hers and locked them up.

Providing I'm still gainfully employed at AAA. The rumor mill is slowly turning but still no news about buyout/sellout depending who you think knows anything. The annual AAA President's meeting should be very entertaining this year. Still waitng for the panic to set in. At my age I look like a demented hunchback in the fetal position trying to avoid job hunting. Still think August will be the primary time.

The weather is finally getting better.

Oh I almost forgot. I have noticed a pattern to my week off outings to nowhere. It seems to occur (and this is by no means planned of even desired) when one of the cars have to go to the shop.

Again. Ruth's Neon. Again.

So one car family for a bit. Ruth will use my boat (86 Mercury Grand Marquis) to get to school and work with ) Southwestern College of Business) and Meijers--two steps above K-Mart--on a Wal-mart level but competition is strange rather then smart. Meijers wishes it was a class act job but they are really middle class for main patronage.

Have another Talbot Mundy Jimgrim book on order from Wildside Press who is slowly reprinting the 15 novellettes/books that contain Grim's character. Mundy has a slew of characters wandering in and out of each other's adventures but I'm concentrating on the Jimgrim portions. Mundy writes better then beloved Haggard but I LIKE Haggard better. A little easier on the brain cells. Sometimes Mundy is too clever for his own good with his methods of divide and conquer thru diplomacy or trickery (action is generally the last resort) whereas Haggard is full blown war after a bit of preliminary activity.

Getting set to call my mother. I need a new battery for the cell phone. Otherwise I have to charge it every two days. Relax Logos it will still record your call-in as 'Missed'. Started to call her today and got two rings out before phone shut off. With the issues involved in talking to her I took the coward's part and am taking my time geting back to her. Almost done being angry at her. She is what she is and if I keep up I WILL turn into her and I fear that more then a lighted match next to an Avengers #1.

Speaking of Avengers--117 out of 503 issues rebought now. Of course if I had been in my right head I would have kept them in 2005 and not have to do the hunt but I have long suspected the hunt is more fun then the finishing of a set. As stated this will be the 5th and last time I work this particular title.

Filed some magazines/books yesterday that had been piling up more then they should. Took about an hour to find which box had what in them. I'm finding books I totally forgot I owned.

Ruth and I have been discussing what friendship means these days. I pointed out to her that my three best male friends have always been a blessing to her whereas the same could not be truthfully said in return. Ruth wanted to know what I thought friendship really was.

This was about 1:30 am.

I reach for the phone (which was charged at the time) and called Jerry in Oregon (10:30 pm his time the night before) to say Hi and ask for $300.

That's friendship. No muss, no fuss,

and

no money.

His voice mail was on.

But it would have worked as a great object lesson. He would not have minded or been put out by the request. Just wouldn't have given to me. But his refusal would have been most gracious and non-condemming.

In the interests of truthfulness he would have tried if not succeeded and not asked questions.

What I'm trying to tell Ruth is that Steve, Jerry, Bob and I are comfortable with each other. There is give and take in the relationships and advice proffered, given, taken, ignored or laughed at. There is no constant doubt or attempts to guilt trip the alliance or one up the other. Their triumphs are rejoiced in with very little jealousy and their failings are felt as our own. We do not posture to each other. I find Ruth's friends way too insecure and they feed off each other--usually to my discomfort. Ruth said the other night I wasn't half as self-centered and selfish as Amy's husband.

I basked in the glow of that high form of praise. To walk in the shadow of Amy's damaged goods. At least his sins are more sincere. I hide behind a veneer of guilt and I'm shallow and not strong enough. Self-delusion thy bride is procrastination that begets beggary. Sigh.

This was an even better compliment then the week before when the soon to be really suffering one said I was finally looking my age (56).

Anyhow Ruth liked my confortable aspects of friendship and I'm seeing some subtle changes in her already in conversing with that Indiana tower of power.

Also thinking of going back to church again. Sort of missing it and I suspect some prayer is at work here. I have fellowship/social issues of an immature sort. I like to feel I'm making a difference there other then pew polishing but it is hard to break thru the cliques.

All for now--a blog mainly to stir the brain cells a bit and put the dishes off a bit longer.

Farewell for now.