Yesterday was our first day of meetings and they were… well, you know… meetings. It was fun to see everybody though. Plus, Michele brought me some Dunkin Donuts coffee. It’s so much smoother than Starbucks. And it keeps me awake. 
For lunch we went to co-workers Paul and Martha’s house. They grilled some brats and burgers and we ate them in their super-cool back yard. They have a woodland garden going, with a little deck area that we sat on. In the shade, it was quite cool yesterday. We finished the day as a Middle School group.
I’m a little anxious about the start of the year right now. I’m not quite ready yet. I think I’ll feel better once my room is in order. And I’ll really feel better once the kids come. Less than a week now!
So I was quite excited to get my new knives. The only problem was that it was a whole new set, and trying to get them to fit in the existing knife holder along with the things that were already there was just a losing proposition. But still, I was just trying to jam the things all together. This time of year I don’t have time or money to fool around with home stuff. I have too many school obligations.
I came home to find a new knife holder in the kitchen. Denis had gotten tired of trying to find the knife he wanted and then try to find space to put it away again. Lauren had made a suggestion for a new holder, and Denis took her advice. I think this knife holder is the perfect complement to my most exciting and awesome Sharper Image knives.
It’s bigger than it looks. I put a jug of milk next to it to show its size.
Yesterday a police sergeant stopped by while I was outside picking squash and cucumbers. He said the bank next door had been broken into on Saturday night and wondered if I knew anything. Saturday night… Saturday night… Oh, yeah. I was at the Marinos. He asked if I had seen anything around midnight. I was so stuffed with food and wine that I was sleeping very soundly at midnight. I told him I hadn’t seen anything, but if I remembered anything I would let him know. He gave me his card.
Then I started wondering: Could the Marinos be involved somehow? I’m sort of the last line of defense for the bank. I’m an eyewitness. If anyone wanted to be sure that they weren’t seen, they’d have to take care of me. What better way to put me out of commission than to put me in a food-induced coma for the night? And the wine was a nice touch. Deanne kept saying I should have “just a little more”. Now it’s starting to make sense. They could easily have changed into their dark-colored thief clothing and followed me home, watching my bedroom window until the light went out. That Daniel is kind of skinny… he could sqeeze through a tight space to unlock a door and let the others in. Could this be a group of robbing relatives? A household of heisters? A collection of criminals?
I won’t go to the sergeant yet. Not without solid proof. But I’m watching you, Marinos. I’m watching you.
Yesterday I made a quick trip to school. I wanted to move the bookcase from my old room into my new room in case the new occupant of my old room wanted to come in and work. She said she didn’t want this old bookcase, but I think after she sees the disgusting floor underneath it and the unpainted wall behind it, she might change her mind.
Anyway, since I was going to school, I decided to stop by the aquarium store and get some more White Cloud Mountain Minnows. They are the toughest fish you can buy. They don’t need a heater in the tank, and they can take all kinds of neglect. Four of my old fish survived the whole summer with no air conditioning, low water levels, and only a few feedings here and there (when angels of mercy would stop by my room).
I got fifteen more. The tank looks so much happier when it’s full of fish. Good luck, new fish! I hope you don’t die soon!
I went to Leonardo and Deanne’s house for dinner last night. It was great to spend some time catching up. They have an awesome deck that we had dinner on. They also have a shed in the back yard which has been turned into a playroom. Lauren would love it because she likes tiny houses. Their garage, on the other hand, is HUGE! It even has a work pit under one of the car slots!
For dinner, Deanne made Ajiaco. It’s Colombian chicken and potato soup. She was excited because you can’t make it unless you can acquire these little yellow potatoes called papas criollas, and they’re hard to find. The Ajiaco was excellent. So was the company. We each told our stories from college to the present. Of course, I didn’t tell any stories from my years as a wanted fugitive. That was all a big misunderstanding anyway.
Deanne gave me some Ajiaco to take home, but I’ll have to wait three days to eat again because I’m still full from last night.
