[Opening paragraph]

Whisper daggers in tune with footsteps of knight’s love. Whisper in time with the mermaid’s tears as her sailor leaves. But please don’t cry. The horseshoe tree loves you, and the leaves dance blissfully around you, only hoping to catch you mid-stride and move your feet in time with the soft pitter-patter of rain gently falling on the tin roof of the garden shed; the shed that keeps the tractor dry, and the fresh seedlings from drowning, and washing away; the shed that lurks dangerously close to the hidden bench in your favorite grove of lilacs and aspens that you so fondly named Quaking Aspen when you were 10. The old antique bench that you found in the forest when you were younger ,and very carefully, and with lots of time taken, dragged it out of the woods into the secret grove, which wasn’t so secret since mother always knew where to find us when it was time to weed the garden. The secret grove, Quaking Aspen, had been the spot. It was the place to go when you wanted to write.

So, my little brother got cooler in this past year lol. Just in general. He has become wittier and smarter, and easier to tolerate. I just received his birthday card. My birthday was July 30th, so it's kinda overdue, but that's okay... I still haven't sent him his presants and his birthday was...uhm...whatever day that was.... July 16th.

The card has a cute little brown bear on the front and says,


On your birthday, sis,
I'd just like to remind you,
no matter what,
you'll always have me.
And on the inside:

And if you can overcome that,
you can overcome anything.
Liz, I hope you have
a nice birthday.
Love, Joe

The card is VERY apropos. When we were growing up, he was the devil manifested. He was terrible. He would throw such terrible fits that my mother had to hold him down, literally wrap herself around him, until he calmed down and stopped hurting himself. He's gotten so much cooler. He's a good hockey player (I taught him well) and he's becoming more sarcastic, witty, and bitter. (ShiraWolf & I taught him well on that front)

I was standing in Subway with Mom this evening when she handed me the card. I look down to the card, fidgit it open, sliding my index finger under the flap, and I pull out the card. Flying out of the card, across the Subway dining room, is a quarter. It is a magical quarter you see. It's one of those new-fangled quarters that sprouts wings. He didn't say what the quarter is for, but I know it's in response to the Travis Tritt song, "Here's A Quarter, Call Someone Who Cares" I thought this was worthy of a cpmment, so, I emailed the little bastard:

Due to inflation rates, the price of a phone call has gone up. Instead
of needing a QUARTER to call someone who cares,
you need 2 QUARTERS if it is local,
and 4 QUARTERS if it's long distance.
You jipped me little dude.


Oh, and for the record, I tried to do the "currently playing" thing, but Xangazon is stupid, and isn't locating "Chocolat Soundtrack." Even though Amazon will.

In other news, the Sandia Motor Speedway auction (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15825&item=4320977266&rd=1) has gone up to $3,999,369.00. Impressive, no? It's been valued at over $4 mil, and, well, to be Captain Obvious, they're going to get it.

Ah...coffee....coffee goodness. Did you know if you do a Google for coffee it asks you if you meant to look up Starbucks? How creepy!!

Did you mean: starbucks, coffee and cigarettes, coffee caffeine, tea, or something else?


The Links Of The Night:
www.ihatestarbucks.com
http://www.coffeegeek.com/
http://www.ico.org/
http://www.pogo.com
http://www.tmcm.com/

Currently Reading: Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly