Day 1

Last day in C-town. I wish I could've gone to the Indians game last night. It's fitting that it was the Battle of Ohio with the Indians losing to the Reds. This makes me think of whatshername which makes me want to go all Milton Bradley and kick the water cooler. I'm going to take Mr. Rocky to the park, pick up a coffee, and then come back and finish the loading. My hung over brother might crawl back here in the afternoon. I don't need him to help load the truck but he needs to go through his stuff and do something with it. Or not. I gave the keys and contact information to my nice neighbors.

I have to take apart the TV/DVR/DVD as well as remember to pick up the DSL modem upstairs. I should also clean out the microwave.

And that's about it! I'm halfway through a book called The Digital Plague. It's one of the better action scifi tomes, well, the sequel to one called The Electric Church. A girl at Caribou recommended it. I like recommendations. I tend to recommend old stuff, like Vurt or Revelation Space or (National Book Award Winner circa 1960) The Moviegoer. I like books. Well, I like good books. Other ones that I've loved include The Sheltering Sky and anything by Jerzy Kosinski. Yes, yes, I know he comes from the Elizabeth Hasselbeck School of Plagarism but a good book is a good book. It's not like Hollywood movies don't have a cast of thousands to doctor a typical script, and Hollywood has been cannibalizing itself since Birth of a Nation.

Day 3

I picked up the truck today and always ran it into the house. It doesn't really fit in the driveway, or rather, it fits but I can't open the doors - either doors. The guys who are working on the house next door took up the space in front of the house, so I have it parked across the street. And some damn Honda is now parked in front of the house, so I can't move it until they leave. This sucks.

I had to move the car dolly myself which was not an easy thing to do. I felt like I was deadlifting 500 lbs. I probably need to pick up a lock for the back. The last thing I want to do is load it and have someone break into it the night before I leave (i.e., Sunday).

I just got back from taking Mr. Rocky to the park. There were tons of people there so we just did a revolution and then came back. I stopped at Giant Eagle and picked up a couple of steaks for Mr. Rocky and me since this is probably the last regular dinner. I also used up my 20 cent gasoline discount.

My breaks are still squeaking. I'm pissed. The dealer couldn't fix it and now it looks like Firestone can't either. I paid for the latter, so maybe I'll drop by a Firestone down in Texas and show them the receipt, point to the guarantee on the wall, and demand that they fix. Needless to say, I'm not impressed.

Day 4

Ok, so maybe I didn't do anything today but drive to Parma (ick) and go back to Firestone to get them to finish what they started. I did stop at the gym where I sweated like Albert Brooks in "Broadcast News."

I just realized that I never got around to donating this box of cell phones and chargers or this bag of prescription glasses. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow after I pick up that 16' truck.

After I got back and made something to eat, I dozed off but was awoken by thunder. I look outside and what do I see? White puffy clouds. I guess some of them were packin'. I'm glad it didn't rain because 94 degrees + rain = double ick.

I owe Mr. Rocky a walk in the park which will probably be abbreviated because he has what I can only describe as seal furr. Maybe I'll teach him to clap this hands and catch something in his mouth.

Day 6

I think I'm going to die in Texas. Ok, not die but melt. I grew up without A/C in a smoggy suburb of Los Angeles, but that doesn't mean that I liked it. I didn't and don't. Still, I'll take 100 degrees over 10 degrees. Just drink a lot of bottled water/iced tea, right?

I picked up the bond this morning which I'll drop off with the lawyer tomorrow. I think everyone and his mother was out driving today, at least in Rocky River. I almost gave up and came home because my usual haunts were so crowded. People are fickle. It's not like all these people stop strip malls from dying.

The guys next door are still working on the house. They work on it almost every day and blast the radio. The radio doesn't bother me even though it's always on Mix 106.5, one of the sucky Clear Channel stations with no DJs but some pre-recorded idiot who announced the song and artist. It sounds like she's talking in a bathroom or something. I'll take the NPR stations or WKNR (ESPN Cleveland). I bet most of the broadcast radio stations in Dallas are in Spanish.

Wedgie still hasn't been fired. I don't think it matters at this point, and it really won't have an effect unless Shapiro is fired too. I'm not impressed by either of them. People have been saying that they should hire Grover. I'm usually skeptical when people go for the strategy of nostalgia (think: Gingrinch, Ken Griffey, Poison/Def Leppard Tour). Sure, Grover got a bum deal but so did Charlie Manuel. At least the Old Indians had an identity (hitting) and best double play combo (Vizquel, Alomar). This crappy team is just an unordered collection of 9 guys, all weakly typed.

Day 7

Just one more week to go. My brother has a new phone and new phone company (Sprint). He decided to get a flat-rate plan and he settle on (cough) Sprint. I should'nt dis them since AT&T drop calls like crazy. Actually, they beep and then drop calls. I have a $39 plan and a $40 phone (which I bought because the previous $40 phone died) and I'm holding off on moving and getting settled before I even think about joining the iphone/google phone clique. I might end up sticking with my average joe phone and spend my money on, well, other stuff.

I stopped by State Farm and got a bond. I'm bonded! Actually, I pick it up tomorrow and I get to pay for it. I'm not sure if this is an "estate expense" or I just pay for it myself. Since it's several hundred dollars, you can bet your bippy that I'll be asking the lawyer what to do. I want to say that it's the estate but I'm not sure.

I also got renter's insurance. I had to get it from the - what else? - State Farm office in Texas but I don't have to pay for it until next month when I have to sign something (for the car insurance). I guess that makes today the Day of Insurance.

Kathy is stopping by tomorrow to pick something up. She just said that she was laid off. Who in this town hasn't been? The place she worked for was evil but it was still a job. She mentioned that she's getting as much as she made on unemployment. I mentioned that she should go back to school since she won't always have tons of free time. And $0 income might get you some financial aid. Tri-C isn't too expensive. I took a history class at Tri-C one summer. It was strange being in class with kids who just graduated from high school and kids who went to one of the state universities but needed this summer class. I liked the teacher who reminded me of one of those middle age nuns who is hip but tough. I'm neither.

The weather has been almost perfect here in C-town. Every time I talk with Jimmy or someone in Texas, I hear how bloody hot it is. I hope I know what I'm doing. If I melt like a crayon on the sidewalk, you'll know why.

Sprinkles

I'm sitting here shirtless because I'm too lazy to find a t-shirt. My brother is stuck at a TSA because there was something wrong with a "wheel well." Not sure what that is but it was leaking.

It looks like someone is going to buy the house in N. Olmsted. That's a good thing since it's very easy to believe that the economy in Cleveland is dead on arrival. I live in an area of Cleveland called the Detroit Shoreway and I've seen the same houses for sale since last year. Early last year. (Wait, did I say live in an area of Cleveland? Only eleven more days.)

I think I'll have to leave some stuff here. My brother thinks that this place will be his flophouse when he's in town. That's probably a good idea since I have no plans to come back to C-town unless I have to. Here's scenario I think of: The Indians are in the World Series and Sin Soo Chu gives me free tickets. Since the Indians are the worst team in the worst division, I don't think it'll happen until after Wedgie gets fired and any player of value is traded for a bag of donuts. I don't know much about the Texas Rangers only that they do not suck.

Blacking out the friction

Well, 1/4 of the 2nd floor is done. By done I mean mostly empty. Sure, there's a pile of plastic hangers and I haven't bothered to vacuum, but the door is closed so it's officially done (or rather, done enoug).

I have to get up at the butt crack of dawn and go back to the car dealer because I don't seem to have much brakes left (and they just replaced them today). My brother said that there's probably air in them and he asked if they bothered to test everything out. Since I the car was finished close to 6PM, and the service department closes at 6PM, I'd say that's a big no. I'm working hard not to become Mr. Furious so I'll just ask them to fix that which is broken. So much for having a GM car.