7:27 a.m. - Sunday, Jun. 30, 2002
Ms Leslie doesn't really care for birds.
They�re back!
Last year I had a family of birds in the chimney of my fireplace. At first it was kind of cute, hearing the little ones cheep hungrily each time the mama came back to the nest with a scrap of food. Before long, though, it got to be a distraction. As they got older, they got so raucous that I actually had to turn the TV up to hear it, and they chirped incessantly. I found� at first� that if I tossed an empty Coke can into the fireplace, they would fall silent for a short while. Within a few minutes though, the hunger would overcome their fear and one by one they�d start up again. As we played the Coke can game, they learned that there was no threat and started chirping sooner and sooner until even banging on the fireplace bricks or the metal flue wouldn�t make them even slow down. There was nothing to do but suffer through the racket until the little shits finally grew up and left the nest. What a relief that was.
Now, as of last week, I�ve heard those cute little familiar peeps. Already they are growing in intensity. I hate to even think of what next week will be like with this new batch. I feel like I�m trapped in an Edgar Allen Poe story.
I suppose I could start a smoky fire and try to drive the mama away until the babies died, but I guess I�m just too tender-hearted to do it. I hate to sound sappy, but I really have had my fill of death and killing.. I don�t think I care to kill even these obnoxious little birds. So I�m stuck. I�ll have to suffer through it. And it�s all the worse because now I realize that this is to be an annual event. There�s no end to it.. only a reprieve.
I had a good time coming back to see my local kinky friends last night. The food was just as mediocre as always. The only thing that�s changed is that the owners have added another steam table of mediocre Chinese food at the end of the original buffet of mediocre Chinese food. But I didn�t come for the food. They have an excellent banquet room at the back of the restaurant and they never fail to provide great privacy and good service. Coming back was like coming home. I found that I had previously met nearly everyone who was there last night. They remembered me and I remembered them.. or at least their faces. It�s a pity that I�ve never been to a serious event with this group, but I do plan to. Just like SABLE, there�s a family feeling in the group. I think I can find some good friends there.. which is what I want most of all.
I called Laura yesterday morning and had a good time visiting with her, and then I called my mom in the afternoon and spent an hour on the phone with her. I think she�s still a little shocked whenever I make the call, after having me for so long refuse even to answer her calls. I can be such a twerp� but I�m trying to do better. I got a letter from my niece Kim yesterday, thanking me for remembering her birthday with a gift. Another shock�.. me remembering birthdays and holidays. My nieces and nephews have grown up knowing they could never expect to hear from me. Little did she know it, but she nearly got two presents. I found three reminders in my e-mail telling me of her birthday on June 24th. I couldn�t remember sending her a present, so I ordered another present on amazon.com to be sent to her with belated birthday greetings. I didn�t realize I had already sent her something until I got the letter in the afternoon mail. I was lucky� the order had not yet shipped, so I was able to cancel it.
Besides saving me a few bucks and a red face from double-gifting her, I was happy to get a thanks from Kim. It shows that she has class. Even though they may be shocked to get a gift, few of the others write me a thank-you note. Some are young enough to be excused, but others are adults and should know better. I�m already wondering if I should revise my gift list for next year.
Oh well. So there�s another day in my life gone down the toilet. It was boring to hear about, I suppose, but not so bad to live it. It was a pleasant day and sometimes pleasant is good enough.
Leslie
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