Memorial Day & End of May..

Man, Memorial Day is already upon us...yikes!

I left my Stars and Stripes at home so Ma and Pa will be hanging it proudly on the deck Monday morning.  This is where it has been the past few summers so there's no sense changing a good thing even though I'm not around to chill out there at the moment.  It's not the Capone deck unless we're reppin' Old Glory like you read about.

This is another little moment when I get a bit homesick right here.  There was something early on that is escaping me right now.  Then there was Mother's Day more recently.  Now that the summer's upon us it's Memorial Day, then it'll be Father's Day and then July 4th.  All days where grilling has been a Capone staple for many, many years makes me feel kind of flat when I'm not home to grill and chill.  O, Easter was the first day that I felt a little flat about being away from family and old friends.  It's actually been kind of a silly week because I just booked my ticket for my July Maine swing a couple of days ago, so I've been thinking about home and the good things I do in Maine significantly more than usual.  So really, while I'll be disappointed tomorrow when I work all day instead of sucking down beers while cooking up piles of grub for 20 people like I've done the last couple of years on Memorial Day, I'm not losing too much sleep over it because I'm already starting to get the wheels in motion for some good fun come mid-July.  Yippee-mother trucking-skippee.  And I'll still have my swim trunks on.  And I'll still be hopping in the Pacific when I get off at five.  Life's not all bad..

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Speaking of homeward bounding, my 2 week vacation is already starting to shape up and is looking more busy than I'd prefer.  I mean, everything I'll end up doing will be solid, like seeing family and hitting the sticks in the Lobster Bowl golf tourney like usual and hit up Gipper's on Thursdays after 9 and the like, but at the same time I also like to do very little sometimes.  I'll definitely be finding my way back up on a roof for at least a day, just for the hilarious of busting Johnny's chops all day.  Hopefully he's got plenty of new, off-color jokes for me.  His off-color jokes are something my life's been missing for the last few months.  Really put a smile on my face.  That and listening to country music for 8 hours straight.  Country isn't that popular out here...,even though it kind of is like the country in most places.  Or, more appropriately, what country people sing about: either backwoods from your hardcore country folks or sun tans and islands from your pop country folks.  To me it's like a mermaid trying to slide into a pair of jeans: It just don't make sense.

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I consider myself over my bout of sickness, but I still have a lame-ass dry cough that pokes up way too often.  I'd prefer it too stop.  Lame-ass dry coughs really make me feel flat.

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It's midnight and I have to get up for work tomorrow morning so I guess this is really all I can pull together for tonight.  I can't believe it's basically June.  WHERE IS THE YEAR GOING?!?!  IS THE SUN OUT HERE JUST EVAPORATING IT AWAY?!?!

I have no idea.  But to those who serve or have served, and to those who have family who serve or have served, Thank you kindly for your generosity and selflessness.  I like to disrespect the government quite a bit but you'll never hear me belittle any serviceman or woman.  Sincerely, Thanks.

And to anyone reading this in town: feel free to swing by Skip and Marie's tomorrow - they'll treat youto a tall, frothy beverage in a frosted glass.  I don't know what's on tap...but if you're really not going to show up to free beer because you don't love the taste or any Shipyard or Sam Adams or something similar then you can go piss up a rope.  Skip and Marie would love to see you.  They don't know that I said this but I'm sure they'd love to see any of the (very, very few..) folks who are in town.

Last but not least, it wouldn't be Memorial Day without a little Toby.

Cheers.