And only when the invasion was well under way did the sinister truth become known. If only the significance of the floating silver ball had been understood . . . See the Associated Press story.

Off to work, dear journal... have some Homer MMMmmms... hope today is a good 'n.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/animals/Animalbabies.shtml

Talked to Doug & Cathy Wu online tonight... weird hearing from them both after all this time, but nice, too. They want to do some online gaming... 40's supers, I told 'em I'd give it a try... it might be like old times. I wonder what Ray and Kathleen are up to... I hope that they're doing well and are happy. Kind of a shame how we parted ways, but that year was a weird and stressful time for everyone. A pity that Dan isn't more online.. he'd probably dig chatting with the Wu's, too. He and Cathy were big buddies, and Doug and I always got along better.

Of that gaming group, I think that Ray and I were of the most similar minds... same stripe of weirdness and dark humor. Kathleen I admired too, because she was probably the first girl gamer I met that didn't always play the skulky assassin-thief hybrid... plus, she actually role-played was just *nice*. I think I liked her even more because she and Ray were such a great couple... you could see that they really were in love. They offset each other... quite complimentarily, too. When it came down to my teaming up with another player or two, they would certainly be at the top of my list at that time. I could bounce banter off of either of them, and it worked out well. Kat's Dr. Mid-nite and my Green Lantern, Kyoko & Trism, Blare & Khudrin, Spring & Zero, Ghost & Minimax. Great team-ups, all, under Ray's GMing. probably some of the best times I had in role-play. We could team up as one group, the Wu's could pair off as a second. I never could effectively run for Ray and Kathleen as a duo, though... Ray liked to get himself killed (it's nigh impossible to have gotten one of the other GMs at the time to allow a killing blow), and my storytelling skills at that time weren't the best.

The Colinas... I really liked them a lot. It's too bad about how things worked out at the end. I'd like to rewrite that last three months or so, if I could.

Rik Landis... he, I still see online now and then... a swell guy, and I'm glad he found a nice wife and has his world in order. I gamed with him a few times after the main group broke up, but he was doing D&D 2nd ed... not my thing. I still like to see him yearly at the RenFaire, though. He's my favorite monopod. A good hammy actor, well suited for boisterousness and such. Does a good wookie growl, too. A good-natured fellow.

Dan's characters were always Dan's. The Weasel... Zircon, Jasper... Man of Iron. Just nuts. Entertainingly so, usually... fortunately. I never really got into his epic fantasy school of GMing, but he did a good job with the cooperative cyberpunk universe, and his props were really nice. His NPCs were not the best, and stuff could drag on, but he was well prepared, and social banter at the table made things go pretty nicely.

Doug's games I liked for the pure nostalgia side of it... he knows *everything* about the silver age of comics, and a heck of a lot about most everything else, too.

I haven't thought much about those games in a little while.. those were some really good times.

In other news, Dan's dad's going in to have a whipple procedure done, and I hope everything turns out ok. I know Danny is quite concerned about it.

This morning's walk was pleasant... stopped at the grove and got some OJ for the return trip home. I'll miss Mack's being so nearby... I'd wager that there's some little mom & pop place where I can get juice or a bagel in the morning within walking distance of my next place... there always is.

I should know tonight if the place by my brother's is mine. Odds are really good that I'll get it... I'd say... 80% or greater?

They're taking out the carpet, and tiling it... I think it's just a question of lighting a fire under 'em to get it done in time for me to move in.

I woke craving those little chocolate-covered doughnuts... I haven't had 'em in years, but something set that off....I suspect that I'll have to buy a little roll of them the next time I pass a gas station or a 7-11... or at least a real doughnut somewhere else. Maybe even the gigantic Entenmann's version... but if I do that, I'll need milk too.

[ open to John Belushi preparing to do the Olympic high jump ]

Announcer: John Belushi is on his way to a gold medal in the Decathlon! They're setting the bar at seven feet - here's his approach..

[ John Belushi runs toward the bar. Quick cut to John jumping over the top of the bar. Quick cut to John landing on the grass. ]

Announcer: He got it! Belushi's won the gold, now he's going for the world's record!

[ cut to John Belushi running long-distance sprint and winning, as his fans crowd around him ]

[ cut to John at home ]

John Belushi: [ seated at breakfast table smoking a cigarette ] I logged a lot of miles training for that day. And I downed a lot of doughnuts. Little Chocolate Donuts. They taste good, and they've got the sugar I need to get me going in the morning. That's why Little Chocolate Donuts have been on my training table since I was a kid.

[ cut to John Belushi going for the gold in the javelin toss ]

Announcer: Little Chocolate Donuts. The donuts of champions.

Speaking of weird food, a year ago today, my sweetheart was eating atomic fireballs. Time to send her some more.

I wonder what it'll be like, leaving this neighborhood.... no more mall of the dead, no more strip mall of sin... no more pompano beach cemetery, where the wife from "Good Times" is buried.

The new region will have other footpaths to explore... it's as near to the beach, and is close to the art theatre and archives bookstore. I'm looking forward to breaking new ground and discovering that domain....and that it'll be discovered in the summer, when human traffic is minimal. The natives seem to get along better when there's less rush or stress.... makes sense to me.

I'm pretty excited... at the point now where I want to do the move and be in the new place. I hope Newt likes his new environs...he's pretty adapatable, moved once already, and travels well.