Cramming for Finals

I started an entry a few days ago and planned to use this picture of Holly curled up on the bed in her early morning bliss. That entry never got written. I guess the events of the world just overwhelmed me.

It can sound complicated on the surface. Ron’s ex Joseph took up residence in Ron’s Houston townhome when Ron transferred to Rochester for his work. Joseph was HIV+. He had a sharp and often biting wit. Joseph had a friend who was in the advanced stages of AIDS who had the nickname “Betty.” Betty discovered religion and Jesus. He attended morning mass without fail daily. Betty tried to talk Joseph into joining him in church. Joseph had no interest in such an endeavor and final said to Betty in exasperation, “Betty, you have to realize not everyone is cramming for finals.”

As John McCain now tries to whitewash his legacy it is transparent he is “cramming for his finals.”

It seems every day a new bombshell is dropped. As has been my way of coping I try to stay away from the news and Facebook after I read the headlines and stories with my first coffee. Typing out the “Joseph and Betty” story had me thinking back to seeing the original off Broadway production of “Falsettoland” in 1989 with Ron. Trina singing of “Holding to the ground as the keeps shifting, trying to keep sane as the rules keep changing” is the life I’m living today as I see the US destroyed from within.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8awvVzKb7U

Bricks are healing so I finally got to work on reconstructing the lower part of my driveway. When the new sidewalks were installed last spring, there was not a good transition between the sidewalk and the driveway. The bricks had settled in to the point water would collect and puddle in heavy rain. I’ve been joking with my neighbors and friends how OCD people should not be doing such a project! LOL!

I have acquired a number of better bricks to display in this area over what I had available when I did the installation in 2012. I think of switching out my bricks to be like buying new furniture!
The start of the reconstruction project.

A few of the “new better bricks” to be installed:

The center brick is called “The Worlds Fair Brick” by collectors. The company Robinson Clay Products won the gold medal at the Columbian Exposition in 1893. This firm was so proud of this award they manufactured their street pavers showing Columbus stepping onto the new world as well as the medal won. This is a fairly common brick. It can be elusive to find bricks with the embossing in fine detail. It is amazing to think of the extra work done to an everyday brick that was never meant to be seen in use.

The newly laid bricks. This picture shows a larger World’s Fair brick. Note the letters in each corner are raised while the previous picture had the letters recessed. Also note how the “N” in the “Athens Block” brick is reversed. It is the oddball things like this that makes brick collecting fun!

Anyone who is familiar with cats knows how they are always changing their “spots.” The past few days Holly has taken up residence in the hallway. I have given up trying to make any kind of sense in the matter. So long as she can do as she wants and everyone is happy!!