MID-AFTERNOON ENTERTAINMENTS

Most of the poisonous rightwing pustules weren't in today, only the tall bald troublemaker was in, but there was no one there to agree with him, so he remained quiet. Neither the petulantly whining ex-judicial person, nor the Irishman who gives other Irish people a bad rep, or even their friend the psychopathic dgenerate troll, showed themselves. I'm guessing that at least two of them were told by their minders or helpmeets to sit still and act like a doorstop.

Han, who lives near me in the city, came in twice. But he's a very decent fellow, and consequently not at all a pain in the "Netherlands".

So even though it barely got over sixty degrees, overcast, and depressing weather, it was a lovely summer day. As I understand it the Red States are on a stay indoors and try not to breathe alert presently, but here in civilization it's the gloomiest July in living memory.
Which is perfect.

I worked on a handful of pipes for someone -- his grandfather's smoking equipment -- and smoked four of my own. One Loewe & Company straight grain billiard, one Peterson (Dublin & London), one pre-Lane Charatan Zulu, and a piss-elegant Savinelli DeLuxe that makes me look sporty and sophisticated.

Spent most of the day high as a kite on caffeine. Cup and a half strong coffee before heading to work. Three cups of tea before lunch, cup of coffee immediately afterwards, then three more cups of tea. And of course there is a hot caffeinated beverage to my left now.

Neil and Joel showed up around tea-time and were very pleased that none of the Magats were present. We discussed sunburned knees from spending your entire vacation at the Costa Del Sol under your Deux Chevaux, plus cinchona bark and black water fever, Zika, West Nile, and the Chikungunya virus. None of these are our problems -- see my previous description of Bay Area weather -- and I am able to turn illness into entertaining small talk.

Especially when there is tea and tobacco.

Words of advice: Park your crappy car in the shade, stay out of tropical swamps and the American Deep South, and use both sunblock and mosquio repellent.
You remember Elizabeth Taylor in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof?
No neck little monsters! They're everywhere!



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