two saturdays, two parades. yes, i have been in two parades in the past two weeks. it's a good way to see people and be seen without all the awkward conversation--although one old pal from high school found me and chatted. it was okay. he was really nice but now, like everyone else, he's got a baby and still lives in the old hometown and all. kind of boring. although!!! proof that good things come in threes: two summers ago i saw my old best best best best best friend in the world, jennie, at the garden. a month ago my amazing friend ben from high school called and we're going to see each other soon. and, just yesterday, a long-lost friend from 8th grade's father came into my mom's shop and said tammy is coming to visit later this summer. rockin'. i am reconnecting in so many ways this summer. i stayed away for six years, but i think i'm sort of ready to do the home thing now. i guess i used to feel above it, or outside of it, whichever.

anyway, in last week's parade i got to throw tootsie rolls at my boss. that was cool. this week was just 78-degree full sun and lots of black vinyl under me. sweaty.

work today. hmmm. that andrew boy. many of you may recall my secret lust for phil collins. well, today andrew displayed a song-by-song knowledge of some very old school phil collins. wow. also he kept pushing me and stuff. what a silly little boy. and he invoked TMBG, although his only knowledge of Them was from tiny toon adventures. and he "used to snowboard" to the violent femmes. so i lent him one of my CDs.

i need to find a chiropractor again. my back has finally reverted to its pre-nicola state. (nicola is my fucking amazing chiro in the UK.) it's hard to even sit.

i like my job. yay!

angel lets these 13-year-old boys come over and wrestle her and smoke with us and have sips of beer, and tonight a couple of us told her it was inappropriate, so i think she's going to tell them to stay away. i hope so. too goddamn young. i mean, i may be embracing the ghetto-fabulous thing this year (really, i drink budweiser tallboys--not even 40s--out of paper bags) but that is just not right, to be exciting those young hormones by wrasslin' and talking about sex and drugs all the time. i don't want her to corrupt me, let along the young people. our leaders of tomorrow!