I’m sitting on the front porch on what looks to be the foggiest afternoon in memory. This does not bode well for the Fish Day fireworks, scheduled to begin in less than two hours, but I don’t mind if the fireworks are obscured. They might look cooler that way. Also, we get fireworks around here, oh, maybe five times a summer, so if we don’t see them well tonight the fourth of July fireworks were decent and I’m sure Maritime Days will feature a good set as well.

Yes, so today is Fish Day, when forty thousand drunk assholes descend on my fair city. Still, due to the cancelled parade (street construction), poor weather, and perhaps the local populace coming to their collective senses, the crowds look much smaller than usual. The parking lot down our street is perhaps 25% full. Few walkers have passed our house. Also, I haven’t heard the music all day. This is good.

So what did I do today? Let me see. Well, I was up early, maybe 1AM, checking goodreads and sending work emails that I probably shouldn’t send. S and I slept in the air conditioning, and as he bouncing all over the bed, I wasn’t surprised to wake in the middle of the night. I eventually fell asleep on the front porch futon and slept until seven or so when one of the boys turned the tv volume up to about 120 decibels. A soft rain fell, nothing serious, a calm rain. After a quick shower S and I drove over to the West Bend farmers market. We took the camera and shot some pics leaning up against a wall near downtown. I’ll post the pics tomorrow. We ran into a former student, talked with her for a few minutes, then picked up string cheese, wheat bread, Yukon potatoes, and a blueberry muffin (for S, of course). The skies cleared as we drove home. T had slept over at a friend’s so I picked up M and N then dropped M, N, and S off near downtown for the bands and “High School Musical” performance downtown. I drove home and worked out to a great “Weeds” episode, showered, and started cleaning while burning some discs for long-delayed packages. After an hour or so I got tired, ate lunch, and drove to the north side of town for a haircut. My appointment was scheduled for 12:30, but the two ladies were running late and trying to close up for Fish Day so I read magazines (a terrifying Jamie Lynn Spears article about how much she loves her mom role…please, God, keep that away from teenagers and ESPN Magazine, to which I might subscribe) until they were ready for me. The lady was cool as apparently I didn’t make a fuss about the delay (I was happy to read the magazines) so she cut my hair with scissors instead of clippers. At first I didn’t like the haircut. She cut my hair like she would her nephew’s for his first communion. I don’t know. I guess I’m used to it already and the back of my neck feels cool for the first time in months. After the haircut I called M and picked she and the boys up at T’s friend’s house. When we arrived home the boys hung out in the yard with neighbors while I cleaned the dining and living rooms, continued burning discs, and lifted weights while watching the Cards/Phillies game. Why in goddamn hell wasn’t the Brewers game on tv? Strange. I followed on the net (we won). I read for a while (Lost Continent, should finish tonight), talked with the boys, and ate dinner (beans and rice). After dinner I rode my bike back and forth (ten miles total) to the bridge over the river in Grafton. The thick fog kept me cool and more or less alone o the trail. After another quick shower I hit the porch with the computer. And here I am.

S’s delayed birthday party is tomorrow. More then. Good night.