October 23, 2026
Although I have told Mike not to call before 10:00 am, when he has somewhere he needs to be, and he doesn’t have a ride, he gets very nervous. So this morning he called at 7:30. I grumpily ignored the call and put my head back on the pillow.
I could not get back to sleep. I called him back and found out that he needed a ride down to campus. I told him I could give him a ride, but only if he came to my voice lesson with me, since that takes place only a few blocks from campus.
Then Bradley called at 9:30. He’s our new gospel singer. He’s only 17, but he’s about 6’8”” and… 275 pounds? Elen’s aunt calls him “Tiny.” He needed a ride as well. Elen told me I should take up part-time Lyft driving. In any case, I could not give Bradley a ride, because Elen needed the car to attend to her thrift shop.
I worked in the garden for a little while, and then worked on some writing projects, and then did a little bit of grading. Actually, too much grading, because when I looked at the time, I realized I was late for picking up Mike.
I got him. We arrived at Brittany’s only 2 or 3 minutes late. We worked on harmonies for the Patti LaBelle song, “If Only You Knew.” Sometimes I feel a little embarrassed that Mike’s sense of pitch is so much better than mine. He gets stuff right away that I struggle with. But, in any case, I am improving.
After I dropped Mike off at campus, I went to pick up the food for dinner. I pulled into the parking lot of Earth Fair at 4:20. At that point, I think I was abducted by aliens, because the next thing I knew, I looked up, and it was 5:08. I have no idea what happened during those 48 minutes.
We had so many eggs in the refrigerator from our chickens that Elen asked for a frittata for dinner. So I used 10 eggs, sour cream, feta cheese, black olives, oregano, garlic, onion, bell peppers from our garden, celery, and tomato. I think it came out pretty nicely. Meanwhile, Eamon made some pasta with tomato sauce and spicy Italian sausage.
After dinner, I worked for a little while on my Italian and my Latin. I am embarrassingly slow picking up languages as well. Then I finished grading one of the two assignments I have to take care of this week. I will do the other one in the morning. The house is winding down now, but I probably will try to write for another hour before I sleep. Time to start preparing my spring class: I think I will work on Antigone tonight.
Your song for the day:
The Big Game
I’m playing in the big game
I’m in it for the long run
Don’t wanna be a part-timer
Don’t wanna be a hired gun
There were times I ran with a fast crowd
And stole some love while passing by
There were times when I grabbed my thrills
No care at all who I made cry
But now
I’m playing in the big game
I’m in it for the long run
Don’t wanna be a part-timer
Don’t wanna be a hired gun
There were times when I buried my head
In shame at what I had just done
There were times I hurt a dozen friends
All in the name of havin’ fun
But now
I’m playing in the big game
I’m in it for the long run
Don’t wanna be a part-timer
Don’t wanna be a hired gun
There were times when I’d go out shoppin’
For the latest flashy bling
There were times my mind would be captured
By every popular thing
But now
I’m playing in the big game
I’m in it for the long run
Don’t wanna be a part-timer
Don’t wanna be a hired gun