Heavy storms rolled through Arkansas last night; while most of the potentially damaging weather skirted to the north the Casa, the loud thunder and heavy rain are just beginning to abate. The inmates are not especially affected by bad weather, but after a prolonged period, the constant barrage begins to wear on even Charlie's last nerve. Thunder claps that didn't affect her in the least early in the evening later found the usually indomitable girl…

It had been six months since I had been on the bicycle; it wasn't planned that way, the time just seemed to sneak up on me. It started with the passing of MacDuff, then fall morphed to an extended winter, and so it goes. But yesterday, I decided to get back on the bike; no special occasion, just figured it was time. I was quickly reminded of how much stamina I had lost when I…

"Get a cat", they said. "It will be good for the Casa", they said. Well, whoever "they" are, they lied. I have found out the a sassy adolescent kitty is merely the catalyst that speeds up the destructive chemical reaction that is two rowdy young dogs. There is evidently some law of physics of which I was previously unaware, where Bassa can somehow reduce Nama and Bilbo's combined mental capacity by half while somehow doubling…

There's battle lines being drawn Nobody's right if everybody's wrong There is a shift in the power dynamics at the Casa. First, we have the OG crowd consisting of Charlie, Titus, and Micro Polo; each a seasoned veteran with their own well-documented idiosyncrasies. Then there's the trio of young whippersnappers, Nama, Bilbo, and Bassa Khan; someone has evidently forgotten to explain to them that dogs and khats are not supposed to get along. Unfortunately, many…

I have good news and I have bad news. First the good news: Nama is really starting to fit in. Now, the bad news: again, Nama is really starting to fit in. Unfortunately, she is now starting to fit into what was left of my space on the bed. It was bad enough with Charlie crammed up against my left side, but now Nama had insinuated herself between Charlie and I. At best, this is…

Nine years ago tomorrow, Charlie and I met on the side of a lonesome highway, and it's been quite a trip since then.It's both funny and tragic; Charlie is slowing down physically, but mentally she is still The Queen. In an effort to ensure altitude sickness on my part, Mom has recently put risers under the feet of the casa del cama. And as it's a bit higher than Charlie prefers, some nights she expresses…

Yesterday, I took an eighteen-hour road trip to help out a buddy of mine. After many droning hours behind the wheel, we were both a bit punch drunk from the constant assault of the road. But I have found that towards the end of any journey is when the conversation usually tends to "get real", and we were closing in on the Casa when I caught myself making the observation, "I'll be glad when this…