8-19-99
(11am) Edward’s death got dad to thinking about the past. (Mom, Edward and their sisters had a pretty wild childhood! (Their father was a bootlegger and owned a bunch of cabins and speakeasy. (Guys would come out with their girlfriends, drink, party and then retire to one of the cabins to fuck.)) (Their father had a reputation as one of the meanest and wildest people in town.))
(4pm) We drove up to the farm to check the beans and spray weeds. (It sure is beautiful there!) (Tis too bad his wife’s asthma got worse so they couldn’t build a house up there!)
The temperature finally dropped down into the low 90’s today. (You know it has been hot when you think the low 90’s is a relief.)
The DOW ended today at 10,964.
One nice thing about going out to smoke in the evening is the crickets and lightning bugs. (Reminds me of all the summer nites I spent playing out here chasing lightning bugs, and all the nites I fell asleep listening to the song of the crickets.)
8-20-99
(6am) I locked myself out of the house when I went out for my morning cig. (I can’t complain though. (Twas a beautiful sunrise!))
It sounds like the average age in Topeka is getting higher. (There just aren’t many good paying jobs, and kids just aren’t sticking around after school.) (Hopefully they will find some way to get things going and bring young people back to town.)
Topeka is about twice the size of Missoula, but where Missoula has seven police officers on the streets at all times, they have 40. (I wonder if they have that much more crime, or do they just have lots more money?)
If dad does sell the farm, it sounds like he will get a good price. (One thing that is happening is that the Native Americans are using the money from the casino to buy back reservation lands they had been forced to sell in the past. (That is driving up the price of land in the area.)) (The second factor is that area has become the new in spot for people in Topeka looking to buy 20 to 40 acre farmettes.)
(9am) I stopped by the cemetery to bring some flowers to my mom and say hi.
Now I am back on the road again.
Dad’s attitude started to improve yesterday. (I hope it continues!)-(That is the key now. (He has to stay up, exercise and be patient; and he will get back to where he was in a few months.))
(12pm) Wellington, Kansas 62,115 9.5 gallons
Today’s fuck up was the gas pump didn’t shut off when the tank was full. (To make it worse I wasn’t paying attention and a couple gallons ran out on the ground.)