Friday, February 24, 2006, 5:30 p.m., C.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

Hi! This is your friend, Johnny, writing! I hope this finds you well!

I am doing quite well: haven't really had any problems with unexpected weakness or breathing problems, so that is good. It's like my muscular dystrophy is holding its own, and I hope this continues! :)

I AM doing a lot better than my father: he is on paid medical leave because he fell and hurt his back. He is in severe pain, and the doctor doesn't want him working until his back heals. He fell on the ice that we had earlier in the weak, and he fouled up his back big-time! I feel sorry for him; I hope daddy feels better soon!

I have been watching the 2006 Winter Olympics, which are being held in Turino, Italy. It has been a mixed bag of elation and joy to defeat and frustration. We did get some gold medals, but nothing like we did in Salt Lake City four years ago. We got gold medals in speedskating and skiing, and we got silvers in skiing, speedskating, and women's figure skating (Sasha Cohen of the USA got a silver medal despite falling twice. The favorite to win, Irina Slutskaya from Russia, got a bronze--and she fell only once. The winner of the gold medal was a woman from Japan, and this was Japan's first ever gold medal in figure skating).

Bode Miller of the USA was bragging that he was going to win gold in Torino, but he ended up being a flop. He either performed poorly, or else he was disqualified when he accidentally crossed a gate. If you ask me, he was being a pain in the rear, and I can't stand his cocky attitude! It's no wonder he didn't win any medals!

Oh! Guess what! I have a girlfriend! I DO! Her name is Rebekkah Cohen, and she lives in Sacramento, California! I have met her once, and she was very sweet. She is Jewish, but she also believes in salvation and has accepted Jesus as her saviour. She goes to both temple and regular church every week, and she is what is known as a Messionic Jew (spelling?). She celebrates the Jewish holidays like Yom Kipur, Rosh Hoshannah, Hanukah, Sukkos, and Purrim, but she also celebrates "Christian" holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Rebekkah also happens to be disabled. She doesn't look it though: she can walk just fine, and she has no trouble whatsoever with her eyes or hearing. She can't feel pain like you or I can: she was born with something called pain insensitivity disorder, and if she burns herself or bangs her arm or leg against something or drops something on her toe, she can't feel it. She is prone to infections, and several times she has been in the hospital. Her disability is something I have never even heard of, and it is really weird!

Rebekkah is an only child: she only has her parents, David and Naomi, and I have met them too. I met them last year when they came to Tennessee. I write to Rebekkah quite regularly, and I talk to her on the phone, too. She even sends me things, and she has already told her friends about me. I find that embarrassing because I don't think I am that much! LOL

The weather is warmer than it has been as of late: cloudy outside, maybe some rain tomorrow. ICK. At least I am off school tomorrow. I can sleep IN!! (Maybe I will sleep as late as NOON or maybe even LATER! *Grins* I'll be a regular little slugbug! LOL) I can then do whatever I want until I go to bed at nine if we don't do something like go to the Grand Ole Opry or go to a movie.

(We get up at five tomorrow; we are out the door by seven-fifteen, and we are usually at Fire Mountain or Golden Corral by seven-thirty. We eat and visit and then go to church by eight-thirty, to be ready for the nine-thirty service.) Sundays are always crazy for our family: we spend a good deal of it at church, and we either have "dinner-on-the-grounds" if people bring food or go out to eat--again, usually to Fire Mountain or Golden Corral.

Well, Journal, I am going to go now. We are going to have supper soon. Tonight is Cajun Night: boiled crawfish smothered with Cajun seasonings, duck and sausage jambalaya, collard greens or turnips, cornbread, and for dessert, strawberry shortening cake. I can smell the food cooking now, and it is making my mouth water! YUM!

Will write in here again! See ya!

(((HUGS))) and love, your pal, Johnny. :D