Thursday, August 14, 2008, McKinney, Texas~

Mark Ratinauer (aka Rat-Nose) here.  Hope this finds y'all well; I'm doing fairly well, of which I will explain why shortly.

Last time I wrote, it was the 12th of July.  My family and myself were getting ready to go to Crowley, Texas, for the annual Freedom Festival.  As promised, we went; it was awesome!  I ate til I thought I was going to pop, bungie-jumped at the bungie jump area (that was cool; felt like I was flying!!), listened to some great music, and bought lots of cool souvenirs.  I also saw the fireworks display; however, the display wasn't nearly as long this time (it was only about 20 minutes long instead of the promised 30; I was a bit disappointed).

The weather was blazingly hot; it may have been in the mid to upper nineties; felt like it was in the hundreds.  A white-hot sun shone in a clear blue sky; not very many clouds about, and very little hint of a cool, refreshing breeze to cool the festival guests.  It was so hot several people had to be treated for heat-related illnesses, and some had to be carted off to a nearby hospital for treatment.

After that, I went to Iowa to see my grandparents on my dad's side.  It was good to see them, but it was disconcerting to see grandpappy getting older, sicker.  He is now toddling around on a cane, and he's aged something like ten years; he looks at least a hundred years old.  Grandma looks basically the same, just a little softer, rounder along the middle, and her hair is greyer, but she's still the same, sweet active little grandma that I remember.

We were in Iowa for a week.  We worked the farm, my dad and I, as well as my uncle Charley, who lives a few miles away from grandpappy and grandma; I was so glad when that week ended!  I never thought I could be so tired!  I had pain in areas, in muscles, I didn't even know I HAD!!  LOL

Upon our return from Iowa, we registered for school.  I will be in the tenth grade.  I am really not looking forward to the start of school again; it will be sad to say goodbye to such a fun summer!  I'm not ready for homework or getting up at the crack of dawn again!

I also chatted with my Internet buds; for the most part, they're doing great.  When I checked my e-mails, I had at least 2,000 in my inbox, easy.  Took over an hour and a half to clean out my inbox--and I think half of that was spam, which drove me butt crazy; I HATE spam with a purple passion!!

I think they ought to make spam illegal, punish those responsible for cluttering people's inboxes with this senseless garbage!!  I also can't stand Forward entries; those take a while to go through, too, especially when they're the type to tell others to pass it on (send this to ten people, and you'll get a miracle)!  Yeah, right!  Give me a break!!

Ma is really worried about her father-in-law; he's now in the hospital, recovering from a heart attack.  He went in a few days ago, and he's really sick.  He's in the Cardiac Intensive Care, hooked up to a respirator.  It will be a miracle if he survives this one; it was a really bad one.  She may end up going to Iowa (as might dad; that's his father); so I may be home all by myself. 

I hope that if they do go, they go to the store, so they can get me some food, so I don't starve! 

I don't like being by myself.  I am always scared something--or someone--is going to get into the house and get me.  That's one of my biggest fears:  being kidnapped, or robbed at gunpoint or knifepoint. 

This is when I wish I had my friend Tico's pitbull, Marvin, to protect me.  He can get mean when the time calls for it!

I expect to find out within a day or so if the parents are going to go to Iowa to be with grandma during this time; they want to see grandpappy before he kicks the bucket, say their goodbyes, if that's the case.  I could go, too, but I just don't  like going to funerals.  They really creep me out, and seeing the dead body lying in a casket makes me ill, nauseaous.

So I don't go.  I just hope my parents don't think I'm being ungrateful.  I will grieve in my own time, grieve as I see fit; don't need to be around all those sad, crying people!!  No, sir, that's not for me!!

Well, I will end this for now.  I will write in here in a day or so, with updates about grandpappy, and whether my folks are going to leave me by myself.  I don't like being by myself, but I'd rather have Marvin with me; I'd feel safer with a big dawg with a mouth full of teeth around!  Take care, and say a prayer for me, or better yet, my grandpappy!  I'd appreciate it!  Thanks!

~Rat-Nose (Mark). :(