Goon here.  Goon Perkins.  Hope this finds y'all well.  Me, I'm okay, I guess; however, I miss my best bud, Shawn, who is now living in Alabama with his foster family.  Shawn and me, we were real tight.  We were a team.

Because of Shawn being gone, I've been depressed.  It's just not the same without him here.  Thank God for football and school; both keep my mind active, so that way I don't have to think so much about Shawn or about how much I miss him!

We had our first football game last night.  We won, beat the other team 63-0.  We shallacked 'em but good; they couldn't touch me or the other players!  Needless to say, there was much celebrating going on in the locker rooms after the game last night!  It was wild!!

School is going well; now that I got my homework for this week outta the way, maybe I can sweet talk moms or pops into letting me go to the mall; I could use a break from the little ones!  They are beginning to drive me crazy!!

Marcus and Eden, who are 10 and 12, aren't too bad; it's Icarus (7) who is the one who is the worst.  I think the kid likes to hear the sound of his own voice; he is one of the noisiest kids I've ever met in my life!!  He always has to make himself heard! 

As for Joshiah, four, the youngest, he isn't too bad; however, he really can't do much for himself:  kid's disabled, in a wheelchair, and needs a lot of help.  (He has spinocerebellar ataxia, which is a rare disease.  I'd never heard of it until he got diagnosed with it a few months after he was born.)

Joshiah can talk somewhat, but let's face it:  his disease is getting worse, and it really bothers me.  We don't know how long he has on this earth or how he will die; or if it will hurt when he dies.  That's one of the things I worry about the most.

I heard from Shawn again a few days ago:  he still hasn't heard anything about his sisters, or where they are at.  I do hope he hears from them soon, or at least gets some news; that way, he can sleep better at night.  Shawn tells me he hasn't had a decent night's sleep since going to Alabama; that's not good for a growing teenaged boy!  He needs all the sleep he can possibly get!

The weather here is still relatively warm in the Big City; the nights, though, are cool, and the days are getting shorter; sure bets that fall is soon to be upon us.  The leaves are just starting their annual changing of the guard; it won't be long before brilliant hues of orange, red, yellow, or purple set the trees ablaze with color.

Then it will be Hallowe'en.  And then I can think about what I can be for the Hallowe'en party at school.  We have one every year.  Last year I was the Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Let's just say I made a formidable Hunchback!  I scared a lot of people, I think!  *grins*

Well, I am at school as I write this; in English class.  If Ms. Bowring catches me writing in my journal again instead of working on my English assignment, she just may tie a beef bone to my neck and let the pitbulls have at it, eat me for lunch.  She doesn't like any monkeying around; guess that also includes writing in journals instead of doing schoolwork.  LOL  I will write in here again soon, so I guess this is so long for now.  Take care and God bless!  Bye!

~"Goon".  :)

*To be continued.*