Salty Riggs here.  Hope this finds y'all doing good.

I am okay.  Made it through the holidays with relatively few problems, but I was depressed: wanted to go to see the fireworks, but had no way of gettin' downtown.  So I just listened to them boomin' and bangin' away in the distance, feelin' sorry for myself.

I hate havin' to rely on others or walkin' on my own two feet to get anywhere!  I also hate not bein' able to find a job 'cause I don't have a viable address or reliable transportation.   I could take the bus, but I can't afford it, not without having any income!  It's a pain!!

Have been workin' the pavement just about every day tryin' to find gainful employment, but no dice.  Nothing.  Nada.  I am not givin' up, but man, I wish someone would cut me a break or give me a sportin' chance!  I am a good worker, and I wouldn't cause any trouble!

Have a bit of sad news to tell ya: Chico, my buddy from Mexico, is in jail.  Authorities found out he was an illegal, so they nabbed him and threw him into the brig.  No tellin' how long he will be there, but they may end up sendin' him back to Mexico 'cause he sneaked across the border, and that alone can get ya in a whole heap o' trouble!

I miss him ...

Also, Tiny is in the hospital, fightin' for her life.  She came down with a nasty bacterial infection when she'd cut her leg and the infection went crazy.  They might have to amputate her leg; it's that serious.  She is in a very bad way.  No way that I can even get to the hospital to see her.  She is such a nice lady!  (Tiny is not tiny by any stretch of the imagination: she weighs well over 500 pounds and has a whole myriad of health problems.)

The others in my crew (Smoke, Tater, Bandit, Golden, Durango, Isa, Grover, and Tyrell) are doing good (or as good as can be expected, especially in Grover's case; he has AIDS), so that's good.  I'm just worried about Tiny and Chico; I hope and pray they do okay!  I love them both so much!  They're really good people!

The weather is nasty out: we are currently at the missions church, waitin' out the storms that are currently traversing the area.  The Chicago metro area is currently under weather watches and warnings until noon, then there's no tellin' what the weather will be like later on after the storms pass.  Hopefully it'll cool things off or at least clear up so I can see some sun!

I'm playin' on one of the church's computers; the pastor let me use it; he knows I like to write, so he's always encouragin' me.  This is why I do these journal thingies.  It's a great way to get my feelin's out!

Well, I'm gonna go.  Pastor wants to use the computer, so I'll scoot.  I will write again soon; until later, this is Salty sayin' so long; I'm outta here!  God bless!

~Salty Riggs.

P.S.: Please, please pray for Chico and Tiny; I (and they) would greatly appreciate it! Thanks in advance!