From my 11-year old niece:

From : Darby Christopher
Sent : Sunday, July 24, 2005 1:29 AM
To : Joe Christopher

Uncle Joe will you sell me one of your I pods? And if
you will how much do you want
for it? I have 225$ but,
I need some to buy a bike
with.

~LOVE~ darby

This girl is goooood.

I suspect that her Aunt Valerie had something to do with this, as the two spent yesterday shopping at St. Clair Square.

I was once a man with no iPods. Suddenly, I've got three. Now, I didn't ask for any of these things; they were given to me. I've already loaned one to Blood Ray to use at the gym. I was planning on using the Shuffle in my car, and the iPod Photo in my apartment.

But how can I say no to my darling little niece? I'll just give her the Shuffle when it arrives in the mail. She can use her $225 to buy a tricked-out bike, and become the envy of all the other sixth-graders when she goes back to school this fall.

Last night was the Summer of Love at AMP. It was packed. I didn't dress up as a hippie. Instead I wore my new Postal Service shirt (the band, not the mail carrier people).

Saw Kyla and Fern, who is apparently in love with Blood Ray. Although she shows it in funny ways, like grabbing his open bottle of beer from the table, placing her hand over the opening, shaking it violently, then placing it back on the table.

Oh, that Fern!

On my drive home, I noticed a car in the lane next to me on Kingshighway. I thought I saw arms waving out of the window, but I was drunk and tired, and assumed it was a group of rowdy drunkards fucking with me. Or perhaps it was a car full of indie-music lovers noticing my Rilo Kiley sticker.

At a red light, after hearing yells of "JOE!!!" I decided to see who it was. It was Miranda and the gang, which, on this particular night, included her 17 year old sister, her husband Jon, and Brian and Brent. They were on their way to Uncle Bill's for bacon, and would I like to join them? I wasn't hungry, but I wouldn't pass up any opportunity to see Brian make the "Bacon Face."