Today is a boy-I-know's 10th birthday. I've given this child some nice presents in the past, like all the Thomas the Tank Engine books we had, or last year a Robin Hood book with his name as the hero. Since I have never received a thank-you from this kid, to heck with it. His family has a strange idea of manners in any case... when they were at a birthday party (for someone else) I gave a few years back they didn't respond till the day before, they were late, they had eaten, and they said they should have brought the kid's violin so he could entertain us. I Think Not. So the lack of thank-you's is not as surprising from them as it would be from, say, someone who was raised better.
It's a shame the child has to suffer because the parents have no manners, but that's the way of the world. (Ann Landers bears me out on this.)
I'm currently working with Sam on this, by the way. Also on at least saying goodbye when I take Sam home. We're getting there. It's a long slog.

I drove out to sign the court report and left it with the receptionist to make 9 copies of. With my copy and the CASA one, that's 66 pages. I hope the tree-killing is worth it. There are about 4 or 5 officers at the court who get the report, and the lawyers for everyone, and the social worker.

I went to see "The Three Kings" this afternoon. (That's because I didn't want to deal with rush hour traffic for some of the other movies I might want to see, and because I forgot about "Double Jeopardy.") It was all right. Good thing I have a strong stomach, and could keep on eating my popcorn during some of those scenes. It's not going to be my favorite movie of the year. They filmed in Arizona and Mexico, but if Iraq is as desolate as that, as Nevada, it's hard to believe people would fight about it. The movie certainly chides Bush for not finishing the job.

As I left, the man on the radio said "the chase is over and they have the man down on the pavement." Then he said where this chase had ended, right near my house. I got home to exclaim to Rich that I had great timing, but he knew nothing of it. I rewound the soap opera tape and watched 10 minutes of aerial footage of my church, Loretto, Tower Books, and other familiar landmarks.

Meanwhile, we have had four straight days of over-90 weather.

Tonight I went out to an In-Service at CASA, which I'll describe at a later date. There were three of my classmates there, and 9 people from other classes. We exchanged stories of how it's going. I seem to be the only one whose case is proceding this well... one woman had been dropped from the program and still doesn't have her court order or complete files, though she's been seeing her kid, one has been with the child since mid-May and hasn't had a case conference, and one just now got a kid. Perhaps my constant nagging on the phone is doing some good after all.

When I got home, Bernadette was giving her phone card a test, so we had a nice chat, and then I called my sister to find out how our stepfather is doing and tell her about Rich. I've e-mailed my Pittsburgh sis-in-law about the latter, but have not yet heard, and I don't want to call there and upset my ma-in-law.

About the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: now that King William's given the store away to China (and hence Korea and Iraq) now he wants to lock the door. What with the difficulty we'd have monitoring, and the disaster Wag-the-Dog was re: Iraq and chemical/biological weapons, I'm really glad the thing was voted down.
For an equal opportunity gripe:
" the Republican Party has drifted toward a sort of know-nothing, "drive-by" foreign policy. Its members drive by the White House, shout some putdown of President Clinton, demand more money for a missile shield and drive on. Their only interest is defeating the President, not defining a policy."
(Thomas Friedman)

The Clinton legacy? People like Donald Trump running for office, thinking of Woody Harrelson (???!!!!) for VP. OK, the office is a joke, thank you so much, Bill. Maybe I've been wrong--- he's not a King, he's a jester, but I never thought of a jester as a dung-covered clown till now.