jackshoegazer | Just answer the questions, Mr. Paquette. The attorneys will provide the wisecracks.

Blah blah, blickety blickety blah blah blech. You heard me, damn right.

Ethan has one last week of school and then it's oh-glorious summer vacation. Thus, starting next weekend, he will only be here on weekends for the next three months. I feel like I'm sending him to the Dursley's for the summer, exiling him to Watertown instead of #4 Privet Drive, Surrey. Occasionally I have issues with his negativity and laziness that I feel stems from his mother, who is both extremely negative (to the point I am pretty sure she is chronically depressed) and lazy. As far as I can tell, they mostly sit around and watch television. I'm hoping it doesn't get worse over the summer as I don't look forward to a conversation with his mother about her attitude and parenting style. When I tried to talk to her about some things concerning Ethan last week, she screamed, "I'm tired of being the bad parent!" and then hung up on me. I didn't get the opportunity to say, "Maybe that's something you should think about." Perhaps that's for the best.

This next section of the post will be a pictorial tutorial. Sort of. I just like the cadence of "pictorial tutorial."

On Saturday Ethan, Jacquelyn, and I went uptown for the Farmer's Market and Ethan's appointment at Hair.

Ethan is either very serious about his bus rides or the early hour isn't agreeing with him.

The Farmer's Market is on the square surrounding our lovely capitol building.

It looks funny reflected in the building across the street...

We get the important things out of the way first. Like breakfast. For instance, here is Ethan buying a pepperjack scone.

I got a cheddar and spinach one (after I ate a cream cheese danish.) Yum!

One can purchase many things at a Farmer's Market. Like local honey...

or mushrooms...

or flowers.

Did I mention flowers?

I'm sure I did. However, I'm sure I didn't say anything about cacti.

We really like the cacti and succulents. See, here are Ethan and I looking at them.

Hmmm.. What else? Oh yes, strawberries and asparagus...

green and purple leafy things...

potatoes and sugar-snap peas...

radishes on ice...

street musicians... Ok, you can't buy them, but you can give them money.

You can also find hope in the unlikeliest of places...

And love as well...

and Mike Tyson...

Did I forget to mention the bee guy?

Afterwards we walked over to Hair on Monroe St. so Ethan could get his six-week trim. Along the way, we ran into R2-D2.

Ethan gave him the secret stolen plans for the Death Star.

I placated my fans by taking vain and silly pictures of myself.

Jacquelyn was looking especially pretty yesterday.

Ethan needs to stop being so damned photogenic.

For those of you who read both Jacquelyn's and my journal, you may see some repeats as Jacquelyn took most of the pictures. It was a pretty enjoyable excursion. We ate quite well and played Settlers of Catan and Star Wars Monopoly before dinner and then watched Witness for the Prosecution afterwards. Excellent old movie. I don't even care for old movies much, but we've hit of a good streak of courtroom dramas and mysteries lately, like The Thin Man and Anatomy of a Murder.

I also threw together a pre-flyer for a Labor Day camp-out rave festival. This year, it's called Camped Out. I'll be doing the next pre-flyer around July and then the final flyer in August. I should try to think of something clever to do since there isn't much one can do with a name like Camped Out.

I'm off to make tea and dinner before Jacquelyn goes to her book club. Speaking of books, I just read all six Harry Potter books in a row. There is such a wonderful thread to be gotten from reading them consecutively and I've got a billion theories now and I can't wait for the seventh book now. I'd be depressed about what to read now, but Jacquelyn handed me Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, which is literally-laugh-out-loud hilarious. If I wasn't dating a scientist, I'd say science shouldn't be this funny.

That's all for now. As you were, soldier.