Pi says, "Hello! Is anyone alive? It's after eleven, and it has been kind of quiet." Yes, but it is happy morning for all that. I'm just enjoying my reading, and I broke in my eighth little golden book. Daimon says, "You mean you are not all stressed out and living in dread of Kay's arrival." No, or ... at least I wasn't. Now that you raise the issue, I am feeling it a little. This is not to say that I forgot about her. My mind is just a lot clearer and stronger in the morning than in the late evening. It was not difficult for me to push it out of my mind and focus on "Phaedrus" and the glory of seeking higher truths that transcend this fallen world with all its pain and frustration. Hell, I even vacuumed. It had been a while, and I figured it was likely that Pop would say something. I easily got on top of it ... ... "SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — In one scene of the new video game Batman: The Telltale Series, a sharply dressed Bruce Wayne is hosting a party for a friend when an underworld kingpin approaches and extends his hand. That’s when the game offers players a choice: to publicly shake the hand of the crime lord, or refuse and risk making an enemy of one of Gotham’s most dangerous men. In a medium known for violence and action, most video games would have Batman primarily punching his way through the city. But that choose-your-own-adventure moment is a hallmark of Telltale Games, the independent developer behind the Batman game and the company that has breathed new life into the industry’s genre of story-focused games that let players decide how a plot unfolds." [NYT] Daimon says, "Kind of tempting, eh?" You can bet your ass. Oomph, I wouldn't mind taking another dive into the super-immersive worlds of video-gaming - if I ever come into some money. If they ever make them for adults, then, wow, I will really be going mad to play ... ... Jack is here. More surprisingly, so is Paolo. I wasn't sure that he was still in Jack's life. But they come up to the house talking vibrantly and laughing like true good friends, and it has been a long time, about 20 years! It must be nice ... ... Recalling Jack's cook-out, I imagined that Jack might be pushing Pop to have a party here. Then, the paranoia of long ago resurfaced. Is it possible that Jack still might be up for getting me in trouble, whether into a fight or with the law, fixing a situation? I was even thinking that maybe I should try to insist, if there is such an engagement planned, that Pop set me up at a hotel with a pizza and a cooler of soft drinks - establishing this as the price for his party - so that I am safely removed from the scene. In addition, even if there were no threatened trouble, it would still be a grand plan, so that I don't have to suffer being a stranger in my own house amidst a crowd of drunk frolickers ... ... A few latinos have come offering Pop to fix the dent below his car's door frame, and it sounds like a great deal to him. The really funny part: when I take the trash out, I see their car parked out front, LOL, it is a smorgasbord of dents. But, hell, I'll consider it a 'win' if we don't get assaulted and robbed ... Oops, it appears that they have driven off with Pop, and Kay too. Gee, I hope I hear from him again ... They are back. In the end, it seems I was afforded close to two hour's respite from Kay's visit - a real break! When I first saw these guys, and saw Pop doing business with them, I was naturally feeling my usual rise in stress, and it turns out that it was a gift to me. If only it lasted another half-hour, I would have been able to make my sandwiches for dinner in peace and serenity ... ... Wow, Hollywood is remaking "Papillon", the Steve McQueen picture. I imagine they will speed it up. As I recall, although it was a true piece of art, it's a very slow-moving movie. I cannot honestly say that I am all that eager to watch it, unless it were recast, like "Ghost Busters", with women characters and it's a women's prison.