11/10/99 In the paint.

Like a point guard, I've been fighting my way in and out of one complication after another.... but at least I'm fighting. Last Friday, I was lucky enought to get three tickets to the Portland Trailblazer game. Nike's Corporate box... me and Calvin and Cameron.... watching our favorite team pound the Denver Nuggets. How ironic... I'm in the Executive Suite of a multi-billion dollar company, and I'm telling the kids that they can't get a t-shirt because I don't have any money. But it was relaxing to be someplace I wanted to be, rather than someplace I was told to go.

The rest of my weekend, I was in the paint...literally. Since it looks like Holly has abandonned her kids for an extended stretch.... we decided finally to paint the room that she will share with Katie...and install the bunkbeds.
After a sleepless weekend, the walls are now "California sky" blue, and there are 2"x6" framed bunkbeds where katies stuff used to be. Now, naturally, the girls refuse to sleep in there without Calvin. The slumber party has moved down the hall.
Shelby has been a major disruption...refusing to go to sleep, refusing to go to school, faking illness so she can stay home, or going to the "Nurses Office" at the school claiming she has to go home. I know these problems are going to be long term, but Monica seems to think that "love will conquer all" and things will be "normal" soon. When has anything ever been normal?

Calvin had his second YMCA PEE-WEE HOOPS Game last night...his team lost, 24-18 Calvin scored 14 0f his team's 18 points...the kid sure is good! I'm the most un-atheletic guy around... and my kid is a jock. How did that happen?

I have the next meeting with my bancrupcy attourney next thursday to figure out how to restructure the repayment of my debt... and the state of Washington will pay me about $350 per moth for taking care of Shelby full time.... Hopefully it will make things easier around here.

Back to the game..