Rated PG For Mild Violence

Nothing much is going on here. Same old same old. The doggy
Ann has the front porch full of bark from her latest log-chewing
adventure. Also, she's brought home a new toy, a net bag of
moldy potatoes. She is the dog version of HH. Nothing is trash.
Everything has a use. It's free...better grab it and bring it home.

#1 son may be fighting Grizzly for his doghouse this winter. He
is in need of obedience school. The boy, not the dog. He didn't
do his weekly job of taking the trash to the end of the driveway
this morning. He says it is my fault. This afternoon, his split his
brother's lip. It's kind of a long story. Like all of my stories.

It was #2 son's turn to play Neopets on my school computer
while I finished up some work. I have been staying at school
until 4:00 just to catch up with my crazy schedule. After about
10 minutes, the server went down. #2 had a little meltdown.
I couldn't help but laugh, because it was so dramatic. I felt bad,
but I got myself under control. He'd just had a lecture on how
things would not always go his way, and he couldn't make a
big deal, or kids would make fun of him.

Anyhoo, #1 had to rub salt in the gaping wound by taunting,
"Ha ha. Now you lose your day to play Neopets. Loser." This
did not set well with #2, who ran across the room and kid-slapped
#1 on the legs, as only an 8-year-old can do to his 11-year-old
brother, who is the size of a small adult. #1 whacked #2 with a
forearm. He knew immediately that it was a bad move. "Uh. I
didn't mean to do that." Yes he did. He is always picking on the
little guy. No wonder #2 has all that pent-up rage. Ever since he
could sit up, #1 would run by and smack him on top of the head,
shouting, "Baby Smacky! Baby Smacky!" Every time he walks by,
he pinches or squeezes or thumps hit little brother. Blood oozed
out of #2's mouth. He squalled. #1 pretended nothing happened,
and turned back to playing CD games on his computer. He tried
to pretend it was just a reflex. The tooth hole in the flesh of his
forearm said it wasn't.

#1 was banished to his room all evening for his smart-mouthing
all the way home. That was because I revoked the McDonald's
privelege due to the boys squabbling while I could have been
working. He turned quite surly without his fast-food fix. They
get it every Thursday, HH's bowling night. HH took #1's side,
as usual, and invited him to go bowling with him instead of staying
in his room. No wonder the kid thinks he can act this way. Good
thing he said no on the bowling. While in his room, he sent out a
remote-control car. Which he withdrew when I threatened to throw
it out on the porch for doggy Ann. He pressed the 'find' thingy on
his cordless phone, just to hear the beeping sound for about 5
minutes. #1 and I ignored this cry for attention. That boy has got
to straighten up. Next thing you know, he'll be slamming a book
on the floor and saying, "It just fell."

I have paroled him for now, with the stipulation that he stay away
from #2. That's because right after imprisonment, while I was in
the kitchen boiling up some macaroni noodles, he snuck out and
hissed at #2, "I'm gonna re-open your lip."

Perhaps he should chuck the computer-consultant career plan,
and open a hit-man-for-hire company.