One more day to go and we celebrate life, love, dogs, parents, sisters, friends, clients, colleagues, scrubs, ruffians, incorrigibles. All are welcome. Come and get a square meal. Meet people. Take a load off. Enjoy a cold beverage. Talk some shit.

Pretty excited to take a day off and do some much-needed catching up everyone.

Sister Sarah flew in late last night. The whole Draplin family is assembled in Oregon. A first. We only get together, as a whole unit, maybe once a year. Not enough, really. It is amazing to have everyone here, with me, in a western town that I hold so close to me.

Traverse City Leigh flies in later this evening. Great. Gonna show that dame the town then bring her back to the pad to unleash a raving Gary on her, and, a raving Jim Draplin. Maybe not in that order. Tough gal, to be coming all this way to hang with all of us for a weekend.

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Gary and I have been going to the park a bunch all week. We walk the 14 blocks up to the Glenhaven schoolyards. There’s a couple acres of trimmed, green centerfield grass over there, and man, Gary burns up some energy fetching balls as the sun sets. He’s in training, for his big shot at the Doxie races someday: “Gary Prefontaine.”

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Birds Chirping: ‘Means you’ve stayed up pretty darn late. A tip for fellow time management marauders.

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Sorry for the lack of links today. We’re just plain “too busy” today to go hunting stuff down. Instead, we’re putting the finishing touches on the house for the big day tomorrow. You better show up. We’re keeping track, man.