.LOG
6:11 PM 4/26/2002

7:36 PM 4/26/2002
"A piece of wood" was chosen as the title for this log because the two words share an obvious connection. {Log/wood} sorry to sound simplistic I spent a good part of the afternoon talking with an eight year old.
His name is Andrew although I got confused and called him Alexander. Sometimes he rides down the street holding a flag in one hand and pedaling his bicycle as hard as he can. Together we built a structure of bamboo and wire that was to serve as a garage for a matchbox car. He said he missed his real mom. Something has infected his eyes. He weeps pus and has scabs. He says that it gets better when he gets his medicines.I notice that he has trouble focusing on small print or detailed objects but he recognised words quickly sometimes after only three letters. He said he will see his real mom tomorrow. he said that he was a foster child and we told him that was ok. We didnt say why. But we looked at each other.
10:57 PM 4/26/2002
Masha and I came over to Denny's;
They were supposed to go to Melbourne for a huge veterans convention, and I was dropping her off.
Denny Likes to avoid the traffic rush through Tampa so the late afternoon departure was a bad idea.
We ended up leaving just after sunset. I talked almost nonstop about which planet was which and how we might never see such a gathering of stars.
He had just finished a tall glass of vodka and OJ and was becoming incoherent. Masha and I talked outside. Mostly I told her that I just needed to talk not her answers or anything. Just be with me and let me say things.
Playing with Andrew was pretty intense. An eight year old is like a human radio. They can't help but broadcast how they feel to all around them.

11:20 PM 4/26/2002
Mainly andrew and I worked on getting the garage built. he liked the ide of puting a stick in the ground, and setting the bamboo overit but he ground was too hard becase of the stones .
I liked the idea of using wire to fill the holes and provide a flexible joint. we tried stringing the bamboo on a piece of vine. I thouhgt that we could put the cutoffs on a string like that as beads (you know as a gift for his mom.) What we settled on was tripods we each made one argued over the pliers and then joined them by a leg making a six legged sawhorse i added extra wire to stabilize and wrapped the corners with long grasslike leaves.

12:46 AM 4/27/2002

9:22 AM 4/27/2002
mash and denny were going to leave yesterday for melbourne FL where a gathering of vietnam veterans takes place every year. The event is actually sponsored by Vietnam veterans of Brevard county. they've been doing it for fifteen years, and since it's in Florida, the event has grown to become the nations largest veterans reunion. losts of these guys were in the service when woodstock happened. This is their version of the event with a few differences. First it's organized, as you might expect from military guys. Second it is sober and serious and third I've never been their though i get invited. I'm looking after someones house.
Finally they are off!!! Masha and denny! Peter left yesterday around three. When we fought the other day, he took his usual strategy of restraining and this time I used his grip on me and fell myself. It was difficult because i did have to plant a foot inside his stance and draw him away from the window to avoid shatter. The same with the glasses. I remember three hands reaching down to move away his glasses one was mine, masha's then his.