It is a typical November day that is overcast and cool. After a few days of this and I am getting cabin fever and grouchy. Gary and Ellen are supposed to come for lunch and bring the step to the trailer. I need to do a little shopping and gas the Expedition up for the week. I have no idea whether Art and Ellie will be down though this is Ellie’s birthday. She may not want to share it with her Russell relatives – who knows?

I went shopping early and bought mostly groceries. I waited around until about eleven and Gary and Ellen showed up with the stairs. They are made out of metal and very nice though they step off east rather than west but that is okay. They called up Art and Ellie who were at WalMart and we met for lunch at El Cazador. It was a good meal and good conversation. They all came over to the trailer for a couple of hours and then Art and Ellie went home. Ellie brought me a cake and some lasagna.  Gary and Ellen stayed another hour and then took off for Joseph. They told me that Sam and Hayden were visiting in about two weeks. I don’t know whether it is the annual meat exchange or what.

I watched the end of Monsieur Abriham, which was a story about a Jew boy becoming friends with an Arab shopkeeper. A fairly good story I guess except the subtitles were so low on the screen that they were difficult to read – really impossible.

I talked to Mikey and he had a pretty good day - he made pumpkin pie and had two pieces with whipped cream. He asked me what I was doing for Thanksgiving and I said I was staying home but was thinking about going to Grants Pass on Friday. I asked him if he could go along with me and he said he would ask his mom. He said that he would ask her right now and he came back and said that they had other plans and he couldn’t go. There was a pause and he said that is all right. I said something like some other time but he could tell I was disappointed. I cannot really tell sure whether that means he is going to work on her or see what develops in the next few days. I figure whatever happens is probably for the best because I really would have a hard time dealing with those women that is for sure. I have only known Mikey for a little while so I guess if they are not going to play along I will just start withdrawing any support for him. I hate to hurt Mikey and would not intentionally but I am not going to let them use him to work me over. It will work out the way it is supposed to go I guess.