Gammera is Coming!

Everyone was depressed last night about Gamma; the TV was blasting a projected path right toward us again and several regulars had just had their power back last week. My neighbor across the street still has a blue taupe on her damaged roof, my neighbor to the north just had his A/C replaced on the roof, my neighbor to the south's pool is still a wreck, and the wall between me and the neighbor to the west is still a pile of rubble.

That Pimpernel returned from Switzerland and spent a good eleven hours drinking with Ditmar; he brought me five Belgian and French cheese wedges that made my office smell like the privates of a French hustler. My office was the most popular spot to be yesterday.

Mattie made us wince when he described how he was teaching a group of high schoolers this weekend the lyrics and dance moves to "Mame".

And Jeremy made me sad when he told me he was being deployed to the American embassy of a South American country for four months. Who will protect The Countess? I hate to admit it; except for Andy (who suspiciously sang showtunes all the way up to Ft. Lauderdale when we went to see Evita), The 7th is not the band of "Ferocious Tops" as once described by a customer. Yes, the only thing separating me from The Mob in a legion of bottoms once Jeremy is gone. What did make me laugh was when I noted that Jeremy--at his tender age--had served in so many conflicts and campaigns. Kuwait, Iraq, Bosnia (as a special attache' to Nato General and European Duke Berulft), and Germany were all in his background, so I asked (after he had four or five cosmos), "Jeremy, do you get one of those chest badges for every action or campaign you are involved in?" He widened those outrageously beautiful, blue eyes and replied, "Yes, when I'm full uniform I look like a Panamanian general!"

I love my captain; I'm not even going to bother replacing him as I will just leave the position vacant until he returns. As everyone here will attest, there can be no replacement for a fine man like Jeremy. (I will, of course, be a sort of Catherine The Great and interview the talents of many noble wannabes. We must be realistic.)