Wow, Shirley. How nice of you to say that. I really needed some day brighteners. Having a child with a mental illness (especially when you haven't been sure he did indeed HAVE a mental illness), well, I wouldn't wish this on anybody. I take it one day at a time.

something funny just happened. My landlord (who is italian and speaks very bad broken english and thank god, I DO speak italian) just rang my doorbell. Today is the 7th, right??. I paid the rent on November 30 and I gave him the December rent. I always pay before or on the first of the month. Been doing that for 14 years. They have only raised us twice and the second time only $50.00. That was a few months ago. So thankfully we don't have greedy people for landlords. We would literally be on the streets if that were the case.

so he comes into my apartment and says "the rent check said 12".
Alan looks at him and says "what???" And Vinny goes "the rent check said 12,you know December"!!! Alan looks at me and says "what is he talking about?". So I ask in italian what is he talking about?? He again looks at us (he seems to know what he is saying but we don't have a clue) and says the check says 12. I looked at him and said "well, this is December and that means the 12th month (this is all in italian by the way and Alan is jewish so try to imagine his face while watching us talk italian. I politely ask in italian "what are you trying to tell us" (I was getting scared that he was raising us $12.00 or something like that). My landlord burst out laughing and said "the rent check is dated 12". So here we go again.

I said (in italian). "look Vincenzo, December is the 12th month of the year, that's why there's a number 12 on the check". Finally it dawns on him that he is not expressing himself correctly and he goes "uno momento, and runs out the door and comes back and there is the rent check that Alan wrote and the check is dated DECEMBER 12TH, 2006. The bank would not accept a check on the first that was dated the 12th. I look at Alan and say "write this man another check and date it today".

I have to check what Rocky writes now. Lord Lord.

melody

My landlord