Six boys one cup...

,,, or, rather, one swing that has a cup-shaped "bowl" for the kids to swing in. Six boys, aged 5 or 6 to around 12, shirts off, running around, swinging on the swing, playing tag, etc. etc. a couple of nights ago. Last night some of them were there again, except they kept their shirts on. What a pity... (I'm using a damned netbook, and the keyboard is a bitch to type on -- the full-size keyboard someone gave me is great, except that a few of the keys don't work...) I was going to give more details, but this damned keyboard... Also a couple of nights ago five boys around 14 years old walking down the street when one of them stuck his soccer ball under his shirt. So I said, "You're pregnant!" They cracked up. I could have asked who the father was, but they might not have appreciated that humor. You know how macho young boys can be... Have played the "tickling" game every day with a five-year-old who's staying here. He now begs to play it every time he sees me. He usually refuses to eat, and I told the mother to stop giving the kid fruit juice before dinner, as it kills the kids appetite. She stopped, and now the kid eats more of the food on his plate. Funny what hunger does to improve the appetite of a growing boy... Me? Well, I'm still alive. At least, for now. I may have a couple hours a week of work soon, which would give me some much-needed cash, which I lack now. Someone gave me a REALLY nice notebook computer in exchange for promised language lessons, but I don't want anyone to see that I've got it so I can't use it until I figure out how to put a lock on it. That's the downside, I guess, of living among substance abusers and thieves. It looks like I'll be here for at least a couple of months. Some have been here for YEARS. Life's a bitch, and then... well, YOU know... Well, this keyboard is driving me nuts. So I'll stop now. Cheers! M.