Today...

Today, I am painting the very nearly 100-year-old stairwell in the "Casa del Foster, marko dos", and as Jambo, Ryan and anyone else that remembers the homestead from last May can tell you... this is no easy chore. Plaster and lathe walls that are as cracked as Pelosi's concept of "responsible government", carved bannisters with enough lead paint on them to shield a small family from an Iranian dirty bomb, and treads so worn that they are nearly twice as thick at the ends as they are in the middle.

Sometime before 5 PM, I will have to venture into town and score supplies for our first big soiree of the new year... and the theme? Wine tasting! That's right, Lieteau-fans... Elizabeth has scored nearly a dozen bottles of various wines, from about 4 different countries, and we are planning a cheese and cracker selection, dips, and pizza for the children. For Mick, "Super John" and myself? A fine selection of several (three) previously unattainable Irish whiskey labels (Paddy's, Redbreast, and Powers) and the remainder of my porter and stout stock. So, for those waiting with baited breath for the remainder of my New Deal arguments, they may take longer than I thought to get to the Bund.

So, hang-over permitting, I'll have more for the Bund tomorrow. For now, I have more paint to lay and Liz is texturing the ceiling... so I better go!