Wednesday, June 20, 1943

The roofing materials are finally here. Sonny and his brother started replacing the plywood today. Hooray! It's wonderful to hear the tap, tap, tap of hammers.

My mailman told me that in over twenty years of delivering mail, so many unrelated people are living together on his route, it's almost impossible to remember all the names.

Steve, Greg and I scrubbed the pool, and then I vacuumed it. I also cleaned the pool carpet, driveway and garage.

My house is a disaster, although Steve doesn't dishes and cleans the countertops and table. Everyone take care of their own room and laundry. Steve and I keep the garage clean. Steve will vacuum and sweep floors, but that is all that gets done besides the pool.

All three of my tenants, Steve, Greg and Sonny, set off firecrackers, jumping jacks and bottle rockets tonight, while listening to the stereo, turned up to 1,000 or more decibels, while cutting plywood and nailing it to my roofs two-by-fours.

The make me feel either young or senile, depending on my mood. I like rock 'n roll, heavy metal, classical, opera, ageless classics and the Beatles, but not any of them deafeningly loud. It's incredulous to think of my life only five months ago and today. I've made major changes in my life before, but never so many, so quickly. I wonder what the neighbors think. When I moved back here two years ago after leasing this house, and trying to live with my totally insane Mother, several of my neighbors told me they were glad I was back. After today, all the things that have happened and all the things that may happen while I try to make financial ends meet, my neighbors my regret that I'm back. I regret having to live the way I have to live now. I don't need anything except a full-time joy to enable me to live like other sane, rational people.