Condition: Oakland

I normally try to avoid "slice o' life" posts when baseball's in session, but.

Very early Saturday morning (1-1:30 a.m.) I was woken up by someone firing a gun repeatedly outside my house. I heard quite a commotion, screaming, one woman shouting, "You're dead! You're fucking dead!" Then the CFPD came rolling in, flashing lights, no sirens, and TCB'd. I didn't stay up to see what happened, though I kind of wanted to step out onto my porch and get an eyeful.

About a week ago, a weirdo went into his ex-g's house and shot three people there in the head. This is a completely unrelated incident. Two of those people died, one of them a very young woman named Kristal Duarte. She was only 20. Sad story.

Now several people have said, "I think it might be time for you to move out of Central Falls." As though there's rampant shootings and bloodshed and gang violence. Newsflash: these occurances are as rare as a sensitive fascist. I am okay here. It would be nice, however, if you stayed out!

Aside from that, it's a little weird to be wearing a sweater in August. Of all the seasonal changes, the summer-to-autumn one seems to be the most poignant. Goodbye, good times. Minor league baseball's almost over. I've got that "What the fuck am I going to do now?" panicky feeling, too. Many of you have football. Unfortunately, I don't.

Many years ago, I lived in Reno. It was the biggest city I'd ever lived in, and I loved just walking around and looking at it. I found a park one day near the highway. There was a huge tree, dripping with leaves, and I couldn't help but run around it trying to catch them as they spinned downward. I was 12-ish and way too old to act that way, but sometimes... you know how it goes.

I'm blowing town this Halloween. I've discovered that I really like celebrating holidays away from home. I should be so lucky this Labor Day.