Make my mind up. Today wash day and although I was not looking forward to it I got up had some breakfast and loaded the washing machine with a load of...my knickers. The problems began when I got going it stalled and decided not to play. I had no alternative but to ring for an engineer. After about a hour there was a knock at the door. That was quick, so quick I was still in my very short dressing gown. I went to the door and two chaps were there. One an older man called Bob he was about 60 but. And missed."You missed." It moved." You missed." It moved!" Try again." Right, I'm on it."For the next hour, until the 'Low Fuel' light flashed and the buzzer buzzed, she chased that stupid cloud from 'hell to breakfast.' No matter what she did she couldn't even put a wing through it.The cloud played her like a piano, she went right, it went left, she flew up, it went down. Then it started showing off, barrel rolls over the cockpit, loops, dives, a high speed chase, although it would be. He also had a reputation as a cheapskate, which is why he'd run for council -- to try and do something about the wanton and excessive waste of his precious tax dollars.There were several friendly faces elsewhere in the room, notably her parents, Kevin, Vicky, and Jason. Most of the time Jason's interest in city council was just about zip. It had been years since he'd attended a council meeting, when, along with a crowd of others, he'd protested a proposed zoning change that would have put. He wiped his face with his hands, only to realize they were wet with tears. When was the last time he cried? He thought, staring at his damp hands, sensing the unfamiliar heat rolling down his cheeks. Twenty years ago, he remembered. The day his mother died. Fuck it all. Joe buried his face in his hands, and let the tears come. * Some time later his front screen door cluttered against its frame, followed by the noisy descent of work boots up the stairs. He barely managed to wipe his face and.