" It don't matter about Dooley," James proclaimed. "It don't matter at all. A wake is not a wake wit' out a stiff. It's always dat way. I bin to hundr...ds of 'em, Boy-o, and I never bin t' one wit' out a corpse laid out in its finest attire."Well, 'tis somethin' new, I got to admit," Mike conceded."An where do ye think Ol' Dooley is now?" James demanded. "Shoved off in some refrig'rater, cold as ice, when 'e could be out, injoyin' his wake wit' his friends." Unless the body's lost," Mike pointed. Then, I opened my eyes, put down my un-needed drink and gathered Karen in my arms.The only problem we have now is with my voice, when we go out with me as Alice I let Karen do any talking necessary. If there is a need for me to say something out of politeness to a waiter, for example, I raise my red finger-nailed hand to my throat and whisper a husky thank you.We don't go to the same places too often because the sore throat and laryngitis bit only stretches so far. We still kept it to maybe one. Are you readyto escort me?" Certainly Angela," he says offering his arm. "The other men at the partywill be so jealous..."I shake my head. "Not if they knew you weren't getting any.." Then stick mytongue out at him before taking his arm..."Well there is that," he says with a grin. "But I'm not going to tell themthat.. are you?"I look up at him and smile. "Probably not no.. as long as you behaveyourself." Oh I'm not going to risk the wrath of Amy," he says with a smile as heleads me out."Just. Living inCalifornia, being a surfer and having a nice natural tan in December madeLuke seem so much more sophisticated than her. Instead of being jealousLori was going to learn from Luke talking about his experiences.Lori also wanted to hear all about the Cove Crew. She was online friendswith Shy, and Lil' but they never had time to talk. One of the hardestthings to do was to have three teenage girls living on the opposite endof the United States be available to chat at the same time. All three.