Old Finn

"After supper pap took the jug, and said he had enough whisky there for two drunks and one delirium tremens."

- Huckleberry Finn chapter 6

Take a little off the top. And off of the sides. And off the back.

Seven years after 9-1-01, it’s a fine, fine thing to be a local. I don’t have to drive two hours from San Diego to South Pasadena to get a haircut. Down the block from the barbershop, Videotheque is still there in case I get an impulse to rent something without waiting for Netflix. I haven’t been to the new Gus’s BBQ yet, but whatever they’ve done to it I’m sure that it’s better than no Gus’s at all. Small town America is flourishing in the midst of the metropolis.

Seven years later, small town America is also flourishing in rural America. Illinois was the last place that I ever expected to spend any time in. It is a good place, I want to spend more time there.

Lastly, I recently got my own copy of Huckleberry Finn. Seems like I’ve forgotten almost all of the story. My favorite character is Huck’s father, Old Finn, with his delirium tremens and wrongheaded political ideas. I hope he shows up later in the book. Nicole has been volunteering to read the book to me when I’ve been sleepy. For this I am hopelessly grateful. In addition, she has a devil of a time with Huck’s pal Jim’s old fashioned slave jargon:

“Dese las' skifts wuz full o' ladies en genlmen a-goin' over for to see de place.” (from chapter 8)

“Dese” (for example) comes out “Day-say” instead of “Deez”. The girl grew up pretty close to Missouri but I’ll be swizzled if she can manage any kind of regional accent. But how can I complain - she's an American girl reading American literature to me, life doesn't get any better than that.