Look, I know you’re all missing DJ, but there was a major computer melt down at headquarters–not his fault, by the way.  He was with me out in the boonies and not guilty this time.   Anyway, he and Cullen have been knocking heads over how to fix whatever went wrong since around three this morning.   I don’t know much about the innards of computers and want to keep it that way, so I have no idea how long your boy will be M.I.A., but evidently you worry when he doesn’t show up.  

He says you’ve been asking about me.   I know he probably doesn’t say so, but we all appreciate the good vibes we get from all your interest in us.   I know what we do definitely isn’t a sport, but that doesn’t mean having some cheerleaders on the sideline isn’t a welcome addition to our lives.   So thanks for that.

I’m till working out with Barak and Bane when they’ve got time.   I’m never going to be the caliber of switch hitter that they are with swords, but I’m improving.   Not enough that Devlin has let me go back to regular duty.  He uses me for other things–it’s not the same, of course, but I feel more useful than sitting on my backside in the alley and glaring at people.  I still do that sometimes, just for grins.  

Barak and I watch baseball together over beer and veggie pizza.   As DJ has told you, this has been a real sucky year for our local team, but baseball is baseball.   Besides, football season is upon us.   Since I put up with the veggie pizza for baseball, don’t you think Barak should try peperoni for football?  He won’t go for it, but I’m going to give him some serious grief over it.  

Back to work.  

Penn

Devlin here–I know I’m late.  Sorry.   I would’ve been here earlier, but I had to wait to be escorted from the lab to the front door before I could head for my office.  Protocol, you know.   The stupid thing is that when I’m not a patient, I can come and go as I damn well please.   You’d think the idiots would realize that if I wasn’t okay–as in gone stark raving crazy–I’d be dead, not walking out.   However, stupid as they are,  Kincade will have his rules followed, but I digress.

 I want to go on record here that I didn’t get mad at DJ for the flowers or the chocolates.   But if I had cracked up and laughed, he would have been bitterly disappointed.  After all, he was doing his best to jerk my chain.  Can’t let the idiot find out that I find him more entertaining than infuriating.  Well, most of the time.  Once in a while he really does deserve to dust light bulbs  and scrub floors.  It’s better than kicking his worthless ass from here to Mount St. Helens and back, don’t you think?

I also have to admit that I wasn’t in too much of a hurry to leave the lab.   Let’s see–getting fussed over by Laurel 24/7 or spending my day shoveling a mountain of paperwork from one side of my desk to the other.   Hmmmm.  Which shall it be?   Of course, all that paperwork is still waiting for me, but I’m well rested and ready to take it on.    Laurel sends her love, btw, and her appreciation for all the worrying you all do about us.  She says it helps all of us–even Trahern.  

DJ might be a little down in the dumps when he gets back, but it won’t be because of me.   His Chiefs were soundly pounded on Saturday–to the point that their “player of the game” was the punter.  How sick is that??????

You might now be able to see me waving from behind this pile of paper, but I’ll be around for a while today.

Dev

Morning, ladies–Jake Beck from the Missouri Paladins here.  Thought it was time I stopped into to say hi.   Normally, I don’t hold with poaching on another man’s territory, but we’re talking about DJ here.   It’s not fair that he gets so much of your attention.  I get lonely, too, you know!    I’ll return control of the blog to him . . . eventually.  

I’m still working on that dragon computer game that Brenna so admired–actually, I think she admired me, period, but Trahern’s the jealous sort, so she hid it well.   Jarvis keeps warning me to leave her alone, but really all we talk about is the game.   I keep asking Jarvis to send me to Seattle on Paladin business, but he seems to think that Trahern would object–strenuously, if you get my drift.    I really don’t need any more time strapped down to a metal table in the lab, so I guess I’ll stay where I am.  For the time being anyway.   8-D

It’s been pretty quiet around here for the past couple of weeks, which always sets my teeth on edge.  It’s like waiting for a storm to roll through, one you can feel gathering on the horizon.   Our earthquakes tend not to be quite so spectacular as you get in other areas, but they come in bunches–light and shallow so that most people can’t even feel them.  But animals know, and so do we.   The barrier can end up looking like one of those strobe lights they have at dance clubs.

I see from his blog, DJ is a football fan.  No surprise there.   Missouri has two pro teams–the Rams in St. Louis and the Chiefs in Kansas City.  Hopefully one of them will have a good season.   I’ve been watching some of the Olympics.   Saw a couple of the gymnists fall–gotta give them credit for dusting themselves off and going right back at it. 

Don’t know how long I’ll have control of the blog, but until I get called away or DJ steals it back, I’ll be hanging around.  

Jake