Fun Day and John Kiriakou

Just goes to show ya: A day can start out unpleasant and end up great fun.  I called Rachel in the morning to ask what this Ad Hoc Players "meeting" could be for, as the reading isn't until September.  She said we were also "going to look at plays for next year."  Next year?  Does she really think I'm going to continue with this thing next year?  As usual in conversations with Rachel, this turned out to be infuriating and senseless.  At one point, referring to the party, she said, "I don't know why P. (his last name) would pick that day, anyway."  I told her John hadn't picked the date; he gave me several to choose from and that's what I selected.  I told her I wasn't coming to the meeting and we finally hung up, but not before I had developed a foul mood.
After the experience with the infamous M-Bag, I decided to take the baby books I had bought at Bam! back (alliteration, I love it).  Called Aline on the off-chance she was available and she was.  Picked her up, we went to Applebee's for lunch and had a very enjoyable time. 
By the time we got to Bam!, I was feeling better, although I was dismayed to be told there was a two-week limit on returns; I had bought the books three weeks ago.  Darn, I was annoyed, but held my temper and politely asked to see the manager.  She came, I explained about the postage cost, and she said all she could do was she'd give me a gift card equivalent.  Okay, that's a lot better than nothing, so I was satisfied.
We then drove down to Produce Junction and I got a big bag of mushrooms, then everything went black.  When I woke up, I found I had bought four pretty calamaris (no, but it starts with a "c") and a gorgeous deep-purple lisianthus.   Well, so what?  At Produce Junction, they're a steal.
Stopped at the cemetery on the way home and watered the azaleas at Pat's grave (wouldn't you know, it rained later in the day and this morning) and was pleased to see the Gerber daisy I had planted at Jay's is still there and looks good.  Watered that, too.
By the time we started home, it was past 5:00 and we made the joint decision that ice cream was on the agenda.  Stopped at The Pine Cone and enjoyed it while we sat and talked and talked.  Aline's sister has been diagnosed with Epstein-Barr and naturally, Aline is concerned about that.  I tried to reassure her that at least, it isn't Susan's diabetes or something more serious that's acting up, and that helped a bit.  I told her how much she had helped bring me out of my down mood of this morning, so we were a mutual admiration society.
Finally dropped my pal off about 7:00.  I had dripped vanilla soft-serve all over myself, so  immediately jumped in the shower when I got home, then settled in for the night.
WIDER:  A week or so ago, I wrote to John Kiriakou, the former CIA agent, who had blown the whistle on the torture engaged upon by his kindly colleagues.  In what seems a typical cruel irony nowadays, he's the only American who's been punished for torture--and he simply made it known.  He's serving a thirty-month sentence in federal prison in Loretto, Pa.  Yesterday, I was delighted to get a letter back from him, thanking him for mine and commenting on the Bradley Manning case, which I had mentioned.  Said he would have been with us on June 1, if he had been able.  Wikipedia and this web site tells more about his case:   
  http://www.defendjohnk.com/