As the last few warm days of summer quickly evaporate, it's time to look ahead to that oddest of months - September. Odd because it's derivitive is "septem"; this is Latin for seven. Why the good folks that created both the Julian & Gregorian calendars chose to ignore this, and name the ninth month of the year after the number seven, will forever remain a mystery taken to their graves. But, I digress.
September will be a big month for your author, the second luckiest man on the planet, beginning with the annual pagan ritual that is PattyPalooza. For those newer Cheap Talk readers, the following reprint of one of last year's more popular entries will school you on the origin of this gathering of the clan. <I'll issue an update containing this year's experience, in a week or so.>
The Legend Of PattyPalooza
Long ago, in a land far, far away, there lived a beautiful Princess and her dashing husband, the Prince. They enjoyed a peaceful existance, blessed with 2 fine sturdy children, making their home in a bucolic setting, deep within an enchanted woodland. All was well. But then, inevitably, their children grew and developed interests outside their forest home.
At first, this seemed a benign development; the empty nest had been a foregone conclusion to child-rearing, but somehow, the emptiness that enveloped the royal couple was palpable. This was especially true for the Princess - Patty. Whiling away the days with sundry employment and decorating tasks just didn't fill the void in her life that this natural progression had wrought.
It was just after hosting the perfunctory family gathering, that the Princess had an idea; why not create an annual event for family and assorted townsfolk to enjoy? This would surely provide the missing spark and likely result in mirth and merriment for all involved. 
She quickly set to the task, incorporating ideas and assistance from the farthest reaches of the kingdom. The resultant pagan festival that bears her name - PattyPalooza - was born. Over the years, the Princess and her Prince transformed their arboreal homeland into a theme park, of sorts. Featured attractions, added throught the years include: the slip & slide of doom, the duck regatta, fireworks (the real ones, not those dopey fake ones), kareoke, bean bag/washer toss tourneys, talent contests, awards ceremonies, and last years' crowning jewels, the pool and Tiki bar. Theme t-shirts were added over the years, some of which made their way to other lands, destined perhaps to inspire other fair-haired princesses.
Several weeks later, I'll be making my third trip to the West African nation of Sierra Leone. My bunkmate Bearcat and I will again be visiting the village of Maboleh, in the central part of the country, to spread our incredibly entertaining brand of snappy patter renew ties with our friends there, and ensure that our building project stays on schedule. We're building a church there and hope to have the dedication happen early next year. Here's a few pics of the construction.
While there, we'll stay at a guest house in Makeni, a "city" about 5 miles from the village. Hopefully, there'll be enough electricity to power fans at night. I'm so looking forward to reintroducing my gastro-intestinal tract to the local fare: lots of goat, fish, cassava and the most diabolically hot spices I've ever ingested.
Until next time amigos, adios.....
