Support those you love. You'll need it back someday.

I have received an outpouring of response/support/love/advice/etc as a result of my mass e-mail-turned-blog (see "What THEY do in MY Neighborhood"). I have wonderful people in my life and I'd like to thank you all. I want to highlight two responses, in particular.

First, my father. I will let him speak for himself:

"Joanne,
Send this to the NY Times Sunday Magazine - it would make a very good end article. I'm really sorry about your journal. Needless to say, I'm very angry about what happened and would like to pursue the muggers with a gun."

Thanks, Dad. But I'd rather see them in jail than you. Frankly, I'm glad you're in Cleveland and not here.

Second, Alison (a.k.a. - Small Bat). She makes the whole story even more riveting with an added detail unknown to me at the time of mugging:

"Joanne!!! I'm so sorry to hear of your epic talke of mugging, but at least from the tone of your story you are
making the best of it, whatever best can be made.

It's a bit ironic too, because I called you on Sunday night on your cell phone. Now I imagine your muggers (in the form of man-monkeys from the 2001 Space Odyssey) grunting and hitting buttons on your phone as I called,
trying to answer it."

Small Bat, you made me laugh out loud. I miss you terribly and I'm planning a trip to Hawaii as you read.