... greenwich main street, a moment in which to pause ...
... when there's nothing to take a picture of—well, that should never happen ...
... my brother ... he got one of those gilbert chemistry sets for christmas and decided i was to be the subject of his mad science ... "how did you get those purple marks on your ears," ma asked ... "um ... well, i think some of the radiation from the alien's flying saucer must've leaked through the garbage can lid i was hiding behind" ... i was never going to rat out my brother, if for no other reason than when i couldn't protect myself i could count on him to step in to do the job ... and, honestly, what good's a mom if you can't screw with her mind a bit every once and awhile ...
... fully aware of the impossiblility of ever doing so, pa i would never think of messing with ... "stay away from your brother when he gets that mad scientist look in his eyes—and, next time, wrap the garbage can lid with tin foil" ...