Elizabeth Gore, 1774 - supposed to be my Cherokee grandmother. Watched the Chiefs game and the man next to me told me he's native american - wasn't rooting for the Chiefs of the Broncos. Told me about the poor quality of American cars. Spent a lot of time in a Toyota. They dropped one, waited three days, then dropped another. Three days. The man was exposed to radiation. I have a relative named Alpha. I have one named Delos. I have a walker with tennis balls on the bottom and a German shepherd that's afraid of it. Not who, that. Not that, who. It was an instance of inlaws versus outlaws. I talked to my father for the first time in over a year. Again, he told me that he likes to read Paul Theroux - he likes to read anything that's written well. I like to read anything that is not written well. He asked me if I am in a doctoral program. His friend thinks I should pursue a terminal degree. His friend thought my dad's pocket knife was really cool, so his friend got on the internet and bought the same knife. They hunt together and ride motorcycles. Your children are being too nice to you. Your time clay pigeon shooting with them was too pleasant, wasn't it. They are being too nice to you. Look for missing thousands of dollars. Elizabeth Gore, 1774. The first Stevens in America was a ship builder. I suppose he didn't like the idea of going west right away. The Revolutionary War. Before she died, she told us of our Cherokee grandmother - very unlikely. Grandfather sits, speechless. The belt that keeps his in his chair has rainbows on it. He has the same teeth he has always had. Is he waiting for the drive around the lake? Is he waiting for the new American car? But that native american, Dave, at the bar said Am cars are no good. Toyotas. As he told me about the Toyota, he made signs with his hands. There are no pronouns in sign language? They have their own sign language on Martha's Vineyard? I could have had a child? A shipbuilder. A 91 year old great aunt that a German shepherd wants to bite. The turkey is good because we flipped it. They bought the same knife. He sets my dad up on dates and wants to know why I am not in a doctoral program. He wants to know why I am not dead. Why is your son not dead? Yes, well I have that same knife. I did not have to buy it on the internet - my dad gave it to me for graduation. So we can all have the same knife. If I get into a car accident, I can cut myself out of the car. A guy at a bar once had something wrong with his hash pipe, so I let him use my knife to clean his hashpipe. One of the blades is called a sheep's foot. I was being too nice. I knew about the thousands because I counted them all in the worst room I can imagine. I know all about email and buying knives on the internet. I know about lawyers who ride bikes, eat lunches, and tell my dad lies about me. He thinks we have the same knife. It is a life of confrontation. One after the next. It is a life of stacked and stained cups. It is a life of little people in my fingernails. 1774, she sat on some unearthly shore. This was before everything was covered with plaztic. Before 100 years of moving pictures and entertainment magazines. She must have pulled her skirt over her head. He must have pushed whatever she could into her ears before she started making signs. Sign language is now appropriate. It's the way I will get along with dad.