From the journal of Mylo Grove

July 18, 1998

My mom is a biologist. She studies how animals and plants next to the ocean and in the ocean interact with each other. That’s how we ended up living on Finley island in the middle of Puget Sound. I mean this Island is small. Not the kind of Island you see in the middle of city park ponds, but I know that only about 300 people live on this Island — that probably includes the seal population.

We were living in Santa Cruz while my mom was in school at the University of California, and she was about to be offered this great job with the University. But, my mom and dad started fighting, and mom says we gotta go because she got a job up north, and my father was never going to be part of our family anyway. I know he was drinking lot, and he wouldn’t even let people know that we were his kids or that he was with mom. She was tired of that crap she said.

I have a sister who’s 8 and a pesty little squirt of a sister who is almost 6 and can’t sit still or stop making noise to save her life. Blenny is 8. The Squirt is 6 and a major loon. I mean, some people say that what happens before your born can make you act different after your born. I think it must’ve happened to her.

Anyway I know My Mom would rather have stayed in Santa Cruz. Even though she said this island job was a “great opportunity”, I know she only took it because she wanted to be away from our father. Heck, maybe he won’t even be able to find us on this lousy bit of rock. It’s hard to find even with directions and the ferry only comes twice a day.

Anyway I’m writing this because my mom wants me to practice writing by keeping a journal. She wanted me to start a few months ago while we were dealing with moving and all so that she could read what I wrote and help me to sort it all out. But, everything was so crazy that I couldn’t think of writing anything, besides her computer was all packed away, and I’m not doing this without a computer. It seems like a lot to ask anyway. 2 pages a day. I haven’t even finished one yet and I’ve told my whole life’s story practically.

Mom said I could and should write whatever came into my head, but maybe trying to write about what happens in my life and how I feel about them would be the best place to start.

This is what is in my head now. Moving! I hate it mostly, even though it is kind of exciting in a way. I didn’t have to leave any real long time friends though I was kind of getting to know one kid about my age. He (I like the way this program tells me if I misspell a word or when I forget to capitalize it catches it and does it for me) Well anyway he was 12 and I was 11, but he was in the same grade even though I don’t go to school. I’m a homeschooler (the computer doesn’t know that word), but Robert went to school so we could hang out after school got out. Still we got along pretty good, and he liked to do the same things: go to the park or the beach and rollerblade (doesn’t know that one either), swim at the pool, play with his great dog, Bozo. Bozo was great at catching frisbies (another one it doesn’t know) and chasing down balls. Heck he lived to chase things, but he always came when you called him. I had a stupid dog once and he would only come if you had something he wanted. He liked to run at you at top speed and pretend he was going to run you over and turn away at the last second and take off. He would take me on walks or drags more like. How much more to go? God! It takes a lot of writing to fill up two pages even when the font is big.

Let’s see, What happened today? We have finished most of the unpacking and arranging of everything. There’s three

bedrooms and a living room and a kitchen that connects to it. There’s only one bathroom! And Squirt is always charging in ahead of me when I say I have to go. She just about knocks you down if you get in her way. Blenny is kind of quiet these days. She used to sing all the time, but I think this moving stuff is a lot (it put a space between a and lot) harder on her than me. She had a lot (again) of friends to leave behind and now she only has the Squirt. Don’t get me wrong the Squirt can be a lot (again) of fun, but Blenny seems to get tired of the constant sillyness. (the computer doesn’t know sillyness.) Me too! I can see the end of the page. It’s almost here and I am almost done for today. But, there’s always tomorrow and on after that. I guess it’s not so bad writing two pages.