16

HEY... WHERE'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL? But it looks like Rodrick has found a way around the new 8:00 rule. Now, when Dad tells Rodrick to get out of bed, Rodrick just drags his stuff upstairs with him and he sleeps on the couch until it's time for dinner. So I guess you gotta give this round to Rodrick. Tuesday Mom and Dad are going away again this weekend, and

they're dropping me and Rodrick off at Grandpa's. They said they WERE gonna let us stay home, but we proved we can't be trusted on our own. Grandpa lives over in Leisure Towers, which is this old folks' home. I had to spend a week there with Rodrick a few months ago, and it was the low point of my whole summer. Manny is staying with Gramma this weekend, and I'd give ANYTHING to trade places with him. Gramma always has her fridge stocked with soda and cake and stuff like that, and she has cable TV with all the movie channels. The reason Manny is going to Gramma's is because Manny is Gramma's favorite. And all you need to do is take one look at her refrigerator for the proof.

But if anyone ever accuses Gramma of showing favorites, she gets all defensive. I LOVE ALL MY GRANDCHILDREN THE SAME. And it's not just the pictures on the fridge, either. Gramma has Manny's drawings and stuff hanging up all over the house.

The only thing that Gramma has from me is this note I wrote her when I was six. I was mad at her because she wouldn't give me any ice cream before dinner, so here's what I wrote: I hate you Gram-ma Gramma has kept that note all these years, and she's STILL holding it over my head. AND THIS IS WHAT MY WONDERFUL GRANDSON GREGORY MADE FOR ME! I guess every grandparent has their favorite, and I can understand that. But at least Grandpa is up front about it.

Saturday Well, Mom and Dad dumped me and Rodrick off at Grandpa's today, just like they said they were gonna do. I started looking for ways to entertain myself, but there's nothing in Grandpa's condo that's fun to do. so I just sat down with him and watched TV. But Grandpa doesn't even watch real shows. He just keeps his TV tuned to the security camera that's in the front lobby of his building. And after a few hours of THAT, you start to go a little nuts.

OH, SURE! BARRY GROSSMAN HAS TIME TO GO OUT FOR A THREE-HOUR WALK, BUT HE DOESN'T HAVE TIME TO RETURN MY VACUUM! At about 5:00, Grandpa made us dinner. Grandpa makes this awful thing called "watercress salad," and it's the worst thing you ever tasted. It's basically a bunch of cold green beans and cucumbers floating in a pool of vinegar. Rodrick knows I hate watercress salad more than ANYTHING, so the last time we stayed at Grandpa's, Rodrick made sure to pile it on my plate.