Airport Guy is right: I owe the blog a recap of our visit to Castle 1526. There's much to disucuss, but the most interesting piece was already alluded to: ancient ballons were bestowed upon Alane. They were found in the space-time transporter that is otherwise used as a liquor cabinet.

But it wasn't the balloon bag that got my attention first: it was the image of Airport Guy and Vito Stinky Balloons sitting on the circus couch polishing off half a bottle of vodka.

(It's a circus couch because I was sitting on one end when Alane plopped down on the other end; a wooden board that sits loosely under the cushions to keep your ass from falling through to the apartment downstairs teeter-tottered up and damn-near launched me over the 16-lb sack of Odd Job Tootsie Rolls and into the love-seat in the corner.)

Not only would the balloons not inflate -- they stank of rotted rubber. But wow, did they bring back memories.