November 2

Mom disposes of the cake in the neighbor's garbage. She doesn't tell Dad. When Dad asks later that night if there are leftovers, Mom just says the girls finished it off.

When I wake up this morning, that damn "Don't Fear the Reaper" is playing again. I switch it off and resolve to get a nonmusical alarm clock immediately.

I splurge my birthday money on some dinky box that emits an equally dinky tone for an alarm, but I breathe easier, and my brain runs smoother after I buy it, so it's worth it.

The JUDITH ring is gone. Dad took it back to his shop. Though the ring had frightened me when I first saw it, I feel uneasy that it's not there anymore.