MAYOR WILLIAMSON'S LAST PAYCHECK: A WHOPPING 88 CENTS! HMMMMMMMM, BUT WAS IT REALLY HIS LAST PAYCHECK, FOLKS?

And there it is, folks...Mayor Don Williamson's LAST paycheck! The photo was taken (with Don's permission, mind you), on Friday the 13th of February (hmmmmmm), 2009. We were stuffing ourselves at Luigi's Restaurant, Davison Road, Eastside, of course. Mayor Don was buying, so I ordered what he was chowing down on: a steak salad (at the time I was wondering about his "health" issues). Anyway, it was pretty good. Also grabbed some of that famous Luigi pizza...definitely not good for one's circulation! Diet cola rounded out the lunch. I was there with my inauguration partner, Mr. Ken Laetz, along with two of our students from Southwestern Academy. Oh, my wife, Svetlana, and our 9-year-old Ivan J.J. tagged along for their last chance to "break bread" with the mayor. The ever lovely Patsy Lou was there--sat right across from us and we had a nice chat. I guess this photo is a keepsake now, since the former mayor is now insisting on back pay for all those years when he sacrificed and took only $1 for his services. According to The Flint Journal, he wants the Full Monty now(!). That doesn't seem right to me, but you know Don Williamson...never a dull moment. To ease things a bit, he says the money will go toward charities of his choice. That's pretty nice of him...if he gets the cash and does it. Still, it all just doesn't sit well with me. Don Williamson ran for election on the promise that he was working for only $1, so this thing makes him out to be a...what? In any event, it doesn't seem like something he'd want to carry over to his alleged intent to run for governor of this great state, does it? Hey, love him or hate him, the guy never fails to garner headlines. He's always helped our students, so I still kinda like him...warts and all.

MAYOR DON WILLIAMSON'S LAST DAY ON THE JOB: WE'RE TREATED TO PIZZA AT LUIGI'S!!!

Everyone's smiling...and WHY NOT! Mayor Don Williamson doesn't have to report to work anymore at City Hall; now he can hang out with Patsy Lou at one of her dealerships. Patsy Lou's smiling 'cause, well just because. I'm smiling (that's me with the Obama hoodie on), because I just had my varicose veins removed from my right leg that morning...and also I ordered the same thing the mayor was eating: a steak salad. Ken Laetz is smiling because he's wearing that ugly flag tie and he got to eat some free pizza on the mayor's tab. Leah is all smiles because she's ALWAYS all pretty smiles! Terrance is smiling because Patsy Lou has her arm around his rather large waist. Of course, we're all there to give the mayor that home-made THANK YOU card for all the money he donated to help Flint Southwestern kids! Love him or hate him...the guy was generous toward kids in Flint's schools. That's a fact.

SOUTHWESTERN ACADEMY STUDENTS HAVING FRIVILOUS FUN AT THEIR HOTEL IN MANASSAS, VIRGINIA

Yes, they were acting "goofy." These were some of the great kids we were privileged to take to see the inauguration of our 44th president, Barack Obama. They're from Flint Southwestern Academy and most of them had never even been near Washington, DC before. Manassas, Virginia...better known as a Civil War site, was our "home" for two nights. We were only about a half hour from Washington, DC, so the Best Western, which was actually west of Washington, was well-suited for our needs. I think some of us enjoyed that Mexican restaurant that was nearby...certainly we enjoyed the Spanish language expertise of Mr. Ken Laetz, one of the teacher-sponsors from our school. The kids knew when to be "goofy"...and they knew when to be serious. It was serious "business" witnessing a first in American history: the inauguration of our nation's first African American president!

AN AMERICAN FLAG HELD BY ONE AMERICAN...WITH A BACKDROP OF MANY AMERICAN FLAGS: JANUARY 20, 2009

One simple American flag. One gesture of patriotism shown by an unknown American. Almost two million American citizens witnessing history in a never-before-seen fashion. We were there: twenty high school students from Flint Southwestern Academy, along with a like number of students from Jackson High School, Jackson, Michigan. Some of their teachers were there, along with a couple of parents. And there were two 9-year-old youngsters accompanying the older students. It was an unforgettable moment in history...captured on film, but better yet it was all captured in the hearts of those just mentioned, plus all the untold millions, perhaps billions, watching the event on television. An incredible experience!

OBAMA'S IMAGE DOMINATES A SEA OF PEOPLE NEAR THE REFLECTING POOL, NEAR THE CAPITOL BUILDING...

Yeah, I was there...but not close enough to get a good photograph of the man of the hour. The sea of people doesn't begin to convey the compassion, humaneness, and cheerfullness that was experienced by everyone. Almost two million people gathered to witness history! Shoulder to shoulder, it was a love-in like none ever seen anywhere on earth. When this photo was taken, Barack was giving his speech following the swearing-in ceremony. It was bitter cold, but the warmth of his words brought tears to the eyes of many in the massive crowd. I was separated from everyone, as were most of our students. Yet, we were part of everyone--collectively in awe of what transpired on November 4, 2008. That awe extended itself to January 20, 2009!

WASHINGTON, DC: READY AND ABLE FOR THE "DUMP" OF THE CENTURY...

You'll probably never see the Washington Monument like this ever again! This was the day before the inauguration and Washington, DC was READY! We learned that the largest number of portable toilets in all of history were positioned and ready for "action" in our nation's capital. Here some of them stood...like blue soldiers, ready for the over 5,500 blue doors to swing open and welcome their "guests." In all seriousness: that must have been the most "dumps" ever in one place in all of history! And just think...WE were there!