Last week, I reported an AP story about an apartment fire in Portland where a 10-year old boy was credited with waking up the residents.

Next day, I find out that was where my ex-sister in law's crackhead brother and wife lived, who were arrested for erractic behavior the previous night.

When cops arrived that night, the apartment was horrific, with pet feces everywhere, no food except junk food, the four kids completely unsupervised.

The mother brandished a butcher knife at the cops.
The father spouted gibberish.

State seized the kids. My sister-in-law rushed downstate to try to get custody. Her other brother was able to get the two younger kids and she got the two older ones, brought them back to Presque Isle.

Though she's remarried, she has three kids of her own with my brother Steve, so couldn't take all four of her brother's kids.

Apparently, neighbor crackheads in the Portland housing unit broke into that apartmewnt in the middle of the night and stole stuff, and someone accidently set the building on fire.

The mother's response when she was released on bail and found out her apartment had smoke/fire/theft damage: "They took my widescreen TV!"

The kids' father spent time in jail years ago for participating in a gay beating, then had supposedly turned his life arouind and became an ordained minister.

Apparently an unemployed, crackhead minister.

My son Connor's birthday was Saturday. but instead of having a big deal, he just asked if he could have a party for the two displaced kids since he says they're probably scared and lonely. Connor's a good kid.

I've got another story about a bipolar former employee of the radio station slugging a carnival operator after not being paid for welding work on amusement rides that had been seized by the state, but I'm tired of typing now.

that sucks, and i want to hear more about this carnival beating.

I'll explain that one when i get off work later.

It seems like lots of stories I report are about ex-in-laws, ex-girlfriends relatives, people I went to school with.

And they all crazy.

Except the fishing boat that went down in the Bay Of Fundy and killed four of my niece's friends. They were good people.

Good kid.
The world needs more like him.
Says a lot about you, too Phil.
Good man.

The kids are a 9 year old girl and a 6 year old boy. I guess the boy has some internal physical problems he needs medication for and the girl was making sure he got his pills the last couple of weeks.

She was also feeding the pets, making meals, taking phone calls, washing the clothes, etc, while the parents lay around wasted.

My daughter Marina and the girl hit it off really well, so hopefully they'll be friends, unless the mother's mother gets custody. The girl's grandmother is an imperious bitch, so I hope not.

Sonja (my ex-sister-in-law) is a library director and her husband is a respected pastor in the area, so I hope that carries some weight with Human Services.

The other two kids are toddlers. Sonja's other brother is quite wealthy and shouldn't have any trouble getting custody.

my daughter Marina (left) with Samantha:


and here's the boy Josh:


My son Connor took the pictures
[img][650:492]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a246/lawandorber/Connorsquinting.jpg[/img]

Cute kids. Too bad they have parents for fuckups. Happy birthday to Connor!

Is this kid an Obner-in-waiting or what?

He's something. Extremely polite, but smarter than most kids his age. Has a nerve disorder that makes him seem hyper but is so likeable that he's more exhausting than irritating. Does magic tricks, designs graphs and mazes, writes poetry, invents gadgets, draws comics, favorite kid of every teacher he's had. Openhearted but not the least bit stupid. A great kid.

Even if he talks even more than I do.

update:

Sonja's other brother and his wife have decided it's too much responsibility to raise the other two kids of the crackheads.

So now my ex-sis-in-law and her husband have added a 5 year old and a 3 year old.

Which makes 7 kids now. 3 hers and 4 from her addict molo younger brother.