Wednesday, October 4
- Paul is in the living room doing some research for the report online, when his mom tells him he should go use the computer in his room.
- They're hosting a Homeowners' Association meeting tonight, to discuss some recent break-ins, as well as the termite problem.
- Paul decides to stay down there and work while the meeting is in progress.
- First thing on the agenda is Mr. Donnelly's house—the one that's been struck by lightning three times.
- He's put up several lightning rods on his roof, but since he was only approved for one, he is in trouble. Really?
- Next thing on the list is the fact that all the koi are gone from the pond. All of them. Mr. Costello thinks they were stolen, but Paul knows the ospreys have been eating them.
- Up next—the muck fire! Because of all the complaints, the Homeowners' Association saturated the field with water, trying to put it out.
- Unfortunately, not only did it not put out the muck fire, but it also created the perfect swampy breeding ground for swarms of mosquitoes.
- And that's not all, folks—those mosquitoes carry encephalitis, and two kids actually died last year after being bitten!
- So the HOA will be spraying a cloud of pesticide all around the neighborhood every other evening until the mosquitoes are gone.
- But wait, there's more—the houses being tented for termites are getting robbed of their valuables.
- Is it just us, or is this the worse gated community ever?
- They discuss options for dealing with it, and then adjourn the meeting.
- Meanwhile, Paul has discovered a new file on the computer named "Erik-Scholarship Offers"
- He clicks on it, and sees that his dad has painstakingly put together a spreadsheet of potential universities for Erik, noting which ones have sent him letters.
- Paul hears his parents coming, so he clicks out.