Monthly Archives: September 2025

Well, here’s hoping today is splendid

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Although it didn’t get off to its most auspicious start. But we’ll see.

For some reason, I am so tired this morning. And after breakfast, I went back to bed with my cup of coffee, as I always do, but this time, instead of meditating, I fell back to sleep for over an hour.

Ack!

But here I am at my desk now and on we go.

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So, yesterday was really frustrating. Even though I took the walk, did the yoga, studied the Protestant Reformation lecture, studied French.

I also sat at my desk for about 5 hours and NOTHING came. NOTHING.

I tweaked a tiny bit from Chapter 13, but nothing new for Chapter 14 hit the page. Even though I have a page of notes on things that need to be in Chapter 14. Nothing came.

I finally gave up, closed down the laptop. Did the yoga. Studied the lecture. Made dinner. Then got in the shower...

And suddenly — in the shower, water of course spraying all over me — suddenly, Chapter 14 began regaling itself to me. With many details, including conversations between characters. It couldn’t have been more different from the page of notes I’d already been staring at for 5 hours…

Wow.

So of course, I had to hurry up, dash out of the shower — basically dripping wet and wrapped in a towel — go to my desk and scribble down the notes as quickly as I could before they went off to the ether.

Me, yesterday —

OOPS! No, I meant — ME, yesterday —

So, this is a GOOD thing! And I’m hoping that these new notes make it to the page today.

We shall soon see, gang. When I read over the notes this morning, I was really happy with the direction they were going in.

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Before I forget — whoever updated my Wikipedia page — Wow, thank you!

I hadn’t actually looked at it in years, and yesterday I saw that some novels had been added. Thank you!

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Okay.

Here’s this from yesterday!

I glanced over and saw Bobby McGee asleep under the printer stand next to me! Too effing cute!!

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Okay.

Here’s this!

It’s back from Sept. 23rd, when Nick Cave got the new Honorary Doctorate, but I just saw it yesterday. I think it’s the only photo I’ve seen from that day where he was actually smiling!

And dark & early this morning…

Nick Cave sent out a new Red Hand File. It was kind of intense. I was actually kind of amazed that he was willing to answer that specific question — about where he stands on things, currently. Because it seems like then everybody goes after him for what he says. But answer it, he did!

He says, in part (and this is decidedly only in part):

“…I do not believe that silence is violence, complicity, or a lack of courage, but rather that silence is often the preferred option when one does not know what they are talking about, or is doubtful, or conflicted – which, for me, is most of the time. I am mainly at ease with not knowing and find this a spiritually and creatively dynamic position. I believe that there are times when it is almost a sacred duty to shut the fuck up….”

You can read it in full HERE.

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Meanwhile…

I’m kind of keeping my one stray eye on the talk going on right now in Virginia with Hegseth, Trump and military leaders.

It’s intense.

Not a direct quote from Hegseth but close: “No more dudes in dresses… no more gender delusions. We are done with that shit.”

Needless to say, that only piles on the stress regarding certain projects currently going on in my life (for 11 years). (i.e., “The Guide to Being Fabulous”). But on we go.

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Okay, I guess I better close this and get to work on The Curse of Our Profound Disorder.

I hope you have a terrific Tuesday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

**********

I leave you with this!

Late night listening music!!

(I really love my new boombox! I was playing Disc 1 of this 4-CD collection last night, after dark, in my bed. Windows open. Crickets. Fall breeze. So cool.)

One of my TOP 5 all-time favorite Tom Petty songs!

“Here Comes My Girl,” 1979. From Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ The LIVE Anthology, 2009. Enjoy, gang.

“Here Comes My Girl”

You know sometimes, I don’t know why
But this old town just seems so hopeless
I ain’t really sure, but it seems I remember the good times
Were just a little bit more in focus

But when she puts her arms around me
I can somehow rise above it
Yeah, man, when I got that little girl standing right by my side
You know, I can tell the whole wide world “Shove it!” Hey!

Hey, here comes my girl, here comes my girl
Yeah, she looks so right, she is all I need tonight

Every now and then, I get down to the end of a day
I have to stop, ask myself why I’ve done it
It just seems so useless to have to work so hard
And nothin’ ever really seem to come from it

And then she looks me in the eye, says, “We’re gonna last forever”
And man, you know I can’t begin to doubt it
No, ’cause it just feels so good and so free and so right
I know we ain’t never gonna change our minds about it

Hey, here comes my girl, here comes my girl
Yeah, she looks so right, she is all I need tonight

Watch her walk

Yeah, every time it seems like there ain’t nothin’ left no more
I find myself havin’ to reach out and grab hold of somethin’
Yeah, I just catch myself wonderin’, waitin’, worryin’
About some silly little things that don’t add up to nothin’

And then she looks me in the eye, says, “We’re gonna last forever,”
And man, you know I can’t begin to doubt it
No, ’cause it just feels so good and so free and so right
I know we ain’t never gonna change our minds about it

Hey, here comes my girl, here comes my girl
Yeah, she looks so right, she is all I need tonight

That’s right
That’s right!

c- 1979 Tom Petty, Mike Campbell

Day Off! Yes!!

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Let’s see…

I’ve already been to the ATM and back, because I checked my bank balance to see if the car payment had been deducted and what to my wondering eyes should appear???

No, it hadn’t been deducted yet, but I was 50 cents shy of being able to cover it!! And the bank would be opening in 45 minutes. And that would mean a $34 overdraft fee. For being 50 cents short on the car payment.

So out of bed I got; got dressed I got; and while I was heading downstairs anyway, got the laundry started, and then off I went to put more money into the bank. (And it’s another really beautiful morning out there!)

And you know, I’m feeling really blessed around here this morning, because something told me to look at that bank balance!! (No, I don’t keep much money in the bank — only enough to cover bills.) (And did you see the price of GOLD this morning??? $3,800 per troy ounce!!)

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Before I forget —

Look what il donaldo trumpo posted last night:

“WE’LL DEFINITELY NEED MORE POPCORN THIS WEEK!!!😎🇺🇸🍿🍿🍿”

(Like we can handle any MORE of this movie!! I guess we’ll see!)

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And also.

I thought this was interesting, gang.

And I hate to always be prefacing stuff about Richard Grenell by saying that “he’s gay” because he probably has other things going on in his illustrious life that are more important to him than his sexual preferences, but anyway.

You know how people are always trying to say that Trump is against gay people…

Okay, from Grenell’s Truth Social account last evening:

“Where are the Arts reporters now?

This group of wokesters have spent decades not understanding finances or budgeting – pushing for more radical programming for the elites at the expense of the rest of us.

@realDonaldTrump asked us to make changes to the Kennedy Center in order to save it. He was right!

Last year, the Kennedy Center NSO Gala raised $1.3 million.

🚨🚨🚨
Last night we brought in $3.4 million – more money than we have ever raised.

We are saving the Kennedy Center and showing Arts institutions across the country that commonsense programming and responsible budgeting will bring in many more donors and corporate sponsors.”

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Okay, well, speaking of feeling blessed around here.

My shift last evening with the retired Minister and his wife (and cat), was rather remarkable.

During the final hour of my shift, we were all sitting outside (well, not the cat), because it was a really lovely evening. Just perfect. And for that entire hour — for whatever reason — the retired Minister spoke in detail about what it was like when he was in his teens and got the calling to become a Minister. All the various emotions that entailed, and what he did about it, and the schools he attended and why. And his feelings about being a young preacher and then how to help his various parishioners over the years, etc.

And I was spellbound. Because – yes! — I realized that these types of thoughts and feelings were currently missing from the Minister character in my novel and I suddenly saw that I needed to add that whole layer to his character. (The Minister is the primary character at the end of the book.)

I left the shift feeling a little speechless. Like, where did all that come from?? So suddenly? And it wound up being so helpful to me.

And today, I’m guessing I will take a walk. Do yoga. Study another lecture in the Protestant Reformation series. Probably study a little more French before the evening is over.

But other than that!!!

Yay. A whole day to myself to work on the NOVEL!!

My mind is already doing that thing it does when something new is getting ready to hit the page.

I really have to make good use of my 3 days off this week, because not only is October loaded with difficult shifts, the Agency slipped 2 more shifts in at the end of the month. (Meaning, the last 2 weeks of October, I will only have one day off each week.) (But it’s with that woman I really adore, who lives in that huge split-level home, behind the Bryn Du Mansion, that you need a map to find the bathroom in.)

Anyway. I feel like a lot is riding on this week.

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(I can’t tell you how much I want to put in a request for a few days off in November and just go to NYC and hang out by myself in Midtown for a couple of days.)

(But soon enough, I will need to go there to work with Sandra, so I kinda need to save my $$ for that.)

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Okay.

Here’s what 1988 looked like, in case you were too young to experience it!!!

Keith, 1988

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And I guess that’s it! I’m gonna get started here.

Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!

Yes, more from the playlist of songs I was playing a lot back in 2022!

(And who wouldn’t play this song a lot if they could???) (Preachers seem to feature heavily in my world, don’t they?)

Dusty Springfield, “Son of A Preacher Man”, 1968. Enjoy, gang!!

“Son Of A Preacher Man”

Billy-Ray was a preacher’s son
And when his daddy would visit he’d come along
When they gathered round and started talkin’
That’s when Billy would take me walkin’
All through the backyard we’d go walkin’
Then he’d look into my eyes
Lord knows to my surprise

The only one who could ever reach me
Was the son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
Was the son of a preacher man
Yes he was, he was
Ooh, yes he was

Being good isn’t always easy
No matter how hard I try
When he started sweet-talkin’ to me
He’d come and tell me everything is all right
He’d kiss and tell me everything is all right
Can I get away again tonight?

The only one who could ever reach me
Was the son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
Was the son of a preacher man
Yes he was, he was
(Ooh…) Lord knows he was
Yes he was

How well I remember
The look that was in his eyes
Stealin’ kisses from me on the sly
Takin’ time to make time
Tellin’ me that he’s all mine
Learnin’ from each other’s knowing
Lookin’ to see how much we’ve grown

And the only one who could ever reach me
Was the son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
Was the son of a preacher man
Yes he was, he was
Ooh, yes he was

The only one who could ever reach me
He was the sweet-talking son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
I kissed the son of a preacher man
The only one who could ever move me
The sweet-lovin’ son of a preacher man
The only one who could ever groove me
Ahh, ooh, ahh….

c – 1968 John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins

Happy Sunday from the Hinterlands!

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Okay, let me see… Yes! The Agency has texted me no less than THREE times, wanting me to work tomorrow!!

But alas, it is my DAY OFF.

I want to work on MY NOVEL.

I get so tired of saying no because it makes me feel awful, however.

Not getting this novel done makes me feel worse.

So. Decline, decline, decline — as politely as I can, gang. Before I’ve even gotten out of bed…

And now. Onward.

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Today, there are TWO Zoom meetings with James Tabor.

So yet another conundrum.

One is at 11:30AM, for his private Patreon group. It will only be one hour. Technically, I can tune in, but it means not working on the novel before I leave for my shift.

He is in Athens, Greece, and preparing for his talk this afternoon for the New Testament Conference. Which is the second Zoom meeting for today. I am actually going to try to tune in to that one while I’m having lunch and then driving to town for my shift with the retired Minister and his lovely wife and cat…

But listening while driving is not my idea of “attending” the Conference, because I’ll miss the slide presentation. But I guess we’ll just try to adjust.

Otherwise, I have to find time later in the week to watch the replay, when I would rather be working on my NOVEL….

Ack!

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I’m feeling inordinately stressed now because this coming week is my last week with 3 days off. Then the following week, my schedule changes for the rest of the month.

I will still have 2 days off each week, but the clients that are back in my schedule are some extremely cognitive-impaired ones and it is going to be exhausting.

And just thinking about it is exhausting.

Try as I might to just take each moment as it comes… Well, I’m not super good at that.

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Okay!

Well, at least there’s this!

How fucking gorgeous is this?? From 1973 (I think):

Nick Cave, in his “Angel” phase. I think it was a really short-lived phase, but don’t quote me on that.

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And today marks one year since Kris Kristofferson left us.

I cannot believe it’s been a year already. For fuck’s sake!! Jesus.

“The Taker”

He’s a giver, he’ll give her
The kind of attention that she’s never known
He’s a teacher, he’ll teach her
To open the doors that she can’t on her own
He’s a lover, he’ll love her
In ways that she never has been loved before
And he’s a getter, he’ll get her
By gettin’ her into the world she’s been hungryin’ for

He’s a charmer, and he’ll charm her
With money and manners that I never learned
He’s a leader, and he’ll lead her
Across pretty bridges he’s planning to burn
He’s a talker, he’ll talk her
Right off of her feet, but he won’t talk for long
Cause he’s a doer, and he’ll do her
The way that I never
But damned if he won’t do her wrong

Cause he’s a taker, he’ll take her
To places and make her fly higher than she’s ever dared to
He’ll take his time before takin’ advantage
Takin’ her easy and slow
And after he’s taken the body and soul
That she gives him, he’ll take her for granted
Then he’ll take off and leave her
Takin’ all of her pride as he goes

Cause he’s a taker, he’ll take her
To places and make her fly higher than she’s ever dared to
He’ll take his time before takin’ advantage
Takin’ her easy and slow
And after he’s taken the body and soul
That she gives him, he’ll take her for granted
Then he’ll take off and leave her
Takin’ all of her pride as he goes

c- 1971 Kris Kristofferson

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Okay, well. At least I’m still loving my new boombox, gang!

And I am, indeed, finding time to study French the old-fashioned way every evening before I call it a day (is that a mixed-metaphor?).

I’m using the textbook that goes along with the “French in 3 Months” cassettes, writing down my answers to the exercises. And even though this is all stuff I already know, it sort of solidifies it in my brain and it feels so different from using the phone app every day. It actually makes my brain feel great.

Even though the phone app sometimes throws in vocabulary that is new to me, I don’t retain it because it just goes by so fast. So I’m really enjoying going back to doing things the old way.

Just FYI, though — it is really formal French, and once you get off the plane in Paris, absolutely no one speaks that way and you’re in over your head in a nano second. But I don’t think I’ll be going back to Paris any time soon, so I don’t really care. I’m just enjoying the process.

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This morning, this has been burning up a few different accounts that I follow on telegram — about DJT posting an AI video about Medbeds on Truth Social. It could be really exciting, so I share it here.

(And so much great stuff seems like it is right on the cusp of exploding, gang. It is really, really starting to get exciting. If you’re able to see past all the relentless optics, noise, psyops, etc.)

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Okay, well. I guess I’ll close this for now and try to work on the novel before the first Zoom meeting of the day gets underway.

Enjoy your Sunday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!!!

Yes, more from the playlist of songs I was listening to in 2022!

You know, gang, it is a really fun playlist. I am really enjoying every single song that comes up! (See yesterday’s post if you missed the first 3 songs I apparently had in top rotation 3 years ago.)

I’ll list 3 more here today — and I’m posting them the same way they come up on the playlist. It’s too funny! Enjoy, gang!

“Aquarius”, Original Broadway Cast, 1968:

“Coal Miner’s Daughter,” 1970, Loretta Lynn:

“Breathless”, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, 2004:

Trying to stay in HappyLand over here

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Yesterday was — I don’t know — a challenge?

I don’t want to say it was a bad day. But I’m hoping today will be better.

Things with my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man were quite beautiful, but he is still declining. But he is making such an amazing effort to communicate with me. Things he wants me to know before he “goes upstairs”. It is such an incredible spiritual gift.

Today, I have decided to ask him if I can have his Bible. He doesn’t read it anymore but he cherishes it. It was given to him by a friend of his in NYC — his mechanic, actually — back in October of 1951.

I feel 100% absolutely certain that his family will simply throw it away when the time comes. And that would break my heart. So I’ll see what he says. But I want to make sure he understands that I want to take it and not bring it back.

Meanwhile — our sashimi and sake went splendidly yesterday. And here were our fortunes. The top one was his — and he read it and nodded his head, and said, “Yes.” (Mine, below that, was sort of the story of my life.)

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Okay.

So the New Testament Conference began last evening — this year’s topic is the Historical Jesus. And as you know I have been really looking forward to it, since that is probably my most favorite topic of all time.

But I was so disappointed in last night’s opening speaker — Elaine Pagles, whom I usually love. I just felt like her presentation was about the theological Jesus — known as Jesus Christ — and not about the historical Jesus at all (Jesus of Nazareth). I found it so frustrating.

I was actually even a little depressed when it was over because my hopes had been so high.

Today’s speakers are happening primarily during my shift, so I won’t be able to access the replay until they release it in a couple of days.

And the same goes for tomorrow — James Tabor’s presentation will be during my shift with the retired Minister and his wife.

But on we go.

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I was also really frustrated with Phil’s livestream last night.

I’m reasonably sure he’s still doing this on purpose– because of new followers, people who are just starting to wake up to what’s really going on out there in the world. And he probably doesn’t want to scare them off.

But I just find it so frustrating. I miss the days when he could just come out and say stuff.

However, if you missed it, here is the replay.

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And Here’s this!

From this morning, when I was having my coffee in bed — and this doesn’t count Saffie, who was at my left shoulder, and Cuddles, who was at my right shoulder (those are my legs down in the middle of all that):

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If you want to contribute to a fundraiser for BigCityLit Magazine in NYC, you can visit here:

“The eclectic online literary journal BigCityLit has been publishing outstanding poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction from a diverse community since 2000. The founders, Nick Johnson and Maureen Holm, had carried the entire financial responsibility of keeping the journal afloat. Now that they are both gone, we are appealing for renewed support.

With the money you donate, the editors will be able to pay for webmaster fees, domain renewals, web hosting, and the maintenance of the website….”

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And I think that’s it for today.

I’m hoping to get some work done on the novel tomorrow, before heading out to my shift with the retired Minister and his wife.

Even a paragraph would be nice, since it’s a new chapter and I’m almost at the end of the novel. So a paragraph would at least give me a sense of where it’s going. Well, I know where it’s going, I just don’t know yet exactly how I’m going to get there!

But as of now, I have 3 days off this coming week. So I hope to take full advantage of that and be planted at my desk.

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And that’s it for now.

Enjoy your Saturday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!

I decided to play the playlist of songs I was listening to in 2022!!

Quite eclectic, I must say!!

I’ve decided to post the Top 3 songs I was listening to that year, because they could not be more different from one another. But I love ALL of these songs, still! Enjoy, gang.

At the top of the playlist!!!

“Fleeting Love” 2008, from B-Sides & Rarities Part II (2021), Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds:

Followed by Trini Lopez singing, “If I had a Hammer”, 1963:

The Seekers singing “Georgy Girl” 1966!!

Everything’s Looking Pretty Good!

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Well, not out there in the world, it isn’t, but here in the remote reaches of Crazeysburg, things are actually great.

(And before I forget, Phil is supposed to be live tonight at 8PM eastern, with intel. But check here later to confirm. ) (Although, things are actually going pretty great out there in the world, too, if you’ve got your discernment goggles on!!)

Okay!

I passed with flying colors with the nurse, yesterday. She was only here for about 15 minutes, since I have no long list of Specialists, no meds, no surgeries, etc. She just had to take my vitals.

Actually she said that my feet looked really great (!!), which surprised me — since I’ve been pounding around on them for 65 years already — including about 30 years of concrete in NYC. So now I have a new appreciation for my wee bonny feet!! Yay!

And now I don’t have to see her again for another year.

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Okay!

Today begins general ticket sales for this!

You can buy tickets here!

And here’s this!!

I have always loved this shirt!! (Although I think it was actually more of a greenish color.)

Nick Cave, yesteryear! Great shirt, great HAIR!! Yay!

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Tonight, the New Insights into the New Testament Conference 2025 begins officially at 6:30 PM Eastern time, with the opening speaker– and I cannot wait!!

Dr. Elaine Pagels!! I absolutely loved her work on Gnosticism, gang. Wow.

Tonight, she “…will explore how early Christian writings shaped ideas about good and evil in ways that continue to influence Western thought. Her lecture will highlight the profound ways these ancient texts grappled with suffering, morality, and divine mystery.”

Dr. Elaine Pagels

I’m guessing I will be glued to the Zoom screen on my laptop.

And at the risk of going on & on about this “Time” thing lately — I kinda can’t believe she is 82 already. Where does the effing time go, gang???

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Well, I have decided to risk it and wait one more week before taking my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man back to that fantastic clubhouse at the golf course with those spectacular views, because I think the autumn leaves will be just perfect next week.

I hope I don’t regret it, but I think they will be better next Friday than they are today. (Here’s hoping they don’t all just suddenly blow away…)

So today, it’s back to this place instead! Yay!

Whoops!!! That’s Keith Richards on the Orient Express. My mistake!!

No, we will be going HERE!

But hot sake will be served with the sashimi, so it will still be pretty darned fun!!

(And yes, I know. It all hinges on how his condition is when I get there this morning. We shall see and then go with the flow.)

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Okay, I got next to nothing done on the novel yesterday (minor tweaks only). Mostly because I am beginning Chapter 14 and I have absolutely no clue what comes next. I need a good chunk of uninterrupted time to sit and stare, and yesterday was not that day.

I did manage to get in a quick walk, in between rain showers. And then I also got to do some yoga, study some French with my new boombox, and study another lecture in the Protestant Reformation series.

But, more importantly, I had a chance to catch up on the phone with Valerie in Brooklyn!! And that is always a high point, no matter when it happens.

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Okay.

Brand new song from the Original Alice Cooper Group! “See You On the Other Side” dedicated to their late bandmate, Glen Buxton, from the new album The Revenge of Alice Cooper:

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And that is it for now. I gotta scoot!

Have a fabulous Friday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this.

From my wild & wonderful world of wandering the night-time streets of NYC in 1984 — while wearing my prized Sony Walkman!!

More from Lou Reed’s New Sensations album, “Turn to Me,” 1984. Enjoy, gang!!

“Turn to Me”

[Verse 1]
If you gave up major vices, you’re between a hard place and a wall
And your car breaks down in traffic on the street
Remember, I’m the one who loves you, you can always give me a call
Turn to me, turn to me, baby, turn to me

[Verse 2]
If your father is free-basing and your mother turning tricks
That’s still no reason you should have a rip
Remember, I’m the one who loves you, you can always give me a call
Turn to me, turn to me, turn to me

[Verse 3]
When your teeth are ground down to the bone
And there’s nothing between your legs
And some friend died of something that you can’t pronounce
Remember, I’m the one who loves you
Hey baby, you can always give me a call
Turn to me, turn to me, turn to me

[Verse 4]
You can’t pay your rent, your boss is an idiot
And your apartment has no heat
And your wife says, “Maybe it’s time to have a child”
Remember, I’m the one who loves you and you can always give me a call
Turn to me, turn to me, turn to me

[Verse 5]
When it’s all too much you turn the TV set on and light a cigarette
And then a public service announcement comes creeping on
And you see a lung corroding or a fatal heart attack
Turn to me, turn to me, baby, turn to me

[Outro]
I’m just a phone call away
Turn to me, turn to me, hey, turn to me
One tenth of a dollar
Turn to me, baby, turn to me
(Turn to me, turn to me, turn to me)
(Turn to me, turn to me, turn to me)

c – 1984 Lou Reed

Almost Ready!

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Sorry I’m late.

Made a quick dash to the Dollar Store to get more cat food.

Then wanted to vacuum the downstairs and wipe down the kitchen counters, because the nurse from the insurance company is coming this afternoon for my first annual check-up. I don’t want my kitchen to look as if 723 cats live here…

The insurance company has texted me no less than 4 times to remind me to not keep the nurse waiting, she will be in a hurry. And yet I have a three hour window wherein I will have to wait for her to show up…

Anyway.

So I got that done. The 124-year-old kitchen looks great.

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Okay. So.

Wow! This arrived yesterday!

I absolutely love it, gang!!

Straight out of yesteryear, only better!!

You might wonder how anything straight out of yesteryear could be better… it has a blue tooth!

This means I can listen to my lectures on the Protestant Reformation at a louder volume. For some reason, this particular lecture series is not very loud. So that blue tooth will be great for that.

But yesterday, I put in one of the old cassettes from “Learn French in 3 Months” and immediately, it brought back such great memories.

I haven’t listened to it in maybe 10 years. 2 houses ago. It has this opening theme music that is, like, old-timey French accordion music:

Apparently, I really enjoyed studying with these specific tapes, because that theme music brought such a happy smile to my face!

So we shall see, gang. Who knows if I really have time to study French again to this degree, but I’m going to try.

I also have the Mandarin Chinese cassettes out, too. Haven’t put one of those in yet, though.

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All righty! Come one, come all!!

The magnificent cats have managed yet another astounding disappearing act!!

When I got up at 5AM this morning, and put on my flannel robe in the dark, the sash to close the robe was completely missing.

I turned on the lights and searched the closet and under the bed, but it is nowhere.

I have made a cursory look in every room in the house, upstairs and down, and I cannot find the sash anywhere.

I cannot imagine what they’ve done with it. I’m guessing that maybe 20 years from now, it will suddenly re-appear.

Meanwhile, it’s annoying, but on we go…

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I just want to mention really quickly that my shift with my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man yesterday was a little sad, gang. He has gotten over the trauma of his family being there last week, but it is really clear that he is declining. But we just do our best.

Tomorrow, I might take him back to that beautiful clubhouse at the golf course. The leaves are starting to turn now and I know the views will be spectacular.

I’m at least planning on doing that, but I guess we’ll know for sure when I get there tomorrow and see how he is.

**********

Okay, here’s this!

From the Rolling Stones, to promote the re-issue of Black & Blue, coming November 14th:

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Today is also that Book Talk with the Internet Archive. It starts when I’m also supposed to start waiting for the nurse, but at least it’s being recorded, in case she shows up at 1PM on the dot…

But this also means that I will be setting the laptop up down in the kitchen. I’m hoping that between the book talk and waiting on the nurse, I can get some work done on the novel. But I don’t really like working down at the kitchen table. I focus better at my desk upstairs.

We shall see. (I might just say screw it, and call Valerie in Brooklyn instead.)

Meanwhile.

Tonight is the “mixer” on Zoom, for the opening night of the New Testament Conference that begins tomorrow.

I am already feeling that “stupidly busy” feeling. I really just want to focus on the novel.

**********

I’m thinking that’s it for today, gang. It’s just really sort of distracting around here this morning.

Enjoy your Thursday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

***********

I listened to Lou Reed’s New Sensations while driving to town and back yesterday. I hadn’t actually listened to that whole album in quite a while. (See yesterday’s post.)

So I leave you with this, today!

“Fly Into the Sun”. 1984. Lou Reed, from New Sensations. Enjoy, gang.

“Fly Into the Sun”

[Verse 1]
I would not run from the holocaust
I would not run from the bomb
I’d welcome the chance to meet my maker
And fly into the sun

[Chorus]
Fly into the sun
Fly into the sun
I’d break up into a million pieces
And fly into the sun

[Verse 2]
I would not run from the blazing light
I would not run from its rain
I’d see it as an end to misery
As an end to worldly pain

[Chorus]
An end to worldly pain
An end to worldly pain
I’d shine by the light of the unknown moment
To end this worldly pain

[Chorus]
And fly into the sun
Fly into the sun
I’d shine by the light of the unknown moment
And fly into the sun

[Verse 3]
The earth is weeping, the sky is shaking
The stars split to their core
And every proton and unnamed neutron
Is fusing in my bones

[Verse 4]
And an unnamed mammal is darkly rising
As man burns from his tomb
And I look at this as a blissful moment
To fly into the sun

[Chorus]
Fly into the sun
Fly into the sun
I’d burn up into a million pieces
And fly into the sun

[Chorus]
To end this mystery
Answer my mystery
I’d look at this as a wondrous moment
To end this mystery

[Chorus]
Fly into the sun
Fly into the sun
I’d break up into a million pieces
And fly into the sun

c – 1984 Lou Reed

Off to a great start!!

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I heard back from the Agency yesterday and they officially removed 8 hrs of shifts from my weekly schedule in October and gave me an additional day off each week!!

Yay. Back to normal.

Now I can breathe again. (Plus, this also gives me room in my schedule to pick up random shifts with those new patients that I really like if it comes up.)

*************

Okay!

This was posted to Instagram this morning. I’m guessing it is accurate!

From Nick’s speech, when he got his new Honorary Doctorate yesterday:

And since he has legitimately come up here on the blog today!!

Here’s this–

Nick Cave, many years ago, just generally contemplating what to say…

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And here’s this!!

Back from when Lou was in love with and married to Sylvia. (I have nothing against Laurie Anderson (or Rachel) AT ALL, but, wow, did Lou write some great albums when he was with Sylvia.)

Lou Reed and Sylvia, in Italy, 1982

And here’s this — coincidently, Wayne also loved Lou Reed’s music and Wayne and I were falling in love, contemplating moving in together, we were lying together on my bed in my hellhole apartment on E.12th Street, when this song came on the stereo… “Think It Over”, by Lou Reed, Growing Up in Public, 1980.

“Think It Over”

Waking, he stared raptly at her face
on his lips, her smell, her taste
Black hair framing her perfect face
with her wonderful mind and her incredible grace

And so, he woke, he woke her with a start
to offer her his heart
for once and for all, forever to keep
And the words, that she first heard him speak
were really very sweet
he was asking her to marry him, and to

Think it over
baby, think it over
Think it over
baby, why don’t you think it over

She said, somewhere, there’s a faraway place
where all is ordered and all is grace
No one there is ever disgraced
and everyBODY there is wise and everyone has taste

And then she sighed, well la-dee-dah-dee-dah
you and I have come quite far
and we really must watch what we say
Because when you ask for someone’s heart
you must know that you’re smart
smart enough to care for it, so I’m gonna

Think it over
baby, think it over
Think it over
Baby, I’m gonna think it over

c -1980 Lou Reed

*************

And in case you’re interested, Wayne and I got engaged at Tiffany’s on 5th Ave in NYC, in October 1992. He wanted me to meet him on W.57th Street one day, so I did, and then he said, “I have a surprise for you.” Then he took me to Tiffany’s and we got engaged.

***************

All righty.

I did get some good editing work done yesterday on The Curse of Our Profound Disorder (on pages I recently wrote). So I feel good about that.

I am almost at the end of the novel and I still am not certain how it ends, but it is getting clearer, gang.

And this morning, I did something I have been putting off FOREVER!!

Yes! While not quite as exciting as Tiffany’s on 5th Avenue, I made an appointment at this very store (!!) to finally get new glasses next week.

I am currently wearing a pair of glasses that are nearly 40 years old because I have 3 other pairs of glasses in the house that all have a reasonably recent prescription, but all of those glasses are broken!!

Anyway. Now that I have Medicare I get a free pair of glasses, so off I will finally go!

***********

If you’re keeping track–

Somehow I have managed this:

  • Made an appointment to get new glasses
  • Got on Medicare
  • Got great Medicare Advantage insurance
  • The insurance’s nurse is coming tomorrow for my first annual in-home check up
  • Got a new doctor and saw him last week (I am seriously healthy)
  • Got Long Term Care insurance
  • Got my burial/cremation insurance
  • Got a Home Warranty
  • Got a Home Improvement grant to get new basement stairs, new upstairs pipes and bathroom fixtures and Central AC
  • Got an additional low interest Home Improvement loan to fix my front porch stairs and get a water softener installed
  • Had that old fallen-down tree and all the overgrown weeds by my barn cleared out (after they had been there for about 8 years)
  • Took care of a huge amount of foster cats and gave shelter to 4 newborn kittens, one without its 2 back feet (and dug graves and buried 2 additional cats out back that had passed away)
  • Kept up the really expensive lease payments on the brand new Honda Civic (because I had such lousy credit after my COVID-bankruptcy) (My credit is no longer lousy!!)
  • Went to NYC to get the rehearsals and rewrites underway for our play to go Off- Broadway
  • Wrote a couple of episodes and developed a TV pilot
  • Found a potential publisher for a novel-in-progress that has sat on my computer for 26 years…
  • Just generally maintained a 124-year-old house in a small village in the middle of nowhere

All of that I’ve done, alone, in the past 9 months. And plus I take care of really old people who are teaching me so much about LIFE and how to live it…as well as how to face dying.

I think this is why I am always really, really tired.

*********

And on that note!!!!

I’m off to town, to see my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man. I am really hoping he is in much better spirits this week, now that his family has gone back home and he’s had a few days to get over that.

We shall soon see.

**********

Have a wonder-filled Wednesday, wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

*********

I leave you with this!!

I used to walk around the NYC streets in the evening, listening to this cassette on my Sony Walkman!! I loved this album so much, gang.

Lou Reed, “New Sensations,” 1984, from his album of the same name. Enjoy, gang!!

“New Sensations”

[Verse 1]
I don’t like guilt, be it stoned or stupid
Drunk and disorderly, I ain’t no cupid
Two years ago today I was arrested on Christmas Eve
I don’t want pain, I want to walk, not be carried
I don’t want to give it up, I want to stay married
I ain’t no dog tied to a parked car

[Chorus]
Ooh, new sensations
Ooh, new sensations
Talkin’ ’bout some new sensations
Talkin’ ’bout some new sensations

[Verse 2]
I want the principles of a timeless muse
I want to eradicate my negative views
And get rid of those people who are always on a down
It’s easy enough to tell what is wrong
But that’s not what I want to hear all night long
Some people are like human tuinals

[Chorus]
Ooh, new sensations
Ooh ooh, new sensations
Talkin’ ’bout some new sensations
Talkin’ ’bout new sensations

[Verse 3]
I took my GPZ out for a ride
The engine felt good between my thighs
The air felt cool, it’s was forty degrees outside
I rode to Pennsylvania near the Delaware Gap
Sometimes I got lost and had to check the map
I stopped at a roadside diner for a burger and a Coke
There were some country folk and some hunters inside
Somebody got themselves married and somebody died
I went to the juke box and played a hillbilly song
They was arguing about football as I waved and went outside
And I headed for the mountains feeling warm inside
I love that GPZ so much, you know that I could kiss her

[Chorus]
Ooh, new sensations
Ooh ooh, new sensations
Talkin’ ’bout your new sensations
Talkin’ new sensations

[Outro]
Ooh new sensations, ooh new sensations
Ooh new sensations, ooh new sensations
Ooh new sensations

c- 1984 Lou Reed

A quiet day in the Hinterlands

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Which is good, because I’m exhausted.

And I took a look at my schedule so far for October and almost fainted. Unbelievable amount of hours each week, and only one day off per week.

So I emailed the Agency around 6:30AM to just give them a general heads up that I cannot possibly do that many hours…

Here’s hoping it changes before the schedule is finalized.

So.

Even though today is my big day off (!!), I got out of bed just sort of exhausted from all of this stuff.

But I really liked the new client (and his wife) that I had yesterday. I liked them both so much, which was why I actually checked my schedule this morning in the first place — to see if they were going to be added to my shifts on a regular basis. (They are new to the Agency.)

And then I discovered that — oh, contraire! — there is no room in my schedule for either of these new clients that I’ve had recently that I really like. (And also no room in my schedule for the retired Chaplain that I just adore, and soon enough, she will be heading back down to Florida until next summer.)

Well, anyway.

It was that kind of morning, even though it’s my day off and I have the whole day to myself. I had to struggle to not feel defeated by all the randomness of this caregiving job.

***********

Okay.

So far, this is the ONLY official photo of Nick Cave receiving the Honorary Doctorate today:

However, they did send out a reminder about this:

“Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds will play Preston Park in Brighton on Friday 31 July 2026 – their only UK show of the year.  The fan presale begins this Thursday 25 September at 10am – if you haven’t already signed up, it’s not too late to register for early access to tickets:

Register NOW.

Tickets on general sale 10am Friday 26 September.”

**************

Another announcement–

The 37th Annual Lambda Literary Awards will be virtual, and are being held Saturday October 4 from 10am to 7pm EST.

“Your ticket includes virtual access to the 37th Annual Lambda Literary Awards Ceremony as well as a day packed with readings and panels featuring our finalists.”

Buy tickets HERE.

Also:

“If you’re local to Seattle, join us for a livestream viewing party with our new Executive Director Jozie Clapp at Charlie’s Queer Books. Reach out to us at donors@lambdaliterary.org if you’d like to hear more about how to attend.”

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And I think that might be it for today.

I need to finish up the laundry and get focused on The Curse of Our Profound Disorder.

If anything comes up later, I’ll be back.

Meanwhile, have a terrific Tuesday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

*************

I leave you with this!

Yes, more breakfast-listening music.

Still from the soundtrack to Pack Up the Plantation LIVE 1985, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers do a GREAT version of their 1976 hit, “American Girl”.

By the time I was a teenager, this song was truly part of the anthem of my whole life. I still love this song and I’m guessing it would be the most appropriate song to play at my funeral/memorial (still undecided on the burial vs. cremation thing).

Anyway. 1985. Killer version!!

Followed by TP & the HBs closing their show with the song at the Hollywood Bowl back on September 25th, 2017. Tom died 7 days later. So “American Girl” was the final song he sang in public.

“American Girl”

Well, she was an American girl
Raised on promises
She couldn’t help thinkin’ that there
Was a little more to life somewhere else
After all, it was a great big world
With lots of places to run to
And if she had to die tryin’
She had one little promise she was gonna keep

Oh yeah, all right
Take it easy, baby
Make it last all night (Make it last all night)
She was an American girl

Well, it was kind of cold that night
She stood alone on her balcony (Ooh)
Yeah, she could hear the cars roll by
Out on 441 like waves crashin’ on the beach
And for one desperate moment there
He crept back in her memory
God, it’s so painful when something that is so close
Is still so far out of reach

Oh yeah, all right
Take it easy, baby
Make it last all night (Make it last all night)
She was an American girl (Ooh)

c- 1976 Tom Petty