It feels like Spring!

It’s gonna change later today — more of those high winds will be bringing in below-freezing temperatures again, but for now it is sunny and in the upper 40s Fahrenheit, going up into the 50s! And that means THIS:

Yes! A little sushi, a little sashimi, a little sake… Perhaps some mysterious fortunes in our cookies!! But me and my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man will head out for lunch today!

*********

I actually can’t tarry here too long, gang, because Sandra sent over one more document during the night that I need to do some quick edits to and then send back over to her.

We did do some work yesterday, too — while the AC guys were here. (And, sadly, the AC guys discovered the breaker panel in the basement is corroded, which is a fire hazard. Sadly, when they got an estimate from their office for the cost of fixing it, it is $4000. Happily, when I emailed my rep at the USDA Rural Development office, sending him photos of the breaker panel along with the estimated cost and I asked him “could I get a loan?” he wrote back right away and said that I can probably get another GRANT to fix it!! He will let me know soon!)

Okay. Oops. I digress.

What I was saying is that once I get this final document turned back around for Sandra, we can send in our TV proposal!! Yay!

*******

So, very quickly:

Here’s this.

If you are a long-time reader of this lofty blog you no doubt recall that when I lived on E.12th Street in NYC, Richard Hell lived half a block away from me.

It turns out he STILL lives in that same apartment! He’s been there over 50 years! Below is a current photo from Interview magazine and it doesn’t even show you half of the amount of books he has in his apartment now (there are about 4 other photos besides this one). But what I also love is that, back when my first book, Neptune & Surf, came out, I mailed a copy of my book to Richard Hell.

Since it looks like he has never thrown away a book, ever, methinks maybe my book is still in there!!

********

And on a similar note…

I have always loved this photo of Jack Kerouac. I used to have it taped to my wall in the bedroom of my E.12th Street apartment. (Back in the 1980s.)

But it was only yesterday that I learned the photo was taken on Avenue A, just a couple blocks from my apartment!!!

In 1953, but still!!

How cool is that??

**********

Okay.

Nick Cave smoking at the Chateau Marmont in LA, in 1985:

Nick Cave smoking somewhere else in LA, in 1991:

And here’s this, from a year later! Another one of my favorite Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds songs! “Brother My Cup Is Empty” from Henry’s Dream, 1992:

**********

And now I gotta SCOOT!!!!

Enjoy your Friday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

**********

I leave you with this.

I had a very great phone chat with Valerie in Brooklyn yesterday evening.

Here is a very little known fact: “Valerie” is her middle name. Her first name is actually Sheila. But her mom’s name was also Sheila, so she’s gone by “Valerie” her whole life.

Even though “Valerie” is 6 ft. 2 inches tall, and weighs around 190 pounds, with very short blonde hair, I always think of her whenever I hear this song!

“Sheila” by Tommy Roe, 1962. Enjoy, gang!!