Yes, a little bit of rain this morning, but this afternoon–

Partly sunny and going up into the 70s Fahrenheit!!!

Can you believe it, gang?

My favorite 95-year-old Japanese man is going to LOVE this weather and, obviously, we will head out for sashimi and sake posthaste!!

I’m guessing that when I arrive at his house, it’ll go something like this:

ME (running into his bedroom): “Get up! Get dressed! Get your wooden leg on! We’re hittin’ the road!!”

HE: Sleeps soundly. Until I repeat myself a couple of times and he finally wakes up.

But then…. Off we go!! Yay!!

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All righty!

James Tabor sent out the link to reserve our hotel rooms for the Tabor Research Community Conference in late September!

I booked my room yesterday! A king-sized suite. (I’ll be all by myself in a great big room with a wet bar — unless it’s “pet friendly” then I might bring about 17 cats…)

I don’t know if I’ll be flying down there or driving. I’d like to drive, because I’ve heard it’s a beautiful drive down to North Carolina from here, but we’ll see if I’m up for it. I don’t know. Because then I’ll also have to drive back.

But either way, I will be HERE on Labor Day weekend:

Getting all the updates on the Cave of John the Baptist news, the Talpiot Tomb news, the James son of Joseph/brother of Jesus ossuary news!! Finally getting to meet James Tabor and probably having the time of my life!

(I’ll be drinking Wild Turkey bourbon with Diet Coke on ice, smoking unfiltered Chesterfields, cranking the rock & roll and popping a little speed — Oh, wait! No!! That’s what I do in motels. This is gonna be a hotel. I behave totally differently in hotels.)

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Anyway.

I’m excited.

September is going to be a busy month. a fun month. 2 conferences. My new novel comes out. The Musical Director of our play “The Guide To Being Fabulous” needs me to be available to get back to NYC for the staged reading — no firm date yet, though. But I already know the venue and I’m fucking excited!!

And here’s this!

Also coming in September!

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I finished watching the final episode of Season 1 of “Riot Women” last night. I don’t know yet if there will be a Season 2, but what a great show.

Just so well written, but also extremely intense. And it occurred to me that most of the intense things that happened to each of the women, separately, also happened to me, to one extent or another.

It was a hard show for me to watch, to be honest, but they handled the storylines so brilliantly. With truth but also with compassion.

But crimony, gang. It’s no wonder I’m a walking PTSD factory!!

Jesus.

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Okay.

Here’s this to lighten the mood!

Keith and Mick in LA in 1969!

And then Keith and Mick a handful of decades later:

Then Keith and Mick and Ronnie, onstage somewhere in 1975:

And Keith onstage in 1972, the summer I was 12 and fell in love with him and remained that way for the rest of my life:

And here’s this! The song that made my 12-year-old jaw drop that same summer, when I brought home the double-album Exile on Main St and put that first album onto my portable record player and played it for the first time!! Wow. My world was never the same. (And I wouldn’t trade it for anything, when it’s all said and done, gang.)

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Okay.

James Dean lassos Elizabeth Taylor!! (On the set of “Giant”, in Marfa, TX, 1955.)

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And I believe that’s it!!

I gotta scoot!

Enjoy your 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!!

Wow.

A friend on Instagram reminded me of this song this morning. I had forgotten all about it. I LOVE this song!! (And the movie it came from: “The Wonder Boys”.)

The song is now cued up on my driving-to-town music!

Bob Dylan. “Things Have Changed.” 2000. Enjoy, gang!