I just scanned in this Polaroid because it's beginning to fade- and wow is it looking freaky as it fades.

So it turns out that people in faraway places are actually reading Rick’s rants. Go figure. Congratulations, One-Eyed, for your blog notoriety with the Abbott and Costello bit (a brilliant piece of blogging, I agree). Here’s what they’re saying.

"If Abbott and Costello were alive today, this is what they would be saying on stage. Congratulations to One-Eyed Jack for this hilarious piece of commentary."
posted by Padraic at 10:05:19 AM

"A modern spin on Abbott and Costello. Via The Luxury of Conceit."
posted by Maureen Thorson at 9:21 AM

A warm welcome to Kerry, aka Painkiller. "perhaps i was the shadow," she writes, "there. there, but forgotten, quiet and carrying on a dialogue of my own."

Is it more difficult to breathe in the fog? Today on my morning run I became winded much more easily than I'm used to. Perhaps it's just Monday Morning.

My favorite search terms that brought someone here:
"ron crick this isn't anna"

Or did you find yourself here by searching these terms?

lee hazelwood
jim delmonte + landlord
Melle Mel
I'm nobody! Who are you
Mxx + Galvin
Heavy + rotation
longshoreman + logo

Some of MSG's are even better

mxxx 1000
"the night we... a day" sydney
hottie senators
gregory melle
la vie en rose + three tenors + words
drift on inn
The Thing
glob in throat + cancer
big biohazard symbol

I'm going to visit my grandparents in Reno in a couple weeks, and in an email this morning my grandfather writes, "So pleased you are coming and hope Mike can make it too (gotta get a little casino time in playing blackjack)."

How well he knows MSG !

Kerry's First (archives seem to be a bit shaky, so the link might take you to another post)

Last weekend's birthday party for Kerry and Jeff hit just the right tenor, I'd say. For such a small group there was a disproportionate amount of drama-- most notably a furtive romance and tequila-puking incident (none involving me). The strange thing is that all of these things went down in my office (which is a separate, closed off room). In a strange way I feel like some life (other than writing in solitude) has been breathed into this room.

Be still as a mountain, move like a great river.

I went for a long run in the rain today. I love the feeling- being soaked head to toe, but without a chill; having the rain pour off the bill of my cap without touching my face; seeing and moving strongly through the water, instead of huddling under an umbrella and moving rapidly to shelter. Today I ran up and down the hills of my neighborhood, knowing I’d have the streets to myself because of the downfall; there were leaves everywhere, and water running furiously down the streets. It was calming, actually, and when I got home I practiced Tai Chi in front of our big window, watching the rain some more.

My greatest fear is something along the lines of losing my mind and going nutty- big time. And so I think one of the things I’m enjoying so much about Tai Chi is the process of letting go, before coming back stronger. In this context emptying the mind is essential for re-centering, and becoming more focused and strong. It’s amazing to me that it takes all one’s attention and energy to do this- to let go of everything: “Entire body transparent and empty,” as an ancient Tai Chi Chuan song goes. And then, later in the song: “Tigers roaring, monkeys screeching; Clear fountain, peaceful water.” This cultivated energy can be as strong as a tiger’s roar and as far as a monkey’s screech, but despite this strength, the mind is still clear. That’s what I want; I’m ready.

Some noteworthy new blogs

CAPGAS-- all Capgaseros can post event information, notions, analysis. Eventually this may become the CAPGAS home site; we'll see what happens.

Rick's fictions-- set in 2025

StreakerWatch! -- this site makes me nervous, as I can't open it without crashing my computer. Use at your own risk.

No time to blog today, but I want to share a photograph sent to me by my grandfather, with the note, "Great pix of you, Meliss when we were dancing." I don't know about "great pix," but it captures an unforgettable moment for me when he joined me on the dance floor at Kathy & Dave's wedding (I think ABBA was playing!). I'll never forget the look in his eyes- he was so happy to have the NY/CA Meade reunion finally happen. [In the foreground is MSG’s bald head, and in the background my brother, mother, and father.]

Not only am I finding notes and poetry all over the place, I'm getting misdirected email dumped in my inbox (and not of the usual spam variety). This one I got today, with a 4-page document entitled, "Argument by defending party, CH and TB." There seems to be some rental dispute between these two and their landlord- IN HAWAII (I've changed all names to initials).

From: SW
Subject: She informed me that JD


House. JDhad never told me that there was a resident manager of any kind.Me and Mrs. G had a conversation about what was going on. I told her that Jnever told me about a residence manager or paying rent to one he specificly told me that it was between me and him! She told me don’t listen to him that he doesn’t know what he is talking about.

And here's Me and Ron, around 1991.

Another sad, sad day in US politics.

My short, 2-mile jog this morning nearly killed me. It's incredible how much a weekend of drinking and smoking can set me back (welcome to my 30s?). My weekend in Boston with the Js was a great one, though, so I’m glad to be huffing and puffing and hacking.

Here we are in 1991 or 1992-- John, Me.



And here we are last weekend, Boston 2002, Judy, John, Me.


A hearty congratulations to BOB, for his triathlon success.