p.s. Hey. Well, I made it back to Paris, but I'm as sick as a dog, as they say. Except for a couple of feeble attempts to tough it out via consciousness, I've been asleep for the last 18 or so hours. But I just downed a bunch of coffee, and I thought I would try to do the p.s. before it wears off, so here we go. ** Joseph, Hey, man. Well, logic says The Rumpus will dig your gung-ho spirit. Did they? Very curious to read your Wheeler review, of course. Ha ha, tell your girlfriend thanks. Don't get sick. It's not worth it. Oh, and, man, I'm going to post that Day you made for the blog on this coming Thursday. It's fucking wonderful, and thank you a ton for it. ** Will Decker, Hi, Will. Wow, that is a big change. For the better, I assume? Isn't your son in Chicago? Theoretically, Chicago would seem a better living climate than Oklahoma, except for the actual weather part, of course. ** Sypha, Hey, sickness buddy. Very best of luck with yours. I haven't been this wiped-out sick in years. That dream did cheer me up, including the 'regular-looking guys' mystery aspect. Thanks, S. ** David Ehrenstein, Hm, maybe it was 'Sweet Charity'. I'll watch the clip you linked when I feel better. The store clerk may have gotten or pronounced the title wrong. What I saw was a dance sequence, hippie-themed, very red in color (clothes, decor, etc.). The most amazing red. ** Statictick, Hey. It's c/o Centre International des Recollets, 150 rue du Faubourg St. Martin, 75010 Paris. ** Alan, Ha ha, hey, man. ** Wolf, Nice, nice about Barcelona & you guys & Esther. Wow, ... that thing about me. I haven't even met me, so that's quite a coup there, my pal. ** David, Is that where the Smith's song title comes from? The 'Strangeways' reference, I mean? Oh, yeah, I guess I pre-divorced the Carroll book from Burton's movie. 'Alice' has been coopted, referenced, filmed, parodied, sung about, etc., etc. so many times that I guess I see it as both the book and as just a separate floating, free-for-all reference point. The Beattie story was worth it, thank you. Everyone, the fine d.l. David has a little story about meeting the writer Anne Beattie back when she was hot lit. shit in the 70s, and it's a sweetie, and it's on his always lovely blog, and it's here. ** Math, Ha ha, I agree. He didn't mention that he also pulled an unlit cigarette from VK's lips that night and gave it to me as a souvenir/ talisman. I'm sure I've mentioned that before, however. ** JW Veldhoen, Black toe sounds bad to me. Yeah, I believe in originality in literature. It's a lot more fun and productive and hopeful and inspiring to believe in it than not believe, and life is short. ** Killer Luka, Hi there, Luka. ** Steven Trull, In a word, yes. ** The Dreadful Flying Glove, Sir, sir, sir! You have been greatly missed, my friend! Seriously and truly! Even with a very small portion of my brain in action this morning, your story was such a beauty. Honored, I am. Dude, no pressure to deliver, I promise, but how are you, and what's new? ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi, Ben. I survived the flight, but I have this sinking feeling that flying that far/long while this sick was up there with my dumbest decisions. ** Creative Massacre, Yeah, like I've said, I never or almost never remember my dreams, and I figure that's probably a very good thing, you know? Awesome about The Undertaker going 18-0. I'll have to find a watchable version of that Wrestlemania somewhere. Thanks, pal! ** Bill, Yeah, I'm in Paris, but only so to speak. Oh, weren't the frogs in Burton's 'Alice' terrific? That was my favorite scene/moment: the Queen's dressing down of the frogs. When do you leave again? I'm totally like you re: the work of Ai. Her first books were huge faves of mine, and then I mostly lost track. I'm putting together some kind of Ai post to commemorate. ** Irene, Ha ha, you had me there until you sent me that email. Thank you dearly, Irene. I'll write to you asap, and, oh, fyi, I'm going to post the you-know-what on this coming Friday. ** L@rstonovich, Hey, man. ** Paul Curran, Yeah, me too, I really have to divorce myself from the amount of time I've put in versus what ended up being worth it. It's all reasonably fine as long as I don't go there. ** Misanthrope, I'll sell you my VK's lips-enhanced unlit cigarette for a million dollars. Nice about that surprising entertainer. I'll go check out her myspace page once I'm less sick, zoned, possibly crabby. Thanks, man. ** Little foal, I want to be sick like you're sick, man. Well, the clothes part at least. Actually, I'd trade my horrible cough and chest thang for a headful of snot maybe. ** Steevee, Feeling pretty dreadful, I'm afraid, but thanks. That is a totally stressful situation. I hope it worked out okay. And I hope the oncoming illness was a phantom or something. ** Rigby, Hey, R. Back in Paris? Yes, seemingly. All well? The opposite, seemingly. ** Justin, Oh, very good on getting those books and on getting started on the sewing thing. So, I guess you have to buy fabrics online? Or is it like a thing where you can go fabric hunting in your real world area the way you go thrift shopping? Anyway, cool, and cool about the St. Martins goal. Why the hell not, you know? Aiming high is the only and best way, I think. ** Trees, Moving? Where? ... on up, in the 'Jeffersons' or other sense? Sadly, I'm am sicker rather than better, but thank you for the hope. And Paris is grand despite my current unworthiness. Awesome news about the successful reading and the Wagner prop and the making out too. ** Inthemostpeculiarway, Your shopping with your friend story was great. Is still great, in fact. Hm, there are a lot of Wurtzel books, I guess? I didn't know. I'd better cut to my day report because I'm fading out. Uh, the traveling and flight was awful, the worst ever, I think. Despite all the medicines I took, I coughed and felt achey all over and just total misery the whole time. Never have 11 1/2 hours passed more slowly. Everyone in the plane could tell I was sick and hated me violently with their eyes. I vaguely watched some movies. Uh, the rest of 'Up in the Air' which was okay, and 'GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra' which was exactly as you can imagine it, and, uh, I rewatched Pixar's 'Up' for some reason. It was still great. Luckily, the customs guy wasn't paying attention when I got to his booth and just stamped me through because I'm sure I looked liked toxic death. I took a cab back to Recollets because I couldn't deal with the train, and after walking in the door, and brushing my teeth, and saying hi to Yury, I went to bed. I set my alarm for four hours so I wouldn't fuck up my sleeping patterns, but, after trying to stay awake at the four mark for about twenty minutes, I felt too miserable to exist and went back to bed. I slept until 10 pm, woke up and plugged in my computer, ate half of a health food store bean burrito I'd brought in my luggage, took more medicine, felt horrible after maybe an hour of being awake, and went back to bed again, sleeping until just after 8 am today. Then I made coffee, drank some, and started the p.s. At the moment I have a really bad cough, itchy and painful lungs, a temperature (I'm pretty sure), achey, weak limbs, stuffed up ears and nose, etc. That's the entire story, I'm pretty sure. I'm hoping for a slight improvement by tomorrow, but I don't know. Tell me about your Monday, please. ** Panda?, Hey, Panda?! I miss you too, man. Awesome to see you. Your new album fucking kills, it so great! ** Blendin, Oh, I know, man. Heavy Barney's regrets. I should say '... Beanery' so people don't think we had a shopping date. I'm safe but not sound, but I'll angle for both. Take care, bud. ** I made it through that. Perhaps that's a good sign. That said, it was a pretty shitty p.s., I know full well, and I apologize. Oh, a couple of lurker type people requested that I revive and restore the blog's long lost Billy Mackenzie Day, and so I have, happily, since he was an amazing artist, clearly. See you tomorrow, maybe when I'm in a better state. I'll try.