A blog about New York City, my books, and my cats. Mostly.
Don’t miss this. I’m kicking myself for missing the first installment. It’s this coming up Sunday, March 29th, 3pm, at Dixon Place, 161 Chrystie Street. Change is good, but there are some things worth keeping.
For tickets: www.dixonplace.org, or 212 219-0736.
I am absolutely positively taking today off. For real. I mean it. I’m just going to do my daily exercises (since I missed four days in a row!) and then I’m going to go out and get food and hole up and catch up on TV and a month’s worth of People Magazines.
Mainly, I’m not going to think of how behind I am in my email.
We were all curled up together when something got their attention at the bottom of the couch. Never a comforting thing to see them do. (I always think “spider.”)
It made me so proud to return to Duke and see this sign for my book at the entrance to Special Collections, where I spent my days researching the Parapsychology Lab archives. Sigh. Accomplishment. Feels good.
My downstairs neighbors at my hotel complained about me last night. I was making too much noise, they said. I guess I greatly under-estimate my size and weight! I was exercising, which did include some jumping around, and apparently I’m not as light as a feather, which I actually believed. Until last night. Thank you very much downstairs people. Sigh. Disillusionment. Doesn’t feel so bad, actually.
I guess there’s something to that Buddhist thing of not getting too attached to your feelings and making such a big thing about them. They are so transitory. Feeling bad? Hang in there, that will change. But of course that means if you’re feeling great that won’t last either! It’s like that fable I posted. This was the version that was told on the show Northern Exposure:
My uncle once told me about a warrior who had a fine stallion. Everybody said how lucky he was to have such a horse.
Maybe, he said.
One day the stallion ran off. The people said the warrior was unlucky.
Maybe, he said.
The next day, the stallion returned, leading a string of fine ponies. The people said it was very lucky.
Maybe, the warrior said.
Later, the warrior’s son was thrown from one of the ponies and broke his leg. The people said it was unlucky.
Maybe, the warrior said.
The next week, the chief led a war party against another tribe. Many young men were killed. But, because of his broken leg, the warrior’s son was left behind, and so was spared.
Just another way of saying don’t get too attached to your feelings. What seems like a bad thing today, something to get depressed about, might end up being the best thing that ever happened to you.
Please keep it clean. (That’s a picture I took after the last snowfall. I didn’t put up that sign!)
I’m leaving in a couple of hours for Durham. I’ll be back late Saturday night. But it’s not like I’ll be going anywhere virtually. I will have internet access in my hotel. The famous Extended Stay hotel I was in last time.
I had promised myself that when I returned to Durham I’d stay at the Washington Duke, but, well, financial crisis! So back to the Extended Stay it is. I will treat myself to something nice while I’m there.
Something from Target, perhaps? (I was fascinated by the giant Target across the street from my hotel.)
I keep thinking about the massive amount of TV that I’ll have to catch up on when I get back. I miss my cats already (who are going to be taken care of by my wonderful neighbors Malik and Beth, mostly Malik, thank you Malik!).