Stacy Horn

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.

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!).

What will I forget to take?  I’m trying to stop working now.  Oh, except I need to stay up until 12:30am for an interview.  Not easy for a morning person like myself.  (But I am not complaining.  These radio people are doing me a big favor when they have me on their shows.)

I took this some place in the West Village, except I forget where.  I just loved the really really really old shutters.

Finney and I have this ritual. When he wants to come up on my lap he comes over and stares at me. I spend a few minutes going, “Come on up Finney.” “I’d love to have a kitty on my lap.” “Come on up, little dude.” “You wanna come up? Come on up.” He can’t just jump right up. He must be coaxed. Like this isn’t what he wants right from the start.

My previous two posts are me pretending I’m doing anything but thinking about my book!  I’ve got a reading tonight in Connecticut, and Wednesday I’m going back down to Durham for a presentation at Duke and another at the Rhine Research Center.

Here’s my book on the New Non-Fiction table at Barnes & Noble!