The answer is here.  If you don’t find the answer, write to me directly.  I know you.  I know your mind.  I know your heart.  I know your answer.  Hombres.  Sailors.  Comrades. *

Monday, October 1 and La Madrastra (it means “stepmother” in Spanish) is a new Italian restaurant at First Avenue near the corner of Sixth Street.  When Bryan and I ate there we were very pleased; you can check out a review of it in the Village Voice.

One thing I’d object to in the review, however, is the description of the duck breast in strawberry sauce as “just plain bad” — I found it quite good.  Then it’s back to the apartment for the last part of Ric Burn’s New York: A Documentary Film on PBS.

As for Thich Nhat Hanh, he is a respected speaker who leads a Unified Buddhist Church retreat center in France, Plum Village.  On that home page is a link to the poem, which is why I think it has become attributed to him.

And from Leonard Bernstein:

This will be our reply to violence:
to make music more intensely, more beautifully,
more devotedly than ever before.

Wednesday, October 3 and the second episode of the new Star Trek spin-off, Enterprise.  Bryan feels that the characterizations are a little weak on this one, but they do have seven more years to grow, if the other series are any indication.

This was also to be the evening of the season’s premier of West Wing, but the producers have decided, in light of last month’s events, to stage a special morality play, written by series creator and producer Aaron Sorkin, that they call Isaac and Ishmael.

All of the major characters are given a different viewpoint, including Martin Sheen as the president.  When asked if he considers the martyrdom of terrorists “noble” Sheen replies that heroes are noble, that to die for one’s cause is nothing compared to living for it.

It’s Stockard Channing (who plays the estranged First Lady) who delivers the final analysis when one of the students asked how it all started.  She recounts the tale (from Genesis 25) of Abraham and Sarah, his son Ishmael by the slave girl Hagar, and his son Isaac, delivered later to his wife Sarah, as promised by God.  Naturally, the two sons are separated by Sarah, one to become the apocryphal father of Islam and the other the leader of Israel.  What people don’t remember, and should as she reminds us, is that the two sons later got together to bury their father.

Later on, Jay Leno has his wife Mavis as a guest; it turns out she is a leading expert on the Taliban and their mistreatment of women.

Thursday, October 4 and the Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi; how come my mother didn’t remember this one?  She normally calls on Saint Anthony’s Day (of course, that’s the name she gave me; Francis is my middle name from confirmation).

A few weeks ago, I was asked how and why I came to be at Church Publishing.  Here’s my answer:

By the time I was 40 years old, I had completed all that I had wanted to accomplish in my “secular ministry” — which is how I’ve come to think of my early years in Boston radio and nightclubs.  The year before that, I had moved to Laguna Beach and my life took a dramatic turn; I found myself more active in the church than I had ever before.

So four days before my 40th birthday, I gave myself a present; I was formally received into the Episcopal Church.  After the ceremony, in conversation with my receiving bishop (+Chester Talton, Suffragan of the Diocese of Los Angeles, and a true prince of the church) and in front of my sponsor (and dear friend, David Littler), I made a solemn vow that I would spend the rest of my days “telling the Good News.”  In response, the bishop wrote in my prayer book the command, “Be a disciple of Christ, always.”

I have not turned my back on that vow or that command and now, eight years on, find myself in the business which holds the most potential to fulfill that mission — serving under the publisher of the Book of Common Prayer, the liturgy and theology of the church.

And in the year that I have worked here for Frank Hemlin, I have never found him to be any less than a man of principle, vision and honor.  So, on his retirement from almost three decades of service to the company and the church, it is my prayer that God grants him and Jack many years of health, happiness and all good things.

At noon, we celebrate his service by having a surprise lunch at his club, the Union League.  You may remember that we had our Christmas party there; it’s still a traditional men’s club where women may not wear slacks and the men, well, let’s just say outré is certainly out!

Dinner is with Bryan, Michelle and Artie at Old Town Bar, where we’d taken B’s folks last month.  But we must be home at 8 for the season premiers of Friends, Will & Grace, and ER.

Friday, October 5, at lunch, Bryan and I try something new — the Red Lantern, a Thai restaurant just off Fifth Avenue on 37th Street.  We were pleasantly surprised to find a clean, bright place with good lunch specials.

On the walk home, Bryan wants to stop at Tepper Galleries on 25th Street off Lexington.  Even before I met him, he’d been receiving postcards from this antiques dealer/auctioneer and we decide to check out one of their previews for the first time.  Not that we found anything of quality unfortunately, but that may just have been because of this particular estate sale.

After a change at home, B proposes one of our favorite Italian restaurants for dinner, Tanti Baci (which my mother later tells me means “many kisses” — not “kiss your aunt” as I’d poorly translated).  As usual on a Friday night, it was packed wall to wall, but the food is just great and full of olive oil and garlic, so how can you complain?  My mussels in a spicy red sauce were superb, Bryan’s fried calamari crisp and sweet.  For entrees, he really wanted the spaghetti bolognese which can be hit or miss there; he hits a home run this evening, while my linguini in a sauce of sun-dried tomatoes and baked artichoke hearts is sublime.

Then it’s back home to watch BBC America.  I’d been wanting to catch the much-hyped So Graham Norton; his guests are Ivana Trump, Kathy Burke, some hand puppets that obviously mean more to the British audience than us, and a crazy phoner to a German sex phone service, helped out by the translator from the European Union!  Plus a theme song by the Propellerheads.  But I shall return.

Speaking of funny things from England, Bryan has quite fallen in love with the American airings of the Vicar of Dibley starring Dawn French.  So imagine  my great surprise and pleasure when the next show turns out to be French and Saunders starring, well, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders doing The Phantom Millennium, an all-out parody of the most recent Star Wars film.

Now, check out that last link for the pictures and script of the episode or this for multi-media clips.  Now!  And then come back!

They pull off every joke and every characterization possible; Saunders played the wise Jedi knight Pork Dim-Sum while French multi-tasked with the roles of young Padawan Toby-Jugs Kenobi, Queen Aminana and Panty Padmé.

Then the villain is played by none other than John Inman of Are You Being Served.  “Are you free?”  I certainly am for this episode which I will try to hunt down; I would buy this one!

Saturday, October 6 and my parents arrive in the city to attend a memorial service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Monsignor John Patrick Carrol-Abbing, founder of the Boys Town of Italy.

This was truly an unusual man; I don’t normally recommend Roman Catholic prelates, especially one who worked so closely with Pius XII, but his work for the homeless children of Italy was well known and well documented.

I see that the latest video project of Jane Hudson for the Internet is called Tales.  As she writes, “animistic psyche are burned, leaving only the ghosts of these powerful projections.”  See it and be moved.

And speaking of writing, Bryan and I received a nice post from Nick in London.  He is a search consultant for Korn/Ferry near Buckingham Palace.  If you are in England and looking for a job, he may be the man!

Finally, back home, I pour myself a glass of myself.  By that I mean a glass of Tony’s Red from Anthony Road, a vineyard in the Finger Lakes region of New York.  Very fresh and fruity, a review calls it Kool-Aid and means it as a compliment!  Then it’s a quick dinner at Zito’s on First Avenue.

Back to the service, this church is lost in time.  I wonder why they don’t seem to be singing the same processional hymn (#336) until I look over at another parishioner and realize he’s singing from the Hymnal 1940!  In addition, it’s a Rite One Choral Eucharist, but at least they’re using the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.  The rector, J. Douglas Ousley+, is on vacation, but the celebrant is a very enthusiastic Robert Maxwell+.

Otherwise, the music is glorious with the choir performing Fauré’s Cantilène and Cantique de Jean Racine, as well as Poulenc’s Le bestiaire (the parish is celebrating the Feast of St. Francis).

Monday, October 8 and since it’s Columbus Day (and Thanksgiving Day in Canada) we’re assuming that he might have seen some whales on his trans-Atlantic voyage.  Let’s use that as an excuse to take a look at the new album from Laurie Anderson, “Life on a String” [Nonesuch 79539-2]:

Some of the songs have been drawn from her performance art-piece, Moby Dick, of a couple of years ago.  That’s how she began work on this, but then expanded it with other songs.

As an artist, and not a pop singer, Anderson’s career has never been dictated by current musical trends; nonetheless, the electronic sounds of her music have always been au courante and accessible.  That said, with over five years between albums, there should be no filler and more consistency when she does release one.  The last album with such consistency was Strange Angels, after which she virtually disappeared before almost losing her life in the Himalayas.  That experience led to the Bright Red and a turn inward towards her own emotions as opposed to social commentary.  Still, we wish she would show some stronger editing skills.  There are other opinions, of course.

The first three tunes, One White Whale, The Island Where I Come From, and Pieces and Parts, come directly from Moby Dick and use the whale as a metaphor for the human condition.  Certainly they were three of the more successful pieces and showcase both her strengths as a singer and a spoken word poet.  Musically, Island is the weakest, with the melody sounding as if it came from a television show; unfortunate, as the lyrics are so strong.

Here with You is a haunting instrumental which leads directly into the song of death, Slip Away.  In later years, this has become one of Anderson’s strong suits.  In this song, she spends two hours in the early hours before daybreak, as a loved one “slips away” into “that long irreversible hallway.”

I know that sometime I’ll stop looking for you
Stop seeing your face every day
Bad dreams and nightmares and big bad wolves
Ooo they slip away into the remains of the day.

And after all the shocks the way the heart unlocks
And ooo then you slipped away.  You slipped away.

Why don’t you get an old beret
And why don’t you find an old café?
And sit at a table and write something new
That’s never been heard before.

Washington Street is a love song to New York, a black and white Woody Allen-like montage.  Statue of Liberty is prescient, considering the events of 9/11; “Freedom is a scary thing/Not many people really want it.”  It’s also a lovely piece of music, performed as a string trio of violin, bass and cello.

Lou Reed pops up on guitar on One Beautiful Evening, which combines Egyptian history, childhood songs and avant-garde lyrical structure.  It’s a typical Anderson piece that recalls the name of her publishing company, Difficult Music.  Then, finally, the title track Life on a String and the remembrance of Laurie’s love of physics:

Some people know exactly where they’re going
The pilgrims to Mecca
The climbers to the mountaintop
But me I’m looking
For just a single moment
So I can slip through time

Life on a sting.

Tuesday, October 9 and I listen to the live Genesis Musical Box before work; even considering it’s Phil Collins singing (he had just taken over lead duties from Peter Gabriel) it’s quite impressive. Dana Wharton and I had actually seen the Boston stop of that tour.  The highlight had to be Supper’s Ready; but you already knew that didn’t you?

Wednesday, October 10 and another uncelebrated anniversary for my first day on the radio in 1978, 23 years ago.  And for what, the Double Tenth?

From 1905 to 1911, Chinese rebels loyal to Dr. Sun Yat-sen staged a series of unsuccessful armed attacks against the corrupt Manchu dynasty. Finally, on October 10, 1911, army troops loosely associated with the United League revolted at Wuchang.  By the year’s end, all the southern and central provinces had declared their independence from Manchu rule.  The rebellion led to the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC), the first republic on the Asia continent.  Now the holiday is celebrated as the National Double Ten Day.

At 5 PM, I have my weekly session with Bill Noble+; if you’re ever wondering if there are still great priests in the world, I’ll have to introduce you to him.

Both Bryan and I are done around the same time and decide to meet for the walk home.  By the time we hit 28th Street, our feet were tired and we decided to find a new place for dinner.  Unfortunately, we fell for design over food when we ate at Andrea’s Brick Oven Ristorante at 307 Third Avenue.  We ordered fried calamari ($7) and a large pizza with spinach and prosciutto ($16).  But after waiting quite awhile, the calamari arrived mere minutes before the pizza.  Wonder why?  Of course.  The calamari were like rubber bands and were promptly sent back.  Why won’t we go back?  Because the waitress didn’t seem to realize that was a problem; “don’t you like them well done?”  Well, no dear, not calamari!  The pizza was ok, but even that was a little dry.

We make it home by 8 pm to see the third episode of the new Star Trek series, Enterprise.  This week everyone gets dosed with psychotropic drugs; somewhat of an old and tired plot line but handled well.  Then the West Wing series premier; the conceit here is over-lapping plot lines, four weeks apart.

Thursday, October 11 (the one month anniversary of the WTC bombing) and at 5 pm, I leave the office and walk up to St. Thomas, Fifth Avenue to meet Rick Miranda for choral evensong and Eucharist.  Included from the Harvard service of Charles Callahan is the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, an anthem of Edward C. Bairstow and the Herbert Howells Voluntary for the Psalm-Prelude I, First Set (1915).  Then it’s off to a local bar (margaritas for me, Harp for him) while we discuss the state of the Episcopal Church.

Friday, October 12 and the birthday of Ralph Vaughan Williams.  I was supposed to go to the Morgan Library to see “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and “An Ideal Husband” but unfortunately work too late.

For dinner, I take Bryan to Evergreen Shanghai Restaurant for steamed juicy buns with vegetables ($4.50) and Peking duck ($26). And once again, we’re pleased with this new branch of this family Chinese, located just across the street from Grace Church and four blocks from our apartment.

After dinner and missing London, I make us whiskey macs and then it’s off to sleep.

Saturday, October 13 and cake rules the day as Bryan goes off to pick up not one, but two Entemann’s cakes.  One is a coconut custard pie and the other six Halloween style cupcakes.  Yum!  And then it’s the normal routine for me, falling asleep during a typically unfunny Saturday Night Live (with Drew Barrymore and Macy Gray).

Also, I finish the proofreading of Gray Temple’s book, When God Happens, and find that it’s very moving and inspiring.  His relationship to Jesus is very one on one!

Sunday, October 14 and Church of the Ascension for the Rite II Eucharist.  Because of his birthday on Friday, Dr. Dennis Keene, their organist and choirmaster, uses pieces from Vaughan Williams setting of the Communion Service in D minor (from 1939), particularly the Gloria, Sanctus and Benedictus, and Agnus Dei.  In addition, the Offertory Anthem is G.P. da Palestrina’s Exaltabo te, Domine.  And good it is; I also like the parish and the way the people interact.

As is usual in our house, the bedroom television is always on, and flicking through the channels during the afternoon, I come across the beginning of “Goodbye Charlie” from 1964 with Tony Curtis and Debbie Reynolds.

Talk about a closet movie!  Debbie Reynolds plays a ne’er-do-well playboy who is shot (by Walter Matthau playing a lascivious German film director) and comes back as a woman.  On top of that, the director is Vincente Minelli and the movie also starts Pat Boone.  It’s a real free-for-all; and of course the costumes, especially the women’s hats, are incredible.

This also leads me to remember Jack Lemmon in “Good Neighbor Sam” which has nothing at all to do with this movie but when else would I have the chance to mention it?

Monday, October 15 and lunch is a sandwich from Pret a Manger.  Otherwise the highlight is Bryan Banana and Tony Tomato eating at Johnny Mozzarella’s; we’ve passed this storefront Italian take-out a number of times.  It’s located on 14th Street between First and Second Avenues and all the dishes have mozzarella in them somewhere.

It’s a credit to the owner, whose last name sounds something like the cheese, much in the style of Mafia names.  The foods are mainly prepared in advance and heated up before being handed over to you but it doesn’t seem to detract from the quality.

Tuesday, October 16 and we watch the premier of Smallville followed by Judging Amy.  Based on the Superman story, Smallville is supposedly one of the WB network’s most successful offerings to date.

Certainly it follows in the WB tradition of cute young actors who all get a chance to show off their abs, particularly the lead who plays Clark Kent, newcomer Tom Welling.  What really surprises us, however, is that the show actually seems good.  Even with the silly plot turns (including a teen-aged Lex Luthor as a rich kid), there’s also some depth and emotion.  I think we’ll try this again.

And speaking of plot, Judging Amy is definitely driven by its writers.  The episode contains no surprises, at least for me.  Still, good emotional writing and subject matter; Bryan has gotten me into watching this show since he’s a fan of Tyne Daly.

Wednesday, October 17, it was a year ago today that Bryan told me he wanted to separate.  Re-reading my diary notes from that time, I realize I made one correct decision.  And that was not to move ahead with my life alone.  I wrote then that I would wait for him, no matter what happened.  And as history later proved, we got back together at Christmas and have gotten better and stronger ever since.  I love that man.  Speaking of love, let Nick Cave tell you about the Love Letter.

Thursday, October 18 and for dinner, it’s Afghani food at Bamiyan at 358 Third Avenue, on the corner of 26th Street.  We have passed this place many times and have been meaning to try it.  We are rewarded for our humanitarian efforts (I wonder if their business has been hurt by the war) with superb food.

We split an appetizer of Baunjaun Bouranee ($5, also, not knowing any Afghani, I don’t know if the words need to capitalized but the menu is printed that way); this is a dish of sautéed eggplant slices served over a layer of mint yogurt and garnished with fresh coriander and (by choice) meat.  Smooth and creamy.  Then Bryan has Bamiyah Chalow ($9), sautéed fresh okra with fresh tomatoes and fresh herbs served over white basmati rice.  I have Lowand Chalow ($12), boneless chicken sautéed in a savory homemade yogurt sauce, seasoned with Afghani spices and a hint of tarragon, served with white rice.  I think one of the spices has to be curry because of the yellowish tinge of the food; also, you have probably guessed that I’ve copied the descriptions directly from the menu.   Other dishes include a wide range of kabobs and authentic Afghani pasta dishes.  We’ll be back!

Friday, October 19 and since there is nothing to write about, let me reminisce about one of my favorite bartenders from Spit, years ago.  Lolly was one of our more creative talents and I would guess that she still is from her website, lolly land.

Saturday, October 20, and I’m up before 8 am to get ready for my 30th high school reunion at Montclair Kimberley Academy.  I almost forgot to put in the Kimberley as it was only Montclair Academy, a private boys’ prep school when I graduated from there in 1971.  Not having Bryan is OK, however, as I’m sure he would have gotten tired of stories from the past after awhile.

I’m the second person from our class to make it, right after Bruce Downsbrough who is in from Colorado.  Next up is Bob Benigno and then John Guttmann, in from Washington DC, and we go upstairs to the same dining room in which we used to eat.  Indeed, most everything is the same as the physical plant hasn’t changed, only some of the colors and most of the teachers.

Among those missing over the years are our old headmaster, Phil Anderson, a casualty of the merger years ago.  It seems it was felt he might be too rigid.  Well, he was, and perhaps the quintessential boys’ school headmaster and much loved and admired.

By 4 pm, we’re ready for drinks and I hitch a ride with Bruce Downsbrough who is staying at the Marlboro Inn.  This is a European style hotel with an old world charm (ok, it’s old!); perhaps because of New Jersey blue laws, they really don’t have a bar but the front desk person “free-pours” alcohol for us.  Indeed, forget a double, my vodka on the rocks is four straight shots!  Since she says she doesn’t drink, Bruce has to make his Manhattan for himself but that works well also.

John Guttmann comes over around 5 for his triple Scotch and then it’s off to the Montclair Golf Club for the evening’s dinner and dance.

Unfortunately, we’ve had a very small turnout this year and at our dinner table the only new faces are Michael Pierce, and Rich and Patricia Wahl.  We’ve really no complaints though as it seems that between us we can account for almost all of our fellow alumni between us.  Plus the buffet dinner is quite good and the companionship even better.

Sunday, October 21 and your itinerant parishioner goes off to Saint Luke in the Fields for their patronal day feast.  The guest homilist is Canon John Andrew, former rector of Saint Thomas, Fifth Avenue, whom I know from Grace Church.  He is truly one of our great preachers and I’ve gone to hear him; it’s hit and miss trying to find him now that he’s retired.

Monday, October 22 and while at the office I hear the most ethereal music — I must find the Dante Symphony by Franz Liszt, with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim with the Berlin Radio Orchestra Women’s Chorus (Teldec 9031-77340-2); WQXR is celebrating Liszt’s birthday.

This work is a surprise to me; I always thought of Liszt as tinkly piano music.  This was music from heaven.  Now, of course, the trick will be finding it as classical music departments are seen as an afterthought at Virgin Records.  They’ve a huge, private space for it, downstairs at the Union Square branch, but there is never anyone working in it.  Plus, the stock has dwindled since its opening and I see no signs of restocking.

Tuesday, October 23 and we have acquired a cow on Twelfth Street from the Cow Parade.  Yes, one of the famous cows that have been seen around the country as fund-raisers for their respective cities.  Ours has the late World Trade Center on its side.  You will have to come and visit it to see.

In the evening, it’s Mee for dinner.  Although written about extensively, this really is nothing more than glorified take-out; but the food is tasty and quite cheap (I’m sure the lack of liquor license helps).  However, it is another instance where the menu screams out, “No MSG” – while piling it on.

Wednesday, October 24, and just about fourteen months after I started working at Church Publishing, the Episcopal Clerical Directory 2001 finally goes to the goes to printer at 5 pm.  I had begun to think it would become the albatross around my neck that everyone had predicted.  Now we’ll see what the consequences bring.

It’s a television night at home with another episode of Enterprise (getting a bit silly sometimes, but that’s Star Trek for you) directed by LeVar Burton, West Wing (why do I always start speaking in staccato bursts after the show is over?) and dinner at Cento Cette.  I wanted a glass of wine, and time is running out (see next Tuesday).  But the restaurant is right around the corner, so why not?  Well, how about because the wine selections weren’t the best, and although there’s a rather full menu, all of the items are “off” by one.

Thursday, October 25 and afternoon is taken up with brunch at Paul’s Place and shopping, including picking up Leonard Cohen’s “Ten New Songs” at Virgin.

Bryan’s friend Elena Sloten’s birthday dinner is at Pangea with her, Bryan, her husband Dima, their friend James and Michelle Petersen.

Friday, October 26 and at 6 pm, I take the bus to visit my mother in New Jersey; Dad is hunting for the weekend so she’s all alone.  Mother and I have dinner at the Coach and Four; this restaurant has been a staple of Cranford since before I was born.  The concept is an old one; put an English-looking restaurant next door to the train station.  It’s what Pulliam’s in Brixton, England does so well.  The American iteration has gone through a few owners since it opened; the current one was actually my mother’s housecleaner many years ago.  She and her husband bought it recently.  The only bad thing is that the food is really so-so; and no one knows how to make a martini!

Saturday, October 27 and lunch with Aunt Virginia at the Olive Garden.  Yes, this is the sister of one of my favorite people, my late grandmother Rose.  Aunt Jean (as she is known) uttered the famous quote “When you’re dead, you’re dead!” at Easter a few years ago.  Quite the opposite of her sister, I dare say, who was rumored to be on a first name basis with the Almighty.  Still, I find out a lot about our genealogy and even a couple of guys in the past that I bet are gay.

During the afternoon, I clean out the Cranford rooms and then go visit my former choirmaster Jim Lenney and his friend Jamie Pulliam at 4 pm; they have the beautiful French mansard-roof home on the Rahway River that Bryan would love to own.

Sunday, October 28 and the time change from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time (I say this for our international readers).

I decide to go back to the Church of the Ascension which seems to be a good thing also; although somewhat smaller than some of the congregations I’ve worshipped with in the last couple of years, they’re warm and friendly.  This is not a pretentious parish; Father Andrew Foster’s sermon is simple and uncluttered.  The choir, the acclaimed Voices of Ascension, however, make this one of the unique churches to attend.  Musical selections are from the Shepherd's Mass of Richard Busch.

Mexican at MaryAnn’s;also, I look at the manuscript for David MacDonald’s submission for the JourneyBook series.

Monday, October 29 and the last night of drinking so it’s off to Zito’s.  Oh, well, I really should have thought this one through although dinner is fine.  I could have bought a fine cabernet to enjoy at home, perhaps a “saint” from France.  C’est la vie.

You may recall that in April, I wrote about a new vodka from Russia, Magadanskaya, or “Maggy” for short.  Well, maybe not so new as, in July 1945, leaders of the Soviet Union ordered cases of it to be shipped to the Potsdam Conference held by President Harry S Truman, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin.  But certainly new to me.  What’s the connection?  One of my college roommates, Bob Molloy (now a lawyer living in Alaska), is trying to import it into this country; you may recall that Ben Lynch, one of our other roommates, was visiting New York in April and we toasted Bob across the continent (see the movie file on that page).

If you need to read another opinion about “Maggy” vodka, I saw an upcoming one at Alcohol Reviews.  The critic gave it a perfect score!  Of course, he was only agreeing with me!  Anyway, I hope the rest of you get a chance to try out this vodka; you’ll recognize it by the uniqueness of the rectangular vodka bottle with the scrollwork corners and the onion dome shot glass on the top.  Per Russian custom, you can’t put it down unless you’ve drunk your shot!

Tuesday, October 30 and Church Publishing receives the first true “beta” for The Rite Stuff; this is truly becoming an amazing piece of software, even if you’re not a liturgist.

After work, I’m off to see Dr. Jose Cortes, my physician.  It’s time to begin a new drug treatment, Pergolated Interferon, or Peg-Inferon as Schering-Plough would have its trademark respected.  Yes, somewhere along the line I picked up the C version of hepatitis.  Supposedly, it’s not unusual for long-term survivors of hiv.  And now there’s a treatment, although it only works about half the time.  Still, I’m supposedly a good candidate for it, so why not?  You’re not getting rid of me that quickly!

[The rare note from the editor:  At the six month point on April 30, the treatment has proven effective; now, the medication must be taken for another six months for full effectiveness.]

Wednesday, October 31 and Halloween.  I have planned to take the day off, as many people experience flu-like symptoms after their first injection.  Oh, yeah, I get to give myself one a week along with a handful of pills every day.  Yes, me, who hates even the sight of a needle.  But it’s nice to have a day off, particularly as I have very few side effects.  Interestingly enough, one of the more common ones is severe depression.  The instructions explicitly warn about patients who have attempted suicide!  Lovely.  But again, you’re not getting rid of me that quickly!

Around 5 we get a pumpkin from my mom’s garden, hand-delivered by her and her chauffeur, my cousin Lorraine.  In the evening, we grab a quick bite to eat at Pangea before watching Enterprise and West Wing.  Plus, Bryan finally gets around to cutting out our Halloween pumpkin and placing it in front of the apartment door.

And so ends the month of October.  Please note that the picture here was taken in 1999.

I hope you enjoyed the return to the diary style and hope that you took advantage of all the hyperlinks.  That is really where the hidden treasures can be found.

“All you can do is play the cards life deals you.  Even if you deal off the bottom of the deck.”  Love, Thom Lane

At work:  I am the Software & Online Services Editor at Church Publishing Inc., the publishing arm of the Episcopal Church (directly in charge of the Book of Common Prayer and Hymnal among other liturgical, theological and spiritual materials).  Specifically, I am Editor of the Episcopal Clerical Directory and for the next few months I will be involved in the development of the latest addition to The Rite Series project, The Rite Stuff, a liturgical tool for planning worship services.  When completed, it should be one of the most advanced software products on the market.

Adelante!

Feel free to write to Tony or Bryan for further details; or just to say hello.

Take me home  or  Remind me of what Tony was talking about last month  or  Take me to November

* [Search hint:  Go to google and in “advanced search” fill in the “only” return results from site or domain with “tvod.com”]

From the Laurie Anderson album “Bright Red” … copyright 1994

Love Among the Sailors

There is a hot wind blowing
It moves across the oceans and into every port.
A plague.  A black plague.
There’s danger everywhere
And you’ve been sailing.

And you’re alone on an island now tuning in.
Did you think this was the way
Your world would end?
Hombres.  Sailors.  Comrades.

There is no pure land now
No safe place
And we stand here on the pier
Watching you drown.
Love among the sailors.

There is a hot wind blowing.
Plague drifts across the oceans.
And if this is the work of an angry god
I want to look into his angry face.
There is no pure land now.  No safe place.
Come with us into the mountains.
Hombres.  Sailors.  Comrades.