2020 Diary: The End of June

6/28/2020: June almost over already! The Book Inventory is really eating up my days. Forced myself to stay in bed till 6 AM, then up, prayers, Bible, straightened house, and Church on YouTube. Father Dennis’s farewell sermon; he’s off into semi-retirement. Did my turns at about 7:10 AM, then began BI with Tim Powers. Finished at about 10:15 AM. Taking a break; then on to James P. Blaylock. I never know what a Sunday will be like, foodwise; I don’t think there are any leftovers left for Andy to bring out to me before they go shopping. Suppose I’ll go in for a ramen about noon. In the meanwhile, I have skunked tea and hard candy to keep me going. Nobody won the Lotto yet, so that’s good, since I didn’t get to play. Ah, Blaylock, can I do you justice?

With some naps, breaks, and lunch, I finished Blaylock at 5 PM, and posted him and Powers directly. (At about 3 PM Kam called me in about a bug in his room; I think it was an ensign wasp, a harmless bug that eats cockroach eggs; i.e., beneficial) Not a bunch of books; I am taking it easy for Sunday. Now I’ve only got the big bottom shelf on the left to do before I move into the home stretch with Tolkien. Excelsior!

At 5:30 PM prayed the rosary. Did some more BI, comics, mostly. At 7 PM went in to get a ramen and bread and made dips for S&A. Susan says the people at HEB were doing pretty good about the mayor’s order to wear masks in public. At 8 PM went out for my turns; it had been raining earlier but had cleared up enough. Went in and washed up. Destroy All Monsters! on this evening. Might do more BI before I go to bed.

And so I did, finishing only at 11 PM. Now I shall post it and go to bed.

 

6/29/2020: Started off the day at 6 AM with prayers and Bible. Started BI. Took an early walk at 6:45 AM. Started wash at 9 AM, started chicken soup, boiled eggs, made egg salad, made me a ramen, made cucumber salad, went in about 10:30 AM. BI. Nap from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Went in, picked chicken, got my clothes, came out, called John (he was busy), then BI. At 4 PM grassed dogs, made fish patties and couscous, ate supper and more BI. Went in at 7:30 PM cleaned up and more BI. Finished the last of the bottom shelf on the left and posted on Finder’s Keep. Wrote John an e-mail: Well, I'm done cataloging for the day, having reached the end of one of the bigger bookshelves. All I have left to go are the Tolkien books (minus the Tolkien paperbacks, which I've already done). As of right now the catalogue has:

889 pages

157,484 words

1,856 books

I've handled, dusted, and looked into nearly every book I own, excluding comics paperbacks and Gold Key Digests [which I’ve since done]. If my calculations are correct, Yogi, I should end up with about 2000 books. Which is not too bad, considering I had about 3000 before I moved out of Loop Drive, and bought quite a few since. I wonder what it would be like to follow the fate of those 1000 books [that I downsized and sold] and see where they ended up? Although quite a lot of those words [in the inventory] are pasted from other sources, they were chosen because they said what I wanted to say about the books; the editing, as it were, was mine. And there's quite a bit of my own memories and criticism thrown in. In making this list I realized I don't have a copy of Gulliver's Travels anymore [I do now, an annotated one]. I suppose I can just read it on the Kindle if I have to, but it seems like a book I should have in my liberry. Just goes to show what I can do without; I probably have a dozen 'classics' I would never miss.”

Time for a rosary (10:30 PM) then to bed.

 

6/30/2020: The last day of June. I was up about 6 AM, did all my regular things, including a shower (which I haven’t been doing every day). Worked on the top shelf of the ‘Tolkien Shrine’ from early on but didn’t finish the 35 books until 8 PM. All day I haven’t felt good, had to drive myself along to cook (Kam’s breakfast, supper) or do anything, even the rosary. I’ve lagged all day. Forgot to put the mushrooms in the fried cabbage. Thank goodness the day is over. Right eye hurts too. John hasn’t called me back.

Me to John at 8:30 PM: Finished the whole top shelf of the Tolkien Shrine today: 35 books. It may not seem much, and I didn't write much new material, but I put some long thought and search into my entries. Today was sort of a drag; my legs felt heavy and I didn't seem to have any energy. I thought what an irony that I should reach Tolkien at last and not feel physically as inspired as I would like. Well, I can always add later if I want. The trouble with that is sometimes you go "Eh. What I've written I’ve written." I shall be glad when I finish this task. It hag-rides me to a certain extent and gets in the way of even my daily amusements. Well, off to Finder's Keep to post my daily batch. Hard to believe it's already the last day of June. The Inventory makes me lose track of time as well.

He to me, 11:50 PM: Glad to hear you are nearing the completion of your Task - it sounds like it has been the usual mix of laborious pain and enlightenment that accompanies most worthy efforts.  I will call you tomorrow - sorry I haven't yet- I've been swept up in a variety of chores as well and by evening I go on familial chill out auto-pilot.  Weird - I seem to be constantly hustling and at the end of the day when I recount my accomplishments, they don't add up to terribly much.  In the words of the Doors- "This – is - the strangest – life -I have ever - known!”

Notes

One of the odd things about keeping a diary is you begin to see patterns that you might not otherwise think about. Yesterday we had another birthday party for Kam, and I didn’t realize how similar the details were to one five years ago, down to the pizza, cheese dip, and mostly cards (with money) rather than physical presents. Of course, there was a more complete gathering, and Ollie and Julia have joined the cast and crew.

I had forgotten that I was posting the Book Inventory to Finder’s Keep before I had started Niche of Time; in fact, it was for the Inventory that I started NOT, and soon after; I haven’t posted on FK since then. And I've had some welcome expansion to my beloved Tolkien Shrine. 

2020 Diary: Time It Was

6/12/2020: Prayers, Bible at 5 AM. When I went out for my turns at 7 AM, was met by a fellow from the city who asked me about coming on to the property to trim branches around the power lines; I got Andy and he talked to him. Made Kameron biscuits for breakfast and finished off the chicken soup. I had done some BI but couldn’t keep it up and took a nap from 10 AM to about 11 AM, then didn’t really feel up to anymore. I had got to Bed-knob and Broomstick and felt overwhelmed about what to say. Instead I finished reading The Black Hole of Carcosa, which I had started a couple of days ago.

 About 2 PM started in on frying potatoes. An extra piece of fish in the bag at supper (it happens sometimes) and I ate that too. Rosary. In at 8 PM to clean up. Then finally finished the three books (B&B was one) that I had taken out hours earlier. Now almost 10:30 PM. I’ve felt a little blah all day; usually I’d say allergies or a summer cold, but nowadays one must wonder if it’s the plague. The hilarious farce of CHAZ, almost a bad parody of The Napoleon of Notting Hill or Night Watch. At 11 PM sent John this e-mail:

No sooner had I signed off about songs (only half in jest - but not about your song-writing ability) that I began thinking about where to place a song and why. I think a nice little montage about "Making Home" would cover their preparations at the cabin, leading up to the storm which wrecks their work. Then years ago, when I wrote an outline for the story as a movie, I wanted to make a bragging/boasting song sung by the gang, "The Simplest Job in the World", to tempt Daisy to join, at the same time revealing their rather shabby operation. The next place that I thought of for a song is "Singing Life into You", which would fit in naturally with Daisy as she leads Thunder along, and the Triple Theophany of Fireflies, Owl, and Bear could happen (in pantomime, as it were) as the song unreels, ending in the Valley of the A-ka-ten.

I keep thinking of telegraphic ways to summarize stuff, and a song is a good shortcut. Maybe - but I am not sure - Thunder's tale of the Deacon could be a song, with a little strophe when he heals Whitley echoed in Daisy's song, and the main theme repeated in action mode as they are chased. There would be just music of course - I imagine some sort of theme bridging Frobisher's prologue and Daisy's school -which episode wouldn't have to take up a lot of time - just them arriving and finding her fighting, and then setting off - another pantomime montage. Maybe stomping music while the ‘bigfoot’ carries them off blending into morning music as they arrive back at the cabin. But these are only collaborative suggestions; I want to see what you write (i.e. I want to have you do the heavy lifting).

 

6/13/2020: Up one minute before the alarm went off at 6:30 AM, then whipped myself into shape and off to TX Cooler to spend my last dollar on a lotto ticket. Home at 7:20 AM and wrote down a dream and some notes on ‘American Prometheus’, the first time I thought on it in months, then settled down to BI [Book Inventory], then took a brief nap. Went in a little after 12 to get those 6 bananas and had 3 for lunch. Kam brought me a few leftover fries later. 

Watched most of Phantom of the Paradise and bits of Caddyshack in the afternoon, then tucked back into BI. Had a ramen with two slices of bread at 5:30 PM. Finished off bananas. Thought I was done with BI but tucked into another shelf of kid books; stopped at 11:10 PM. It’s a compulsion, but a pleasure. And now I realize it’s time for the rosary.

 

6/14/2020: By dint of sheer willpower (though with many awakenings) I was able to ‘sleep’ until 8 AM. Then I got up, prayed, read the Bible, and went out for my turns, although my right leg is very tingly and my knee very sore. Is this because of my long walk yesterday, or what? Also, my right eye is aching. Eyestrain, or what? I must say I’ve felt WORSE since following doctor’s orders, but does this mean my body is fighting the lassitude I may have been sinking into, or that it’s actually GETTING worse?  Feh. Whatever. Came in and partook of the St. James YouTube communion. Took my medicine and started making breakfast, those old sausage patties that Kam brought home from school. I snagged them when I noticed the garage was open. Made them in the microwave. They tasted pretty good for once (I must have been very hungry). I imagine that is the last time I will eat them; Kameron is done with that program, I think. Worked in spurts on the BI; the thing is that even when I am not writing I am researching and thinking about what to say. I have been getting strangely vivid flashes of memory as I recall stuff associated with the books, both scenes and emotions in real life, almost like film unreeled on the back of my brain. It took me all day to finish a shelf of 44 books. Grabbed a ramen with egg and bread at lunch, and then when I went in to patch the spine of the old Kalevala book at the table. 

S&A gave me their leftover half of a Sonic burger from yesterday. Did my turns at 7 PM, finished the shelf at 10:30 PM or so, and rosary at 11 PM. Leg feeling better than it did this morning. Keep finding strange insights as I think about old books, how they influenced me, putting my finger on key events in my reading life. Ah well, time for bed.

 

6/15/2020: Up about 6 AM, prayers and Bible, starting Exodus today again. Starting in on the high shelves behind the TV so got up on the bed and with some pain brought the books down from the top left shelf (except for the encyclopedias). Now to get dressed and walk at 7 AM. A pretty typical Monday, with the wash, making soup, making broccoli salad, and so on. Only did a little work on BI. Wrote John:

“Well, I must say that after a month of medicine and exercise and cutting down on starches I feel ... worse than ever, especially in my legs. But perhaps it is the difference of a fish settling peacefully down into the mud to die and one fiercely struggling on the line to live. Today is the first time I've slowed down a little on the Inventory of Books, probably because I spent my juice this morning on working on SocSec paperwork (which is 'due' soon), and Monday is one of my busier days what with the wash and making broccoli salad (which is quite a production) and my garbage and so on. Slowed down, but not stopped; I've done a few entries, and the evening is young. I have done a few more notes on Chapter Four, which is more than I've worked on Bob's Book 2 in a month. I'm thinking a person could extract a lot of biography from the Inventory. I know I've made some surprising discoveries from examining what to write about various entries. I'm using a lot of the longer observations from Power of Babel when I can.

Kam came in at 9:30 PM to stay the night. I said my rosary then put on the Jack Frost Mystie [Mystery Science Theater 3000].

 

6/16/2020: Kam did not sleep all night. I was up at 6 AM, prayers and Bible. I took him back at 7 AM. Turns. In at 9 AM for breakfast. Did some BI. About 1 PM I turned my attention to the SocSec paperwork and realized that this copy was for my records and need not be sent in. Tremendous relief. BI. Went in and made supper of sausages potatoes and cabbage. Ate. Worked on BI and finished just at midnight. Now to pray rosary. My thumb has felt weird all day, like something is tugging on it; from hitting the space bar so much?

“I always ate too much at [the Grimm’s] get togethers. I remember one New Year at the Grimm's house making an experimental brew of root beer, marshmallows, pretzels, and other stuff in that old blue plastic glass, disliking it, and having to find a way of quietly disposing of it.”

 

6/17/2020: After getting to bed at 2 AM, I got up again at 6:30 AM, got dressed, prayed, Bible, took down half of the lower left-hand shelf of books over the TV, then went out and did turns. Came back in, shaved my skull, and took a shower. Got dressed again and now it’s 7:45 AM. Back to the BI for a while. The notion struck me that I can go in and put in pictures when I’m done. Went ahead and prayed my rosary and worked on BI. At 9 AM made Kam bacon and eggs; the only time I saw anyone today. Had ramen and eggs. At about 10:30 AM SocSec called me, and I went over a few things and they’re sending me a few more forms in the mail. Finished off soup at lunch. For supper made pork chops and sauerkraut, and lentils (ugh). Rounds at 7:30 PM. Finished half the shelf by 11:30 PM, and that was using a lot of Wikipedia and Amazon quotes; still, it took me quite a while. Put the books back up. Legs kept hurting all day. Ah, worry.

 

6/18/2020: Woke up 6:30 AM after a troubling dream and sat a while trying to analyze it, decided to put it out of my mind, and got up. Prayers and Bible and getting dressed, then took down books for the daily BI, started a new story, ‘Omichon’, and went out for turns. Saw a brindled cat and thought for a moment that it was Kiki, but it was too greyish. Came in and started writing again. Made Kam breakfast, and he came in and watched (Mysties) Puma Man and Overdrawn at the Memory Bank. I finished five pages of the story. Made supper: chili, corn, and rotini. Rosary about 10 PM. In all finished 5 pages of ‘Omichon’ and about another quarter of a shelf for BI.  Bed at midnight.

 

6/19/2020: Up about 7 AM after forcing myself down a couple of times. Prayers, Bible, and turns. Got to work on BI. Went in at 9 AM and made Kam a breakfast biscuit and some toast. Arranged for him to come in and watch Mysties with me when I had finished shelf. Got myself a ramen with eggs and bread. War of the Gargantuas on Comet Channel. 

Finished shelf a little before 11 AM, putting books back and posting on F[inder’s] K[eep], and was telling Kam he could come in when we both saw it was raining, so delays there. It’s now about 11:10 AM, and it looks like it’s clearing up. I think I’ll compose myself for a short nap, then see about ‘Omichon’.

It cleared up and he came in about 20 minutes later. We watched Space Mutiny, and I had a lunch of leftover chili. About 2 PM I started to get the fried potatoes under way; at 3:30 PM got the Chi[huahua]s into the guesthouse, prepared the room, then let the Rott[weiler]s in at 4 PM, in preparation for the exterminators. It started to sprinkle a bit just then. Andy arrived and let them in, while Kam helped me manage the Rotts and fry taters at the same time. I let the Rotts out a little after 5 PM, but not before the Chis (of all things!) had done some damage to the bathroom door in their nervousness. Then Kam dropped off to sleep. I finished the potatoes and went in to start the fish. Susan was home by then and told me about how Fred had mishandled a case of Covid-19 at work for the past two weeks. Sheesh. Took the Chis back in (oh yes, they had peed and pooed in the meantime in the guest house) and had supper. Rosary. Cleaned up kitchen about 7:30 PM and managed to shift Kam back to the big house. Did a bit more BI and hit the hay (not quite sure when; 10 PM?).

 

Notes

Right now, I’m going through a five-year review of my SSI; these diary entries remind me of that anxious time when I was applying. About my subsistence on ‘lashings and leavings,’ leftovers and staples like ramen and eggs, with the occasional treat supplied by my old ‘twenty pages’ agreement with John. Man, that got me through some hard times. Where is that ‘copy for my files’? I may have to dig that up again.

I never did get to the end of ‘American Prometheus’, that fourth chapter of Bob’s Book 2 that I came to jokingly refer to as ‘Franklinstein.’ Maybe finally getting SSI made me less desperate to produce, to get that $20 every two weeks. My production has certainly slowed down.

I was drawing ever closer to that moment when the Book Inventory jumped over into its own blog, Niche of Time, complete with pictures of the volumes. “Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land. So the little moments, humble though they be, make the mighty ages of eternity.”

Summertime is always a good time for cheesy movies, and Kameron and I really enjoyed getting together to watch Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Youtube. I would explain some of the more esoteric jokes to him and we would have a good chuckle over the wisecracks and shoddy effects. That has slowed down too, but he still rather wistfully proclaims that we should do that again some time, but he’s often taken up with online games with his cousin and sister. “But we’ll have a good time then, boy, you know we’ll have a good time then.”

June 2020: What Is So Rare as a Day in June?

6/5/2020: Up a 5:30 AM again. I guess I’m on summer hours now. Prayers. Bible. Dressed. Planning to go for Lotto and DG later; want Dobie pad, sweetener, cake mix, frosting, and cookies. Meanwhile, some BI [Book Inventory]. My intention has been and is to handle each book, not just look at them on a shelf.

So I left at near 7:35 AM which was just about the perfect time, got a ticket, and went to D[ollar] G[eneral], where I got a call from Kam asking about breakfast around 8:15 AM; it seems Susan had already gone to work. After that I added 2 apple pies to my list; I still have $2. Came home and made Kam a couple of sandwiches of toast with turkey and cheese and took out the last chicken soup to heat for my breakfast. I was totally wiped out and after eating the soup and fell into a coma-like nap until 12:30 PM, when I continued with the BI, most of it proofreading what I already had. At 2 PM I had to start supper (fried potatoes take a long time on a hotplate) and wasn’t done until 5:30 PM. Took my fish and taters in. After all day, I only catalogued 10 books. It’s now a little after 7 PM; I’m going to count my tramp this morning as more than all my turns (it is!) and go on to the Rosary.

Kam came in and we watched “The Day the Earth Froze” until about 10 PM; the summer MST3K’s have officially started.

 

6/6/2020: Prayers, Bible, Medicine. Went out about 7 AM for my turns and photographed a huge spider out by the cedar tree out front. Cookies for breakfast, then later, about 10 AM, had 5 boiled bratwursts that Susan had told me needed to be eaten up. Went all day working on BI with a strange continuous intensity; today it was many Scholastic books, so more early memories. I stop and do research and add whether there are connected books that I don’t have and put things in chronological context. 

“Anatomy of a Murder” playing in the background during the afternoon. About 5 PM I went in to get a ramen and a couple of eggs, and they were just starting to eat Long John Silvers, which Kam and I had just been talking about a few days ago, about how we hadn’t had any for a while. Just as I was about to eat my ramen, Andy comes in with a plate with a little piece of fish, one big fat shrimp, 4 hushpuppies, and a lot of fries and crumblies, so yummy! As I continue with the BI, Svengoolie and “Bride of Frankenstein” on in the background.

 Finish BI for the day about 9 PM, then Rosary and bed.

 

6/7/2020: Up at 2:30 AM, when something struck me lightly on my right temple (probably a cockroach). I scrambled awake and searched my bed but saw nothing, but I was totally awake. Got up and caught up yesterday’s diary (which I had neglected for BI) then started in on Peanuts books (“Happiness” books and animation ‘novelizations’).

 Watched the St. James mass. Worked on BI. Went in at 10 AM to bake cake and they were just eating breakfast. Went in at noon to frost cake and got a ramen and eggs. Worked on BI until I finished the Kitchen Shelves and posted on FK[Finder’s Keep]. Walked my turns then made dip-dips for the family. Came in and prayed rosary at 7:30 PM. 

 

6/8/2020: Did all the usual Monday things: Prayers, Bible, medicine, turns [circling walks], wash, feed Kam, make chicken salad and boiled eggs, made broccoli salad, made supper of couscous and fish patties, cleaned up, made Kam grilled cheese, Rosary, posted, listened to GGACP, Daily Wire, House, and Flintstones, but mainly I worked on the BOOK INVENTORY, mostly the kid books in the clock shelves. John wrote me back some e-mails; he sounds depressed still, and with the state of the world (riots, fires, and COVID) who can blame him? I told him that all of my ‘juice’ is being expended on the BI right now; it is quite compulsive. Almost 11 PM. Must try to sleep. Posted on POB after more than a week.

 

6/9/2020: Aiyee. Started at 5 AM. Prayers Bible and Rosary, then began BI with Cabell books. At 7 AM did my turns. At 9 AM started the chicken soup and had eggs for breakfast. Read Mark Twain “Following the Equator”. 

At 11 stopped soup and went in. Came in at 12:30 PM and picked chicken, had lunch. More BI. Went in at 3:30 PM and started sausage, cabbage, and taters. Came in and laid down, then ate. About 6 PM Andy came and asked if I had seen Kiki [one of the cats] today, and I realized I had not. Started in on Gaiman books.

When I went out for my turns at 7 PM or so, it was a perfect early summer evening. The westering sun was alleviated behind mounded clouds, but its glory was still shining out in rays. The lavender and primrose jasmine were releasing their late afternoon perfume and the cicadas were still singing. Doves were calling drowsy at day’s end, and an owl hooted in the gathering shadows of the oaks. I saw a lizard squirming, shaking the bushes by the house where he had been trying to catch the last warmth of the day, but now startled into the shadows by my sudden appearance. The whole scene was somehow quieter, hushed, more solemn, with the thought that the cat Kiki might be missing, gone forever from this circle of falling silence. I searched the corners of the yard as I walked, seeking for the flick of her brindled tail, the glint of her green eyes. But there was only a cat-shaped hole in the jasmine bushes, leading down into trails untrod by mankind.

Worked till almost midnight to complete the Neil Gaiman books.

 

6/10/2020: Up at 6 AM. Prayers, Bible, got dressed. Left about 6:45 AM and went to TX Cooler and got a lottery ticket. Came home, started on the Pratchett books for the BI. At 9 AM made Kam bacon and eggs, then had some soup. Tired out by my walk, I laid down and slept. Got up about 1:30 PM. Had the windows open still all afternoon. Inventory. At 2:30 PM went in and started supper, making rice, thawing chicken. Finished by 4 PM. Came in worked on Inventory. Went in at 8 PM and made Kam biscuits and cleaned up; had rice which I poured soup on. Came out and settled down and finished Pratchett books about 10:30 PM. Rosary. Cleaned house and caught up diary. Finished Twain’s ‘Equator’ this afternoon, skipping the boring Boers. Have I won the lottery? I’ll wait to tomorrow to check. Bed about midnight.

 

6/11/2020: Woke up at 5 AM, laid around until 5:30 AM to try to sleep more, then up. Prayers, Bible (with some extra chapters, as I was reading the story of Joseph and his brothers and got caught up in the story) then at 6 AM turned off the AC. Time for a shower. Turns; a very cool morning. Started BI with the Greg Hildebrandt books.

 Watched Perry Mason. Moved on to the Annotated editions. Made Kam bacon and eggs and ate the leftover cabbage and taters. Worked on BI until 11 AM and break.

Finished Annotated shelf at 3 PM, and I think I am done for the day, and soon will start supper. I sent John the suggestion he write a film script for AGODP and it seemed to spark his interest; he said he would try.

I: A new idea came to me last night. If you are still looking for a project, why don't you brush off the ol' William Goldman and write me a shooting script for "A Grave on Deacon's Peak"? Creative enough to be engaging, and you don't have to build it from the ground up, and it would give us something to discuss. It wouldn't hurt to have a script ready for Yen to shop around, and it could whet my appetite for when I go back to Bob's Book 2, which seems to have gone into a summer sleep, edged out of the nest by the Inventory, which still obsesses me. Think about it. I would be very interested to see what could be whittled away and still have the main story told. But I think Frobisher must be in the prologue, no matter how brief.

He: An interesting proposal.  Being conceived in your dreaming mind, the story has been very cinematic from its inception.  I'll take a look at screenplay format guidelines and start playing around with "seeing" it- maybe I can kickstart my moribund creativity with your readymade tale. I've felt a few twinkling embers lately, which, believe me, I did not expect to ever feel again, the way things were going.  My faith is weak, but I promise you this much - I will try. Thanks.

I: Excellent! Right now, I am working on my annotated editions for the Inventory and was on Huck Finn when your message popped up. Did you know that the Sherman Brothers wrote the songs for the Johnny Whitaker 1973 "Tom Sawyer" and the 1974 "Finn" sequel? Write some songs too! You're good at that. But script first!

Made supper: chili, corn, rotini. Came in and started on BI again. Did my turns, then rosary a little after 7 PM. Washed dishes a little after 8 PM. Went back to BI and finished about 10:30 PM. 

Notes

Long summer days made short summer diary entries. Not to keep anyone in suspense, Kiki did turn up again later. My formatting on these entries changes when I pop pictures in; I have to try to fix that.

 

June, 1981

JUNE 1: Changed calendar. "The Ruins of Isengard."

JUNE 17: Got "God-Emperor of Dune," "Monster Manual," "Deities and Demi-gods," "Yesterday and Today [record]."

JUNE 18: Washed sheets.

JUNE 19: Cleaned and washed counter. Halbardier came over.

JUNE 20: Crook-tail the kitten died. Saw "Horse Feathers."

That summer in June I was rather like the Hobbits in the ruins of Isengard; just taking a break after the end of one struggle before a new one began. I was still groping and experimenting around with various cultural byways. In "The Little Red Diary" when I mention seeing a movie, it is usually the first time I've ever seen it. I'd seen the Marx Brothers here and there of course, but mainly on cheesy T-shirts and in transcription of dialogue in printed media, which could not hope to relay the true spirit of the Marxes. "The counter" was a kitchen sideboard with a Formica top where we stored newspapers, mail, Pop's homemade pickles, and whatever else kitchen detritus it attracted. It needed regular and heroic maintenance Crook-tail was the last, desperate scion of Belladonna's brood. The others had found homes. We clung to this frail little kitten with a broken tail.