I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
Edgar Allen Poe

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
- H. L. Mencken

Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
-Bertrand Russell

What I have been telling you, from alpha to omega, what is the one great thing the sigil taught me — that everything in life is miraculous. For the sigil taught me that it rests within the power of each of us to awaken at will from a dragging nightmare of life made up of unimportant tasks and tedious useless little habits, to see life as it really is, and to rejoice in its exquisite wonderfulness. If the sigil were proved to be the top of a tomato-can, it would not alter that big fact, nor my fixed faith. No Harrowby, the common names we call things by do not matter — except to show how very dull we are ...
-James Branch Cabell

December 22, 2016 - 3:39 p.m.

Vienna Waltz

I didn't write yesterday and don't have much time today but I'll do the best I can. I didn't leave the house Tuesday. Ok that's covered. So much happened yesterday but I'll try and keep it to the highlights. Very short highlights.

I had therapy yesterday. I had to bring important documents with me. I had them in a separate bag. My life was in the bag. My plan was to go home, make dinner, then head out to see Vienna Teng. Good plan. Bad execution. When I got on the train at Harrison and went to take my seat I took my backpack off and realized that I didn't have the bag with my horcrux in it. Wow, spell check knew horcrux. I had left it in the waiting room in Harrison. I crossed over and took the first train back. Fortunately, it was not that long of a wait. I got back to Harrison and went to the waiting room. This is not in the station but a glass enclosure on the platform visible to everyone. Was worried the bag wouldn't be there. It was! That's why I'm still alive. Of course, by the time the next train came there really wasn't time to go home first but too much time to head right to Rockwood. I was an idiot in the morning and went out with only one spare phone battery, no charger, and the battery in the phone was not full. It was dying by then. So, I went to school, I still have valid ID, and used the charger in the library for an hour. That got it back up to 56%. Then I headed down to Rockwood.

I was meeting Fred there. He got to go in early and save us seats. I didn't know if anyone else I knew would be there. I should have known better. When I got there, I joined Chris. Coco, Bruce, and Krista were there. Then Gene arrived and then Kevin. I had no idea they were Vienna fans. Gene is the only one other than me that had never seen her before.

Vienna is Fred's favorite musician. He travels to the west coast to see her. He's an uberfan as I am for other musicians and knows her. That's why he got in early. As soon as this show was announced he told me that I was going. You read that right, that I was going, not him. He knew I'd know he'd be there. Like me, Fred is an apostle that spreads the word.

When we were let it Kevin and I joined Fred, his wife Linda, and his friend Chris at a table. My Chris and Gene grabbed Statler and Waldorf. Coco and Bruce were in the seats next to there. I knew everyone at that end of the balcony till standing room people came up.

So, what do I think of Vienna? She was great. First off, she got the piano, voice, and songwriting chops. Her songs are wonderfully varied in mood, texture, sound, and subject matter. Her stage patter is charming and funny. Even in a sold-out room she has a personal relationship with the audience and people that aren't me did friendly heckling. Everyone knows how to sing along without instructions. Well not everyone, I didn't but I can pick things up from those that do. Carey, do not give me that look. She used a looper to good effect. I hate loopers and anyone that can do it without annoying me gets props. I guess this means I'll be seeing her again.

I did not get to stay for the meet and greet as I had to make the last bus to City Island. The commute home started great. I had no wait for the . I got to Bleecker and the message board said the train would be there in 3 minutes. I checked my subway app and it said if I switched at 14th street I'd have not much of a wait for the express. But the train didn't come in 3 minutes. It didn't come in 6 minutes. When it arrived, it acted strangely. The operator was either unskilled or somehow slowed down. It lurched into the station slowly and did not go up as far as it's supposed to. I was glad to get off in two stops and switch to an express and use that to catch up to the ahead of the one I was on.

The app said there should be an express in 2 minutes. The app lied. There wasn't one for 12 minutes. Ugh. That meant I would probably end up on the same train I started with. I did. I saw that I'd get to Pelham around midnight and the last bus is at 11:53. I didn't have cab fare on me. I had to call Jane and Bernie and ask for a ride home. Bernie said I should call when I got to the station. My phone was dying so I couldn't ask for details. I didn't know if that meant he'd leave home when I got there or would already be there. I got off the train and called his cell to say that I arrived. He didn't answer. I looked around and didn't see Bernie. But miracle of miracles the bus was there; it was late. I got on it. I figured I'd call and tell Bernie I didn't need the right. I called the home number and Jane answered, said he left but then I was cut off. My phone was now dead.

I arrived home to find that Jane had called Bernie and let him know. He had his ringer accidentally off. Everything went wrong. There was a lot of that yesterday.

Now I have to get moving. No time to write more.


I signed the Pro-Truth Pledge:
please hold me accountable.





Memories: Not that Horrid Song - May 29, 2018
Wise Madness is Now In Session - May 28, 2018
The NFL and the First Amendment - May 27, 2018
On The Road Again - May 26, 2018
Oliver the Three-Eyed Crow - May 25, 2018



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Horvendile December 22, 2016
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