Chemo #5

10/24/07

I had my 5th chemo yesterday, one to go. I’m listening to the Massey Hall 1971 live Neil Young disc. How beautiful. Yes, sometimes it is hard to make arrangements with yourself. His voice is in its prime, and the guitar is miked perfectly. Highly recommended.

I’m on steroids today. I suspect a chemical cartography of sorts might be applied to my blog. One might look back and trace those days upon which my energy was chemically induced, enhanced and inflected. If having cancer elicits heightened sympathies, enticements to rest and take it easy, well-meaning advice, and other such attitudes un-exhibited toward those in otherwise good health, there must also be, inevitably, should one have the good fortune to experience a remission, another chance, another day, another sunset, another enjoyable conversation, a time to put this kindly attention aside. After all, it’s probably important to be the first on your block to think of yourself as a survivor. Did you forget man? I’ve got cancer! I think it’s probably obvious to those of you who follow this as to when and when I’m not chemo geeked. Praise God!

I sent a letter to someone I love today. Here’s an excerpt:

Dear Sarah:

I suppose I should say, Trainee Sarah. The bird in the cage, the horse that never gets out of the barn, the un-walked dog on a short leash in a forgotten back yard, I suppose they could tell us how you feel. You’ve always been so good with animals that if anyone could know what they think, it would be you. Ashes’s pointy gray face seems to approve of Sumo’s new accessory, a hilarious pink collar someone put on him.

No politics today, Randy? First some sports. So tell me, my sporting pals, which Favre is going to show up next Monday, the gunslinger or the game manager? Don’t count out the Bears, you Blatz guzzling Yoopers, come Sunday they’re gonna be on the lions like a bad rash. Oh, are you still smarting from that IMPROBABLE cheese head collapse in the Pack/Bears last match up? Ouch. I won’t rub it in, although that was a very nice pass to Urlacher on your own 5, Brett.

No politics today, Randy? First, some more on music: Bonni Q., I think that Ronnie Hawkins really meant to say Bonni, rather than Suzie, when he wrote the song. I’m diggin the way kickin “Shake Ya Boogie,” a cool synthesis of jump 30’s jazz and hip hop, new age beats. The remake of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” (Bauhaus, I think, did the original), lugubriously chic. Really like “Slide Away,” nice voice, 60s pop alt-rock the way it should be. “Koop Island Blues,” is slightly reminiscent of Massive Attack’s stuff. “Kjiribah,” it sounds like Indonesian gamelan music, but I’m sure this is west African stuff, almost like Mbiras (thumb pianos). You’ll have to tell me more. I love the Pietra Brown cut, “Are You Free,” it has a brooding, slidy appeal. “Seven Angels on a Bicycle,” I like. The Cake cut, “Thrills,” is perhaps my favorite on this stellar compilation you’ve made. A, put “New Shoes’” right there with it. How many of you out there know that Tom Jones did a cover of “Black Betty,” how unusual!

Politically, what’s left to say? A lot, of course. Darfur, Iraq, Burma, the United States, lots of bad juju globally. Who cares? Not Americans. Besides what can you do when your representatives have neither the courage nor inclination to force a Democracy turned Plutocracy into upholding the principles that comprise its integrity. It’s really about the rich controlling the poor, not social equality for all versus the rule of the few. The latter would mean reducing the lining of the Democrats' as well as Republicans' pockets. While Bush once again appeals for money to fund the bloody carnage of a senseless cause, we scratch our heads about the cost of universal healthcare.