Feeling Better
Feeling much bettter todaySorry I was such a self-pity-wallower
in my message the other night
Feels Weird
It still feels weird to pass by
a brand new castle
occupied by its original inhabitants
Great Spooky Moment
In this village we stopped in this morningRegine takes me and two other
miscellaneous injured parties
into this rank hovel
filled with old smoke and grandmas
and basically conducts medical Grand Rounds
sorceress-style!
They poked us, they sang
(spooky chromatic slidy goosebumps),
they made poultices
they fed us Foul-Paste-on-a-Stick
(Regine standing there totally at home with them,
communicating in sounds and gestures)
---. a bosomy little statuette even bounced its way
through the proceedings ---
and my ribs feel better!
I ask no questions
I make no judgments
All hail smoky grandmas!
Going to the Cee-Tay!
The other reason I'm feeling betteris Skip's contagious excitement
about going to Milan
For all our time here
we've never been to a real City State yet
He keeps dancing around going:
"bright lights!"
"quality musical instruments!"
(very very rare back here)
"golden knick-knacks!"
"books!"
"rudimentary plumbing"
"shopping!"
And, oh, did I tell you?
I figured out a way to sneak a souvenir back!
Get Petrarch's autograph!!!
I told you that Petrarch
(arguably the originator of modern poetry as we know it
and especially . . . sad
*drops voice 2 octaves*
luuuuuuuv poetry)
is going to be at the Visconti Wedding in Milan, right?
And I've even figured out a way to get around
the embargo:
Put his signature in my notebook
and hide it among a bunch
of my own "calligraphy practice"
Perfect, huh?
Quintuple Talk
You're right, the Carter/Bush/Castro vortexdoes remind me of how reluctant colonies
are dealt with back here . . .
. . . except that the "good cop / bad cop"
"good president / bad president" routine
seems incredibly unsophisticated
Here the Viscontis'll send out
two contradictory emissaries
and three false spies.
You can't really finesse a situation
with just double talk
you need quintuple talk
I Can't Believe . . .
. . . they postponed your performance review!And without scheduling another date!!!
That's so unprofessional! It's the only word for it!
These companies think they rule the world!
*looks around himself at the overwhelming
corporate force that surrounds him
in his contractor's camp*
*puts hand to chin*
. . . hmmm . . .
*refocuses*
Make sure you use this on them
when they do finally meet with you!
Remind them of how they jacked you around!
Let's look at you objectively ---
sitting there right now
probably reading this at work
Yes, I'm writing to you
. . . . You with your passion and cool skills
watching the fun of college recede and fade
undervaluing yourself
starting to buy the game
they play at work
(but not totally)
your mind so stressed and busy
and divided and conquered that
it can't put together a coherent thought
you'd recognize as "you"
Remember that the other self is your real self!
Remember to give your job
a full 100% . . .
. . . of the 20% of your self you budget for them!
Hawkwood Himself
We found out that Sir John Hawkwood himself(our future business partner)
and his mostly-Brit army
passed through here a few weeks ago
It took me a second
to even recognize his name:
they called him "Giovanni Acuto"
(say "Hawkwood" with a Vaudeville Italian accent)
(everybody has numerous names back here
I'm "Berto" = Robert; "Alto" = big, or tall
in a million regional dialects
like in the Alps I'm Ovaur Manyo
"Ovaur" = Robert; "Manyo" = 'magno', big or tall)
"Acuto's a real Gentleman, a real Gentleman," they said.
He has great brand recognition.
They call his outfit
the White Company
because they keep their armor totally polished
(as opposed to the rusty goofballs we usually face)
and they fight on foot with planted lances, Brit style!
Everybody Else:
Go Away Now,
Come Back Later!
(Further Down the Page)
***********************************************. . . so pleased that you SWAKed me
(Sealed With A Kiss)
in your e-mail
That makes me feel better, too!!
*blushes down to his knees*
um . . . this is for you:
Mwah!
*kiss*
No.
Sorry.
That was a really insincere sounding kiss.
Sorry
Ssssssssssnrk!
that is a heart-felt kiss
and
Smsmsmslarlarlaralarlurursmmmrnk!
well . . . that is a
take-your-breath-away kiss
I've an idea!
I'll type the word "kiss" with my lips
hang on
*bends over keyboard*
LJK UIO SD SD
. . . hmmm . . . .
that didn't work very well
lemme try the tip of my tongue
KL I S STS
better
Once more:
K I SS S
there!
jeez, i hope who's been using this laptop
has been washing his/her hands
Bleaughh!
And nobody but you had better be reading this
or else
ka-pow
just kidding
but really, don't read these parts
*********************************************
Regine Gave Me a Hammer
She must have traded for it in town!She just walks up tonight and
*plunk*
"Here!"
. . . and walks away.
A square-forged war hammer.
What a psychologist she is!
It's so perfect!
It so helps me get over my freak-out
about the Swiss dude!
next to the laptop mouse for scale
I guess I have a signature weapon, now.
"Berto the Giant, Hammer of Marketing"
Whoop dee do.
Rovere Altimo