PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE

Ok you fucking retard, it's your fault now that you're sitting in the computer lab. Guess why? Return address, hmm? How come I'm Mr. Keith? I could get used to that. Perhaps just "Mr. Keith"... yeah, call me that from now on: it has sufficient respect and awe, and yet it shows I'm willing to mingle with the little people. My guess is that you write with a purple marker, big and double spaced cos you have nothing to say, and I write with a pencil because it attracts attention and makes you put in effort if you want to glean any insights into the world. Hey! I've been having headaches too; isn't it wonderful? I would have said it's a lack of sleep thing, although I'm sleeping ok, but not getting refreshed; you would have said it's lack of echinacea (not sure of the spelling; my dic only has echidna, spiny anteater, and echinus, sea urchin. If it's from either of these, you have another lapse to add to your Guinness, naughty girl) and excess stress. I think we're probably both right, cept for that damn fool idea about echinacea - you are just a tool of the rabbit advertisers.

I wont write anything about your relationship situ cos a) what could I say? and b) in a shocking invasion of privacy, I've decided to post this letter to my mailing list. Mundane crap can be read by all 184 or so, but I have a limit to the lines I will cross.

How come you only ever invite me up to visit you when you're in a new place? Well? Hmm? If you really want me to come up, I will, on condition that you come down and go to Wimbledon with me (last week in June, first in July). You may cry off saying you're too poor, but now so am I, and I'm willing to make the effort, so why won't you, you cruel heartless woman with a heart of stone? LM n LP are visiting this weekend, and I've decided to stay around so it's Tom's bed, not mine, that gets stained. After that I'm thinking of popping down to the IoW to visit Everest the kitten and Davio's Dreamcast, but dunno whether to go on Monday and back on Wednesday in time to teach on Thursday, or whether to go the following Tuesday (after KODO!!!!) and take a coupla David's little friends down for half term. Either way, I believe, my train fare is paid for, but I may well be slipped a little something extra if I ferry young kids across the Mersey, realise my mistake and head south. My summer is looking relatively quiet, so I am considering livening it up with a quick jaunt round the country (ie, up to Ed, plus wherever I need to change trains, arf arf), if I am welcome. My only plans so far are Kodo in two Mondays time, Wimbledon, and, tentatively, my buuuuddy Scarlet visiting from Steinbeck's Okie dustbowl in September. It truly is an exciting life I lead, isn't it?

I re-read Catch 22, and re-listened to Janis Joplin, which always brings a smile to my pouty, cherry lips. I'm still working through 700 page Vol.1 of HST's letters. I haven't bought any new (or even secondhand) books in ages; I have so many still to read, and unless I see one that I've been looking out apollo for for forty ages, then I'll do without. The only real recommendations I have for you to not read, are an obscure little play called Death Of A Salesman, and Borderliners by Peter Høeg. What was the last book you didn't read?

I told you about the concentration camp biscuits, didn't I? The website doesn't seem to be working, so if you want them, just email jim@bahlsen.co.uk and say that the website isn't working, but you want free biscuits - and don't forget to send your address, so the company can a) send your free biscuits and b) forward it to me, so I know where to practice being Unabomber II. Getting those biscuits made my day yesterday and receiving your letter made my day today; unless something unexpected happens, I'm gonna drum for two hours tomorrow to keep me buzzin like a banjo and rockin like a racoon.

Well that's it. I would have spent money in writing, but I don't have your address. I believe there's some website that will convert your email to a letter and post it for you for free - the probably advertise on it too, but what's wrong with being a whore? - so if you get this email, before you get this email, let me know your address and I'll get it posted to you post haste. (Oh and if you ever fill in a form and they ask for 'other comments' write 'I have nipples'; I've started doing this, and it's wonderfully cathartic. And if you go to a gig, write my name somewhere on your person; it's a new fad, and you can be one of the trendsetters).