May 10, 2008
This morning was payback time. Kathy reminded me she slept in a chair in the emergency room at Kingman Regional Hospital for six nights. Several weeks ago she informed me I owe her six requests. I agreed.

This morning at 8:30 she reminded me of my debt to her, and, so, seeing her rolled-up floor mat under her arm, I knew immediately what the request was. And without whining or rolling my eyes, I went to yoga with her at nine. I've learned to cheat at downward facing dog (my least favorite movement), so it was fine. Not fun, but fine. She wants me to go five more times in a row. Given what she went through I really can't deny her.

Tomcat Replies to Description of Sensuous Peruvian Women Excerpt. . .

"Yeah baby!! That is some dope history right there [see The Mapmaker's Wife excerpt from yesterday]. As for vestiges, I'm not too sure. I think our culture [The U.S.] is much more liberal at this point but Peruvian women are great. They are very feminine and sensual and great flirters. Everyone in Peru dances and that's where the women really shine.

"My friend Claudia is visiting and is reading Moby Dick. He refers to Lima as the tearless city. I wrote down a great quote of his (Melville):

"The more so, I say, because truly to enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality that is not what is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself. If you flatter yourself that you are all over comfortable, and have been so a long time, then you cannot be said to be comfortable any more."

"This especially speaks to me in my current circumstance coming down to the city from the mountains. The contrasts make [a nearby city] the best place in the world.

"In that New Yorker you sent me there's an article about a Chinese dude who teaches English as a shouted language. He's training doctors for the Olympics and he was shouting with the doctors repeating him. 'I! Want! To! Take! Your! Temperature!' Anyway, Claudia and I were busting up at that. The original name for his book was I'm Psychotic, I succeed but the publishing house rejected it so he had to change it to I'm Crazy, I Succeed. So funny."
—Tomcat

Dearest Son,
A guy goes to see the doctor. The doctor says, "You have to stop masturbating."
The patient says, "Why?" And the doctor says, "Because I'm trying to examine you."
—The Dad