Coming Up For Air

Christmas has come and gone once again, so only the New Year lies ahead of us as that time of...what? Obligatory drunkenness? I'll try to skip that part again this year. A couple of beers, maybe.

I've been back a little over a week and yet it seems like so much longer. Each day I take our dog,Chomper, out for a walk. I make the bed and putter around the house. We've had houseguests for days now who just left early this morning for Denver. The world whirls and slows, grinding gears as it moves back to normal.

I'm reading again. All that time on the street I didn't read a single book--and I'm a major reader. Rereading Malcolm Gladwell's *The Tipping Point.* Keep hoping I'll come up with something Willie can use there at Lift Cafe.

Speaking of which, I am just so grateful to so many of you who reached out your hands to me. Jason and Kris made sure I got the bike on the bus. Still haven't reassembled it, but that's on the to-do list coming up. And Willie, John, Meagan, et al were all so wonderfully generous and compassionate.

I'm at a bit of loose ends, not quite knowing what to do with myself. Of course I already miss Austin and all of you. Don't miss those cold and rainy days, but soon enough the leaves will begin to bud and Austin will begin to sing softly to me. Yeah...I'll be back.

Madame LaBelle is working her magic, putting things together so we can move back together. I may come ahead of her, but she'll be along not long after.

So...all is well.

I've been sleeping a lot, eating, watching classic films. Went and saw *Avatar* the other night. Incredible special effects. The audience actually broke into spontaneous applause at the end--and how long has it been since we've witnessed something like that??

I think of all of you often. And here's wishing all of you the happiest of New Years. We're beginning a new decade--probably my last here on the planet--so I'm planning for it to be the very best of all.

Miss y'all. Luvyas.

Peace from inside,

Elijah