blue-line-pony-express

[blue-line-pony-express]

fully inspired by something kat said earlier

[blue-line-pony-express]

I walked by this bus stop ad every day for at least a week before I recognized who the golf-playing, vasectomy-considering gentleman was.

[blue-line-pony-express]

[blue-line-pony-express]

B,

2 weeks?? It’s almost been 2 weeks. I’m gonna write this letter, and then we’re gonna have to talk about how time is a prank. 

So things I’ve been learning about food/the gourmet world: 

Dude, there’s a shorthand for absolutely every-fuckening-thing. For example, if I say (1) no tree nuts (allergy - F/O/BP/D/B/A NOT OK) peanuts OK, the chefs and team understand I’m saying flours, oils, by-products, distillations, bitters, and amari derived from tree nuts are allergies of a guest in the party. Crazy, huh?

If I put a number in front of the word “top,” everyone magically knows I’m talking about a table. So like, if I say “Oh yeah, I held a 2-top for them,” they know I set a table of 2 aside for a potential guest. I’m... still trying to figure out why “top” is the word or if its just because of “table top.” Unsure.

There’s so many ways to make cocktails, and I.... don’t even know how to make one. Maybe that’ll change by the end of the year??

Or not lol. I still am not much of a drinker, but mocktails are always a thing, I guess.

-------------------------------------------------

I really like this thing you said: “how much of our troubles came from wallowing in those limitations rather than trying to overcome them?” 

_____________________________

Hold up, hold up, hair-styling videos? You holding out on me? lol What’s the channel, dude? Drop. That. Link.

Overall, I’m happy to hear about your days alone. With the embroidery, the walks to the library, and all that free time, it seems like those moments were very relaxing, but I get what you’re saying about fun. I’ve been feeling that way, too. 

About mountain climbing - I remember us talking about doing that one day together. If we were to mountain climb, where do you think we should go? Ever had any places in mind? I’ve been trying to think if I’ve done it before, but I haven't. I only know hills; you know mountains.

“Disney is really appealing to that wide audience.” 🤣 🤣 🤣

I honestly spent a good 10 minutes trying to imagine your ceiling fan, it’s crescent moons, and it’s crescent moon noses the first time I read your letter almost 2 weeks ago. 

______________________________

Aw man, I’ve missed this:

1. The most recent food I discovered I liked to eat was squid?? Like, I had whole ass squid tentacles, and it wasn’t bad. I had it at one of the restaurants at work, and the teriyaki sauce it was cooked with was so good??? I’m just in shock. 

2. Artist, Will Darbyshire - Him and his partner Arden have always made these Aesthetic videos that document self in a very pure and honest way. There’s also just a lot of nature in his videos, and they feel v grounding.

Artist, Anna Akana - She just is so cool. She’s the older sister I’ve always wanted. She’s done short films, stop motion animation, was in Ant Man for 2 seconds, is working on an album, and draws. She reminds me that you can be a thinker that has a lot of thinks, and you can decide different ways to artist those thinks every day.

Thinker, Shan Boodram - She’s coming to save all relationships on this precious, polluted blue and green orb.

Thinker - Evan Puschak - TLDR, he’s a man of letters, for sure. I think you’d like him.

3. I’ve been spending most of my time with myself lately, and she’s the person I love spending time with the most. 

I sometimes have been going out with coworkers for dinner, been meeting new people at writing workshops, facetimed brian and sarah, missing you/brian/sarah but I’m really happy with all this time I’ve had for myself these past few weeks. It’s been nice.

4. A good day looks like an empty house, early sunlight, windows wide-open, peeled oranges, a looooong shower, looking through online stores for something I don’t need, a movie that alters at least one, 4-6 hours of planning/organizing/budgeting, and water on water on water, with ice to cronch on. Other times its binging one show all day and ordering Portillos. 

5. I don’t really find myself looking at a particular thing lately, but I’ve been looking, like really /looking/, at my mom and her hair. She’s definitely starting to age p quickly, and it’s weird. Before, it was subtle. Now, I see it, I see more wrinkles, more gray hair. She’s delicate, she’s porcelain, and that scares me a bit, tbh. Most of the time, though, I look at her, and I just admire that she’s a whole bunch of wonderful. Sonia’s..... kinda the best.

________________________

So,

1. What’s a song you’ve been playing on repeat lately? What do you like about it?

2. What’s something about yourself that you’ve always undoubtedly loved? Or what’s something about yourself that took you a while to love? 

3. In arms reach, what the most interesting person/thing/sound/smell near you? What makes it or them so interesting?

4. How about you - what do Berlin’s good days look like? 

5. Not to be a copy cat, but this rat wants to know about the artists and thinkers you’ve been admiring lately, too. Who are they? What about them or their work do you connect with most?

________________________

Ending with a monthly reminder that I miss you and support you so so much.

-A

[blue-line-pony-express]

A,

That’s so interesting - what have you been learning about food? It’s clearly a whole different level of restaurant than I really understand. 

The artist family tree is such a good idea! I know I’ve noticed before how the world of artists is sometimes so small, you discover connections between them, I do like that. 

I find especially interesting in what you said about what you’re thinking about with identity and intersectionality the last bit where you’re saying, how much is in or out of your control, and what can you do with that. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately as well, particularly in regards to my family - the choices they made, how I learned to make choices as a child. I think there were many places where my mom, my aunt, my grandma, felt limited in some way because of their gender, because of their class, and so on. And those things were limitations in some ways. But I do find myself wondering, how much of our troubles came from wallowing in those limitations rather than trying to overcome them? Trying to overcome them even if it wasn’t fair, wasn’t right? How can I use that to make my own decisions, to avoid being overwhelmed by fear and worry?

That sounds like a very nice, very Amelia morning and night routine :)

An art-ffice!!!!! I love!!!!!

----------------------

Idk I’ve seen another couple videos/interviews with Zachary Levi and dude is really kind of bozo. Even Flynn Rider wasn’t that much of a bozo.

-----------------------

1. Currently I do not. I would like one, they’re very helpful, and good for my health. With traveling and what not, keeping a routine becomes very difficult, but over the next month I hope to get a little better about that. One thing I’ve been doing when I have trouble sleeping is watch these hairstyling videos by this girl on youtube. She reverse engineers (mostly braided) hairstyles from movies/tv and from history. I do try some of the hairstyles but more often I just find it very soothing to watch them. 

2. So I spent just a few days alone, at home. Our internet at the house was out. So every day, I would go to the library downtown, where I used to work, to use the internet and get some work done. The weather was beautiful, downtown was bustling, and I would take a break to eat lunch outside, and, in the evening, when the library closed, I would walk around for a while, sit in the park in the town square and work on this little embroidery piece I started. The thing I like about spending time alone is that I can relax in doing things at my own pace, without worrying about if someone else is having fun, or would rather be doing something else. I like going places, I like being out and relaxing. That was nice. I will say, in part, I realized that what I miss is not time alone. I just miss time being able to relax and have fun. The reason I was able to do that over my weekend alone is that, before Nick left, we both made lists of the tasks for work we would complete by the time we met back up. My list was long, but have a set number of tasks, and a specific deadline, I was able to manage my time better, and because of that I was able to take free time - time to walk around the park and embroider, etc - without worrying that I should be working. Because I knew when I needed to have my work done by, and had a plan for when I would do it. Last year, before we started with the science and were just doing the History Bee, Nick and I both had somewhat less work, and somewhat more money. We would go see movies, we would go downtown, try new places for dinner. It wasn’t as difficult to balance my time. That’s what I’ve been missing.

3. Hahahahaha there is a movie theater near me, there are a few. They’re just like every other suburban movie theater, arcade games in the lobby, near a shopping center. Fun story that happened at the movie theater: when the last Star Wars movie came out, Nick and I went to see it the day of. We get to the theater extra early to get a good seat. We don’t want to have to sit too far away from the screen, or worse, too close, where you have to crane your neck up to see it, we say. The theater is surprisingly empty. Spartanburg really is a small town after all, we joke. We have our choice of seats and sit for half an hour in near silence before the previews start. Every preview is for a family friendly children’s movie. Disney is really appealing to that wide audience, we laughed. The theater and the screen darken, and the movie begins. The scene opens on an animated desert with animals singing a gentle but uplifting song. We are not in fact watching Star Wars, but rather, The Star, a generic, animated movie about the Nativity story. Spartan 16 Cinemas, top mark establishment that it is, only put, “Star.....7:20″ on the sign outside both theaters. We sneak out past two sets of grandparents and their grandchildren, and sneak into the correct movie across the hall. The theater is packed. We end up sitting in the front row. 

4. If I could go anywhere right now I would go six months into the future. re: answer #2, I’m not sure I would fully enjoy going some place else right now. But I would like to see the other side of this little mountain I’m climbing.

5. This is such an interesting question! The ceiling fans in my house have a white metal piece about six inches big that connects the blades to the main piece. The part that holds up the blade is thick lattice-work shaped like a crescent moon, with a small point in the inside curve like a nose. I’m not sure why, but they were the first detail I really noticed, really spent time looking at, when I visited this house, even before I lived here. Even as I write this, sitting on the couch, when I stop to think I find myself looking at those little man-in-the-moons on my ceiling fan. 

---------------------------------

Alright,

1. What is the most recent food you have discovered you like to eat and/or cook?

2. What artists or thinkers have you most enjoyed the work of lately?

3. Who do you spend the most time with these days, and who do you most like spending time with?

4. What do Amelia’s good days look like right now?

5. What, in your house, do you find yourself looking at?

[blue-line-pony-express]

B,

Answer time!

1. For work, I document dietary restrictions, special occasions, and mobility restrictions for guests to then send a report to the chefs, kitchen team, bar team, and managers. It gives them general idea of what the night is gonna look like, so they can plan ahead and whatnot. I love so much what I’m learning about food, dude. It’s insane. Next time you come, we should go to one of the restaurants!!

2. The most recent book I read was Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon. I’m not done with it yet, but I think you’d really like it.

There’s a chapter called “Write the Book You Want to Read,” and the author suggests creating and climbing your own family tree of artists you look up to, your heroes. After you’ve got a tree of your heroes (see below lol), you start creating branches and add the friends of your heroes. 

You research, find, and define what the commonalities between these artists and their work are, the things that tends to spark something in you. From there, you create your own branch, and well, define what works for you as an artist.  

V deep. V much recommend. I’ve been turning it into powder every night, so I can snort it straight into my brain. 

And that’s my tedtalk on that. 

3. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about intersectionality and responsibility. Like... life after college has brought up far too many situations where I’m asking myself: Do I have x thought or feel x thing because I grew up poor? Is it because of my experience in growing up Latina? Is it because I’m a woman? Because of my weight? Sexuality? Oh, it turns out its the combination of all that. How much of this thought is coming from valid feelings, and how much is an excuse? In this particular situation, is it both? How do I navigate this? Why is “navigate” the word that’s used a lot in these situations? idk, its a pretty decent way to describe that state..... How much of this is out of my control? What’s in my control? What can I do with that? 

Been taking it one day at a time with these kinds of things. 

4. Bed time has been around midnight? Between 11 and midnight for sure. To wind down, I’ve been watching an episode of something warm, soft, fuzzy, or feels-y and drinking some wawa, as Kassie famously calls it. The creator of Avatar created a new animated show called The Dragon Prince, and it’s super dope and v feelsful. Just finished the second season of that. Another show called The Bold Type is coming back today (!), so I’ll be watching that before bed probs. (Any recs are appreciateddddd)

But mornings!!!! I’ve been doing morning pages like a morning-routine-youtuber-ass, bullet-journal-ass, shove-apple-cider-vinegar-up-my-ass kind of bitch, and it’s been great. 

5. Art? Not lately. I’ve been brewin’ some things, but I’ve mostly been cleaning up my brother’s old room. I’m making it into my new room and making my old room into an art-ffice. I want to be able to wake up, walk over there, and feel god in that chilis.

_____

On Zachary Levi - his voice.... Zachary Levi is Flynn Rider, and Flynn Rider is Zachary Levi. That was not voice acting. It’s Just Him. 

Kinda like how Deadpool is Pikachu.

______

So, 

1. Do you have a bedtime routine?

2. What’s been your favorite part of your time alone while Nick’s been away?

3. Is there a movie theater near you? What are the movie theaters like in Spartanburg? When is the last time you saw a movie in a theater?

4. If you could go somewhere for a week, right now, money is no limit, where would you go and why? What would you do there?

5. What’s something in your house that you find yourself looking at or admiring for a long time?

For a call, any day after 6 is good with me, just lmk!

-A

[blue-line-pony-express]

Bagel,

Lmao, the guy I saw the cole sprouts movie with isn’t the same dude I told you about. More on that when I call! What time’s best for you? I’m free all of tomorrow morning until 3:00 PM, free all day Wednesday, and free any time after 6 for all the other days. 

And dude, yea, anytime a show or movie rips my heart out, I take a picture of the screen. You know, we love drama. I like remembering what pulled my heart strings but also seeing what worked for the show. 

On the missing art thing - For the time I’ve known you, I agree; I don’t think I’ve seen you say no to extra work. And that was super motivating to be around, honestly. Around you, I knew there was no way I wouldn’t be motivated because you were like that with your art assignments, too. You gave them your all and some. 

Girl Scouts - That makes a lot of sense to me. It’s v on brand ™. 

Please. Give. Yourself. Permission. To. Do. Art. 

You’re an incredible creator of stories and worlds. Don’t let her go!!

omg puppies with flANNELSSS!! I want ten, not two. I changed my mind.

About to drive a family friend to the airport, so I’ll answer the questions when I get back home tonight. Just in case, I’m sending this now because LMK WHEN YOURE FREE FOR A CALL THIS WEEK.

-Amelia Earhart’s bone’s were found but I think I told you already

[blue-line-pony-express]

A,

“A rat from the city” I love

Yeah, I’ve been in the Northeast/Midwest for a while and it’s been COLD and then we got here and was literally 74 today like what

I love your positive outlook on life, that’s so refreshing. I hear a lot of cynicism from millenials and it’s so tired. Optimism is IN

Was the coworker you saw the movie with the boy....? (insert eyes emoji here)

Big wowie, I love that you took a picture of that moment that you found meaningful that’s so fascinating, I would never think of doing that.

Chicken salad sandwich with cheddar cheese that’s such a Berlin meal ;-; I love it

oh my GOD i feel you about the art and the peeps boy golly do I.

1. Work work work work work. I’m trying to get this fuCKing buzzer manufactured but it’s like I’m just sending emails into the void and they don’t get back to me it’s a real bummer, I’d really like to start making money at some point y’know

2. ;-; I miss her every day. 

I was just remembering yesterday how, before I moved here to Spartanburg, when I was considering if I should do it or if it was a crazy dumb idea, I thought I would use this time in my life, this time here, to relax, have fun, make art, and figure out what I wanted for the next phase of my life before I got a serious job. But I was never good at that. Almost right away when I got here I got two jobs, and took them both very seriously. I picked up extra side gigs, not because I really needed to, but because opportunities to walk dogs and watch houses came my way, and I’ve never not one day in my life really known how to take on just the right amount of work. I was supposed to be in Spartanburg to mess around and have fun, and here I am two knuckles deep in being a business owner, forever balancing on the tantalizing edge of risk and potential. I keep saying this, but I’m so close to getting what I want. As soon as we get an investor, and I get this buzzer shit going, I can take a breath. Nick was asking me the other day about what I want for the next year. If we can get through this year and get an investor, I might have some options. I could sell my company to the investing partner, or to ACE, keep a small share, remain on the board (lol what? this is my life now?), but no longer be involved in the day to day. I could take my money and start something new. I might have told you this before, but I think I’d like to work for Girl Scouts. It’d be nice if I had some money saved up, and could chill making art in my spare time and working at summer camps or something.

Alternatively I could stay on doing this, hand off the tech management to someone else, and choose a smaller range of tasks to run. I think I might really enjoy being involved in the booking aspects of our big event if I wasn’t worried about everything else too - traveling, staying in big cool hotels and finding sponsors and artist/contributors for the entertainment side of our events, even doing some of the hiring. 

Anyway I wrote a novel here, that was less about art, and more about me trying to find the time to do art. Because, the point of all this is to say, I am not good at giving myself permission to do art and really focus on it. The nerves in me want to be working, and I feel like I’m constnatly trying to find situations in which I can trick myself into relaxing and really enjoy doing art. Columbia was so good for that! My whole job as a student was to focus on writing, think about my writing, and write, that the metric by which my success was judged. I do miss that. 

3. I was going down the stairs while looking at my phone like a basic milenial fucking moron

4. Two pups with little flannel shirts? Didn’t think I’d forget that one did you? I would love a pup.....

So now that I wrote you half a novel....

1. I was just thinking the other day about how, other than weird facebook client research, I don’t really know what you do at your job. What do you do at your job?

2. What was the most recent book you read, and did you like it?

3. What’s something you’ve been thinking about lately?

4. What is your bedtime routine like? Do you go to bed at the same time every night? What time? What do you like to do to wind down before you go to bed?

5. Done any art yourself lately?

Also, just fyi I’m going to be at home by myself the next couple days.....might you have some time free for a call? I miss talking to you ;-; Anyway,

- B

P.S. while I was writing this to you nick was watching Steven Colbert, who was having an interview with Zachary Levi. I was kind of listening and I was like, why is this dude’s voice so familiar?? Who is he?? And then I realized...he’s Flynn Rider..............I’m such trash I’d know Flynn Rider’s voice anywhere Disney owns my soul

[blue-line-pony-express]

also, as a side note, i’ve been listening to this a lot lately.

[blue-line-pony-express]

B,

I looked up “wisteria vines,” and I’m happy I did. I miss seeing flowers in the spring. There’s still some cold days happening here, so I’m gonna have to wait a bit until the geraniums and daffodils decide to be a thing again.

Funny how Spartanburg ended up being the place, huh? What’s more funny is that google chrome is underlining it’s name with a red squiggly.... must not be a real place.....  👀

Another funny thing: As a rat from the city, I’ve literally never heard of an aviary until this year. One of the restaurants at work is called the Aviary, and the first time I heard the word, I remember thinking “oh, so like, birds?”

Anyway, your questions:

1. Home’s been okay. Sonia and Fishsmell still drive me a bit crazy, but I’m hangin in there. I’ve been getting frustrated about still being at home, but I’m probably going to feel like this for while. Best thing to do right now is to focus on how I’m gonna change this situation instead of wasting my time being mad about it, you know? 

2. A new thing that I did since I last saw you - I saw a movie with a coworker. I don’t think I’ve done that before. We saw Five Feet Apart (that new Cole Sprouts movie). I was v much emotionally compromised after watching it, v much felt like I was walking out of The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby again.

3. As for a picture I really like:

I’ve been watching a show called Good Trouble, and it’s been focusing a lot on issues that woc face in corporate spaces. I took this picture because that particular scene was a big “wowie, I really needed that right now.”

4. Lunch was fuckin potbelly, my dude!! I had a chicken salad sandwich with cheddar cheese and s&v chips. And now that I think about it, two of those things weren’t things I ate before I met you. V cute.

5. How am I? Oh, buddy. I need more people my age and more artists around me, or I’m gonna need you to take me down ON SIGHT.

Which brings me to my next questions:

1. What’s something that’s been frustrating you lately?

2. How’s art? Do you miss her? I know I asked this already when I last saw you, but I gotta knooooow.

3. How’d the ankle thing happen?

4. In the AU where we live together and own a place by a lake, can we have two pups?

-A

[blue-line-pony-express]

A,

A keyboard that makes a typewriter sound when you type is the ultimate productivity aesthetic. Kermit is god. 

1. Today I am actually at home. We have a week in between events here on the east coast, so we drove 11 hours from Buffalo to Spartanburg to sleep in our own house for a few days.....

2. .....which makes this questions quite introspective, doesn’t it? I do love this place. Our house has a particular warm house smell, and Spartanburg is sunny and pleasant this week. The trees lining the street to our neighborhood are covered in beautiful purple wisteria vines, which I have not gotten to see before, since we travel in the spring. While Spartanburg is a town too small and too eastern for me, it does have a comforting southern charm about it. I don’t know what will come next in my life, but being home has reminded me that leaving this place will be a little bittersweet. 

3. A picture I took recently that I like:

I went to Niagara Falls! I picked up a pizza from Canada, sprained my ankle, and the whole time I just kept thinking, “This is where Jim and Pam got married.”

4. Breakfast today was one luxurious bite of Cherry Chocolate Chunk ice cream

5. Did I mention I sprained my ankle? Yeah that’s fun. Despite this, however, I’ve actually been feeling a little better the past week or so. Ready to take on the world. 

Also, some bonus pictures! We held our Pittsburgh event at an aviary, right next to the Penguins!

A penguin named Buddy!!

Nick trying to fit in with the penguin next to him!

Not pictured here: Nearby kookaburras that made shrieking sounds the whole time!

So Anyway:

1. How are things at home? Sonia and the brother still driving you a little crazy??

2. What is one new thing you’ve done since I saw you last?

3. Copy+Paste your picture question here

4. What was lunch today?

5. How are you??

[blue-line-pony-express]

B,

My brother bought me a keyboard (the non-instrument kind) some weeks ago. It’s the kind of keyboard that sounds like a typewriter when you type, and it’s strangely making me more productive?? I think hearing each key makes me want to hear more keys, which is gonna make writing letters to you feel like I’m...

whatever this feeling is lmao

I don’t have much to say today. I just wanna check in:

1. Where are you reading this?

2. How do you feel about this place?

3. What is one of the last pictures you took that you really like?

4. What was breakfast today?

5. How are you?

-A

[blue-line-pony-express]

“An appropriate song… given the basis of our show.” - Jensen Ackles

[blue-line-pony-express]

B,

I see you’re wearing your Shedd shirt in that puppy pic. Points to yah. 

I’m gonna be honest, this is gonna be really short. I’ll be writing about Paris soon, but for right now, I just wanna ask about the internship. Who are you riding with? Are they cool people? Had any interesting foods? How’s the work part been? What do you do? Meet any interesting kids? Do you hate kids yet or are they still pretty cool?

I hope you’re having the time of your life :)

Miss yah, dude

A

[blue-line-pony-express]

christmas present 2016

[blue-line-pony-express]

2017 better be nice to my mom

[blue-line-pony-express]

Barnes,

First of all, get “the haps” out of my goddamn face, I have earned the right never to have to hear that phrase again.

Now moving on, Paris!! If my calculations are correct you leave in three days!!!!!! I hope your visit there is every bit as magical as you dream it will be. Also, as a writer, this, “…the sun also rises there, people fall out of love, the cigarettes are lit, and not everyone is into fashion.” was A+++

As far as Idaho and Paris go, well

they are indeed, quite different. Both beautiful, and both surreal in their own ways, but I’d hazard a guess you’ll enjoy Paris more than you’d ever enjoy Coeur D’alene. As you should.

So I meant to write back to you sooner, but I was a little distracted, as I was helping my mom petsit this adorable little monster for a few days, her name is Phoebe.

Puppies are so much work, literally someone has to be watching her at every moment. However, much to my mother’s envy, Phoebe absolutely loved me, and when I needed her to calm down I could walk around with her in my arms like a baby and she’d settle.

i’m sorry for all the pictures but she’s just so. damn. cute. I have, however, decided, that I do not ever want a dog that isn’t already housetrained, it’s just…too much.

kk i’m gonna try to answer all your questions in one go, let’s see: never fear, Big Daddy’s is, in fact, still open and thriving with multiple locations, including the one in Kearns. Jenny is doing well, enjoying having no more homework, Cailin is a brat as usual and I’m worried about her academic career, Taylor is still a gossipy drama queen (i met his friend that he likes, and they’re perfectly matched, they both like starting shit and being petty), Grandma did not get to buy me shoes because I didn’t tell her what size I am. Christmas was really good, I got a really, really cool present I’m going to post a video of after I finish this letter.

How was your Christmas???? And your New Years???? Did Sonia make her cheesecake? did you eat grapes? how are things with your buddies? (i’m assuming you saw them at some point, with them all being home, and I do miss hearing about their tomfoolery).

Also, I know what you mean, about writing the letters. I haven’t done much writing since I’ve been here (oops…), but these letters is very welcome, and it is good to have an audience to speak to. I forget, sometimes, how much easier it is to articulate things through writing.

I miss Chicago, and our apartment, and my chair, and the 624 buildling, and homework lunches at the DePaul Center. I miss waking up to quiet mornings of hot dogs and tacos, staring out the window at the lake. Being home is nice, of course, but it feels a lot like limbo - I can’t start much of anything, as I’ll be leaving at the end of this month.   Now that Cailin’s back in school, I spend most of the day with my Grandma, doing chores, or going shopping, and we have a habit of sharing things with each other that is…something I value. And, as I said, I’ll be leaving at the end of the month, and perhaps being on the road for a few months will settle me down some, enough to come back here and figure out what’s next.

Anyway, good luck in Paris! Tell Patty I love her (read: do not tell her any such thing, but maybe tell her I say hi), and I’d love to hear about the writing you do when you come back! And pictures, I know you’ll take all kinds of ridiculous pictures and I hope you know I expect to see every single one.

Your Pal,

Rogers