Back to basics, just for a bit. I got my hair done this morning. Bet you�re curious. Well, I would hope that you�re curious, that�s just me assuming that everyone is actually interested in my need for change, and if I can�t get a job immediately, well then, the hair must be different! It makes sense to me, and yes, that should scare you.

I had a wonderful talk with my Uncle Gerry this evening. Absolutely wonderful. You may remember this man, I forget the day I mentioned him last on here, but a bit of a recap: Uncle Gerry grew up with my father in Brooklyn, cousins living like brothers. He always looked up to my dad. Now, years later, after Agent Orange because of Vietnam, after court cases because of missing bodies related to mafia, after riding and partying with the Hell�s Angels for years, he is an old, reflective, repentant man. And I love him to death. I�ve never met him in person, but our phone and mail correspondence has gone on for well over a decade, and we are tight.

Last week, he sent me a card, a message scribbled on a blue-lined 3x5 index card and a check to help pay a bill (I AM unemployed, you know). It wasn�t the money, it was what he said, in his deepest, honest sincere way, his simple words translated into pure love, that has me reading it and thinking of him at least twice a day. From offering to �take care of� people who have hurt me to sending money and calls of reassurance, to late night calls of deep reflection and the need to connect with a forgiving and loving person, to stories of my father in his youth that were never relayed to me � this man has been nothing but a giving source in my life, even if some of it is a bit on the questionable side of sanity. And tonight, I was able to talk to him and tell him just how much I appreciate that. What was on the index card is personal to him, which is why I�m

not going to quote it here. But I will say, it was obviously written in haste, spelling errors crossed out with a line with the correct words above the scribble, and it is the fact that these words were not labored over, but truly heartfelt, that it has reached me on such a deep level of love and appreciation for the people I have in my life. Very cool.

Dad took me and Kitty out to dinner, which was lovely as always. He relayed to me that my �Aunt� Sue (she and her husband are close friends of the family, grew up with my parents) is Mike Myers personal hair dresser for the 3rd Austin Powers. She�s been Travolta�s for the last five years, and though he�s a cool man, I�m stoked that she�s going to be working with one of my comedic idols. Ooh la la. Speaking of the movie business, I just got home from Pixie�s (where I stopped by after dinner), and she is entertaining a very close childhood friend who�s here filming a movie with Denzel and Cuba. It was so much fun to sit there and listen to their nostalgic reflections of their past, intertwined with many stories of the behind-the-scenes dramas to some of my favorite movies. Wow. Cool shit, man. It�s fun to know people who can shed some backlighting to the big screen. I love information.

I�m looking forward to this week, I have a few leads on jobs (what else is knew) and some social gatherings, perfect for showing off the new �do�. So, life is definitely good. But we always knew that, didn�t we? It�s nice to be reminded.

Tonight, I thank Uncle Gerry for reminding me. Tomorrow, I hope I have someone else to thank, even if it�s myself. There�s a quote I�ve mentioned before, but this new song that�s out has me thinking of it a lot lately. The song? I forget, it�s in the top 40, something about �remember� in the chorus. But that�s irrelevant. The quote? �A friend is someone who memorizes the song in your heart and sings it back to you when you�ve forgotten the words.�

Thank you, to all of my friends who know the words to my song and the changing rhythms of my heart. Your voices are beautiful and harmonious, and that music is the constant background in the soundtrack of my life. Know that I appreciate it, as I appreciate you. Peace out, my brothers and sisters! (I just always wanted to say that, is all, sometimes we ad lib, you know? Work with me here, I'm on woman on the edge.)

-Barbarella

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