tuesday august 14 2001    |    1:45 a.m.

very briefly, a few good things about today-ish:

1. frank sinatra & dean martin doing "mack the knife," via mp3 player, last night, in bed.

2. louie prima, "oh marie" (see above).

3. mom's animated retellings of yesterday's episodes, both of which i missed, of "sex and the city" and "six feet under," over cold spaghetti and thrown-together homemade tomato sauce tonight. (the hospital needs to get cable.)

4. dad's physical therapist, spencer, who rocks, got engaged to his longtime girlfriend this weekend.

5. playing dominoes with dad and others. kicking a little ass here and there, never having played before.

6. amnesiac in the waiting room, with a view of river & concrete. eerie. [ after years of waiting | nothing came ]

7. katia, the activities coordinator, let me borrow paula, by isabel allende. every time i pick it up the tears start rolling, like a conditioned response. but it's perfect.

8. two cigarettes left. one now, one tomorrow, with coffee.

9. e-mail back from m-dawg. remembering, lately.

10. hope. still.