friday august 24 2001    |    1:32 a.m.

wow.

this has been the best mail week in not-so-recent memory.

first the letters from julie, two days apart. tonight, back late from the hospital, i found myself cradling a lovely, long-awaited, partially thought-transmitted letter from her and a mystery package after checking the mailbox.

inside the package were the two wishlisted cds, carefully wrapped in gift paper, each with the same simple, disarming note. i almost didn't want to unwrap them and break the spell, but of course i did, and there they were, nick cave and yo la tengo in full new-albumed glory. i am too tired to articulate my thoughts well, but this is important, so i'll try. thank you. naturally for the presents themselves but even more so for going out of your way for a perfect stranger, for your thoughtfulness, and for my longest-sustained smile in a long time. whoever you are, jeremy from canada: thank you. i suspect i might be a (slightly, but significantly) less cynical person because of you.

oh. i just can't write. there is too much i'd like to say, but my thought processing is a little dull at this time of night and nothing's coming out like i want it to. also all i really want right now is to get back to the cds and to open them (i've been relishing their new-present-ness for as long as possible) and play them and listen until my eyes start to get blurry. i believe that's exactly what i'll do.