Upper

Today I asked about the compartments scattered around here. They pulsate with light and color, gently changing in mood. They said the compartments were fine as long as they remained soft and easy to move around. Their walls are like squishy smooth well kneaded dough. They smile at me, wink sometimes.

I am usually surprised these days.

I spoke to a man earlier about our film reviews. While I'm merely reviewing Kurosawa or Weimar cinema, he's embarked on a years long review of every film that's won in every major category of the Academy Awards. This year he started on the Best Foreign Film category. I'm enthralled, amazed. Hell, I might even be turned on a little.

He says he sits in the darkened theater of his favorite places, eating fresh popcorn with real butter and salt. He gently sips Coca Cola out of a straw, no chewing straws for him. His eyes are big and very wide open. He loves Orson Wells.

My little workshop in my living room beckons. I was going to do some drawing tonight (I need a scanner so I can embarrass myself by sharing my drawings with you), but I lifted some weights and got entangled while doing clean and jerks. The lunges are what get me. I don't mind the endorphins, though.

Mr. Gryphon and I are here at my desk. He sits behind me on my lipstick red couch. I talk about my recurring psychic vision of a man driving up my hill late at night and parallel parking. The man calls me when the engine has been turned off, asking if he can come up.

"That vision is an overlay from a parallel universe," Mr. Gryphon suggests. The couch is big enough to be really comfortable for him and he's completely relaxed, leaning back with his eyes closed.

"No, it's not from another universe, " I say, "It's happening here and now. Everything is happening now."

I've realized this truth and I didn't have to smoke any illegal substances, listen to another math lecture or ingest any hallucinogens. Sometimes I expand my awareness far enough just so I can tell which direction the bus is going to come in the mornings. I've only been wrong once so far and my mind has only gotten larger with each foray I take it on.