Another downbeat day, though perhaps not as bad as some before . . . With a little help from my friend SEVERE NITETIME Cold & Flu, I managed to sleep a little last night, though I wouldn’t exactly say it was good sleep. I had insane dreams that of course turned me into nuclear sawdust, but what can you do. I woke up in a trance with that chemical taste in my mouth and stayed in bed most of the day . . . I only got up a few times, mostly to refill my water glass and hang out with Abby the cat. The sun set so early I hardly even got a look at it through the blinds.

I haven’t really been able to watch movies for the last week, but I tried nonetheless . . . tonight I rewatched OUT OF THE PAST with Robert Mitchum for the first time in years. Far as I’m concerned, its pulpy noir dialogue is pretty much the best there ever was. And seeing as how I’m in a bad way and all, that’s just what the doctor ordered . . .

Tomorrow I’m going to head back to Johnson City to stay with Emma and her cat Rosie. Apparently there’s a party at our friend Aria’s house this weekend, and they tell me I’m the guest of honor, though I still don’t know if they’re pulling my leg about this. Every time I tell Emma I’m coming to Tennessee, I’ll say to her, “So when are you all throwing a party for me . . . ?” Maybe they finally took me seriously. Listen, I could use the encouragement right now . . . I mean, badly!

As if on cue, I can hear Abby scratching on the bedroom door. I’m going to let her in, take a swig of Severe Nitetime, and go to that landless latitude inside my head that is hopefully completely devoid of any ghosts from my past. I sure could go for eight hours of pitch-black painless nothingness right about now . . .