I’m still alive and kicking, just working really hard and, these days,
usually cooking when I get home.  We did buy ourselves a lovely
18.2 cubic inch fridge (that’s interior capacity) and it’s a perfect
size for us.  Both of my ice cream maker cannisters fit in the
freezer with plenty of room to spare, and I’ve made a few batches of
ice cream and sorbet since.  (My best new invention in Italian
Blueberry Cobbler, which is vanilla ice cream with a blueberry swirl
and pieces of ladyfingers.)

Status report:  kind of worn-out by and tired of Will, haven’t spoken in a few weeks. 

Work is busy busy busy.  Daniel Pinchbeck still marches on, bless his heart.  They did finally publish the Rolling Stone feature, and the Letterman show has expressed some interest, plus I’ve mailed the book with the RS
piece and a new letter to a bunch of top talk shows.  And the book
is still selling — about 20,000 copies so far, give or take, and in
its fourth printing. 

The Power of Kindness by Piero
Ferrucci has also outstripped everyone’s expectations but mine.  I
had a feeling it might do well.  Our sales force really got behind
it, and although Piero didn’t tour, we did some nice marketing pieces,
including a “shelf talker” — those little thingies that hang over
bookstore shelves to promote the book.  The book has just gone to
a second printing, and Piero has joined the rather elite Penguin
Speakers Bureau (I’m trying to get Daniel on, too).

The Lynch book is a big job.  I have him meeting with buyers from
Borders in Ann Arbor, B&N in New York (I’m going to that one, too,
at the Gramercy Tavern), and possibly Amazon in Seattle.  And
we’re having a little in-house reception for him on Oct. 10, which will
include our department staff, the highest-ups at Penguin, other folks
who worked on the book, the journalists who take me up on exclusive
interviews, etc.  (I just sent out bound manuscripts yesterday,
and I have a nibble on the exclusive from GQ; the offers are in specific categories, so it’s GQ for men’s magazines and Vogue for womens’s, Today and 60 Minutes and Premiere. 
And a huge tour.  My perks may include tickets to the New York
Film festival and possibly free TM instruction. Lynch is all about TM,
and when I expressed interest to his publicist, he said, “I think we
can do something about that.”  The basic course runs $2,500.)

And I’m also working on a gazillion other books.  We’re all kind
of overloaded.  I still love the job, tho there are always tasks I
don’t care for.  And I wish I made more money.  The student
loan people finally caught up with me and will be taking $200 a month
from me, which hurts.  But I’m trying to be responsible.

Mostly I come home, cook, smoke dope, watch movies or TV.  Leo and
I do have tickets for Los Lobos next week, and I’m looking forward to
that big-time.  More news on the home front is that my darling
Tiggy, who has shied away from Leo for two years, finally decided that
he is wonderful, just a few weeks ago.  First she started letting
him pet her, then she sat on my lap for the first time, and now she
sits on his lap, too.  All of our cats are very lovey now.

Leo and I are doing well, I think.  Just had the ninth anniversary
of our meeting, and went to the cappuccino place where it took
place.  We’re trying to arrange some nice activities (like the
concert), and will try to celebrate both our birthdays this year. 
He’s very supportive of me and very appreciative.

I don’t make much time for jewelry lately, but I’m going to make stuff
this weekend.  I have a new design which involves beads inside
hoops — I make the hoops out of three wraps of wire, and am
experimenting with different wires.  I use silver, but also
copper, and black-coated.  I’ve made a few pair of earrings and a
necklace that way, and want to do more in that style.  I haven’t
really sold much but I’ve given away a couple of gifts, which were
hugely appreciated.