When Everett does dishes, he is methodical. He takes the first five minutes to organize the dirty dishes painstakingly. The other day I suggested that Emil help by drying. Everett said no thank you, he'd prefer to do them alone. Why? I asked. Because, said Everett, the drying dishes are carefully placed and Emil has a habit of pulling an item from the middle or back, thus making things collapse. And that will never do. Dishes are placed "just so" on the towel.

Now those of you who give me gifts are thinking "Ah ha! She needs a dish rack and drainboard!" But no ... they have been purposefully discarded. Our water is so hard that it marks the rack with iron and other minerals, and so it looks dirty and ugly unless one keeps on top of it, which I never do, and then when I get around to washing it, it requires scrubbing and even then doesn't look really clean. A dishtowel can be thrown into the washing machine and voila!

***

Last night I was watching a biography of Gloria Steinem on TV.

Usually on the bio channel there are no commercials during any particular show, but last night, disappointingly, there were. One featured Queen Latifah touting 41 long-lasting lip colours. Lipstick, make-up ... slapping things like that on my face has been so far from my consciousness or concern for so many years already that I don't even think about wearing it on dress-up occasions. What I still have—eyeliner (maybe), mascara— are so old they should be thrown out. I'm pretty sure they're at the back of a drawer in the bathroom, where they are rarely seen, and that is why I still have them.

***

I tease Scott about being a wealthy man, because he works seven days a week (so he must be, right?). He gets pissed off and insists on setting me straight, as if I was serious. I tsk, "Oh, you rich men. You always think you're broke, no matter how much money you have in the bank." He absolutely hates that.

***

Today marks five months since I started doing the Tibetan Rites, and I am pleased to report that I have not had to take a pill for the Neck Thing in the past four weeks. This is the first time in 20 years that I can say this. Is it due to the Rites? I don't know for sure, but chances are they have something to do with it.