Dear waves & other friends,

Thanks again for your concern. Christmas Day passed uneventfully. I live with my sister at her request because of my psychopathic brother-in-law so holiday celebrations do not occur behind the door to our house.

Lots of friends and acquaintances are concerned about my well-being and have contacted me to let me know that and that above all has made things a lot easier.

On Christmas Day, (I insist on calling it "Christmas" because that name actually means something. Secularly, it is the giving and receiving of presents for the pleasure of the recipient's reaction, parties, meeting other people you haven't seen for a long time, eating and drinking in celebration, [albeit sodie pop in my case]. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, on whose Board of Directors I serve, recently voted 6-1, [Guess who was the "1"]), to change the name of the Christmas Party to the "Holiday" Party because an anonymous person objected to the presence of the word "Christ". I pointed out that calling it the holiday party was inane; that it described both Christmas and Columbus Day, but was dismissed. I also suggested that there are some offenses in life that unusually sensitive people must simply learn to live with, particularly when no offense is intended. That resulted in my being criticized for being "'in'sensitive".), - to continue - on Christmas Day I was invited to see "The Savages" starring Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The acting is terrific. Linney is a sure Oscar nominee. Hoffman played his role very subdued, doubtless under the Director's orders. But it is Linney's film. I thought that I might have to cut out early when I read a description of the plot, but it wasn't that well written. Some of the characters' actions didn't ring true within my own experience. So, by virtue of being not written as perceptively as it could have been, it was tolerable. It is certainly well worth seeing. Be warned though, the plot involves two estranged adult children in their forties having to deal with the situation in which their father, living on the other side of the country, who was abusive to them as children and ultimately deserted the family, becomes demented. They fly out to take care of what they think is paperwork and wind up having to take him back home with them to Buffalo, NY..

It is not a "feel good" film.

As you can see by the above, I am able to become interested in intellectual trivia, and I think that that is a symptom of improvement. I am still angry though, at god, at fate,at my girlfriend for not taking better care of her health, and, principally, at myself for having encouraged her to undertake the operation that killed her.

Fondly,