dear yan, it had been a month since my last allergy shot. and today i finally got back on track. i remember when i went to see the allergist and they poked my back with extracts from every plant that's poisonous to my body. and of course the skin on my back swelled into dozens of bumps and it was all i could do to not turn the lamp into a back scratcher. the nurse came back in, looked at my back and decided she would try to wipe away as much extract as she could. "exceptionally allergic," the doctor said as he turned his face to laugh to himself.

the needle really hurt going into my left arm today. i think he stuck it into the muscle and thought he was just getting skin - i don't fault him; it's hard not to hit my triceps - they're so big. well, at least it was big today because he essentially stuffed more poison into my muscle and my arm swelled like i was hiding a grapefruit up my sleeve - some of us are sneakier than others.

the thought of needles reminded me of the first time i assisted a dentist...while he surgically removed a tooth growing out of the patient's palate. i started to sweat and shake uncontrollably and of course the dentist noticed because the suction tube in my hands was rattling around in the patient's mouth. i was dismissed.

in other news, those pics of the studio and the album ARE coming. "and the world will know that this ain't no game" (i wonder if christian bale ever sings santa fe to himself).

love you,

marty