Dear Christian,
It's early here in scenic Garden City, a little before 0500, and I've been up about half an hour. I have been fighting with Toby, my gray cat, over space on the desk, and he has finally settled down and gotten off the keyboard. His low-purring makes me happy.
I've got some music playing low so as not to disturb Stine's mother, who is here from Denmark and sleeping in the next room. The song that came up a moment ago was "Southern Cross" by Crosby, Stills and Nash, and it being about boats and islands and such, I immediately thought of you, my friend. Despite that you've not (yet?) responded to my last letter (I'll include it below to refresh your memory) I decided that you alone are probably the person most likely to respond to letter from me, so, here it goes.
Stine and her mother have a short trip to Ontario planned today, to go to a guinea pig show. My plans center on taking the dogs out to the desert out by Swan Falls and enjoy some desert solitude. I considered Idaho City, but with hunting season in full swing, and it being the weekend, I'd rather not run the risk of some moron with a 30-.06 shooting me or one of the dogs. And it has happened already here this season, if you hadn't heard.
You will be pleased to hear that I have taken four days off work for Stine's mom (today being the 3rd) and I have my regularly scheduled 5-day 'weekend' coming up on Monday, so my mood is much improved. She will be leaving on Monday, so I might take your advice and go camping somewhere next week. I am thinking I'd like to spend a night or two out in the desert somewhere, but I'm not exactly sure where.
You will also be pleased to hear that I have started collaborating with a fellow from my CRX club on my writing project. If I did not tell you, I am working on a script for a TV series, a situation-comedy. Having no experience with this sort of writing, I just hammered away at some stuff. It has been dormant for a while now, until I was chatting with my friend on Facebook and mentioned it to him. He has done some part-time acting on a couple of TV series filmed in Vancouver and knows a bit more than I do about how scripts should look and all. Plus, he may have contacts there to whom we can pitch the idea to once we get it all down. I am pessimistically hopeful (but not quite optimistic) that the thing will eventually come to fruition and pay off in some way. My dream would be to sell the idea for a tidy sum and maybe be able to get a job as some sort of TV 'consultant' or writer for the show, but I'll settle for just selling the thing and making some nice cash. I've never been paid for anything I've written, though people tell me I have an ear for the language. I've never really considered myself a wordsmith, so we will see. In the final analysis, it's just good to do something creative with my mind. Which leads me into my next point.
I've lately become more resolved than the letter below would indicate to overcome my current job situation. I've given up on the whole concept of "Mark the Cop" and I believe I have completely rejected the idea that my 'master status' is in any way related to what I do to earn a living. I do have a good job that pays well, with lots of time off, and I need to remember that, but keep it at -just that-. I've been re-reading Dr. Kevin Gilmartin's book again (http://emotionalsurvival.com/about.htm) and I am working on not letting The Job get the best of me and I think it is helping. There was a time when I was better. I have every belief that I will be again, and soon. I am going to start running again. In other work news, Eric's brother, Scott, just got promoted to Captain over the patrol division.
The project in Brazil has stalled. I do not know if it can recover. Many reasons for this, most pedestrian and boring, so I won't bore you with the details. There is a glimmer of hope, though.
How are things with you? I have to admit that I am a little disappointed that you've not posted very many pictures to your Facebook account from your recent travels. My assumption, and I hope it's not too correct, is that you've just got your nose to the grindstone and are working so much that you lack the time to do it. But I know that shit ain't right. While you're one of the hardest working motherfuckers I know when the time comes for it, you're also one to shirk your duties in search of fun with equal or greater alacrity, so my belief and hope is that you're just out taking your ease on a sandy beach or afloat with a cool beer, taking in the sun and breathing in the clean ocean air. It makes me smile to imagine that, since I live my bachelor life vicariously though yours, you know. If that's the case, you are forgiven for not keeping me posted as to the goings-on in your world.
Well, I am going to end this here. Take care of yourself, and be sure to write back when you have some time. I enjoy hearing from you. Let me know if you need anything. Especially let me know if you hear of some sort of lucrative adventure that I can come and get involved in with you. I am getting itchy feet and looking for A Way Out of this middle-class, middle-age life of mediocrity and stagnation that I've built for myself.
Let's start a war.
-mark
