Okay, so I've got this bad toothache and I'm down here in LA thinking of going down to a really good place in TJ for an affordable Root Canal. Hilarious, right? Umm...okay not so funny, but I just keep on laughing.

It's earlier today. We're in Joshua Tree trying to finish up a lovely week in the high desert working on Philippo's cabin. The wind is kicking our ass after a pretty calm week and my tooth is killing me. This is like those days in Black Rock when you just have to admit that Gawd has the better fuckin hand and you kneel down in the howling dust grateful to finally admit that yer really not all that afterall. In that state of blissfull (....nnnot really) defeat, we finish early after almost hang-gliding to Barstow via plywood. I come inside, faint from the pain and the wind, to a message from my bank that someone has broken into my online banking account and stolen $1,800. I feel sick....oh, actually that's the Aleve/Tylenol/Advil cocktail finally kicking in (yes, pain makes me desperate). And all I could do is laugh....maybe all strong and transcendent.....more likely just a wee bit INSANE and giddy on the drug of CRISIS. OH! IS HE GONNA MAKE IT???!!!! WHAT EVER WILL HAPPEN NEXT???!!!! Anyway, the bank's gonna get back the $$, but I have no idea if my identity has been Valerie Plamed in other ways. Ah what the hell, I didn't really need my identity anyways. But even so, please send the kind crystal rainbow pink pony vibes in my direction, brothers and sisters, and DON'T BANK WITH B OF A!!!

And more importantly, let me know if you wanna come down to TJ with me tomorrow and embark on the great adventure of Root Canal in An Exotic Locale.......seriously, I could use the company; I'm giving up playing love songs at my bestest friends' party tomorrow, and this is MY FIRST TIME IN MEXICO. And I'm really hilarious when I'm all jacked up on laugh gas (a WAY better drug than CRISIS) and at least entertaining when drooling out of a non-existent face..........sexy, too.

Moral of the story: Pain is an amazing teacher. This is not just new age lip sevice here. When I let it, pain really pushes me to see things differently. AND........... pain REALLY FUCKING SUCKS. The fire alarm in my molar testifies. Amen.