Chapter 95 - March 27, 2013

Hi everybody! Hey, I was looking at the previous cartoons in the previous blog. There's a mention about shrimp. I used to work with this make-up artist all the time and she mentioned to me an act called "Shrimping." It's a specific sexual act (this act was recently illegal in some states). It involves a specific sexual act and a straw. Anyway, shrimping became an ongoing joke on each shoot I did with her. We were putting shrimp in peoples' beds, straws under peoples pillows. You know, it was an ongoing joke of the photo shoot. Anyway, on the last day of the shoot, we were in Miami Customs saying goodbye to each other. My assistant snuck a whole bunch of shrimp and straws into the makeup artist's purse. That was the last straw! No pun intended. She went ballistic. She totally lost it because she had reached into her bag to get her passport, she pulled out a bunch of shrimp. She started beating my assistant with her bag and swinging at him. Mind you, we're at US Customs Hall. She started chasing him around the hall, screaming at him, throwing shrimp at him. Knocking things over. She totally lost it. But the most remarkable thing was, no one did anything. The officers just stood there and watched them wreck the place.

We used to all play practical jokes on each other all the time. You know, stuff like fake cockroaches. Stuff like that. I would remember this stuff as I was lying on my back for years. Shrimping wasn't my thing, but hey, there are some people I know that would enjoy a shrimp cocktail now and then... Ha, ha, ha.

Recently it was St. Patrick's day. It's a big event in the village I lived in, Montauk, NY. Anyway, they have a real kitsch Americana parade every year. I got a place in the parade as a local fashion shoot. What I did was I got an actress and some clothes together and I put her in the parade. I had a chat with her before the parade. I said, "Look, this could either bomb or be really fun. It's all up to you." We started out doing portraits with everybody, and playing with the band. I said to her, "Treat it like a dream. Just have fun." Well, the people in the parade had no idea what the hell was going on. This pretty girl in clothes would go up to them and pose with them and then she was off. I overheard one judge say, "Clearly this girl is out of her mind." It was fun, kind of funny. But it worked. I really liked the pictures. I would do things like this all the time. And I would think about them when I was in the state I'm in. It helps get your mind off what you're going through.

I'll give you one other example. I'm planning my cross country road trip. It's called a Point of View. I've been planning it with my friend for quite some time now. But I need a distraction like this trip to get my mind off of the way I feel.

https://mypointofviewproject.wordpress.com/

I'll talk a little bit about Traumatic Brain Injury now. It's weird, this week has almost been like a turning point for me. I feel more awake. I keep saying it over and over again, but I feel like I'm waking up more and more. Like I said before, it's bittersweet. I think I felt better not knowing what's going on. But there are clearly some advances. I'm better in my fine motor coordination. I stand a little better. They're all little advances, but they add up.

The other cool thing is, I am moving upstairs, out of the living room. I'll go back to my bedroom. It's been two years I've been living in the living room so I'm looking forward to it. You know, there's not much else to report. I am getting better. Just have to be patient. I'm going to make it a short one this week. My friend here is going to include some drawings I did from the past. And the link to my project, A Point of View. Happy Easter. Love you guys. Talk to you soon, B. Nice