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--></style><title>Re:TheBanyanTree: Where is
everyone?</title></head><body>
<div>May 27, 2003</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Monique you little lynx,</div>
<div>Monique you little manx,</div>
<div>Monique you little sphinx,</div>
<div>Monique you little minks,</div>
<div>Relinx your little monks,</div>
<div>Unique, you middle lunks,</div>
<div>Release your little antique,</div>
<div>Sphinx you lynky moan,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>Of
course people are out here. We're all over the place.
We're just, you know, busy. You know how it is. Busy.
There is just so much stuff to do and so little time, and here we are
in our three hundred separate lives, sorting through the spam, one at
a time, baby, ONE AT A TIME. Myself? I posted three
ads to the UCBerkeley job center, announcing three separate positions
in my MISERABLE household. I clicked, "Send", and one
minute later, I TELL YOU NO LIE, the phone started ringing. The
whole week, last week, was like that. I'd be sifting through the
applicants (most unqualified), responding to everyone, and while doing
that, two more applications would come in, and the phone would ring
three times. I got over 80 applications. I am not the
hiring and firing kind. This whole thing got my nerves all
frixled, and my sleep interrupted. I snapped at my husband (only
after he was asleep), just because I needed to snap.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>Now
it's the week after, the jobs have been filled, and it's back to the
spam.</div>
<div><x-tab>
</x-tab>Children dropping down from the clouds in free fall</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>Husband
falling asleep and still walking, goes to work and comes back
dry</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>The
only person in the house without ADD, I am like a breathing alarm
clock</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>did you
remember to take your meds</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>did you
write down the appointment</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>it is
you who promised to pick her up after school</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>did you
get milk</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>don't
forget your 2:00</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>don't
forget your 3:15</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>don't
forget your keys, your wallet, your synapses</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>take
the meds now</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>don't
forget the books</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>dinner
now</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>dinner
now</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>dinner
NOW</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>turn
off the computer, dinner now</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>you
forgot the salt</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>there
are no plates on the table</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>please
put away the milk</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>did you
take your meds</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>take
your meds now</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>I'm
your wife, why?</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>I said
I'm your wife, why do you ask</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>I said
I'm your wife, why</div>
<div><x-tab>
</x-tab>why</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>honey
you can't make those big noises in public</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>what
homework do you have</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>I
hadn't heard about the art project until this minute</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>what
did the teacher say</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>your
keys are on the dresser under the magazine</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>yes I
did call</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>you
were supposed to help her with her homework</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>so why
is she asleep in our bed and you're watering the tomatoes</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>take
your stinking meds</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>they're
on the dresser under the magazine</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>yes I
called them</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>honey
you can't make those big noises in public</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>dinner
now</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>you
forgot your 2:00</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>not
4:00. you had a 2:00 and a 3:15</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>then
write them down</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>you
can't finish all of that before school tomorrow</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>on the
dresser</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>I said
why am I your wife</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>I need
to go to bed I can't help you if you start your homework at
midnight</div>
<div><x-tab>
</x-tab>sweetheart what's the matter</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>life's
like that</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>life's
like that</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>honey
you can't make those big noises in public</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>it
scares people</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>they
don't understand you</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>I
understand you</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>I'm so
proud of you</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>on the
dresser</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>then
write them down</div>
<div><x-tab>
</x-tab>sweetie, that's for your room, don't do that here</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>they're
on your damn dresser under your magazine</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>you
were supposed to help her with her homework</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>so why
is she asleep in our bed and you're watering the tomatoes</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>yes I
did call</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>I'm
trying to discuss this with you please don't fall asleep</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>please
don't fall</div>
<div><x-tab>
</x-tab>asleep</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>why
can't I leave you in charge for a minute without a disaster</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>I need
to go to bed</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>and I
have to clean up the mess</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>I need
to go to bed</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>I'm
trying to discuss this with you please don't fall asleep</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>don't
tell me you're awake when you're asleep</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>did you
take your evening meds</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>life's
like that</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>life's
like that</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>my
life's like that</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>O.K.
Monique. You asked. Is anyone out there? Anywhere?
Oh honeypie, I am definitely way out there. anywhere.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><x-tab>
</x-tab>Love,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><x-tab>
</x-tab>Tobie</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab></div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab></div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#000000">Is anyone out there? Anywhere?</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#000000"> </font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#000000">This has just been a test.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#000000"> </font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#000000"> </font></blockquote>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Tobie Helene Shapiro<br>
Berkeley, California USA<br>
<br>
tobie@shpilchas.net</div>
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