Letter to Erin 20150701

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Wow, it's not even 1 am yet.  I'm waking up earlier and earlier: mind you, I won't go back to sleep until after the dawn prayer.  At least I have all this time on my hands.  I didn't get a chance to write to you before breaking fast.  I was doing some burning and I wanted to finish what I started, so it was 7 pm when I got done.  What to do with all this time?  After I finish this letter, I'm going to put on a pot of coffee.  I have a lot of bananas, so I'm going to try to make banana cake.  I want to do more browsing at Google Play.  After much waiting around at the public library, I managed to get the apps I requested installed.  King of Fighters 2012 cost me 1.17G bytes, but it's an awesome game.  Oh, don't bother installing that mini flashlight app if your smart phone doesn't have an LED screen.  I have one of the cheapest smart phones on the market.  I didn't set out to buy a smart phone: I just wanted a phone that could play mp3s.  I found out after the fact that my phone ran the latest version of Android.  That is the gist of a fun smart phone: the ability to run Android well, and a lot of RAM.  So to me my phone is more of a computer than a phone, after all, I don't have any friends.  It's something to watch a movie on while I make banana bread.  I only have movies on my phone that I am able to watch over and over again.

Now that you're a big old movie star, please carry yourself as a queen, because you are my queen, and I love you so.  All those other girls look like men, don't they?  Be mysterious, and wear lots of nice suits for me for I find that very sexy.  Most of all, get plenty of rest.  Hang on to your heart.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150630

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hello Erin.  How are you feeling today, my dearest?  Yeah it's a little serious today, but otherwise I'm doing OK.  I pray you are healthy and confident.  I want nothing but the best for you, for I love you so, and I need you.

Right now I'm watching "Watergate- 784 Days That Changed America".  I hate politics, and I have no desire nor intention not even responsibility to run for public office.  Let someone else have that job.  It's just my thinking that since that was the way Nixon ran his business, it means that he had always run his business that way, and it would be unlikely that he was the only president who ran his business that way.  One cannot be successful in politics without a gang to back you up.  But it's old news, right?  Can old news be breaking news?  The same thing over and over again?

I never got around to making marinara sauce and mayo today.  I was more interested in installing the apps that Google denied me while allowing the installation of other apps.  I did so by finding a WiFi hotspot.  I succeeded in installing "Lara Croft: Relic Run".  It's basically a "Super Mario Bros" type of game, but Mario is much prettier in this game.  I hadn't begun to play yet but I knew there were many pagan influences, from the many ankhs needed for Lara to resurrect.  Now one can have such blind faith in human superiority to dismiss all religions as equal.  Everyone wants to be God.  I know that Islam is superior to all other religions, and I don't need to convince that to unbelievers because I don't care about the faith, or lack thereof, of unbelievers.  What I do care about is how I interact with these attempts to sway away from God.  They don't do much to influence me, but what about children?  There is so much more than what can be seen and touched that cannot simply be dismissed because there is no cash on the table, or compliance to agenda.

Letter to Erin 20150629

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Erin, my darling!  How is the most beautiful girl in the world feeling today?  You are MY girl, so you are the most beautiful girl in the world to me.  Sweetheart!  I love you, and I need you.

It's almost time to break fast, so I am sitting here waiting, and writing to you.  I made a batch of dough yesterday, so I'm having a couple of deep fried stuffed pizzas for dinner.  I have a lot more sausage left, but I'm out of marinara sauce.  So tomorrow I'll have to make a new batch.  I think I'll make a batch of mayo too.  For the predawn meal, I'm going to finish off all that squid.  I've been so thirsty lately, and craving soda pop, so tonight I'm going to do a lot of drinking.  Soda.

I'm having a lot of trouble getting these games on Google apps to install.  It says "Installed" on the page, but it's not installed.  No data flow, no data storage, nothing.  I suppose they don't want me to have these games.  They installed all the productivity apps I wanted, but no games.  I guess they just want me to work, work, work.  How about they come over here and do house cleaning for me?  Then I would have more time and motivation to do computer productivity.  Wait a minute- it IS my work to evaluate games!  Could it be there is an underground bidding war for my endorsement?

Letter to Erin 20150628

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

It's been about 8 years since I took a selfie, so I thought I would give it a shot today.  I took one shot.... no.  2... 3... 4... 5... 6.... Aaaaa!  Delete!  Delete!  I compared how I look now to when I took selfies over 8 years ago.  Aaaaa!  Delete!  Delete!  I suppose that it's a good thing that it's OK for a man to be butt ugly.  Wah!  I wanna be pretty too!  Pretty like you.

Little ------- is pretty, too.  She doesn't even have to try, she's a beautiful cat.  With big, green eyes and a charming snout.  But she's so aggressive.  Lately her obnoxiousness reached new heights, pointing her pee at any slightly wet spot on the floor, then bolting off at top speed.  I can't even make the slightest mistake, to spill even a small drop of water on the floor.  Even her mother has been chasing her around lately.  It's funny to watch, though.  Then it dawned on me that she is finally going in heat.  She has always been quiet about how she feels, besides basic greed that is.  So I paid her some attention and petted her (after she made me chase her down), and she went into the motions of a cat in heat.  Hmmm?  Hmmm?  Hmmm!  Hmmm?  Hmmm?  Hmmm!  Hmmm?  Hmmm?  Hmmm!  And now she won't stop.    Hmmm?  Hmmm?  Hmmm!  Hmmm?  Hmmm?  Hmmm!  Hmmm?  Hmmm?  Hmmm!  Hmmm?  Hmmm?  Hmmm!  Hmmm?  Hmmm?  Hmmm!  Hmmm?  Hmmm?  Hmmm!  Aggressive female.

I didn't go to the mosque tonight for the additional prayer because I needed a break.  I went to the market this morning and bought a kilo of clams.  The first thing I do when I buy clams lately is to separate the meat from the broth, and that has to be done immediately before the clams die.  Dinner was excellent tonight.  Thank You o Allah, for the knowledge and the bounty that You have provided for me.  I battered the clam meat and crispy fried that.  Then to the broth I added fried basil and garlic, and a brick of ramen noodles.  My Mom gave me some watermelon, and I had iced tea.  Everything was superb.  Alhamdulillah.  I was stuffed tonight.  You are always welcome to share my dinner.  Please get plenty of rest, and eat properly.  Erin, my beautiful wife.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150627

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Erin Sweetie!  How are you feeling today?  I want you to keep yourself healthy and fit, and no more plastic surgery because you don't need it.  You are so beautiful.  Even though it's lonely at the top, please know that I have promised to marry you, and I will keep my promise inshaAllah.  You can always call me whenever you want, you know where I am.  I call you everyday.  Because I love you, and I need you.

------- is such a greedy girl.  If she's not sleeping, then she wants something.  I tell her that I don't want her to bloat like her mother, but that just makes her more aggressive.  It must be all that energy she has: she's always bouncing off the walls.  Hey, clawing me is not going to speed up feeding time!  4 o'clock!

"Everybody gets lonely," someone once told me.  I'm watching this documentary about Real Doll right now, I think it might entertain you.  At the very least, it will creep you out.  Who gets real love?  Truly a blessing, isn't it?  It's a sacred thing, really.  No, I don't have a Real Doll.  Sheesh.

Letter to Erin 20150626

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hello, Erin dahlink.  How are you feeling today?  I pray you are feeling healthy and confident, and having a great time.  Now that you're a movie star, please get plenty of rest and maintain your prayers.  Be alert, and don't fall into any "reality" traps.  And please try not to party, OK?  I will do my share of work over here to make sure you are the most feminine movie star ever: I'll make all those other girls look like men inshaAllah.  Please forgive me if I make mistakes, but I assure you with Allah as my witness that I am faithful and faithful to you.  You have my devotion so long as you respect our Islamic marriage inshaAllah.


People think that because it's always Sunday for me, that I'm always on holiday.  Actually, it's the opposite: I'm always working.  And on Fridays, I have to attend Friday prayer.  Today I started to chop down the big tree that's growing on your house.  It's a big tree, Erin.  The roots are all over in the house, and even growing on glass.  Incredible.  But very aesthetic, somehow.  Anyway, I still haven't prepared my food for breaking fast.  Nothing complicated: I have sliced bread, and I'm going to eat the "rendang" my Mom made.  I have a few curry puffs as well.  So I'm going to start cooking.  I want you to be cautious and make sure no harm comes to you or your precious body.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150625

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Precious!  Keeping busy?  I try to keep busy during Ramadan, and avoid being a vegetable all month even though I have the ardent desire to just lie in one place and bloat.  So much for desire.  So I cut the grass over at your house inshaAllah.  If you have observed the foundation of the old house there, you would notice that there is a giant tree growing on the roof.  The tree is actually rooted into the ground, and growing over a bathroom.  It's going to take some work and I have a lot of other stuff to do, but I think I can get most of that tree down by myself inshaAllah.  I do have an idea, though: if the root can be killed off somehow and the top of the tree chopped off, that root system could make a cool decoration, because some of those roots are inside the house as well.  Kind of like a Hobbit house.  But we can paint those roots pink.

I've been looking for games for my cell phone.  There's a lot of stuff out there, and I don't want to install and uninstall over and over again.  What kind of games do you like?  Aw come on, there must be some video games you like.  A basketball game?  Oh.

Well, I pray you getting plenty of rest.  My schedule is shifted around somewhat, but I do so enjoy the fasting month.  My body is getting used to the fasting, and I've regained my strength inshaAllah.  But I'm still so very lazy.  **yawn** I have chili for breaking fast today.  Quick and easy.  I'd invite you over, but it's just chili.  Erin, you are the most beautiful girl in the world to me.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150624

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Erin!  How are you feeling today, my love?  Something tells me you are quite busy at this time.  Doing a movie?  I just put some movies into my cell phone.  Also some comics and other readings, too.  A cell phone makes quite a handy portable computer.  Equivalent to a laptop 15 years ago, but with a better display.  I haven't found any good games yet.  You know the battery life sucks for cell phones.  I found that the battery life in my phone is the same whether or not the screen is active.  Don't you think that's odd?

I woke up at 1:30 am for the pre dawn meal.  Oh no, that's too early!  Up all night, sleep all day!  So I did some encoding, I cleaned my bathroom and reservoir and watched TV before doing any cooking.  Nothing fancy, just some rice gruel from the mosque, jazzed up a little with Thai spices.  Nothing fancy this coming morning either.  I have a lot of squid, so I'm going to make fried calamari.  A LOT of it inshaAllah.  I have 3 dipping sauces: marinara sauce, my home made hot sauce, and my Mom's hot red pepper sauce.  Would you care to join me?  I promise you it will be yummy!  I love you Erin.  And I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150623

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hello Erin, my beloved.  How are you feeling today?  I pray you are feeling great, for I miss you so.  Ah, I want to be married to you.  It started off kind of sluggish for me today, so I didn't do much in the morning except take my Dad's motorcycle to the car wash.  I had to grind through voice training.  Let me repeat myself that singing WELL for 2 hours straight while fasting is very difficult.  I just wanted to sleep after the Asr prayer, but I shook it off and cut grass instead.  EEEAAARRRGGGHHH!!!  Fight!  Fight!  Fight!  But it's usually smooth sailing after the Asr prayer.

I just got done preparing dinner, and now I'm just waiting to break my fast.  This evening it's fried rice.  I make an OK fried rice, inshaAllah.  Not very often because I don't eat rice all that often.  Today it's rice and garlic, onions, bamboo shoots, chives, cilantro, salt radish, dried onion, egg, crab to be eaten with my Mom's rendang (beef in a lemongrass fry), and hot pepper sauce.  Well, I haven't eaten it yet.  I'm still waiting to break fast.  I went to the crossroads to buy a drink.  There's always a gang of merchants there in the evening during fasting month.  Would you care to join me for dinner?  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150622

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Erin!  My beloved!  How are you feeling today?  I pray you are feeling healthy and confident.  Please make sure you get lots of beauty rest, because you are so beautiful to me.  I love you, and I need you.

Right now I'm watching an old episode of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, while I'm waiting to break my fast.  My Bat Cat seems to be healing OK, so there's no alarm there.  I wanted to get more done today, but it's too early in the fasting month to go at my usual pace.  Plus, I'm lazy.  Voice training went quite well today- I think it's because I remembered to take a shot of honey before beginning the fast this morning.

Chee Cheah is the oldest kitty I have.  I met her 7 years ago, and I think she was 5 then, so that makes her about 12 years old.  She's not much of an indoors cat because she's a persistent violator of the 3 P's rule: no peeing, no pooping and no puking in the house.  And now that Floofy and her daughters have taken control of the house, I can't bring her inside at all which is a shame, because she's an old kitty.  But she seems to prefer the outside.  I'm not rationalizing, she does prefer being an outside kitty.  She has to wear a protective collar all the time now, because she's an itchy kitty and she would scratch all her fur off if she did not have to wear that collar.  Not even the vet knows why she's so itchy, and the anti itch medication doesn't work.  She didn't want to be photographed just now, but after a few shots I succeeded, as you can see.  That expression on her face means, "You feed me when I ask you to feed me, not when you want to feed me."  All the outdoors cats share their food with each other for some reason.  Bob Cat is the supervisor of the cat food, but they always leave food for each other, for those busy cats who miss the feeding times at dawn and 4 pm.  It's certainly not because they like each other.  Chee Cheah is always by herself outside of feeding time, pondering over something.  Or remembering, rather.

Qur'an 20150622

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

30.  Or do they say, "A poet!  We await for him some calamity by time!"

31.  Say, "Await you!  I too will wait along with you!"

The Mountain 52:30-31
-------------------------------------------------

Await you!  I too will wait along with you!

Letter to Erin 20150621

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Erin!  How are you feeling, luv?  The first few days of Ramadan takes some getting used to for me, but I can usually shake it off and function somewhat normally inshaAllah.  This morning God cut me a break: there was a big storm, so I couldn't do much of anything.  I woke up at 9 am (after falling back to sleep after the dawn prayer) and it was raining, so I cleaned up the cat room, hung up my laundry, then went back to sleep.  Oh, the temperature was SO comfortable: I like it best when it's slightly cold.  I woke up again at 1 pm.  Now, that's what I'm talking about!  Like a REAL rock star!  Up all night, sleep all day!

Someone threw a rock at my Bat Cat, and there's a hole in his right side.  He's acting all nonchalant and tough about it, and he finished off his dinner quickly, but there's a hole in his side!  I disinfected the wound with some rubbing alcohol.  Ya Allah, please drop a rock on the one who threw a rock at my cat.

Getting through voice training today wasn't very easy: all that standing around I've been doing wears me out.  I was tempted to go back to sleep again after the Asr prayer, but I shook it off and cut the grass by the roadside.  Dinner is noodles, of the spicy Thai variety.  Have you ever tried Siamese hot sour soup (also known as Tom Yam)?  You should visit a Siamese restaurant and try some.  Now I'm sitting here watching "Being There", and waiting to break my fast with noodles, Tom Yam flavor.  I'd split it with you, but you're not here.  I love you, and I need you.

P.S. I'm, not really a fan of Slaughter, but I thought this song is appropriate for the moment.  Doesn't the lead singer look like Tawny Kitten?  Oh, you're too young to know who she is...  You're prettier than her though.  And blonder.  I prefer blondes.

Letter to Erin 20150620

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Heather Erinton!  How are you feeling right now?  Are you having a good time being a Global Citizen?  Better the world than New York City, I say.  Broaden your resources.  Is it true that New York City is going bankrupt?  Anyway, I apologize for not watching the NBA final round.  I'm not much of a sports fan: the only sport I really like is ladies figure skating, and even then I don't really keep up with it.  Watching sports would have more meaning to me if I were watching sports with you.  I'm a sports wife: I'm actually supporting you.

Right now it's 7 pm, and about half an hour before breaking fast.  I did some burning this evening and I just took a shower, and I'm watching TV and waiting to break my fast.  I picked up some dates at the mosque last night.  The Prophet (peace be on him) recommends breaking fast with dates.  My Mom gave me some bananas and watermelon, and I cooked up a sausage calzone, the usual stuff.  I didn't make a portion for you because you haven't been showing up for dinner, and I didn't want to have to eat your portion (even though I could) because I didn't want to have to go to the bathroom when I'm trying to conduct worship tonight.  They've been finishing prayer at about 10:30 pm this year, so it's a good thing that I'm writing now so I can go to sleep right when I get home tonight, plus I have something to do while I wait.  This morning before dawn I woke up too late to prepare rice, so it was just a block of tofu swimming in sauce with an egg on top, eaten with sliced bread.

I pray you are getting lots of rest, and are feeling healthy and confident.  I wish you were here with me, but please know in your heart that I love you very much, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150619

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hello there, my beautiful Erin!  Are you feeling lonely at the top?  Well, I am feeling lonely without you.  I love you with all my heart, and I wish to be with you always.  I want to marry you, my beautiful Erin.  I will marry you, inshaAllah.  I love you, and I need you.

These first few days of the fasting month is usually the most difficult for me, so today I took it super easy.  I just lounged around in bed, watched TV, worked on your house plans a little, then took a nap before the mid day prayer and voice training.  Singing for 2 hours straight while fasting is SO hard.  Ugh.  For some reason, my legs were the most tired.  What is this weight when I sing?  Do ghosts have weight?  Once I get past the Asr prayer, it's usually easy sailing.  And I was able to a little yard work.  It's that singing... I don't eat big for breaking fast.  Just some chili and sliced bread.  When I get up to eat next morning inshaAllah, it's going to be rice and tofu.  Almost vegetarian: I'll break an egg on top of the tofu block.  Care to join me?

Letter to Erin 20150618

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Oh hi, Erin!  How are you doing, Sweetie?  I just got back from the first "taraweeh" prayer, the optional group prayer during Ramadan, which commences right after the night prayer.  Ramadan is very social for me, which can get uncomfortable for me.  I'm quite a loner, you know.  I'm trying to picture what it will be like when we are married inshaAllah, and we go to this prayer together.  We would most likely be with each other until the actual prayer, when men and women split ranks.  I have this picture in my head that unless you have your friends with you, you would be playing with your smartphone back there.  Please try not to do that.

It's almost time to get to sleep, if I want to wake up at 3 am or something to cook and eat.  I usually write right after dinner, after the sunset prayer.  So there's a change of habit, what is time anyway.  Actually, I rather enjoy Ramadan.  You take care of yourself, and get plenty of rest.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150617

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

So tomorrow is Ramadan.  That's Thursday.  Today is my Mom's birthday.  Of course it means something, she's my Mom!  Happy Birthday Mom!  I bought her a new headscarf.  I love you, Mom!  But tomorrow is when the fasting month begins.  What will you be doing?  While it's true that I cannot be married to a non-Muslim, if you were to conduct worship just to please me and/or to show off to people, then don't even bother.  What God cares about is your sincerity, and so do I.  But if you are sincere, then don't call it a diet.  Call it "fasting".  This is where you abstain from food, drink, and sexual activity from dawn to sunset.  Don't swear or pick your nose, either.  The day before and before dawn of the fast, voice in your heart, "I hereby fast tomorrow, this month of Ramadan of this year, for the sake of Allah, the Most High."  If you are on your period, then you are exempted from fasting, but you must make the day/days up later before the next Ramadan.

Ow, I hurt my back somehow.  Maybe I did my scrunchies, I mean crunches, wrong.  No, I think it was all the time I spent on the seat of my motorcycle.  For dinner, it was rice with tofu cooked in a sauce made of sweet bean paste, sugar, hot pepper puree, garlic, onion, ginger, chillis, sugar, and palm oil, with finely sliced steak sprinkled on top.  Very delicious, and very filling.  Alhamdulillah.  I wish you had joined me for dinner, because I'm stuffed right now.  Time to relax.  Erin I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150616

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Erin, dearest heart.  How are you feeling today, my beloved?  Did you buy yourself some nice suits for work?  If you did, I want to see you wear them.  I love a beautiful woman in a beautiful suit.  I want to see YOU wearing beautiful suits.  That would be such a turn on!

I'm still bumming out over my kitty, but otherwise it's just another everyday day for me here.  In the morning, I drove over to a government agriculture research and development institute to show them my mango plants, and the guy there confirmed that my mangoes were 100% harumanis.  I got lost trying to find the place: it was way out in the sticks and I almost wound up in the next state, putting around slowly on my motorcycle so as to not harm the baby mangoes in my basket.  But I got home in time for a nap before the mid day prayer, so I didn't fall into a coma during voice training.  It was too wet in the evening to do any grass cutting, so I just spent some time with my baby mangoes.

Dinner is steak and potatoes!  I threw some cubed potatoes, garlic, onions, hot peppers, and coriander seeds into a small wok then fried them up in super hot oil until the garlic and onions turned black.  I ate that with sliced steak.  Quite yummy, if I may say so.  Would you like some?  No kissy kissy!   Garlic breath!  Stainless steel absorbs garlic, so we'll have to suck on steel spoons before any kissy kissy.  Mwah!  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150615

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Are you mad at me again?  You probably have good reason, and I don't blame you.  I still can't afford to buy you a ring, and to build your house.  Please forgive me, and be patient with me.  I have no choice but to live for Allah.  It's because of this music, you see.  Whatever happens, please know that you are my girl, and I love you, and I need you.  I want to marry you.

---- has always been the runt of the family.  She was always the last to get to a nipple and needed help to get there, and going into heat gave her such a hammering each time.  But she managed to grow up into a beautiful little kitty, a little waif girl.  Yesterday evening, she was eating normally and had lots of energy.  Then this morning, Sunday at 5:30 am, she didn't want to eat her breakfast.  She was in heat all week so I didn't think too much of it.  Then at 8 am, I noticed she had trouble breathing.  I found it was serious: she had pneumonia.  To fall ill on a weekend around here is death for a cat, because the vet is closed.  And there was nothing I could do, but watch her die.  She drew her last breath at 10 am.  It happened so quickly, she was still so soft and beautiful when she died.  There was no fever, no stuffed nose, nothing but a swift pneumonia.  There was so much water in her lungs Erin, it was pouring out.  It were as if she had drowned.  Which is perplexing to me, because she spent her whole life indoors, and my house is warm and dry.  I buried her by a banana tree at your house inshaAllah.  When I went to pick her body up to put her down into her grave, she was lying in a puddle of water.  Poor little kitty, I loved her so much.  From Allah is our origin, and to Allah is our return.  I hate losing a cat.  It's one of the worst feelings on earth.  4 days before Ramadan. 

There are no coincidences, so you may be wondering what Allah means by this.  I think I know.

Letter to Erin 20150614

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Erin!  How are you feeling today, my beloved?  I pray you are feeling healthy and happy, and having a great time.  Just be sure to maintain your prayers.  Nothing much going on today for me.  It rained a lot in the morning, so I wasn't able to go out as I had planned.  I wanted to buy more flour.  Lunch wasn't all that special.  I had to finish off those small won ton skins, so I just stuffed them with the rest of the fish balls, since my paste didn't work too well.  The rained stopped in the evening, so after the Asr prayer I was able to cut grass over at your house inshaAllah.  I went out after, to get gasoline and I bought fried noodles for dinner.  Yeah, I don't feel like cooking.  But also I won't be eating out much during Ramadan, which starts next Thursday.  Right now, I'm going to just relax.  My legs are tired.  Wish you were here with me.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150613

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

What, you're mad at me again?  Because I complained about doing a little house cleaning?  I'll admit that I loathe house cleaning, but I'll do some.  I like a clean house, but I hate house cleaning.  That's not hypocrisy- it's laziness.  You have no idea how many tasks I have on my plate, plus I need to relax, so I am able to work.  The day will come when I will have to focus on studio work, and I won't be able to do much of anything else.  Right now, I don't have the musical instruments and studio equipment, plus the means of duplication and printing.  But when Allah grants me thus inshaAllah, I'm going to be trapped inside the studio.

I'm having chicken wings tonight.  Wanna join me for dinner, Sweetheart?  Squid freezes up well, so I'll just save it for later.  Maybe fried calamari.  Right now it's time to make a batch of dough.  I like making my dough hard lately.  So it would be ready to use in 3 days.  I don't work in a restaurant anymore, so I don't have to feed any patrons.  Right now I'm watching "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes"- the old one, from 1969 I think.  Snake Plissken looks so young and clean cut!  Wanna snuggle up to a movie?  I love you Erin, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150612

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Gag!  Seafood stinks.  Even when you buy it fresh and you smell it and there's no smell, when you open up the guts, it reeks.  It's because of all the things they eat, and ferments in the stomach.  Crabs and shellfish don't smell so bad.  Big fish is generally easier to deal with, because you can pull out the guts easier.  But squid?  There's no other way but to rip and shred out the guts, especially if you want to save the liver and the eggs.  And the ink sac- for something so small, it makes a huge, black mess.  Cuttlefish is stinkier than regular squid, but it has more meat.  The squid family is mostly made out of water, so it shrinks like mad.  Today cuttlefish was on sale, so I had to process that today.  I still have the scent on my fingers 3 hours later, after doing gardening, after driving around looking for cooking gas, after taking a shower.  the good thing is that the cats hate the smell of squid, and they totally leave me alone.  You wanna gut these cuttlefish?  Oh, I have to do it?  AND do the house cleaning?

I didn't want to go to the market this morning, but I had to waste some time before the stores opened so I could buy a new regulator.  SO I got the cuttlefish, some tofu, and some won tons.  So for dinner, it's going to be fried won tons.  The won ton skins are small though, so it's going to be a pain to shape them.  I think I'll blend the stuffing today.  The blend turned out really tasty, but the won tons were too small and tedious.  The best approach was to spread the paste on then fold it over, but frying it up created a lot of splatter.  Tasty, though.  Want some?

I must say it's already getting weird (er than usual), and it's even Ramadan yet.  Well, alhamdulillah.  You take sweet care of yourself, Sweetie.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150611

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Erin!  Dahlink!  I'm sorry if I didn't talk all that much yesterday.  Actually, I don't talk much at all usually.  Believe it or not, I talk most to you over everyone else.  Well today I had to get my cesspool cleaned out, so I was thinking about that all day yesterday.  It was just too damned full, and it hadn't been emptied in years.  I went to the toilet more than usual, in anticipation.  So now that it's all cleaned out, I went to the toilet more than usual to check it out.  It's like getting a new car, you just want to keep driving it.  Well, it doesn't have that new car smell.  Actually, it doesn't smell of anything at all.

I was checking out the truck that they used to clean the cesspool, and it occurred to me that the hose that sucks the shit up has a limited length.  The old cesspools at your house inshaAllah are way over on the southwest corner of the house, at least 20 meters away from the driveway.  There's no way that hose runs for 20 meters.  We're going to have to dig a new sewage container system on the northwest corner of the house.  To dig it on the opposite side of the house is right next to the street- it depends where you want your master bathroom.  I'm going to put your bathroom on the west side of the house in my plan, inshaAllah.

Then came dinner time, I was about to cook when I had to change the gas cylinder.  Then my gas regulator refused to work.  Well, there it is.  Of course I had to empty out the cesspool AND buy a new cooking gas regulator right before the fasting month.  It makes complete sense.  There's no such thing as coincidence.  People who believe in coincidences do not think that there could be a mini Mandelbrot 10000 magnifications away.  Or so.  Anyway Erin Sweetie, you are MY girl, and I love you with all my heart.  And I need you.  Apologies for the mundane old sewage talk.

Letter to Erin 20150610

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Erin.  How are you today, my beloved sweetheart?  I'm just hanging out here with my cats, and dealing with the mundane as best as I can.  ---- is still in heat, and howling her her heart away.  There's nothing all that special on the menu from what I'm making.  My Mom gave me some of her famous bamboo shoot sweet pickle, and I'm having that for dinner with rice and chicken.  I pray you are taking sweet loving care of yourself in my absence, for I wish to be with you always.  Please maintain your prayers.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150609

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hey, Erin Sweetie.  How are you feeling today, my beloved?  I saw you in that new Victoria's Secret video, and you are so beautiful.  At first I didn't think it was a new video, because you look exactly the same as you did 5 years ago.  Oh, it isn't new.  Duh.  I did like that black outfit you had on at that NY sports thingy.  You are so beautiful.  But you are so beautiful to me, regardless.  Because I love you, and I need you.

Nothing all too special happening today.  I slept in this morning (after the dawn prayer, of course) and I also took an afternoon nap, so I had plenty of rest.  Alhamdulillah.  After Asr, I cut grass.  Lunch was plain old chicken nuggets, and for dinner I rolled out 2 tortillas.  For the stuffing, I fried up potatoes, onions, peppers and salt, and sliced up some leftover steak.  Seems ordinary, doesn't it?  Tasted good, though.  Alhamdulillah.  Maybe after the night prayer, I'll play guitar a little.  Or just relax.  Alhamdulillah.

Letter to Erin 20150608

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Oh, you're mad at me?  You are not amused?  Well, you may be pleased to know that I was immediately punished for my act of posting a photo of hairy cat balls on the Internet.  The morning after I blogged, Bobby was strutting around the compound with his chest puffed up and peeing on everything.  Oh wait, he always does that.  Then he picked a fight with his brother.  Then ---- went back in heat, and was screaming all morning.  Then while I was cleaning my mother's bedroom, someone dumped a whole pot of cooking oil on my kitchen floor.  It was covered, and I thought it was stable enough, but apparently it wasn't.  I suspect it was a certain someone wanting revenge for not allowing her to spawn at will.

I was never much of a Joy Division fan.  I had all their music on cd a couple of decades ago, and it made me drowsy.  I get drowsy anyway listening to music I like and my own music, but I wasn't all that interested in Joy Division.  Then a few days ago, I saw a video of them live on BBC's "Something Else".  I was totally blown away.  The live mix was powerful, and that lead singer was SCARY.  Joy Division has been long associated with gothic music, but they didn't look like any goth I had ever known, and I've known quite a few.  They looked more like civil servants.  You know, the type of people you would meet if you were applying for a business license.  The hair, shoes, shirts, neatly creased pants, and no jackets.  To me, they were definitely more of a live band than a studio band.  I wish I had produced their studio albums, I would have given them a more aggressive sound.

It turns out that Ian Curtis was a full time civil servant before he was a rock star, working with the unemployed and the disabled.  When I watched the interviews with his wife and closest friends, I got the impression that he was a resilient, secretive and stubborn man, rather than the whimpering ninny which was his portrayal in the movie "Control".  He could have overcome his illness and other problems if it had been his intention.  I observe that he wasn't born with epilepsy: he acquired the disease.  Which means he was subjected to brain damage, substance abuse, and overwork.  I rule out bacterial infection because no other illnesses were mentioned.  It could be that he studied the motions of epileptic fits so precisely, that his "Epileptic Dance" was equivalent to a first seizure.  And once one has a first seizure, it becomes easier to get more and habitual seizures.  If that be correct, it could be that epileptic fits can be doctored with an "out-of-phase" epileptic dance, like a sine wave is neutralized by another sine wave which is out of phase.

Anyway, it seems to me that Ian Curtis was a calculated man with a secret agenda.  His sickness became part of his public image as a rock star.  It could be that financial success for Joy Division or anybody else associated with Joy Division was never his intention.  He probably understood music and mass media well enough to know that Joy Division would have a tremendous influence because of his death.  And even when things spun out of control, he stuck with the plan.  I see a distinct possibility of a secret agenda of becoming some sort of martyr for the sick, whether his intention was noble or selfish.  They could always have dressed up as goths or punk rockers instead of civil servants.  But not just that.  If this is the case, then his suicide is an injustice.  Because the rock star most qualified to champion the sick was murdered by Ian Curtis.

Oh dearest, I'm spewing out a whole lot of crap when I should be saying, "I love you."  Erin, please take sweet loving care of yourself.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150607

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi there, rich girl!  Oh, don't worry- I'm not hitting you up for cash.  I am your husband inshaAllah, and it is my responsibility to provide for you.  I don't want your hard-earned money.  Just do me a favor and please buy yourself some nice suits for work, OK?  And please try to dress modestly when you're off duty.  I love you, and I need you.

I was busy all this morning with my baby mangoes as usual, but I ate too much for lunch.  It's my fault!  Not only did I make 2 portions, but I wanted to finish off that pea and potato stuffing.  I felt too lazy to do anything active after the Asr prayer, so I just lay down in front of the TV, put on the headphones, and listened to music.  I took a photo of Bob Cat this morning and I posted it here for you to look at.  Isn't he a handsome fellow?  He almost looks embarrassed.  I had to follow him into the motorcycle cage to get this shot.  It's not the best quality- damned low resolution cell phone camera!  I also took a photo of his balls.  Is it pornography to post a fuzzy photo of hairy cat balls?  I don't think it's going to sexually arouse anybody.  Certainly not me.  I just wanted to amuse my wife.  From an animalistic perspective, a cat with big balls is the master of his territory, thus the photo is a statement of his supremacy and warning to other cats who would happen to view this blog.  Sorry, I can't post a video of Bobby doing the ball dance.  I need someone to hold the camera.  When we are married inshaAllah, we can make that our pet project.

Letter to Erin 20150606

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Erin Sweetie!  How are you feeling, Darling?  You must be traveling around as usual, so please make sure you enjoy what you do and please get lots of beauty rest.  I woke up early, and have been busy all day.  Baby mangoes take a lot of attention, so that's what I did at 7 am.  Then I had to go to Friday prayer, and in the evening I went back to stuffing peat pots.  But I did have time before sunset to harvest mangoes from that big tree in my front yard.  Not harumanis, but tasty enough especially when refrigerated.  Ooh, I think I'll have one right now.

Yummy!  You want one?  I'll slice it up for you!  Nice and sweet!  Just like you!  Ow, I'm sore all over.  It's all that physical labor.  I finally got around to putting those ear drops in.  What a weird feeling.  It was odd that my ear cleared up when I left the clinic, before I bought the ear drops.  I think I'll start taking it easy right now.  Maybe I'll work on your house plan a little.  I love you, Erin.  And I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150605

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Now for the top story on Cat News: Floofy becomes an indoors cat for good!  I took her to the vet this morning for an anti fungal shot and for a contraceptive shot.  The anti fungal shot went OK, but there is currently a bureaucracy on the availability on cat contraceptives, so the only one I had available to me at the moment was an oral contraceptive which is effective for only 2 weeks.  Now I'm not skilled at making a cat swallow a pill: the pill usually winds up somewhere on the ground five feet away, while I get mauled with a frenzy of claws.  I had the option of returning to the vet after scheduling a contraceptive shot, but I'm kind of like a cat in that I hate going to the vet, and I had already gone this morning, so I don't want to go back there unless I absolutely have to.  So Floofy is staying indoors for good.  Good thing she's a well-behaved cat, and a sweetheart to boot.  Let's see what happens when she goes in heat.

I did manage to make hot sauce and fry up some chicken wings for myself last night.  I've come with a standard recipe hot sauce, which I duplicated after analyzing a bottled sauce.  Cheaper, tastier, fresher, spicier and more plentiful than buying!  The curious thing is that my indoor cats loved my chicken wings, while the boys outside didn't touch them (even though they begged for them).  I guess they have frogs and snakes to snack on.  The menu today wasn't that special.  Noodles for lunch, a spicy Thai variety.  Mangoes.  My pea and potato concoction rolled into a calzone, deep fried for dinner, with my home made hot sauce for dipping.  Quite tasty, but normal.  I want to buy a fish, but I'm too lazy to process it.  I'm still busy with my baby mangoes, but today I had to cut grass.  I have a nursery now, so my yard always has to look pro.

All this work makes me look like a workaholic, doesn't it?  But I'm not!  I'm a lazy butt!  I wanna snuggle with my Erin all day and make the love!  Erin, I love you and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150604

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

"Loving you is easy because you're beautiful".  Sweet Erin, you are certainly beautiful.  You are the most beautiful girl in the world to me.  Because you are MY girl, and I love you very much.  I can't sing like Minnie Riperton, though.  More accurately, I can't squeal like Minnie Riperton.  Those high notes!  Reaching those notes (which is impossible for me) would put my voice out of action for at least a day.  Would you say that Minnie Riperton is the most feminine singer ever?  Well, she can sing very high notes, does that make a singer feminine?  Did you know she died of breast cancer?  I think she was only 30 years old.

My right ear is plugged up with wax, so I thought I'd go to the government clinic to have them clean it out.  But the place was packed with people, and I sat there waiting for almost 2 hours, and I never got to see an intern.  I had to go (I'm on a schedule, you know), so I went to the pharmacy and bought some ear drops.  But somebody at the clinic gave me the sniffles!  **sniffle**  It is the rainy season after all.  I was able to sing somewhat OK, though.  Damn, I left my card there!  I stopped at the market, might as well you know.  I was pleased to discover there was a stack of chicken wings!  So I bought 2 kilos.  I'm craving chicken wings, but I might have to put it off and see what these sniffles do to me.  **sniffle**  Besides, I need to make chicken wing sauce first. 

Last night, I never got around to loafing around.  I got caught up making chocolate because as you know, I didn't have any snacks so I was drawn to the chocolate.  When I left the chocolate last, it still tasted of cooking chocolate so I worked on removing the oil they put in there.  My technique worked but not perfectly, because I could still taste that oil even though it's very slight.  Plus I put too much milk powder, so it turned out crumbly.  Still snappy, but crumbly.  Does that make sense?  One more treatment should make the chocolate tasty, but now I have too many steps so when I start over again, I'm going to have to remove the oil first before adding other stuff.  **sniffle**

You are certainly beautiful, my beloved Erin.  But you do me no favors by embracing Islam.  You are not the One Who saved my life, and saved my life over and over again.  Rather, Allah conferred a favor upon you by guiding you to the faith.  While you have intelligence and wisdom in your youth, there is still much you need to accept (not understand) before you truly understand.  I love you, and I need you.

Qur'an 20150604

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

14.  The Arabs say, "We believe."  Say, "You have no faith, but you say, 'We have submitted our wills to God,' for not yet has faith entered your hearts.  But if you obey Allah and God's messenger, God will not belittle aught of your deeds, for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

15.  Only those are believers who have believed in Allah and God's messenger and have never since doubted, but have striven with their belongings and their persons in the Cause of Allah: such are the sincere ones.

16.  Say, "What!  Will you instruct Allah about your religion?  But Allah knows all that is in the heavens and on earth: God has Full Knowledge of all things."

17.  They impress on you as a favor that they have embraced Islam.  Say, "Count not your Islam as a favor upon me.  No, Allah has conferred a favor upon you, that God has guided you to the faith, if you be true and sincere."

18.  Verily Allah Knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth, and Allah sees well all that you do.

The Inner Apartments 49:14-18
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You have no faith, but you say, "We have submitted our wills to God," for not yet has faith entered your hearts.  But if you obey Allah and God's messenger, God will not belittle aught of your deeds, for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

What!  Will you instruct Allah about your religion?  But Allah knows all that is in the heavens and on earth: God has Full Knowledge of all things.

Count not your Islam as a favor upon me.  No, Allah has conferred a favor upon you, that God has guided you to the faith, if you be true and sincere.

Letter to Erin 20150603

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hello again, my dearest Erin.  How are you feeling today, Sweetheart?  I pray you are feeling healthy and confident.  It's just another normal day for me here.  I woke up early again, rather I didn't go back to sleep after the dawn prayer, ate a mango then spent most of the morning with my baby mangoes, separating the twins, triplets and quadruplets.  Then I had to make a quick run to the Tuesday market.  Lunch was one of my quick fixes which I pulled out of the freezer, you know the concoction with peas that I made the other day.  It rained all evening  so I couldn't do any yard work.  So instead, I made some dough and marinara sauce.  I didn't cook dinner though.  Instead I went out to have rice at Ina's.  Just now when I took my evening shower, there was a leech in my bathroom.  I haven't seen a leech in decades!  The last time I saw a leech was in the jungle when I was a kid.  I dumped some salt on it, and that took care of the sucker.  Now I'm in the mood to just be lazy, if you don't mind.  Veg out and watch TV.  Oh no, I don't have any snacks!  What a travesty!  What an injustice!  I hope you are having a good time Erin, and taking sweet loving care of yourself.  Wish you were with me.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150602

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

People should appreciate my beautiful Erin more.  Because she is my wife, inshaAllah.  And she would be much nicer to the press than me.  I do so loathe the press.  All they care about is their agenda.  So they don't need me, and that's fine by me.  I don't want anything to do with them.  If it be the Will of Allah that the people be enlightened, then they will be enlightened regardless of me.  As for me, I don't care so much about explaining myself, and this letter is as close as people will get to an autobiography.  Why should the crowd give a shit about me anyway?  I doubt their sincerity.  It's better that they fear and worship Allah.

About your house inshaAllah, you may have noticed that there is already a concrete foundation present in that old, abandoned house.  But it is not a square foundation.  The dimensions I gave before were square.  I thought that demolishing and rebuilding into a new foundation that is square would make work easier, or perhaps you would want to design within the confines of the square.  But there are bathrooms and toilets that jut out of the square in the old foundation, and we must pay attention to old sewage lines.  Mostly because the is no sewage system here, only cesspools.  But any skilled builder can overcome that, right?  Maybe.  I'm also thinking that building on the shape of the old foundation could be cheaper.  Not that anything about this marriage project will come cheaply.  Sigh.  Ya Allah, please grant me the means to give Erin a stable and happy married life.  Erin, I love you and I need you.