Letter to Erin 20150828

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

**sniffle**  I got the sniffles again.  All the recent weather distortion is definitely not normal, and my body is struggling to adjust.  It's not the indoors atmosphere either, because the sneezing intensifies when I go outside.  And I can hear my parents sneezing more than usual next door.  I'm writing today's letter later than usual because I had to take the time to drain my sinus cavity.  Yeah it's gross, but I am responsible to Allah for protecting the music, in this case my voice.  Aaaa! I made the eggs, but I forgot to put it in my "chicken and egg" sandwiches!  **sniffle**

What's causing this weather distortion anyway?  Of course Allah controls the weather, by changing conditions on the earth to affect the state of the atmosphere.  Volcanic eruptions, meteors, earthquakes, etc.  Oh yeah, God created humans as well: pollution, bombs, depletion of natural resources, etc.  The intense cannonade of World War One caused the freezing swamp that was France.  Could it be that the spin of the earth on its axis is changing direction oh so slightly?  Right now prayer times are still the same and synchronized with the sun, as far as I can see.  But when the spin changes direction, of course there will be weather distortion.  Even oh so slightly.  We're all so so fragile.  But why would the spin of the earth on its axis change direction?  Come on humans, guess!

Whoops, I'm rambling.  I'll shut up now.  **sniffle**  I going to lay my bed down now, and relax.  Play "Lair Defense".  I have the feeling that travel is going to be very hard on me now that my voice has advanced: I've become a super sensitive chick singer diva.  Good thing I'm a "Man in a Box".  When we are married, please don't force travel on me.  Please?  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150827

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

Hi Erin, my beloved!  How is the most beautiful girl in the world feeling today?  You are MY girl, Erin.  Mine, mine, MINE.  Oh, it's just another average day for me.  Just another average day in the average life of yet another average Joe.  I've been getting the dates of these letters wrong lately.  Duh.  I'm a senile old man.  It's all the same old day, anyway.

It did clear up somewhat in the evening, enough for me to cut the grass over at your house inshaAllah.  There was also a group of banana trees behind my house that was attracting thick vines, and that was bothering me so I chopped all that down.  I also got rid of a spiny palm that was growing right at the neighbor's fence.  Once all that got down, it immediately started to rain.  Heavily.  The whole village was enveloped in a grey, thick fog.  Like London in winter.  Well, not that cold.  I didn't see any ravens, though.

I didn't feel like cooking anything for dinner, but I couldn't go out because it was pouring.  So I finished off the leftover chili.  Cold.  I didn't feel like cooking.  But it wasn't enough, because I was ravenous for some reason.  I had a leftover steak in the freezer, so I had to heat that up.  Good thing it was already cooked.  I guess this means I don't have anything special cooked up to share with you.  But I would have shared my cold chili and steak with you if you had been here.  You're such a sweetheart, Erin.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150826

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

Hi Erin!  How are you feeling today, my darling?  It' s been raining again today, so I just stayed in and watched TV in the evening since I couldn't do any grass cutting.  I did see a large black bird enjoying some food on the lawn of your house inshaAllah.  It was unlikely to be a raven here in Malaysia, but it was definitely bigger than a crow and it has been cold around here lately.  I remember ravens being plentiful when I was still in Arizona, and they were there all year long.  Fascinating birds.  I've always wanted a baby raven.

The morning was clear and dry, and my Mom wanted me to get her some onions, and she treated me to a fish at the Tuesday market.  That's where I usually get my beef.  But today I score a medium large scad, and it was fresh and cold, so I knew it would great to eat.  I had been craving sashimi lately.  There are better fish for sashimi, but this scad was so fresh and the size was perfect for sashimi, because the huge scad taste very strong while the small ones are tasteless.  Hardtail scad is best for grilling, but I took out half the meat and marinated it in squid sauce and lime juice.  Squid sauce?  A common Siamese condiment, very salty on flavor.  The lime juice is very potent, so it effective cooked the fish meat, so my sashimi was very palatable.  I'll probably grill the rest.  I think I'll try to set up an indoors grill- no charcoal!

But how are you doing, Sweetheart?  I hope you are relaxed and happy.  You are my girl, and I love you and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150825

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

Hi Erin!  How are you feeling, my dearest?  It's 5 pm on Monday here right now.  It's been raining today, and it feels so humid that I'm guessing the rain is going to continue.  I had planned to do some grass cutting, but I'll procrastinate like I so love to do.  I wanted pepper steak on rice for dinner again today, but I had been guzzling all the Thai peppers in my garden that there's none for harvest today.  Sure I could spend a dollar for peppers at the night market, but there's no need.  I'll just wait 2 days then I'll have enough peppers to harvest, inshaAllah.  So it's leftover chili for dinner tonight.  I have a lot.  You want some?  Food is love!  I love you, and I need you.

My Bob Cat is all grown up now: he's one year old, and is a big tough boy.  But lately he's been allowing this other brown striped cat with a stubby tail to eat from his cat food.  I asked him, "Why don't you chase that guy away like you do the other cats?  You can beat him!"  Is he afraid of him?  Bobby just stretched out on the ground and yawned.  So I chased that other cat away, and Bobby followed me in harassing him, hackles up and all.  God was with that other cat this time, and all my rocks missed.  But I'm not going to miss all the time, inshaAllah.  Go ahead and take me for granted, one day I'm going to bullseye him and he's not going to like it one bit.  But is Bobby afraid of him?  Only a fool is without fear, but I don't think that's the case here.  I think that President Bobby is trying to be political.  Oh please!  I hate politics!

Letter to Erin 20150824

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

Hi Erin!  How are you feeling today, Sweetie?  It's just another everyday day for me.  I was busy all morning.  I'm busy every Sunday morning.  Little ---- has calmed down from her heat, and now ------- is going into heat.  I can tell because she's amped up her naughtiness, and sticking her claws into me when I ignore her.  It's like a tag team- there's always somebody in heat around here.  I had chili for lunch, and stuffed won tons for dinner.  Yeah, just another day.  It's all the same old day.  Then comes Judgement Day.  I'm going to practice my bass now, so please excuse me.  I pray you are well, and taking care of yourself.  I love you, and I need you.

Erin, please make a donation to a worthwhile charity of a minimum of one US dollar.

Letter to Erin 20150823

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

Somehow I get the feeling that you are going to reject my house plan no matter how awesome it may be because you already have a plan of your own.  But you would still expect me to have my presentation ready for you when the time comes, so you can reject it.  That's just mean, Erin.  But it is your house after all, so your house plan supercedes mine.  Just remember that I am the one who will be the one who finances and supervises the construction inshaAllah, and there are some practical elements you need to pay attention to.  For example, you can't just put a bathroom wherever you feel like it.  All sewage and drainage pipes must be concentrated on the west side of the house, that's the side farthest from the street.  That means all the bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms must be on the west side.  Another thing is that you can't have a basement, because of flooding which is common around here.  Stuff like that.

I went to the market downtown after the dawn prayer this morning.  There were so much snapper there, Erin.  Big, fat, fresh ones.  I'm glad the fishery department is managing the popular species so that they don't get overfished.  But I couldn't afford one.  **sob**  A kilo of sashimi would have hit the spot.  Instead I bought some chicken breast, tofu, and won ton skins.  For dinner I made chili, and lots of it.  I find that simple recipes are the best for chili.  Canned baked beans in tomato sauce, ground beef, onion, garlic, black pepper, hot red chilli pepper puree, and lots of Thai peppers.  The canned beans don't need salt, and don't need to cook for hours.  I want to try a chili with tofu in it.  What do you think?  Soybeans, pinto beans... what's the difference?  Would you like some chili with a fresh tortilla?  I have a lot!  I love you Erin, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150822

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

Hi Erin!  How are you feeling today?  You're probably all excited, huh?  Please be patient.  Don't be like one of those "Behind The Music" documentaries, where the musician's life flashes by in half an hour.  3 times.  There's a lot going on, a lot to be done, and a lot that I need to acquire before I build your house.  But it's all out of love, my love for you, my dearest wife.  I love you, and I need you.

Whoops!  I forgot the laundry room!  Very important.  I had to take away one of the guest bedrooms to make a laundry room.  The options here for clothes dryers are limited as for now: electric only.  I'm not too comfortable, and perhaps you wouldn't be, with your hanging your clothes outside on a clothes line like everybody else.  It's because you're a famous lingerie model made more famous by marrying some rock star.  We could possibly string up a line inside the house.

For dinner, it's fried rice with fried calamari.  We can get it done quickly if you fry the calamari downstairs, while I fry the rice upstairs.  How about dinner on the upstairs patio overlooking the garden?  There's just room enough for two there.  If you want to barbecue, it's going to have to be downstairs.  But I feel like seafood tonight.  Oh no, reality!  I ate all of the dinner!

This house of yours is part of my vision and my mission, and this is the place where I make my stand.  None but Allah shall make me change my place.