This is the deal. I

This is the deal. I have worked on this Cultural Carbon Monoxide thing too long to put it up in the state that it is in. It needs some work. One of my big problems is that I tend to want to do everything perfectly and then it doesn't get finished at all, but I will not let this happen, because publishing for the Blog is not final, in fact the ideas and feedback that I get help me sort things out for more final writing. That is the whole justification for having this blog and putting time into it. But, all that being said, the thing is just not ready yet.

The long and short of it is that CO in E Maj post will not go up today, and, since we are going to Redding this weekend, it will not go up this weekend. Then, Monday night I will be in Sacramento and Tuesday I will be having minor surgery (more on that later) and will probably be in a bit of pain and doped up for awhile. I cannot guarantee brilliance in the next week. If I am posting barely incoherent stuff, forgive me, because I will know not what I do. I generally do not respond well to opiates and synthetic opiate pain relievers (they tend to make me grouchy more than anything), so if I am short with any of you in the comments boxes, complain to Ann!

Since she has done such a good job of making this blog look good, I am going to put her in charge of complaint resolution for the next week (since I will be too grouchy to respond to even legitimate complaints). In reading this, Ann will learn that this is her new job, and will have a legitimate complaint for me. Since it is in her department, she should duly take down a report and file it. That is how complaints are handled in an Italian organization, and this is an Italian organization. Maybe someday someone will look into it. Yes, next month. That is probably the case, now buongiorno, signora, I hope you have tried our city's pasta, delicious, no?

So, the big, long-awaited post will have to wait most probably until the week of the 20th. I will not neglect you, and will try to post other stuff, although it may be slow on Tuesday through Friday.

Now, here is the good news. I was at the surgeon's office yesterday and found out that if I bring a video tape I can get a copy of what the surgeon will see as he fixes the hernia (it is a monster of one just North of my belly button). Naturally, I have never seen the interior of my abdominal cavity before, and am beyond excited at the prospect. All of this is going to be done from behind the abdominal wall, using a camera, and it is all incredibly cool. If I were not going to be under general anesthesia, I would be rivetted to the screen. For those of you who find this stuff equally fascinating, when I am feeling better I will be having a party where we will eat pizza, drink beer and watch the video. It will be called the Abominable Abdominal Movie Night, and will be a lot of fun. See real live intestines! See a Gore-tex mesh stapled to a muscle! See what makes this sick puppy, Keilholtz, tick! Maybe I will cleverly mix music into it, maybe not. We'll see.

"Dude, it's sort of like Pink Floyd, but gross. Pass me another slice of pepperoni!"

While we are on the topic of up and coming events... on the 25th of May, a Sunday, I will be finally getting to a bullfight. I will write a review, and may even post pictures (if I can figure out how to do it). Since I missed the season opener a couple of weeks ago, and will miss Pico dos Padres tomorrow (and nothing is as beautiful as the orchard around the bullring in the spring), I am really champing at the bit to see some bulls. It sounds like last weekend in Tijuana was good. Eloy cut two ears on his second bull, and I don't think he would have cut two if he were completely flat (as much as aficionados sniff at the habit of the Tijuanense to give trophies too easily, I have found that they demand excitement for it, even if it is in the form of mostly adornos). I have not been to either of the Tijuana rings in over a year, and would love to make a trip this summer. It looks like I will be shooting a documentary on the city of Tijuana in September, so hopefully an afternoon at Plaza Monumental Las Playas can be arranged. Last year my Baja bull trip was to Mexicali, which was a lot of fun, but I miss Tijuana's rings and crowds, as rowdy as they can be.

So, all I can promise is a Friday Five at some point, and maybe a little teaser on the evils of the piano, although that will probably wait until later.