2008: compact; pliable.

Affliction: earshot.
Remedy: wear layers; remember your skin is thicker than it ever has been: natural coping mechanisms are set. Above all, not to worry: there is plenty of oil in the chassis.

2008: Ah.

Affliction: not speechless, but sometimes you make up words.
Remedy: pas grave. Naturicité.

2008: what a long month.

Affliction: sunk?
Remedy: not yet.

2008: good form.

Affliction: opacity and politesse; leather jackets, apartments, and too much hesitation.
Remedy: hello, peace corps?

Work+luck+chemistry+timing=2008

Affliction: how do you talk about it?
Remedy: color, color, color. Be sure of it.

2008: A new meaning of green.

Affliction: inside is outside is outside in.
Remedy: go get it. Cowgirl swagger.

2008: Get used to it

Affliction:sub-par, below, factors that incline backwards.
Remedy: shake it off.

2008: I'm

Affliction: the thought of digging ditches is fine, as long as you are sure you will do it well.
Remedy: a long, hot, bath; 8 hours of sleep. Keaton's pain.

2008:

Affliction: you are back from outer space; lag; worry; fret; stress; immanence; airport salad.
Remedy: you do what you do.

2008: Do you know what I'm talking about?

Affliction: not sure; tomorrow: Chicago-Toronto-Chicago.
Remedy: center yourself.

Smile: The Year of Urban Snap

Affliction: they liked you, but not enough; friends are going through what you've already digested; options are still open, but there are fewer of them and spring will come, and then summer. Unpaid bills.
Remedy: have a proper dinner party; use a table cloth; reach way, way back and feel the holes of wisdom.

X-Tra, X-tra: For Iris, because she makes it all seem so

2008: Near and Far, a year.

Affliction: someday, it will be a year since this or that, and then, of course, from now.
Remedy: one option is to keep all calendars. The other option is just to go one day, or part of it, without your glasses. Same diff.
p.s. it is nice to be here.

2008: To Catch a Leaf

Affliction: lost uncles, broken belts.
Remedy: be good to yourself, friend. There is no mystery here. Play the harmonica and look for home-made wine.

2008: The Year of Comfort.

Affliction: perception is accurate, perceptibly.
Remedy: continue to prioritize and relax. Remember interest.

2008: The year of clean slates.

Affliction: those old stains have faded but you sometimes feel the need to refer to them; they are a worn out map of revised, refurbished, and redeveloped terrain.
Remedy: cook collard greens in bacon; stuff the chicken with an onion and a lemon; put the fresh sage and garlic right under the skin. Potato.

2008: The year of could it be?

Affliction: fireworks or contentment?
Remedy: yes.

2008: The Year of Over and Under

Affliction: macro-micro equilibrium; excellent help comes from cave paintings.
Remedy: please use the word "mammal" as a verb as much as possible. I mammal, you mammal, he/she/it mammals; we mammal.

2008: The Year of Taste

Affliction: can't turn off the brain at night; the machine is working on overtime.
Remedy: keep your eye on the prize; remember shopping; remember what awaits you at the end of the week.

2008: The Year of Looking

Affliction: time travels too, too fast; more rest is needed.
Remedy: too bad, señorita. Put your skates on.

2008: The Year of the RRRRolled R

Affliction: exuberance makes the heart grow fonder. Hustonian sheets and one large, rubber ball.
Remedy: a potlatch for all seasons. Roaming: Chicago-Milwaukee-Chicago.

2008: Year of the Talon

Affliction: besos, amour, joie de vivre, espoir, voix, voyage, avenir, poignée, voeux, amis, livres, projets, dessins, papel, moustaches, mots, clin d'oeil, hamburger.
Remedy: more besos, more amour, plus de joie de vivre, buckets of espoir, haute voix, more voyages, toujours l'avenir, I love my poignées et le sport, mes meilleur voeux, to my amis, and their livres et les mots, the dessins (les tiens et les miens), l'absence de moustache, double clin d'oeil, légumes and cocktails for everyone--on the house. Papel.

Que je vous aime en 2008.