A Naked Lunch

The last of my images of Eva while she stayed here in June.

I promise that they are much more pleasant than the Burroughs story.

The series is up on Tumblr for $5+

I am working on some exclusive content for $25+ patrons, so stay tuned.

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Ironically enough, I am currently undergoing an unexpected purge at my house in Jersey. You might remember that in January, we sustained subzero temperatures for two weeks, and in that two weeks, my well and all of my pipes froze solid. 

My landlord finally had the plumbing under my home fixed while I was on tour. Yes. In September, 9 months later.

About a week after returning home, I spotted some mold around my house. I didn't think anything of it, because I live on a salt marsh. The tide goes in and out below my house. While I was on tour, my house was closed up and had no air flow. It looked to just be in the bathroom. I quickly cleaned it and forgot about it. 

About three days later, the mold was back. Then I started noticing it in other places. Once my radar was 'on,' I realized it was everywhere. I even had to throw out several hundred dollars worth of vitamins, because even though they were in glass containers, they were full of black mold. 

The next week, my landlord hired a contractor to come install insulation below my house for the winter. The contractor sprayed mold chemicals beneath my house. In the mean time, I also threw away and/or washed anything that looked suspect, and cleaned all my floors and walls. I got a dehumidifier and an air purifier. While it does seem to have helped a little, I am not confident that I have made a lasting effect. The contractor has now discovered that my septic plumbing has been draining under my house. This explains the sudden bacteria leading to mold growth. But now I am terrified that my aquifer may be contaminated. Moreover, I do use a strong Brita filter, but I have been drinking this water for months. Needless to say, I am having a mini crisis.

I have only been taking local artist gigs, and am with my grandfather the rest of the time, which is, although fulfilling, very exhausting. I am both emotionally and financially depleted. And now I am sick... quite sick, actually. I am not in the position to move, but if this situation is not mitigated, I may have no choice.

It is going to be difficult to find a house that fits my budget and also meets the criteria conducive to having my grandfather there. So if you believe in energy work, or are superstitious in any capacity, please keep your fingers crossed for me. I could use it. 

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Some good news; My grandfather had his blood work done. We stopped doing it weekly after his cancer prognosis, and now have it done monthly. All of his numbers have actually improved. Although his cancer symptoms continue to progress, he is not feeling much pain, his infection is at bay, and his major organs seem to be functioning normally. He has also gained 1 or 2 pounds, which is good, because he had steadily lost about 45 pounds in the last 5 months.

I have started putting up boundaries with my grandfather, because he has become too emotionally reliant on me to alleviate his anxiety surrounding his condition and mortality. This is a very difficult thing to do, but necessary. 

Tomorrow, I am bringing him to our local Greek Orthodox church. We will attend every Wednesday and Sunday. It is my hope that he will find some redemption and comfort there. An added bonus would be incorporating him into a community that gives him some faith; More importantly, a community filled with other old guys like him, who speak his language and share his joy for pastry and poker.

Thank you for keeping him in your thoughts.