Paris: 20 May 1999

	Act of Desperation: Have you ever had the bottle opener BUST on you when trying to twist that corkscrew into the bottle of cheap (30F) Vin de Puys? And it's your ONLY one and you don't really wanna go out into the world at 20:30 and try to find a new one? I'm dealing with some real world problems here, work with me people?!? Well, where there's a will there's a way! Just push the damn thing into the bottle, and slurp up what's left! OK, I'm celebrating tonight 'cuz I just secured a new place for June through September, and it really great! It's bigger than this place, has a separate office-type room where my Paris-bound friends can crash-o-la, it's on the 4th floor AVEC ascenseur, and dammit, I can only smoke a cigar on the HUGE (by Paris standards) balcony overlooking rue Saint Fargeau in a great neighborhood in the 20th, near lots of swell patisseries, AND it's half the price of this place! I'll be there through the end of my stay... See it HERE! (Journal: June 27) God smiled on me today when the guy who was supposed to get this place before me called Guy (the owner of this beautiful apartment) and said he couldn't take it because he had pets! So Guy called me back, and voila! Thank you Guy for your time, effort and faith in me, and thank you Laura and David for the good references as he called San Francisco to see if I was on the up and up! Guy is a classical pianist from Philadelphia with a degree from New England Conservatory of Music whose story is a little like mine as he came here from the USA 7 years ago to play music as well. He said that the first years were difficult, but amazing as he built his list of contacts while experiencing Paris and its wonders. I found his ad in the FUSAC publication which is a must for anyone coming here to live for an extended period of time, as it has many sublets advertised from locals departing the City. (Pick one up at any establishment which is frequented by many silly Americans,) New revelations: • Use the 120 Franc telephone card (available at any Tabac) to place outgoing phone calls, whether local or international, and receive calls on your cellphone; the price is much better. • USA Today rules, and the Herald tribune sucks (as far as the Sports Page is concerned anyway.) Why did the Giants pick THIS year to jockey themselves into an early race for the NL West crown?!? I guess I'll be back for any post-season action in October... • Go ahead and save the money on location when it comes to apartments: this neighborhood is swell and all, but is it worth spending twice the coin just to be in an area where you can get the really great cheese? • Don't plan on doing a lot of shopping on Sunday nights... • Getting plugged into the jazz scene here is not simple. For those who come here from elsewhere, it's a closed clique of the ultra connected, and the difficulties of breaking into it are well documented by individuals in the local English journals. They come here to get in, but find it's harder than they expected. It'll take more than just mailing out a bunch of CD's, because even if it's good, ya gotta know someone to get a call back. More later...
	Dr. Rod 26 April, 1999 Cologne, Germany ...just because I love this photo. Speaking of friends, Saji leaves tomorrow and I'm a gonna miss him! Good Ole Saj'. Saji and I go back a long way. To our freshman year in high school as a matter of fact, where in "Disco" Dave Dotur's English class I believe it was, Saji and I became good pals: Class Clowns more like. Saji is one of the funniest guys I know and constantly makes me laugh. We've stayed in touch ever since high school. Even after he moved away to Virginia for three years, after which I was walking down the steps at Columbia College one day in 1982, and heard this loud "Hey Clint Day!" I turned around and there he was, back in Columbia! We attended junior college together for that year. It was a great time! He moved away again to finish school at Cal Poly in San Louis Obispo. In 1989 I was living in San Jose and one day I get a phone call saying "hey Clint, I just bought a place here in San Jose. Turns out it's about 400 yards from where I was living! Saji's been there for me through some of the toughest times in my life. He's helped me sort through some of the crap we all go through in life, and he's always been able to help and give me a laugh as well, and for this I'm truly grateful. Thanks Saj'. LOVE YOU, man! Me and Saji, Champs-Elysées, Arch de Triomphe, yada yada...
	Now that Saji's back home I'm officially off vacation and I have to get to work! Gotta get cooking on some gigs! Got yer fingers crossed for me? Thanks.

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