LEAVING MY CLOTHES

Well, that's it, Rave. We're booked for Mexico City on Thursday.

"You mean you're booked. I'm the Invisible Flyer."

Whatever. I'm sure you'll be happy to see your buddies again.

"Yeah. I'll get to have a social life. Instead of hanging around here watching TV news and you wasting away to nothing."

I never knew depression was a way to weight loss. Probably it isn't. Probably it's being on the Saturn line. I won't have to pack most of my clothes, but it's not worth it to lose weight suffering.

"Suffering in stereo, too. Polarization in the public sphere, hysteria, name-calling, death threats, conspiracies. And that's just here in Caracas. On TV the same stuff is on cable, but with different countries' names attached to it: Iraq, Pakistan, Israel, the US, the UK, etc. Makes my head ache."

Gee, Rave, I'm sorry I got you into this. Can birds take aspirin?

"I don't think so--pills are dosed by body weight. But you what probably would beat back my headache for awhile?"

(I had to ask.)

"A little stroll through the sushi bar at the Hilton might just do the trick."

You know I'm allergic to fish.

"Order carrot tempura or something. That'll keep you busy while I'm chasing Salmon upstream. Anything but be here listening to some Archie Bunker lookalike talking about playing in a rock band with John Kerry, back when dinosaurs were top dog on the planet."

I think Archie was on something else. Playing somebody's father.

"Okay, okay. Are we heading for the Hilton or not?"

Sure. The Bourgeois Bird will get the Salmon. Considering the Bolivar went to 2,800 to the dollar on the black market this morning, maybe I'll be able to pay the check.

"Or you could leave them your clothes...."