Off The Hook....for his Mom.

The most hilarious thing anyone has said to me lately in reference to my schizophrenia:  I met a schizophrenic once, but he wasn't like you, he couldn't even talk, so you are doing really well.  (Well, thanks)


Heinz(Manfred's dad) came over the other day & casually remarked on the pretty decoration on my front door, obscuring my doorbell.

I call it mitigating unwanted interactions.

So maybe I got defensive. Because he pointed out that:

A~I am not a pretty home decoration person.

B~I have a doorman. Other than building occupants, no one can theoretically ring my bell.

C~He has never seen someone cover their doorbell so efficiently.

And maybe I said: You are in your 80s, & a retired psychiatrist, so isn't it time to stop working on me ?

He picked up my cat & said(to her): Oh, sweetheart, do you ever wonder why you never have any visitors? It is because mommy put a pastel electrified fence(he's exaggerating)around your doorbell.

So I haven't exactly turned into a social butterfly, but I actually have been expanding my loom of associations.

Jackie O has shaped the evolution of my relationship with Boss.  I spend too much time with him~instead of in the room in which I am supposed to be working~because my room has too many wacky-arty pictures of Jackie O.  It's those creepy eyes.  They startle me into thinking I've forgotten to feed my goldfish but I don't have goldfish.  And an otherwise unemployable relative a part-time employee who works in that room keeps telling me I would be even more creative if I stopped taking my medslike I suspect he has & let my schizophrenic freak fly.  Which is great, until someone loses an ear.  No thanks.

Boss is caustic smart, but patient & gentle.  He will sing Don't Cry by Guns N' Roses if anyone is in a weepy mood~there are young melodramatic artists working at his place& 3 dobermans who once made the UPS guy pee,so emotional pandemonium alert. He works very well with the fragile. He told me he understands pain beyond articulation.  Well, who doesn't want to work with someone like that?  He can act entitled with me, but he has the money, the connections, the prime location & the proven track record.  So, I'll deal.  90% of the time our miscellaneous work obsessions are complementary. Good enough for me. 

Boss often relies on diplomacy, as often as I do not.  He has a devoted circle of admirers..me, not so much.  We did a trial run to work out kinks on our project, mostly populated by his people.  The reaction to the action was mostly good, but I still have a lot of work to do(happily said).  And Rod, thanks for inspiring me with the blood.

Manfred:  The pictures are on meat hooks, but the food is vegan.  That does not seem fair.

Nursing Home Barbie:  It's Mary's concept.  I like it.  (Barbie is the incredibly positive & supportive type, but she needs to stop dressing like she gets a big discount at Wet Seal)

Amelia(Chicklet/Amy from my AOL blog):  I don't understand about all the sawdust.  It won't ruin my heels, right? (she's a pre-med student, so the blood, apparently, does not concern her)

Me answering Manfred since I plan to ignore Amelia's comment entirely:  (Boss) has broad limits of tolerance for odd propensities.  He gave me great latitude. 

Manfred:  There is great latitude & then there is Wednesday Addams latitude(he knows coworkers used to call me that in the past).  This may just be your dream project. 

David:  At least it proves we don't all breed back to the mean.  Is that real blood?(no)  Will there be pony rides?(excuse him, he is a writer)

A mom who came~we have a wonderful collection of pictures of her very talented son~was upset by the way I displayed his pictures.  Sort of high-gloss erotic shots meets meatpacking district.  Her son died of AIDS, bad blood, she said...& she was offended.  I want creative freedom, but not at the expense of a mom.  She wanted his part to be true to him, & it wasn't.  So I am going to interview her & her husband, & do a corner of true.