Letters from Home

by Henrey Lee Lucat

I was in the shit in 'Nam, back in 1967. But now I'm in the shit in The Heights. I got my stuff going on, tho. Happy hour at Coogan's or Piper's Kilt. Friday afternoons at Scores. Now that we're into Yankee Baseball season, I can hop on the bus on 181 and go directly to the stadium, drink as much as I damn well please, and get delivered to the door (practically) 3 or 4 hours later. It's cool. Now Jon's living here. He's a guy, unlike my mom and brother Mungo. So hopefully me and him can do guy things together--play some one-on-one, go pick up some sluts at some bar, watch Conan--but right now I'm getting real tired and gotta go nap. In three hours I get up and get groomed for dinner, then out to the pub for the evening, to chat up some pussy. I need my sleep. Here's some info on blankets.

Far above the jungle canopy, I hear the choppers flying overhead. They sound friendly, but in the shit your ears can do tricks better than Penn and Teller. Birds sit in the most humid forest trees, singing their silly songs--at a different point in my life their songs would entice and enchant me, but now they're just a distraction. I hear a rustling in the dead leaves and my adrenaline races. I quickly turn around, remembering that my coloring disguises me well in the dead tree trunk I'm hiding in. A tiger cub slinks close to the ground in its attempt to sneak up on me. I relax; I've seen this cub before, and he just wants to play.

But back in Washington Heights, top o' tha food chain, I am cozy on my down comforter. It's slightly cool today, despite the date, and the comforter keeps me warm. I have a variety of blankets for all the variants in the weather we experience here in the heights, and if you really want maximum comfort, I suggest you do the same.

The plaid wool blanket: The plaid wool blanket sits on tier two (I have a multi-tiered sleeping system that I'll explain at a later date). This is the blanket I had in 'nam, and it smells musty and sweaty. This blanket was my best friend for many many years, and the wool kept me warm through cold damp nights. I keep this blanket by the window. It reminds me of my youth.

The acrylic blanket: This recent addition sits on tier 2A,a nd is perfect for the warmer summer weather. It retains a bit of coolness, and dries very quickly which is perfect for when those summer squalls leak through the windows.

The down comforter: Although in July and August this blanket may seem a little superfluous, believe me, you'll be thanking me as you snuggle deep down in goosey softness in January. Besides being very very warm, this blanket has the added bonus of being filled with bird feathers.